Headphones that turn into a speaker: crowdfunding campaign raises 3.2 million crowns

At the IFA 2026 tech show in Berlin, American company TDM unveiled its wireless Neo headphones, which can transform into a portable speaker. What initially looked like little more than a novelty item has turned into a genuine commercial hit: the waiting list for the device now stretches more than a month.

The headphones first drew attention back in January at CES 2026 in Las Vegas, though at the time they were just one curiosity among hundreds of new gadgets. After the show, however, the manufacturer launched a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign to raise money for mass production.

Funding exceeded the target 15 times over

The original goal was a modest $10,000 (about 208,000 crowns). In the end, 764 backers pledged $154,113 — more than 3.2 million crowns, fifteen times the amount requested.

The buzz hasn't died down at the Berlin show either. Visitors linger at the booth, ask how the device works, and want to try it out for themselves. Most immediately ask where they can buy a pair. A company representative admits that demand is so high they've had to start a waiting list, with delivery times now stretching beyond a month. According to him, the company is doing everything it can to ensure sufficient stock is available before Christmas.

The price, however, is far from cheap: the device will cost buyers $249, or roughly 5,200 crowns.

How the headphone-speaker hybrid works

The developers describe the concept as disarmingly simple. In their normal position, the Neo functions like a standard pair of wireless headphones — only the wearer hears the music.

But take them off your head, and with a single motion you can rotate the earcups so they connect via magnets. The headband then wraps around the cups, forming a compact, ball-shaped body resembling a small speaker.

It's not just a clever design trick: the Neo houses four separate 40-millimeter drivers — two for listening in headphone mode, and two more facing outward for playback in speaker mode. This solves a familiar everyday problem: you listen to music alone, then head over to friends' place and want to share it with everyone — without hunting for a separate speaker or switching devices.

Source: novinky.cz