The Onvocal OV headphones offer direct access to voice assistants like Alexa, but they don’t come cheap.
Technology startup Onvocal has new Bluetooth earphones, dubbed OV, that offer full voice control of your music and direct access to voice assistants like Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Siri, and Google Assistant.
Most headphones with built-in microphones support access to Siri and Google through their phone, but OV is the first pair headphones to offer access to Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant via a smartphone app. A button lets you give Alexa voice commands to find information, play back media, or access the thousands of third-party skills (voice apps) Alexa can use.
Onvocal worked with Amazon to bring Amazon Voice Services to the headphones, which also extends to Amazon’s multiple content libraries. OV can access music on Amazon Music Unlimited and Prime Music or audio books on Audible and Kindle with a voice command to Alexa. You can also tune in to radio stations over iHeartRadio or TuneIn Radio with your voice.
Amazon has added thousands of skills to Alexa since its launch on the Amazon Echo, including whiskey tasting with Johnnie Walker and calling cars with Lyft. Alexa also supports smart home control through a variety of home automation hubs and smart lighting systems. Since OV offers access to all of these Alexa abilities, you can control your smart home with your voice just by speaking into your headphones.
For all of its features, OV has a pretty hefty price tag. The earphones are currently available for pre-order on Onvocal’s website for $399, and are scheduled to ship in January.
