ECS isn’t the first company to introduce a set of headphones that let you interact with Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri by voice. But the new ECS Liva Aston Smart headphones are the first that can do it without relying on your phone or another device.
The headphones have built-in WiFi, allowing you to talk to Amazon’s Alexa voice without using your phone for an internet connection.
ECS says the Liva Aston Smart is the “world’s first Alexa voice-activated headset.” According to Tom’s Guide, you should be able to pick one up in August for about $149.
The headphones feature an 1,100 mAh battery for up to 5 hours of continuous usage when connected to WiFi, and they have a micro USB port for charging.
You can use Alexa to play music, get news and weather updates, access your calendar, or control smart home devices. Third-party skills should work as well if you want to play games, listen to stories, and more.
While you don’t need a phone to do some of those things, you can also pair the headset with a smartphone via Bluetooth 4.2 to make calls, send messages, or listen to sounds emanating from your mobile device.
This is kind of weird. So I guess the use case is you walk around your house wearing these headphones and asking Alexa to turn on the lights or play music for you. But you didn’t want to let the entire world know what Alexa is saying to you? I guess? And it’s more expensive than a normal Alexa too.
Yea this is just really weird.