HEADPHONES DOUBLE AS SPEAKERS

published 9 October 2011

Zumreed’s X2 Hybrid headphones are innovative and terrifying in equal measure.

Unlike normal headphones, they have speaker drivers built into the ear cups, and thus double as portable speakers. Genius — unless you’re unfortunate enough to sit next to an enthusiastic N-Dubz fan on the bus.

BEST BIT: A novel new hybrid twist on headphones — flip a switch to channel the music from inside the cans to outside.

NERD AMMO: In speaker mode, the X2’s can stand upright on any flat surface. Powered by a rechargeable battery, one hour of USB charging gives four hours of music pleasure

£120; red5.co.uk

As Content Director of Shortlist, Marc likes nothing more than to compile endless lists of an evening by candlelight. He started out life as a movie writer for numerous (now defunct) magazines and soon found himself online - editing a gaggle of gadget sites, including TechRadar, Digital Camera World and Tom's Guide UK. At Shortlist you'll find him mostly writing about movies and tech, so no change there then.