I see a niche use for these. There are a sizable number of users who wear the headphones around their neck and just turn up the volume to provide some noise without having head/neck fatigue or sweaty ears from extended headset usage, but at the same time, don't want a straight speaker because they're trying not to be too loud. This and similar solutions from Sony and Bose seem to fit that niche. Close enough to the ears without wearing them, but not requiring a large speaker setup or a bar in front of you. I don't realistically think one will be hearing footsteps all that well compared to proper headsets, but for general ambience, it should be plenty sufficient.
