SoundSight’s new headphones can also record 1080p videos

Tech startup SoundSight will unveil a limited run of its video-recording headphones this month, well in advance of the pre-order run set for a pre-Christmas release, Twice reports. The Bluetooth-enabled headphones are able to simultaneously record audio and video with the help of a rotating, 5-megapixel camera that sits on one of the ear cups. The company describes them as a Beats-meets-Instagram-meets-GoPro, and they aren’t far off. The Android- and iOS-compatible Soundsight headphones can record 1080p video at 30 FPS and 720p at 60 FPS . The cans handle audio with six on-board microphones. Either program your pair to respond to your voice, or simply tap the respective ear cup to begin recording. Users can also capture both normal and HDR still images, and are capable of holding roughly 30 minutes of video thanks to 16GB of onboard storage, though video is automatically transferred via Bluetooth to the corresponding smartphone for storage immediately after recording.

What’s the number one feature you look for in a new set of headphones? Sound quality is probably near the top. Comfort? That’s up there, too. The ability to record 1080p video? That one might not have made your list. But that’s not stopping SoundSight from whipping up one of the craziest sets of cans you’ve ever seen… or is that the craziest set of cans that’s ever seen you? They start out as a set of fairly standard on-ear headphones. They’re equipped with Bluetooth, and there’s something SoundSight calls an accumulator in one side that stores and supplies power to the rest of the system. It sounds a lot like a battery, but “accumulator” does have a mystique about it. On the other side sits the SoundSight camera. It’s mounted on a rotating disc so that you can angle it for the perfect perspective — as long as that’s in front of or behind what you’re looking at. It’s a bit like a GoPro for more mellow pursuits. You wouldn’t necessarily want to use these to show your adoring fans what it looks like when you headbang during the chorus of Pantera’s Walk, for example. Or maybe you would, it’s really your call. If you’re going to spend $500 ($350 if you move fast) on a pair of video-recording headphones, why not? You’ll also be able to record studio-quality audio of your environment, thanks to SoundSight’s six (yes, six) integrated microphones and noise-cancelling chops. The pièce de résistance? They’re able to livestream via the SoundSight app. It could actually make SoundSight a pretty cool way for DJs to connect with their fans.