LG's 'necklace' surround sound speaker is as dorky as wearables get

CES is right around the corner and some tech companies, like LG, just couldn't wait to announce some of the new gadgets they'll be showing off.

Take LG's levitating speaker. Is it useful or just a pretty gimmick? Who cares?! It hovers. LG's Tone Studio portable surround sound speaker for your neck, however, looks pretty silly.

LG says the Tone Studio has four speakers to provide its wearer a "personal surround sound experience" that mimics the feeling of being in a theater.

The neck speaker also has a Hi-Fi DAC to enhance audio quality and a "Dual Play" mode that lets you connect two of the wearable speakers together for a synced neck-worn sound experience. #Facepalm.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

OK, maybe I'm being a little harsh on them. I mean, I haven't even tried them on. I'll give them a fair shot at CES.

But I'm not expecting much. Forgetting for a second that LG's neck-worn earphones must be selling well enough that the company keeps making more of them, the chunky, plastic design (if existing LG Tone earphones are anything to go by) aren't going to be comfortable by any stretch.

But who knows? Maybe I'm just tired of seeing hideous audio solutions you wear around your neck. In the privacy of your own home, maybe the LG Tone Studios aren't the worst thing, but in public? Can you imagine a person wearing one of these things at the movies or on the train? No thanks!

It's worth nothing that Sony showed off a similar pair of wearable speakers earlier this year. The difference is, those were a concept, and maybe Sony was smart to not pursue the dorky idea.

LG hasn't announced pricing or release dates, but we'll hopefully learn more once CES starts next week.