What Happened to Neckband Headphones?

by Rian

Recently, I use my AirPods Pro more frequently than I would have worn my Max. AirPods Max gets a bad rap for its weight, but it’s not the weight that counts. It’s the distribution of those weights; how breathable the materials and overall design is; the clamping force from the form factor (e.g. U-shaped around the head), and so on. I won’t pretend to know about the science behind the ergonomics. There are testers and reviewers who write more in-depth literature on the subject than I do.

Back in the 2000s, and possibly right before I bought a Bose headphone for non-flight purposes for the first time, I had Philips SHS390, or something that looks very similar. It was measly $20 or so at Walgreens. But I liked it. It may not have been the “best” or even “better”, but it fit my needs. It was light. It didn’t give me that “headphone hair” problem. It didn’t interfere with my glasses — though researching it now, it was a common complaint. I was using it mainly in my room, and being able to wear it with all day long was a major advantage.

Therein lies the problem of the product, perhaps even the form factor. To keep it affordable, the audio quality came with some compromise. Because it had to be kept light (it was sitting on the ear like glasses), the band became a fragile plastic. Without the bigger cups, for anyone using it out in the public, the sound simply leaked at higher volume. Looking back, this was the ultimate affordable AirPods Max. It’s just portable enough to be used indoors; it’s breathable and the heat doesn’t build up inside. Max interferes with my glasses and gives me headphone hair, but not as much as other headphones I’ve used previously.

So I began searching for the new SHS390, only to find out the form factor is just dead. The bone conducting types have inherited some design languages, some I would argue it is a different kind of a beast entirely. And, frankly, I’ve headed the sound of the bone conducting headphones — not by wearing it, but by standing next the person using it. It’s quite loud. I think it’s primary application is different from what I am looking for. It’s like carcinization of headphones; it happens to be very efficient form factor that two different applications happened to need.

I won’t be returning to all-day-long headphones anytime soon. I am doing some research on AirPods Max accessories. Some made interesting promises to bring all day long comfort to Max. The mesh headband is more comfortable for first few hours as it distributes the weight to larger area, but the metal frame still delivers the most weight. These accessories were focused on mitigating that frame part. I will come back with a review if I happen to find one that actually works.