Originating from Kickstarter roots in Feb 2014, Bragi has since given its backers The Dash, their first true wireless in-ears that has an integrated fitness tracker. This year, they have come up with their second generation product called simply, The Headphone. And just this month, both Bragi earbuds were launched in Singapore. So off we went and got our grubby hands on a unit for a spin!
Read - Advent of Truly Wireless Earbuds
The Headphone (2017) vs The Dash (2016)
This is a common question to folks looking at getting Bragi earphones and realize there are actually two choices! Let's do a quick (and rough) summary of the differences:
1. Tactile Controls
The Headphone features tactile controls ie. actual buttons to actuate track and volume changes whereas you get touch controls on The Dash.
2. Half the Price
The Headphone (USD 149) is close to half the price of The Dash (USD 299), making it helluva lot more accessible to everyone.
3. Features Streamlined
Features like fitness tracking, inbuilt 4GB storage, app support and waterproof nature are removed.
4. Increased Battery Life
However, battery life is increased to 6 hours (from 4h).
5. Storage Case Does Not Charge
The case is for storage solely. When stored, the buds do not charge.
Now we've covered the general differences, let's check out The Headphone in detail.
Update (Apr 2017) - Information added for Performance, Overall and visuals
Fit and Noise Isolation:
The easiest way to get the ideal fit is to insert the buds into the ear and rotate them around the eartips. While The Headphones fit into the ears very well both with the silicon and Comply Foam, I felt the experience with the latter allowed a snugger fit that provided a more reassuring touch that the buds would stay within, which I indeed felt during a jog. The noise isolation with the Comply tips is tighter and thus feels like it blocks ambient sound just a little more effectively than the silicon buds.
Sound Quality:
Bragi The Headphone does not sound too bad at all. You can feel that Calvin Harris vs Alesso's Under Control (EDM) low frequencies are thumping strong yet not overwhelmingly pounding. The instrumentation is actually pretty well separated and while Theo Hutchcraft's vocals aren't sparkling bright, somehow it all gels together and sounds very much engaging.
Charging:
To reiterate, the CarryCase CANNOT be used for charging when you store the earbuds without a power connection. Plugging the USB cable for 1.33 hours gives a full charge of 6 hours of battery life, faring significantly better than the Earin (3h) or the Erato Apollo 7 (3h). Its closest rival would actually be the Apple AirPods rated at 5h.
Just to share one issue - when I turned on the buds, the left side suddenly had no sound at all. I resolved this by inserting the buds in the charger and held the + and - buttons. This is supposed to clear the earbud's memory of paired devices but it also allowed to let me hear from the left side once more.
Overall
Bragi The Headphones are a pair of no frills truly wireless earbuds. They offer the desired features such as audio transparency and industry-leading battery life. It's not without flaws as witnessed from the non-charging CarryCase and button size. However, at half the price of The Dash, these buds are an excellent choice if just want to go for a unit with a good sound profile that fits nicely in the ear.
Read - Advent of Truly Wireless Earbuds
The Headphone (2017) vs The Dash (2016)
This is a common question to folks looking at getting Bragi earphones and realize there are actually two choices! Let's do a quick (and rough) summary of the differences:
1. Tactile Controls
The Headphone features tactile controls ie. actual buttons to actuate track and volume changes whereas you get touch controls on The Dash.
2. Half the Price
The Headphone (USD 149) is close to half the price of The Dash (USD 299), making it helluva lot more accessible to everyone.
 |
| Check out the full comparison here - https://www.bragi.com/comparison/ |
3. Features Streamlined
Features like fitness tracking, inbuilt 4GB storage, app support and waterproof nature are removed.
4. Increased Battery Life
However, battery life is increased to 6 hours (from 4h).
5. Storage Case Does Not Charge
The case is for storage solely. When stored, the buds do not charge.
Now we've covered the general differences, let's check out The Headphone in detail.
Pros (+): Accessible price point; No app needed; Excellent battery life; Great ear fit; Decent sound quality; Audio transparency.
Cons (-): Very rudimentary storage case; Tiny playback controls.
Unboxing
The package is incredibly small, in fact probably the tiniest one we've seen to date for an in-ears.
Upon taking out the loot, the packaging contents include:
Upon taking out the loot, the packaging contents include:
- Bragi The Headphone
- Charging Cable (micro-USB)
- Carry Case
- 2 x Silicon Tips (S / M)
- 1 x Comply Foam Truly Wireless (M)
- User Guides
Design
Bragi The Headphone weighs around 12.5 grams (for both buds), light for a pair of in-ears and comparable to its peers like the Erato Apollo 7 (8g) and Samsung Gear IconX (12g).
The right bud exterior has three protruding buttons marked with +, - and O meant to fiddle with power, volume and changing tracks. The buttons are incredibly small, logically so 'cos the buds themselves are already equally tiny so to actuate them, you'd have to use your fingertip (it must be emphasized: not the finger but the tip!). The left just contains the Bragi logo and is purely for aesthetic purposes.
Carry Case:
There is a carrying case that is provided for storage and for most truly wireless earphones, this doubles as a charger. Interestingly, the plastic CarryCase is NOT used for charging (unless a USB cable is plugged) though it is very easy to lock the buds in place due to magnetic latching. Note that the cover to the case slides off fully when inserting the buds, proving a little inconvenient when opening / closing. As the charging LED is on the buds, Bragi provides a slit on the case to peer at the buds power charge status.
The right bud exterior has three protruding buttons marked with +, - and O meant to fiddle with power, volume and changing tracks. The buttons are incredibly small, logically so 'cos the buds themselves are already equally tiny so to actuate them, you'd have to use your fingertip (it must be emphasized: not the finger but the tip!). The left just contains the Bragi logo and is purely for aesthetic purposes.
Carry Case:
There is a carrying case that is provided for storage and for most truly wireless earphones, this doubles as a charger. Interestingly, the plastic CarryCase is NOT used for charging (unless a USB cable is plugged) though it is very easy to lock the buds in place due to magnetic latching. Note that the cover to the case slides off fully when inserting the buds, proving a little inconvenient when opening / closing. As the charging LED is on the buds, Bragi provides a slit on the case to peer at the buds power charge status.
Features
Unlike other true wireless buds, you only have a single method to pair instead of being given a choice to pair to either the left or right bud. While this simplifies the pairing process, it reduces the option of selecting which side is the master earbud.
Audio Transparency:Bragi touts an audio transparency feature. Basically, when The Headphone is inserted in your ear, ambient sounds are isolated. When activated by holding the + button, environmental noise can be heard with greater clarity. In English, this means that you have the option to be absorbed in your own musical world or to listen to music and traffic noise with relative safety that you'll be more consciously aware of your surroundings.
No App Support: Surprisingly, there is no app support like what is provided with The Dash. While it reduces the possibilities afforded, it does make The Headphones a straightforward solution to folks who don't want to be glued to their smartphones / watches to monitor or tweak their earbuds incessantly.
Notifications:
The notifications to indicate pairing, powering on and playback are all gentle pings which should not take too long to familiarize yourself to. The low battery tone
Versant Advanced Voice Technology:
Versant Advanced Voice Technology translates to optimizing the users' voice and minimizing environmental noise. The gist is that if you make calls or talk to a digital assistant like Siri / Google Now, the recipient will have a lesser difficulty in making out what you are saying so the communication will be clearer. This tech is a product of Knowles Electronics which has a background in developing MEMS microphones, which first implemented this in the Bragi Dash.
Audio Transparency:Bragi touts an audio transparency feature. Basically, when The Headphone is inserted in your ear, ambient sounds are isolated. When activated by holding the + button, environmental noise can be heard with greater clarity. In English, this means that you have the option to be absorbed in your own musical world or to listen to music and traffic noise with relative safety that you'll be more consciously aware of your surroundings.
No App Support: Surprisingly, there is no app support like what is provided with The Dash. While it reduces the possibilities afforded, it does make The Headphones a straightforward solution to folks who don't want to be glued to their smartphones / watches to monitor or tweak their earbuds incessantly.
Notifications:
The notifications to indicate pairing, powering on and playback are all gentle pings which should not take too long to familiarize yourself to. The low battery tone
Versant Advanced Voice Technology:
Versant Advanced Voice Technology translates to optimizing the users' voice and minimizing environmental noise. The gist is that if you make calls or talk to a digital assistant like Siri / Google Now, the recipient will have a lesser difficulty in making out what you are saying so the communication will be clearer. This tech is a product of Knowles Electronics which has a background in developing MEMS microphones, which first implemented this in the Bragi Dash.
Performance
We'll update this portion once we get more do more in-depth tests on The Headphone where we check out the fit of the 2 FitTips, Comply tips, noise isolation and the general sound quality. Stay tuned!
Update (Apr 2017) - Information added for Performance, Overall and visuals
Fit and Noise Isolation:
The easiest way to get the ideal fit is to insert the buds into the ear and rotate them around the eartips. While The Headphones fit into the ears very well both with the silicon and Comply Foam, I felt the experience with the latter allowed a snugger fit that provided a more reassuring touch that the buds would stay within, which I indeed felt during a jog. The noise isolation with the Comply tips is tighter and thus feels like it blocks ambient sound just a little more effectively than the silicon buds.
Sound Quality:
Bragi The Headphone does not sound too bad at all. You can feel that Calvin Harris vs Alesso's Under Control (EDM) low frequencies are thumping strong yet not overwhelmingly pounding. The instrumentation is actually pretty well separated and while Theo Hutchcraft's vocals aren't sparkling bright, somehow it all gels together and sounds very much engaging.
Charging:
To reiterate, the CarryCase CANNOT be used for charging when you store the earbuds without a power connection. Plugging the USB cable for 1.33 hours gives a full charge of 6 hours of battery life, faring significantly better than the Earin (3h) or the Erato Apollo 7 (3h). Its closest rival would actually be the Apple AirPods rated at 5h.
Just to share one issue - when I turned on the buds, the left side suddenly had no sound at all. I resolved this by inserting the buds in the charger and held the + and - buttons. This is supposed to clear the earbud's memory of paired devices but it also allowed to let me hear from the left side once more.
Overall
Bragi The Headphones are a pair of no frills truly wireless earbuds. They offer the desired features such as audio transparency and industry-leading battery life. It's not without flaws as witnessed from the non-charging CarryCase and button size. However, at half the price of The Dash, these buds are an excellent choice if just want to go for a unit with a good sound profile that fits nicely in the ear.
Pricing and Availability
In the US / Europe, Bragi The Headphone is available from its online store for USD 149 / EUR 169.
In Singapore, both Bragi The Headphone (SGD 248) and Bragi The Dash (SGD 428) have been launched only this month and are available from truewireless.sg.
Credit to Bragi, LRT Singapore for a review unit.
In Singapore, both Bragi The Headphone (SGD 248) and Bragi The Dash (SGD 428) have been launched only this month and are available from truewireless.sg.
Credit to Bragi, LRT Singapore for a review unit.
