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There is a reason my music collection is predominately in lossless format.
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Bragi Unveils Wireless 'Headphone' Earbuds Ahead of Apple Event
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There is a reason my music collection is predominately in lossless format.
There's an announcement being made this Wednesday, as per leaks. That's what I'm referring to.
I too am very excited to see what they have to show us 41 hours from now. And, girl jokes? I just assumed you were Gypsy from MST3K.
Wow, that site is ridiculous. For one, they're trying to sell you something so you should automatically question the veracity of their claims. Worse yet, if you go to the product page, they use wacky pictures of a person's "natural energy fields" to prove the product works. That is some really nonsensical pseudoscience from A to Z there. CarlJ beat me to the punch with his eloquent and educated post (#121), but the fact remains that fear derived from lack of knowledge is a serious problem these days. It's really sad.
Proprietary no doubt ;-)
Even via the magnetic inductive interface. That would also solve the wired headphone problem, which presumably would be there to serve the low-end need for headphones.
Lightning continues on as a connector for the inductive charging/data puck, into which Lightning headphones can be plugged, as well as a slim magnetic adapter just for audio. And there could be a USB-C puck as well, putting that debate to rest.
I don't really want wireless headphones and ear-buds. Even if they sound as good as even cheap-wired ones (which most don't), it's another battery thing to worry about, and then there are the potential health concerns. I suppose there are a few uses (yes, wires do get in the way) but then there's the $119 price tag. (I sure hope Apple isn't moving in this direction...)
Have you listened to the sound from the Dash or other wireless ear buds? I have no issues with teh sound quality.
Because it works quite well on the unthinking masses, and even tends to subconsciously influence the rest of us.
I guess it descends on use-type, but I'm pretty sure you can buy some <$100 cans that would be better than those for $500.
But, my point is that for most people, moving the D/A external will be a downgrade, not an upgrade.
Aside from Sony with their game controllers, BT (in my experience so far) pretty much sucks. I wonder if Sony uses some proprietary chip?
Amen! I'm all for progress, but not if I can't even figure out how/why it might be an actual improvement.
Can you please explain how moving the D/A from inside the phone to the outside makes it 'with the times'? AFAIK, human ears are still analog.
Not a good parallel at all. The floppy drive wasn't being used any longer, for the most part, and getting rid of it drove other superior storage technologies and made substantial gains for device construction.
I take very good care of my stuff. But, if you're using cables on a phone in a pocket or such, it's going to break rather quickly. That's why I used cheaper ones. But, moving to a Lightening connector is going to mean a lot more breakage than with a 3.5mm, as it's a much more fragile connection/connector.
Why? It's about time for what? How is this a natural progression of anything?
If it's something that hampers a major use of the product, possibly. I currently listen to a lot of podcasts, which means my iPod Touch (soon to be iPhone SE) spends a good bit of time in my pocket with ear-buds plugged in while I work on things around the house. If the jack goes, that would be extremely difficult or expensive... that might actually make it a no-go, or I'd have to use a different device, which would really, really tick me off (as if I'm not already getting ticked off enough at Apple over many over recent moves!).
Unfortunately, there's no real good way to know besides a well-controlled long-term study (i.e.: nearly impossible). What I will say is that the current safety tests are using like 1940s science, that in light of discoveries in the last few years, is fairly inaccurate.
Just because DNA isn't being fried by the RF, doesn't mean the RF isn't having an impact on gene expression. (It is, the question is to what extent and end. And, we simply don't know... anyone who says otherwise is either a blathering idiot, or lying.)
Oh, for sure. Better batteries will lead to being able to put better amp-tech in that space, though there are physics limitations to the speakers themselves. So, yes, eventually one might be able to get as good of sound via these as can be gotten with the speaker limitations.
And, yes, I'd like to see the tech advance, as sometimes one has to use this kind of thing. I don't think it's a good idea as a replacement for wired ear-buds, though, but that's more a health concern.
That was a while back, but I seem to remember the industry creating the standard, which was slowly adopted until Apple jumped in. At the time, people were criticizing Apple for Firewire, and for not jumping on USB quickly enough. Firewire was superior, at least at the time. USB ended up winning out in overall use, and is finally evolving into a pretty good, strong standard.
But, this move has little parallel, IMO. 3.5mm jacks are a pretty good standard with little need to replace. AND, Lightening is a horrible 'standard' to move to. If they were going with USB-C, then at least I'd somewhat understand (I'd still oppose it).
Yes, I certainly did. Can you maybe only put one in and switch to mono? That said, a lot of people seem to lack any common sense with this stuff these days, which seems to include their ad agency.
A very weak ad, for sure, but hardly untypical. Unfortunately, as mentioned earlier, this kind of stuff works (and increasingly so) on weak-minded people. I'd suggest renting Idiocracy (2006) if you haven't seen it, because the way things are looking, that is exactly where we're headed.
There is progress (in the sense of moving towards the better) and then there is 'progress'/progressive. It's good to develop some critical thinking skills to differentiate between the two!
The biggest problem with tiny bluetooth airpods and their competitors......unless they are connected together by wires..........they are so easy to lose, or to even to lose just one. Apple will have to pry my iPhone 6S with headphone jack out of my cold....dead....hands. I will keep it for as long as possible.
I have been using the Dash for a while now. I have now issue with sound quality, BT connectivity is improving with OS updates. Overall I am very happy with the product. The experience of being truly wire free is great. The noise blocking is great - I can shop in the mall whilst listening to music and there could be a war going on and I wouldn't know.
That's extremely difficult to do in cases where the risk of induction is probably extremely low and the latency period is long. Are you also going to avoid environments with Wi-Fi and other RF radiation, not to mention exposure to carcinogens in your air, water, and food? I'm not saying that these things are risk-free, but they're nearly impossible to avoid.
How on earth is plugging headphones into a lighting port instead of a 3.5mm port a better customer experience ? Sorry that made me laugh.
Or is that better customer experience, me still using analogue headphones, no difference in sound quality but having to use an Adopter?
Or is that me having to go out and buy wireless headphones...
The 3.5mm is being REMOVED, for a proprietary connector, that does the SAME thing
end result, more profits for apple. All you are doing on these forums is cheer-leading the introduction of a proprietary connector (lightning audio), which has existed since iphone 5, but now we are forced to use it, as apple is removing the 3.5mm. My iphone 6S will be able to offer me exactly the same experience audio wise as the 7, it will actually be better cause the DAC inside it is superior to what will be in the 7. So out of the box, the 6S is superior sound wise, with the limiting factor being the apple earbuds.And as your theory the 3.5mm is ancient tech that must go. Ive had usb headphones for years, they suck!
How can you be cheer-leading something that technically is not changing, its just the movement of the DAC from one place to the other to create an proprietary connector. its as Stupid as Sony Memory cards, no benefit to the user, but Sony wanted more profits.....how that play out?
My only reservation about the idea is traveling-- currently I need a lightning cable, and I have one that doubles as a USB-mini/micro/whatever that thing is called. If a wireless charging harness is any bulkier, it'll be a nuisance.
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Thanks. I was so close to clicking buy a month ago, but held back because the online reviews were pretty unanimously "meh". I went with BT over-the-ears which work for long flights, but aren't as portable as I'd like. Maybe the iPhone7 release, and these new devices from Bragi, will trigger another round of reviews and more feedback from folks like you.
Yeah, no. Just drop the douche plugs.
Given that headset is probably about four or five times the size of the Dash there is quite a difference.
Yes, it did. You could buy USB cards to plug into PC's, and likely some included a USB port or two. And you could buy a few peripherals that companies had put out to see if there was a market. But please direct me to the PC that sold in large quantities with USB ports only, before the iMac. The iMac was the one to pull the plug, so to speak, on all previous ports, and there was a lot of complaining and ridicule at the time. Both on the part of Windows fans and industry analysts, saying "this will never work", and by early adopters, who faced a dearth of peripherals that could accept USB connections. Then a lot of companies scrambled to come out with USB peripherals, sensing a potential gold rush situation. Would the PC market have gone USB only? Sure... probably... eventually. But I don't hear anyone complaining now at Apple for giving the industry a hard shove in that direction back then.
And I see the potential for that kind of situation here. I'm not saying removing the headphone jack is a good thing - heck, I don't have any proof that they will remove it (ask me again in 48 hours), but Apple has enough of a track record for dragging the tech industry, kicking and screaming, into a better future (GUIs, mice, USB, smartphones with virtual keyboards, etc.), that I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, and listen to their explanation of what they've done, and why they think it's better. Will I like it, come Wednesday afternoon? Don't know. But I'm very eager to see the show.
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Yes, I am worried about WiFi too, but I don't strap my WiFi routers to my ears! RF degrades exponentially based on distance. I also can't make WiFI stop, but I can easily choose not to use a BT headset all the time. (Actually, you're better off using a BT headset than holding the phone to your ear... but either for a limited time.)
I agree... if the plan is to go port-less and wireless (i.e.: short-term), then yes. I think that would be an even bigger mistake though. But, if we're headed to one port, then USB-C.
Priceless comeback! However, I think you missed the point.
Well, really than anything of much importance. But, to be fair, this is an Apple-oriented forum.
But, I hear you, critical thinking and weighty matters aren't part of the thinking of many these days.BT radiation is probably somewhat low on the list of concerns in the big picture of cancer, but I'm not taking any more chances than necessary. But, the average American diet will get people well before BT. Combined though, it might not be a pretty picture.
Heh, pairing will be tricky (pun intended).
The problem is, we just don't know. I'm in the 'better safe than sorry' camp, especially when it's something pretty pointless. BTW, I'm also a bit sick of people who don't know about electronics, RF, epigenetics, etc. saying there's nothing to worry about! It's Bill Nye / Neil deGrasse Tyson Science™ type baloney, and it's dangerous because these idiots are seen as the new priesthood by the masses who can't be bothered to stop and think for a minute.
Yes, but distance matters a lot. For sure, you're better off using a BT headset WHEN YOU MAKE PHONE CALLS than holding the phone to your ear. But, that's different than having them in your ears all day while listening to music or whatever. And, I AM very concerned by how much I see people holding the phones to their ears.
I would personally ignore any of the tech press reviews - some haven't been using the latest software and that was a major problem.
A lot of Kickstarter backers are not happy that many of the more advanced features are not working (such as O2 measurements). I think as well that some features like audio transparency (where external sounds are picked up and pumped into your ears so you dont have to remove the headphones to listen to a conversation) are not working like people would like - for example when cycling there is too much wind noise.
I get the occasional mini drop out (1/10th of a second maybe) whilst using them outside - walking to the station.
I find one of the criticisms of them amusing - people complain that they can't walk to another room and still listen to their phone - try doing that with a set of wired headphones...
We can only do what we can. But, the average person could make fairly easy moves to drastically decrease their chances of being taken down by cancer.
Unless you have some imaginary outcome to consider here, that's the elephant in the room no one seems to be addressing. How is removing a 3.5mm analog connector and moving to the Lightening port any kind of better future?
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I do that every day, as the phone (iPod touch in my case) is in my pocket.
Have you actually used the Dash?
The new product are significantly different to the Dash and in fact don't address some of the issues facing the Dash - many of which have been fixed already.
Yeah, that's why I was hoping to get some feedback from folks on these forums-- I definitely got the sense that the tech press, in their race to publish first, were using firmware that wasn't quite up to snuff. Production code, I grant, but not yet fully deglitched. I hope that doesn't kill the product line prematurely.
My sense had been that Gen 2 might be the time to buy in, if I can hold off my early adopter instincts.
To their credit, they didn't hold back with their ambitions-- there's a lot of tech packed into those little buds. These new simplified ones are probably the right move on their part.
Well let's not jump the gun. The key word in your post is "currently". I doubt we'll even see this in 2-3 years, but at the earliest it has been suggested next sept. In which case you're adding a puck only, which you'll already have if you have an Watch.
But who knows, they haven't even released the 7 yet. I currently carry one of those octopus adapters in my bag every where I go so I'm prepared for anything. In fact I have backups for all my stuff in a carry on bag in the event I have to jump on a plane at the last minute, as the last thing I want to do is rely on the airlines crappy earbuds or find I've forgotten to bring my 30-pin cable for my iPad that's low on charge.
So like you I'm always prepared. But, what you're going to need to carry over the next 1-4 years I'll bet will change. This is going to be a big enough transition. I think I'll wait until we're closer to the next one to worry about it.
You mean like the Leash that come with the Dash that is used to link to the two units together whilst in use (I don't use this as the point of wireless ear buds is to not have a tangle of wires) or the charging case that they are stored in whilst not is use and has a solid cover that protects them whilst not in use?
When I saw these announced this morning I felt that they were the headphones I wanted when I backed the Dash. Now that I have the Dash these new one have some limitations such as the lack of touch interface (which I have been frustrated by since I got the Dash until recent software updates) and the lack of a charging case (which is slightly offset by the longer battery life).
I am likely to get a set of these at the pre-order Kickstarter discount price as a back up to my existing Dash.
Well that is certainly a great feature, sound like a candidate for the Darwin Awards.
One guy is worried about his sperm count, the other delighted that he's oblivious to the bullets whizzing around him...
These things are going to be falling out of peeps ears everywhere. Dropping in puddles, drinks and getting stepped on. I hope they are hardy products.
Wireless audio company Bragi has today announced a new pair of Bluetooth earbuds simply called the "Headphone". Based on the firm's original crowdfunded Dash earpieces, the Headphone buds boast the same overall design, but lose some features in favor of a more affordable price tag.
According to Bragi, the main physical difference is the Headphone's three physical buttons, which replace the touch controls found on the Dash for controlling playback, audio transparency, volume, and taking calls.
The activity tracking features native to the $300 Dash buds are also missing in the new earpieces, but their removal shores up battery life on the Headphone, with Bragi promising up to six hours of operation on a single charge, rather than the three hours Dash users will be accustomed to. Bragi also claims the Headphone buds feature a stronger Bluetooth connection than the Dash.
The Bragi Headphone buds are poised to launch in November and will cost $150, with pre-orders starting today at the lower price of $119.
In addition to the new earpieces, Bragi today announced a firmware update to the original Dash buds which the company says improves the accuracy of the devices' heart-rate tracking, while also bolstering the strength of the Bluetooth connection.
With Apple's event just days away, Bragi is unlikely to be the last accessory firm to announce wireless products this week, as the industry shifts gears in anticipation of a new iPhone widely believed to lack a headphone jack.
Apple will provide a live stream of the September 7 keynote on the Apple TV and on iOS and Mac devices through its website. MacRumors will be providing live coverage of the event for those unable to watch, both on MacRumors.com and through the @MacRumorsLive account on Twitter.
Read: What to Expect From Apple's September 7 Event
Article Link: Bragi Unveils Wireless 'Headphone' Earbuds Ahead of Apple Event
Headphone jack is a feature?!? How low is your bar set?