Headphones are great for ensuring the privacy of our listening experience and blocking out the world from ruining it. Theyre also great for avoiding inconveniencing or annoying other people by saving them from having to hear music or audio shows they never subscribed to. Unfortunately, headphones also isolate us and prevent us from sharing our joys with like-minded people.Portable speakers are almost the complete opposite, broadcasting your tunes to anyone within range and sharing them with whoever might be willing to listen. It turns music into a social activity, one that can help create and strengthen bonds. This speaker concept is almost a tongue-in-cheek jab at headphones by applying their standard silhouette to a speaker and giving a unique industrial aesthetic.Designers: Sihyun Choi, Seongyeop JeonMost portable wireless speakers use a single-body design to bring around in a bag or vehicle. They arent always the easiest to carry around, however, though some designs are now adding carrying straps for that very purpose. This design concept, in contrast, is all about being carried in your hand, and it takes inspiration from that more portable audio equipment many carry around all the time.At first glance, you almost think youre seeing an extra large pair of headphones because of the conventional design of having two speakers joined by some arching structure. In this case, however, those speakers are oddly blocky and the arch is more of an angled bar. The large size is, of course, due to the fact that these are actually wireless speakers with dual drivers, and it isnt shy about announcing that to the world.The W-YZ portable speaker adopts an aesthetic that is reminiscent of the style of teenage engineering, blending industrial style with minimalism to great success. It utilizes clean lines and sharp edges to draw a striking figure, while surfaces are mostly barren except for essential labels. The handle is a simple metal tube bent at right angles, and carrying this design is almost similar to how people used to carry portable speakers in the 80s.Unlike those old speakers, however, W-YZs two drivers are truly independent, and you can turn them around any which way to send the music in the exact direction you want. Its definitely an intriguing design, one that defies conventions in the portable speaker market. Whether its a practical design as far as portability goes is still an open question, but it will definitely be quite the head-turner if you bring it in public spaces.The post Oversized blocky headphones are actually portable speakers in disguise first appeared on Yanko Design.