Sony promises you will be neck-deep in surround sound
If you have ever found yourself wishing you could listen to audio in a highly localised personal soundfield that follows you around without the unwanted isolation and pressure on your temples of headphones, then perhaps you have considered a neckband speaker. Perhaps you have then cringed at the thought of, a) being that person who forces other people to listen to their music/phone conversations and, b) looking slightly silly.
Draping a horseshoe-shaped speaker across your shoulders and going about your business in public will certainly raise a few eyebrows; but there are plenty of domestic scenarios where the SRS-NS7 works well as a practical and portable audio device. It is specifically designed with home cinema in mind, though, and despite its 3D audio credentials, we can’t stick our neck out for it.
The yoke’s on you
The SRS-NS7 has a fairly pliable U-shaped design, worn on the shoulders with a gap front and centre. Midway down both sides, sitting just above the collar bone, are a pair of upward-firing full-range X-Balanced drivers that use a non-circular shape (3.2 x 3.3cm) to maximise the area of the diaphragm for increased sound pressure. Behind these are a pair of passive radiators to help boost low-frequency response.
At 318g, Sony’s neckband is a similar weight to a pair of over-ear headphones but doesn’t use any clamping force to stay in place. It’s relatively comfortable to wear for long periods, although the lack of size adjustability means that for some, the speaker may be a touch tight.
On the inside edges sit controls for power, Bluetooth pairing and volume, a covered USB-C port for charging and an in-built mic. We find that a claimed 12 hours of battery life is typically halved when listening at loud volumes. A 10-minute charge yields an extra hour.
With Bluetooth 5 on board, supporting LDAC, AAC and SBC codecs, the SRS-NS7 can link directly to portable devices and TVs. But included in the box is Sony’s puck-shaped WLA-NS7 wireless transmitter, which connects to any Sony Bravia XR TV via included optical and USB cables and is an interface between the TV and speakers, reducing Bluetooth latency. The WLA-NS7 (£50) can also be bought separately for use with Sony headphones.
Well-targeted focus
We immediately appreciate the 3D technology on offer, watching The Dig on Netflix in Dolby Atmos. High-frequency atmospheric effects such as rainfall and chirping birds are spread around us with some sense of directionality. However, this isn’t as convincing with lower sounds, such as ominous distant thunder, and the heavily
