They are great for keeping you entertained, but not perfect. Earbuds are uncomfortable for long listening sessions and over- ear headphones can mess with hair.
What if you could listen to music without headphones?
That is the question the Noveto N1 wants to answer. One of the most intriguing audio products to surface at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show is a device that looks like a little soundbar that you place on a desk in front of you. It is not meant to fill a room with audio. Noveto claims that it can transmit sound through the air and place it near your ears, giving you a private listening experience that shouldn't bother your coworkers or roommates.
The N1 is supposed to launch in 2022, but no price was given.
The on-device controls are easy to use. Noveto was credited.
Noveto claims to have face-tracking tech that can adjust the sound to your head movements, which could theoretically provide three-dimensional audio. The N1 can connect to a variety of devices, so you can listen to music on it.
We haven't been able to test the N1 due to the whole Pandemic thing, but we'll be back. It is a lofty, futuristic promise that we haven't really seen take off in mainstream audio hardware. It could be amazing if it works. If the audio takes too long to adjust when you move your head or if the private listening isn't so private, the entire experience could be disappointing or even useless.
If you are sick of headphones, just know that someone is trying to do something about it.
