Bragi Compares The Dash and The Headphone to Apple's AirPods

[MacRumors]

As one of the more high-profile wireless headphone companies in recent months, Bragi is already looking to position its two products -- The Dash and the just-announced The Headphone -- as strong competitors to Apple's just-announced AirPods. In a FaceBook post this morning, Bragi shared a chart which lists how The Dash and The Headphone (particularly The Dash) compare favorably to AirPods in various categories.

The nine categories in the chart include: Bluetooth connectivity, waterproofness, audio transparency (amplifying ambient noise as needed to hear your external environment without needing to remove the earbuds), fitness tracking, internal music player, Bragi OS updates, battery life, "PerfectFit" sizing, and price.

The Dash beats out the AirPods in five of the categories, with Bragi positioning its flagship headphones as a sports-centric device with waterproofing and fitness tracking, two things lacking in Apple's AirPods. AirPods, however, have a one-up on battery life (5 hours compared to The Dash's 4 hours), and come in at a notably more affordable $159, well below The Dash's $299.

Unsurprisingly, Bragi's chart focuses on criteria in which its products compare favorably to AirPods and omits features such as Siri and seamless device pairing with syncing over iCloud that are key parts of the AirPods experience.

Perhaps one of the more user-friendly features of The Dash and The Headphone is the ability for users to choose between three included "FitSleeves" for The Dash and "FitTips" for The Headphone. With small, medium, and large sizes included, Bragi seeks to ensure that anyone who wants to use its products will find a comfortable fit without any of the potential pain and headache caused by one-size-fits-all products, like the AirPods.

Overall, while Bragi's comparison chart paints a favorable picture of The Dash and The Headphone, Apple is no doubt banking on its design appeal, device integration, and price to present an appealing option. But even the AirPods' $159 price will be steep for some users, and with the removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack in the iPhone 7, Apple is moving to soften the user transition to a wireless future by including Lightning headphones, and a Lightning-to-3.5mm adapter, in the boxes of the new iPhones.

Article Link: Bragi Compares The Dash and The Headphone to Apple's AirPods

 

[goatless]

Clearly an ad for "The Headphone"?

 

[pgiguere1]

To be fair, it should mention the AirPods come with a battery case, have easy pairing and automatic on/off, three features the Headphone don't have.

It's also misleading that the Dash shows "rechargeable on the go for 5 times" and it says nothing next to the AirPods, like it doesn't include a battery case.

Lastly, "Bragi OS update" as a point? That's pretty cringeworthy, reminds me of this:

Chances are the AirPods' firmware can be updated too, even Apple keyboards get firmware updates.

 

[smacrumon]

Love comparison tables.

 

[djcerla]

"Audio dropouts/phase problems: check!"

http://www.theverge.com/2016/3/18/11261586/bragi-dash-review-wireless-bluetooth-earbuds

 

[smacrumon]

Has it got "audio transparency"? What is that?

 

[oneMadRssn]

They should have added a row for "Music controls" and "Volume controls"

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

If the AirPods came with the iPhone, or if I had an option to have the AirPods in the box instead of the lightning headphones and the lightning-to-3.5mm adapter in the box for maybe $50 extra, I'd probably go for them.

Spend $180 to have them separately when I already have what came with the device? I'll pass...

 

[DeutscheMark]

They could have compared the looks of them as well.
I had to start laughing really loud when I first saw these skinny tampons during the keynote.

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

Has it got "audio transparency"? What is that?

It allows you to clearly hear your surroundings without taking the earbud out. A normal earbud that's sitting in your ear and not playing music will muffle external sounds around you. Audio transparency fixes that.

 

[BMcCoy]

I don't lke the AirPods design, but even i can see that comparison is so biased it's nonsense.

 

[sunapple]

I don't know if the AirPods fit me, but otherwise it seems like great deal compared to what they are offering.

 

[Exile714]

If the only benefits of "Headphone" are price and audio transparancy, that's a problem. The price is pre-order only, and the AirPods are naturally transparent because they don't seat into the ears.

What will matter most is audio quality, both in playback and in phone calls. Secondary will be comfort and ability to stay in during movement.

EarPods can use silicone covers to stay in better (EarSkinz are probably the best... maybe only version of this?) but they won't work with the IR sensor.

I'm still waiting for a breakthrough technology. Bragi's Dash has too many signal issues to even consider, and Bluetooth is still pretty low quality for audio.

 

[AppleNewton]

Audio Transparency and Fitness Tracking? how is that any benefit, that they're marking as some sort of achievement. Headphones or EarPods should do just what they need to, play great quality music.

 

[kingofwale]

but does Bragi have courage??

Earpods never fit my ear perfectly (I never use them), so I don't see how airpods would. so i'm going to pass

 

[Berti10]

I was really into buying the new AirPod, but now that I know that the won't receive any Bragi OS Updates, I'm absolutely not sold anymore.

 

[Return Zero]

Yeah this actually isn't a great comparison table for them. To me the only drawback to the AirPods is that they are not waterproof, otherwise I think they win hands down (assuming good audio quality).

 

[Jakexb]

I can't believe AirPods don't get "Braghi OS Updates". What kind of company is Apple running?

/s

 

[Mactendo]

will find a comfortable fit without any of the potential pain and headache caused by one-size-fits-all products, like the AirPods

Sounds like a direct press release.

 

[miknos]

Even at the same price I prefer the AirPods.

Many companies would have to decrease price to survive.

 

[jettredmont]

It allows you to clearly hear your surroundings without taking the earbud out. A normal earbud that's sitting in your ear and not playing music will muffle external sounds around you. Audio transparency fixes that.

Might be just me, but I hear the outside world just fine with my standard iPhone headphones in (and would expect the AirPhones to be similar). Still, I take the headphone out when I am talking to someone, because it is ****ing rude to talk to someone with something in your ear that is noticeably not a hearing aid. IMHO, I'd rather have better noise isolation than more "audio transparency" in earphones.

I see this "audio transparency" thing as Bragi trying to make a bug (poor noise isolation) into a feature.

 

[AJ5790]

Where's the entry on the chart for "switches between Apple devices intelligently"?

 

[jonnyb]

They conveniently omit the fact that the Airpods also have a charger case for 24 hours of battery life.

 

[SMIDG3T]

What they don't say, of course, is that the AirPods stop playing music (and actually turn off) when you take them BOTH out of your ears. (You can still leave one in and music will still play.)

You can also double-tap to activate Siri.

AND 15 minutes of charge gives them a 3 hour battery life.

Oh, AND they switch, immediately, with no hassle, between iPhone, Apple Watch and Mac.

 

[hortod1]

Look up Bragi on Amazon and the reviews are less than stellar. Biggest complaint is the Bluetooth connectivity, which is apparently terrible.