Otto has been making communication gear for racing car teams, law enforcement and fire fighters for years, but here's one of its first consumer products - noise-cancelling headphones with a built-in MP3 player.
The Traveler n/c cans are pretty standard, offering 85 per cent noise reduction (20dB active, 7dB passive) and 20Hz to 20KHz response through an on-ear design.
The ear cups are padded leather and fold flat to fit into the supplied hard shell case.
The 1GB MP3 player is pretty ho-hum as well, with a USB cable for uploading a couple of hundred tunes. While there's no memory card slot, you do get adaptors for 1/4-inch stereo jacks and airline systems.
Battery swap
The Traveller headphones take two AAA batteries. One is for the noise reduction circuitry and should last 40 hours, the other is for the MP3 player, fading out after just six hours.
Otto is pretty excited about its launch, if the gushiness of Sales Director John Rehayem is anything to go by: "This headset is perfect for travellers. In fact it's perfect anywhere." Really, John? Underwater? Deep space? Your grandmother's funeral? A courtroom appearance when you're seeking custody of your beloved racing Chihuahuas?
What I wouldn't give for a pair of headphones that cancelled 85 per cent of marketing hyperbole.
