Tdm Neo Hybrid Headphones Review: Two-in-one Woes
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Rating:
5/10
WIRED
Ingenious twist-to-speaker design. Strong magnets and reliable switching. Impressive battery life. Good build quality.
TIRED
Underwhelming headphone sound. Speaker audio not up to the current competition. No active noise cancellation. Tight fit. Expensive compared to buying separately.
Unveiled at CES 2026, the TDM Neo is a pair of on-ear headphones that transform into a Bluetooth speaker. It caught the imagination of the attending media, won a handful of awards, and inspired countless column inches.
Given the current state of the portable audio industry, it’s easy to understand why. Most designs seem to revolve around incremental updates and new colorways rather than genuine technical innovation. Neo is an exciting alternative, and it’s little wonder the startup brand went on to smash its Kickstarter targets.
I’ve spent the past couple of weeks listening to the headphones and Bluetooth speaker, and have lost count of the number of times I’ve showed off the clever twist-and-fold mechanism to friends. But has TDM managed to produce a genuine tech twofer, or designed a novelty product that gives you the worst of both worlds?
Twist and Shout
Video: Chris Haslam
The twist-and-fold mechanism on the Neo is clever and addictive. Rotate the ear cups around the cushioned but flexible headband, bring them together, and strong magnets snap everything firmly in place. Once connected, the headphone drivers disable, and the outward-facing Bluetooth speakers kick in. Twist them apart and you’ve got your headphones back.
It’s innovative, and the engineering is impressive. Once in speaker mode, the two rubber TDM logos sit closely together and form a protective base, while the asymmetrical twisted headband cocoons the ear cups together. It works well—it never once popped open accidentally. The action is smooth, the connection reassuringly solid, and switching between modes works exactly as intended.
The Neo has four 40-mm drivers—two for the headphones and two for the speakers. The outward-facing speakers are each rated at 5 watts (for a total of 10). Ten watts is not a lot for a modern Bluetooth speaker, but wattage doesn’t automatically tell you how loud or good a speaker will sound, especially in the current age of digital signal processing. The highly regarded $55 JBL Go 5 has just 4.5 watts of output, for instance.
Battery life is quoted at more than 200 hours for headphones and 16 hours in speaker mode, which is pretty impressive, and a quick five-minute charge gives you an extra eight hours.
TDM Neo app via Chris Haslam
TDM Neo app via Chris Haslam
On-device control is basic but effective, with rubber power and volume buttons together, and a separate one for Bluetooth. One quirk of the twist design is that in speaker mode the volume button is inverted, and on first use I instinctively turned the volume down instead of up. The power and 3.5-mm AUX input are also left facing up, rather than being hidden from view. This also means the USB-C cable sticks out the top—not the most aesthetic solution.
The TDM companion app allows you to customize what happens when the headphones are twisted. You can switch between headphone and speaker playback, pause the music, or power off. You can also lock them in speaker mode to listen with the Neo around your neck, but please, if you have any love for your fellow commuters, don’t do this on the train. There’s also basic EQ settings for both sets of speakers and Find My–style device tracking too.
TDM as Headphones
Photograph: Chris Haslam
The TDM are on-ear headphones with no active noise canceling (ANC). That’s something of a rarity these days, with brands eschewing this style in favor of larger, plusher over-ear designs with powerful noise cancellation. See Sony, Bose, Apple, Nothing—you get the idea …
While the TDM don’t have ANC, they do have relatively firm earpads and a tight fit that blocks out noise the old-fashioned way: with noise isolation. Unfortunately, maybe for this very reason, the earpads are not as plush as I’d , and the whole thing feels tight on my admittedly large skull and less than dainty ears. It’s not eerily quiet using the best noise-canceling headphones, and I can’t imagine that’s a compromise many users are willing to give up easily.
At 11.9-ounces, the Neo are also heavy for on-ear headphones. It’s no surprise, given that they’ve got four 40-mm drivers inside, but it is noticeable. For comparison, they’re 3 ounces (or 34 percent) heavier than the Sony WH-1000XM6, 1.9 ounces heavier than the more affordable Soundcore Space One Pro, and a full 4.25 ounces heavier than the on-ear Beats Solo 4.
The Neo sound detailed and pleasant, with clear bass and appreciably distinct vocals, but the presentation feels quite boxed in. Music lacks the scale and openness I expect from great headphones, and individual instruments are crowded for space. If they were comfier to wear, I think I’d enjoy the audio a bit more, but I found it all quite tiring, and certainly not on a par with similarly priced alternatives.
They are not awful, but they do feel compromised, and given the price, they also present a bit of a quandary for travel. You gain a Bluetooth speaker at your destination but may spend the journey wishing you’d packed more comfortable headphones with proper ANC.
TDM as a Speaker
Photograph: Chris Haslam
Just to reiterate, I really the engineering and execution of the Neo, and I love how small the headphones can fold away. The Bluetooth speaker looks cool too, and it gives the headphones a second function. Sadly, the TDM can’t compete with the best Bluetooth speakers I’ve tested.
There’s enough volume for casual listening, but the sound is thin and underwhelming. It keeps pace with the tiny-but-mighty JBL Go 5, but given that it has twice the power and double the drivers, it really should sound better. I also played it alongside my favorite current portable speaker, the $120 JBL Flip 7, and the difference between the two was racing a speedboat and a paddleboard.
Having a Bluetooth speaker on hand whenever you have your headphones is convenient, and the ability to a song instantly might appeal, but compact Bluetooth speakers have become so good that the TDM’s subpar audio quality is hard to ignore.
Two for the Price of One?
Photograph: Chris Haslam
The obvious benefit to the Neo is having just one device to carry and charge. But is that enough to justify the compromises?
The $200 Soundcore Space One Pro are impressive, midrange ANC over-ear headphones that came out on top in WIRED’s blind headphone listening test. They’re comfortable, adjustable, and foldable, with excellent sound. They’re frequently on sale for $130 or $140, too. Pair them with the $150 but-often-on-sale-for-less JBL Flip 7, and you can get top-tier headphones and a top-tier portable speaker for nearly the same price as the TDM Neo.
Admittedly, there’s more to carry, and you lose the instant gratification of twisting your headphones into a speaker. But the Soundcore sound better, are significantly more comfortable, and fold impressively small, while the 1.23-pound JBL Flip 7 is hardly going to weigh you down.
I admire what TDM has achieved. The Neo are clever, entertaining, and a refreshing reminder that innovation doesn’t—and shouldn’t—rely solely on stuffing in AI features, adding a fresh colorway, or creating another smartphone app. The mechanism works beautifully, and taking one audio product on the go instead of two has genuine appeal. I just wish I enjoyed listening to them as much as I enjoyed twisting them.
Sumber Artikel:
Wired.com