Sequestering ourselves in sonic bubbles of MP3 music players can make a crowded city suddenly seem a lot less social. But now a clever designer has come up with a possible solution for our high fidelity-driven isolation.

The Twin Headphones prototype was created by Roel Deden, a student at the Design Academy Eindhoven in the Netherlands. The headphones actually feature two sets of speakers, one set is for concentrated listening, and the other surrounds your ear with a speaker while allowing outside sounds in. The headphones also have a wireless component that allows you to let a friend listen to your sound when nearby. You can see more of the build process here.

Via DesignBoom