Here is an organizational problem that music lovers face: not knowing where to put their bulky headphones when they aren’t wearing them. As someone who recently bought her first proper pair of headphones, I relate to the struggle. Most of us are used to tossing my earbuds carelessly on your nightstand, leaving them in your jeans pocket, or finding them on the carpet at the end of the day. The headphones, on the other hand, took up more space and were more expensive, so I’m more careful about where I store them. But, I have the same problem that inspired the Talking Heads Speaker: no clear space to set my headphones down neatly. Until the designers at LeapX thought: What better place to keep your headphones than next to your portable speaker? (Obviously, true audiophiles have both!). You might as well keep your audio gear in one place. And then, the designer found that few things sparked joy the way that the image of a speaker wearing a pair of headphones could.
This was the beginning of what would turn into the Talking Heads speaker. The portable speaker/mount changed to a spherical shape instead of a boxy one. Now, the product truly looks like a head listening to music. However, the Talking Heads speaker offers more than just a pleasing, humorous aesthetic; the device has practical uses too. First of all, the speaker’s spherical shape allows you to slip the headphones on and off without stretching out the headband. Secondly, two devices are connected and will let you switch between listening through the speaker and the headphones. You don’t have to press any buttons: just pick up or set down the headphones on the speaker/mount, and the devices will automatically switch audio outputs. It’s almost like they are reading your mind. Finally, the speaker/mount doubles as a wireless charger for the headphones. I can’t review the LeapX speaker based on audio quality, but its design gets a 10/10. I appreciate how a delightful sight gag evolved into a product that truly made its users’ lives a bit easier and more organized.
A product that resolves a problem while adding to the aesthetic appeal of your work setup, that’s the definition of a truly useful product design. While the market is flooded with abundant headphone stands, having the stand just lie in wait is a waste of precious desktop space! The dual functionality of this speaker+ headphone combo is intuitive in approach and hence is a worthy addition to every desk setup!
Designer: LeapX
