Every now and then, you'll come across a new piece of tech at CES that just immediately clicks, and you'll think to yourself, "This is actually genius."

CES 2026 was filled with robotics, AI, and other futuristic tech, yet one of the most impressive things I found was a pair of headphones that turn into speakers called Neo from a company called TDM.

TDM's CES 2026 booth Credit: Mashable

Or are they speakers that turn into headphones? TDM is going with the former by calling the Neo headphones first, but they are, in fact, both.

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TDM Neo Hybrid Headphone Speakers are a pair of high-quality over-ear headphones that transform into speakers by simply bringing the two headphone sides together and twisting them until they snap into place. From there, your personal audio experience becomes one that can be shared by everyone around you.

TDM Neo Hybrid Headphone Speakers as headphones Credit: Mashable

The implementation of transitioning from headphones to speaker and vice versa was so simple, and more importantly, felt seamless. It worked with audio playing in your ears, and then automatically switched to the external audio source with a twist.

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Twisting the TDM Neo Hybrid Headphone Speakers Credit: Mashable

Sometimes a two-in-one product looks natural in one form but odd in its alternative one, but that's not the case with the Neo headphones. The Neo looks stylish as both headphones and a speaker. Not to mention, they sounded great in both modes, too.

As an additional bonus, TDM realized that you may want to use the Neo in speaker form to store the device, making it more compact. The Neo can be programmed to pause all audio, in addition to other programmable options, when twisted in the speaker form.

Twisting the TDM Neo Hybrid Headphone Speakers as speakers Credit: Mashable

TDM states that the Neo can last for more than 200 hours in headphone mode and 10 hours in speaker mode on a full charge before needing to be plugged in.

Personally, the instant use case I thought of for the Neo headphones is when you want to share music with friends. Sometimes, you'll want to introduce a buddy to a new song or artist, so you share earbuds or hand over your headphones. But, with the TDM Neo headphones, you'd be able to twist your device into a speaker and experience the song — and their reaction — in real time with them.

Twisting the TDM Neo Hybrid Headphone Speakers look really slick Credit: Mashable

The TDM Neo Hybrid Headphone Speakers will go on sale later this month for $249, with black and white color options available.

When it comes to the best things that Mashable saw at CES, TDM’s Neo headphones are definitely up high on my personal list.

Head to the Mashable CES 2026 hub for the latest news and live updates from the biggest show in tech, where Mashable journalists are reporting live.