It’s not as outrageous an idea as it may seem at first and the trick lies in a four-driver setup. Two 40mm drivers face inward for regular headphone listening, while another two face outward for speaker duties, pushing out 5W per side. That’s a decent amount of oomph, and it means going from a solo commute playlist to music for a room full of mates is only a twist of the headband away. It’s a nifty idea that saw the TDM. Neo become the most awarded pair of headphones at CES 2026.
TDM. has built Neo for people whose listening bounces between private and shared throughout the day, and it’s extended that idea to calls too. A multi-array microphone with environmental noise cancellation (ENC) works in both modes, keeping your voice isolated on private calls in headphone mode, and picking up the whole group when Neo is sat on a table as a hands-free speaker.
The twist mechanism has other jobs to do as well. Through the Neo companion app, you can set it to pause playback, power the headphones off or switch audio modes, and there are four physical buttons on the earcups for power, volume and mode switching if you’d rather not twist anything at all. The app also throws in a device locator, a Game Mode, two customisable EQ profiles and power management settings.
Then there’s the battery, which claims some pretty impressive numbers. TDM. says you’ll see over 200 hours of playback in headphone mode and 16 hours as a speaker. Charging is over USB-C, and while a full charge taking three hours isn’t exactly rapid, five minutes plugged in is said to deliver up to eight hours of headphone listening.
Neo uses dual-layer memory foam ear cushions and a vegan leather headband cover, with the clamping force tuned to suit a wide range of heads while staying put on the move. At 340g, Neo is a touch heftier than plenty of over-ears, but that’s hardly a shock when you’re carrying an extra pair of drivers and a battery that size around on your head.
If you’re tempted, Neo is available now in black and white for £249, with a carrying case in the box. Orders through the TDM. website ship from 16 October, and retailer listings are on the way.
