Tattoo Audio plans headphones with integrated smartwatch

Tattoo Audio is planning a wireless headphone that comes with an integrated smartwatch and can communicate with smartphones or other “smart” devices from up to 30 feet away.

The company says it’s the first “tri-connection” headphone of its kind. The headphone doesn’t exist yet, but the company launched a crowdsourcing campaign for it today on Indiegogo in hopes of raising $550,000.

The over-ear headphone will allow you to listen to tunes and stay on top of your communications without having to switch headsets or put your phone to your ear. You will be able to answer and end calls, view texts and social notifications, and complete a variety of other tasks thanks to the included smartwatch.

Primary features will include NFC communication pairing, a docking station for the smartwatch at the top of the headphones, and support for aptX (an audio codec that allows for high-quality sound while listening over Bluetooth).

The headphones will also have a sensor that allows them to “hibernate” when not in use. And the transition between listening to music and taking a call (and back again) will be seamless, the company promises.

Three versions of the headphone/smartwatch set will be available to start. These include the TA-220, which is compatible with Android and Bluetooth 2.1 and 3.0 and is priced at $299; TA-200, compatible with Android and BT 4.0+ and priced at $349; and the TA-800, which is Android and iOS compatible, BT 4.0+ compatible, and priced at $375.

The fundraising campaign will be live for about a month and has a discount in place right now that allows people to get the headphones at $100 off the MSRP price. The pricing is on par with popular line of headphones, Beats, but it remains to be seen if Tattoo Audio offers better (or worse) audio quality.

According to the company’s press release, Tattoo Audio works with an EMS supplier that is a “large publicly traded company in Asia” whose customers include Apple and Samsung.