Wait, why is this so dead?
I just got this as it got a price cut, I always was interested to neckband speakers since Bose announced Soundwear, I know it's not much of a success seeing how they discontinue it shortly later, but I'm always interested by the design.
Years later, this isn't Sony's first Neckband speaker, but IMO this one is the more daily-able version compared to their first foray WS1 and smaller NB10.
First impression is that it's light and comfortable, maybe not perfect for couch watching due to the obvious back part, but this is one of the few neckband that's rated to be compatible to both Dolby and Sony's own 360RA, and it shows.
The good :
1. You ever feel inadequate watching movie with your family together? Get this, my parents home tv is big, but has no soundbar nor any speakers to enhance its audio output, they just doesn't like the aesthetic of adding any at all, thus experience watching together was always subpar, this kinda alleviate that now, with the transmitter, I always have the option to enhance my own experience without disturbing theirs, with no delay from speakers, I can't actually hear the neckspeaker at all when I put it beside me with the TV audio on still. So even when I beside people they won't even know I'm enjoying the movie's sound from a different source completely.
2. The range, this is the first Bluetooth device that can still output sound 20m away from my phone with 2 brick walls in between. This is kinda phenomenal in range.
3. The down facing bass speakers, they are giving me the feeling of having sub bass without the existence of a Sub, yes the feeling of vibration on your shoulder bones can't exactly replicate that chesty feel you get form real sub, but it's close enough for me. I can feel the impact of the audio like from cars engine, rockets etc.
4. Sony's 360RA music are.... Interesting to say the least, this is the best implementing of the tech I've heard beside actually buying their speaker system. Some music embrace the tech better than others.
Bad:
1. the speakers do crackle on high excursion volume, it also doesn't have the tweeter range to have clear highs also when the stream swap to lower quality sound due to sudden low bandwidth on the internet, you're the one that'd hear that first.
2 it's not as quiet as wearing open back, so people on the couch beside you can hear what you're listening to clearly but it's also not as loud as how it'd be if you listen to your phone's speaker on adequate volume beside someone. I guess cuz the speaker is so directional it's manage to have that weird balance.
3. Battery life, it's 12Hr rated, which IMO is 1/2 the standard for Bluetooth headphone, so far I haven't empty it yet for 2 day of in house use so it's enough but for a long trip, maybe charge it to full first.
4. It's a speakers around your head, so if you look to the L/R and or lean your head onto one side, the sound will change, its designed to be listened with your head straight, it's not a headphone after all.
Although you'd notice the difference less when listening with also the TV sound on with the same thing playing. Again it's mostly enhancing the experience then. Heck when I wear it and lower the vol, I can sometimes wonder whether the sound come mostly from the tv's speakers or the Sony, it's the sony, you can be loud with it and others won't notice for the most part.
Okay:
The flipside is You can hear people better when wearing this compared to wearing an open back, yes, but its not that clear without the need to lower the volume first, especially when movie watching with tons of ambience sound, you just kinda know people are talking something to you but not what they are talking about due to the sound masking.
I just wish there's a quick mute button when watching movie together for this problem.
For now am enjoying it, just watched The Way of Water on Disney Plus yesterday and it's a blast, I can still listen to the TV when I go to the toilet or to the kitchen and still have clear understanding of what's happening on screen.
Yes it doesn't have the driver size for adequate bass and the precision to display the atmos content nearly well enough, but it's 300% better than simply watching the sound from the TV. And for the price it's flying on, it's enough for me.
