In recent years, the manufacturer's exploration of audio product forms is becoming a new boom, in addition to the traditional wired headphones, TWS products burst, so that the past can only be used as a "spare tire" bluetooth headset, has become the hottest track in the entire industry. The popularity of smart speakers has also begun to make many non-traditional audio manufacturers' brands interested in getting involved in the relatively traditional field of speakers.
In the development process of audio products, if only from the perspective of application scenarios, headphones and speakers have always had a more obvious dividing line, the former is more inclined to "create a music space that belongs to individuals" and the latter has stronger music sharing and appreciation attributes. At the same time, the different volumes of the two products and the differences in acoustic structure design also bring about differences in subjective hearing.
So, a speaker product that can be worn like headphones will become the ultimate music experience product? Sony's just-launched SRS-NS7 wireless neck-mount speaker may be able to answer that question.
Functionality precedes decorative design
In fact, the idea of neck-mounted speakers is not only produced in 2022, four or five years ago, manufacturers began to explore its possibilities, around 2018, including Sony, Bose, JBL and other manufacturers, have launched their own neck-mount speaker products.
Taking Sony as an example, SRS-WS1 is one of the pioneering products in the field of neck-mounted speakers, officially launched at the end of 2017, as a new form of exploration, SRS-WS1 has a lot of functions, such as adding vibration, adsorption charging, 2.4G connection.
The Sony SRS-NS7 obtained this time, whether in design or functional configuration, is obviously very different from the previous SRS-WS1. First of all, in terms of appearance, Sony SRS-NS7 adopts a dark design, which maintains a high degree of unity with other high-end audio product lines of Sony at present, and you can also say that it is very "tasteful", belonging to the feeling that sony products will be felt at a glance.
Another benefit of the dark design is that it's more visually small, and it's easy to blend in with the color of the outfit, which is why you won't confuse it with a bunch of shoulder and neck massagers. In terms of detail design, the overall shape is more flat, and the silicone material is used at the junction of the back neck, which has a certain degree of bendability and the fit with the neck will be better.
In addition, the product also supports IPX4 waterproof function, can cope with some of the life of the water droplet splash or in the outdoor encounter with light rain, can be coped with, including charging interface, buttons and other parts, can be seen to do waterproof design, and its surface fabric material also has a certain degree of hydrophobicity. In order to improve the practicality of dealing with different scenarios, the machine is also equipped with a microphone, which can be used as a communication tool when worn.
The key function of the product is very simple and clear, the right side is mainly Bluetooth/power control and microphone function switch, and the left side is the general volume adjustment and playback control buttons. Both sides of the buttons have a more obvious bulge, with the feel can quickly distinguish the buttons, Sony SRS-NS7 single battery life has also been increased to 12 hours, even if a day to use about 2 hours, you can also do a weekly charging experience, coupled with the fast charging function, 10 minutes can have 1 hour of battery life, very suitable for emergency use.
From the perspective of design, Sony SRS-NS7 is a product that is more functional than decorative, whether it is the size, shape or key and other details of the design, is to serve the sound quality, interaction, wear these application-oriented functions. Of course, this is also related to its use scenarios and positioning, taking the author as an example, during this time, I never thought of going out with the Sony SRS-NS7, almost all of them were used at home.
"Portable speakers" that don't require a two-hand hand
Since the positioning is a family scene, then many people will naturally think of the smart speaker / Bluetooth speaker products that many people will choose today, from the application point of view, Sony SRS-NS7 coincides with their scenes, but there are many differences in the specific experience.
Thanks to the advantages of neck-mount wearing, the Sony SRS-NS7 can be carried with you at any time, and it will not occupy both hands or other placement space, which is much more convenient than the "take as you go" Bluetooth speaker products.
To take an example of the actual experience, in the past weekend cleaning, if you want to listen to the song, the author will choose the mobile phone to play, although its sound quality is very poor, many times can not hear, but because the Bluetooth speaker needs to carry the full house to run, and need to constantly change the placement, it is really inconvenient, and if you choose the smart speaker, then you can only play music in the whole house, which will affect other members of the family.
In addition, the author has also tried to wear headphones, the problem of headphones is mainly in the strong closure, many times others talk to you, and can not hear, in the face of this scene, the current Sony SRS-NS7 is the experience of the "optimal solution". It should also be mentioned that although it is a neck-mounted product, it is not suitable for sports scenes, because the weight is still too large compared to other headphone products.
In addition to the convenience of wearing the neck pendant, the sound quality performance of the Sony SRS-NS7 is also very passable, with a total of two space-balanced speakers, four low-frequency passive diaphragms, and a large area of sound units in the fuselage, making its overall sound more full, and the low-frequency part is more atmospheric.
If you compare it horizontally, it is really very much like the feeling of hanging two Bluetooth speakers around your ears, which provides a completely different listening sensation from the average headphone product. At the same time, Sony SRS-NS7 also supports its own LDAC encoding to ensure the sound quality of Bluetooth transmission.
Inside the package, you'll also see a receiver that can be used to connect your TV and console, and when the SRS-NS7 is connected to the BRAVIA XR Series TV, it will provide 360 Immersive Sound Private Customization (360 SSP) technology and Dolby Atmos support.
Among them, 360 Spatial Sound Personalizer (360 SSP), Sony's latest exclusive black technology is worth saying a few words. "360 live sound effects" is not the first time to see, then the focus of the entire technology falls on "private customization". With this technology, by scanning human ear data, the speaker can build the most ideal virtual space sound field for you based on your auditory data. In other words, this technology allows portable devices such as sony SRS-NS7 to provide users with a customized, portable, audio and video experience like a traditional multi-channel speaker system.
In the actual experience, the author uses it more in a quieter night environment, if you want to play a game or watch a ball game by yourself, and at the same time will not disturb the elderly at home to rest, this product is a very suitable choice.
From the overall frontal function and sound quality performance, Sony SRS-NS7 can provide you with an "exclusive sound space", compared with headphone products, it is more open, and has the same wide sound field as the speaker products, strong sense of positioning, while not wearing for several hours and bringing additional burdens to the ears. Then compared with the speaker product, it is a very integrated program, without the need for power amplifier, pre-stage, placement considerations, you can have a good sound performance.
Pure functionality, but "more practical"
It should be said that Sony SRS-NS7 is a "deeply purified" neck-mounted speaker product, which uses new forms to cover the original Bluetooth speaker/headphone application scenario. Both have portable attributes, but also retain the natural acoustic structure advantages of speaker products, on this basis, Sony will also add its own audio black technology, so from a functional point of view, it only aims at the "portable good sound" such a simple appeal, but also makes it more practical attributes.
Nevertheless, the price of 1999 yuan (SRS-NS7 + Bluetooth transmitter WLA-NS7) may not make it a necessary mass consumer product, but for those who like to watch movies, listen to music, and have high requirements for sound quality, and want more flexibility and use, then SRS-NS7 does provide a good solution.
In addition, for users who already have Sony's BRAVIA XR series TV products, together with WLA-NS7, SRS-NS7 provides a low-threshold experience 360 live sound effects, Dolby Atmos hardware solutions, and it also has a more convenient experience and private customized sound effects than complex home theater systems. (This article was first published on Titanium Media App Author/Deng Jianyun Editor/Zhong Yi Photography/Deng Jianyun)