The Dash - Wireless Smart Earphones

Product Description

Top Reviews

DO. NOT. DO. BUSINESS. WITH. THIS. COMPANY.
by Richard (1 out of 5 stars)
April 23, 2018

I bought these in November and used them at the gym on the treadmill for a while and they worked okay. Now that the weather is nice I took them outside for a run. Turns out the Bluetooth quality on these headphones is TERRIBLE. They will disconnect if they don't have a clear line of sight to the phone. This means you can't put the phone in a running arm band or even a pocket. Listening to music is pretty much impossible if you aren't holding your phone directly in front of your face. Every other pair of Bluetooth headphones I own work great. Despite this customer support is blaming my phone and has been generally unhelpful. I spent $200 on these headphones and they aren't even on par with a $10 pair I got a year ago. Extremely disappointed. I've gone back to using my $10 headphones since these are completely unusable outdoors.

Update: Bragi customer support has been the absolute worst customer service experience I've ever had. I sent my headphones for a warranty replacement over a month ago. They still haven't even shipped my replacement. They keep transferring me around in circles asking for the tracking number of the package I sent them. After about a month of fighting with customer service I'm starting to just accept that I paid them $200 for defective headphones, paid to ship them the headphones back and they are never going to actually send me a replacement. I'm looking into if a charge back through my credit card will get me banned from amazon.

DO. NOT. DO. BUSINESS. WITH. THIS. COMPANY.
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I do NOT recommend all of the runners who wear your pouch in ...
by Keisuke Hamada (1 out of 5 stars)
July 22, 2017

I do NOT recommend all of the runners who wear your pouch in your waist and want to put your smart phone in your pouch during running to purchase this product.

Because the Bluetooth connection of the Dash is getting poor and music is going to be choppy once you put your smart phone into your pouch.

I have tested many times during running and it is obvious.I wear a pouch(see the picture below) to have a water bottle during running.

Whenever I put my iPhone into the pocket of the pouch, it immediately starts to lose its connection. Once I take my iPhone out of the pocket, it starts to play music well without any noise.

So I always have to hold my iPhone in my hand while I am running.

I thought that the water bottle(actually water itself inside the bottle) may cause the problem, but it did not. This issue happened without the water bottle.

I am thinking that this is the specification of the Dash. Whenever your smart phone that is connected to the Dash is covered by something, then it loses the blue tooth connection every time.

What the Dash makes me stressful is not only losing connection but also forcing me to hold my iPhone in my hand, this is poor production.

I am going to remediate this review once this issue is fixed.
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TERRIBLE BLUETOOTH CONNECTIVITY
by Elizabeth (2 out of 5 stars)
May 6, 2016

I can't bring myself to give this product 1 star despite how upset I am with the purchase. These things are really cool. The functionality and concept is definitely the wave of the future. It's great how the storage receptacle is also a battery charger so you never have to really worry about finding an outlet. The touch sensitivity controls is impressive as well and very responsive. Although i didn't go swimming in them it is so cool that they are waterproof. Great idea as well giving you 3.5 gigs of space to store music if you don't want to bring your phone to stream. On top of all that it's amazing how well they fit in your ears and stay in your ears.

Now for the disappointing side of things:

I'm a passionate long distance runner. I utilize another app, Runtastic, to track my distance and performance so i wasn't really interested in the activity functionality. Upon first putting them in my ears and connecting them via Bluetooth to my Galaxy S7 i was a very surprised to hear so much static while streaming music. Come to find out there was a firmware update released so i immediately updated them and the static was reduced but not completely eliminated. I'm not a sound quality snob so i didn't let it get to me and focused on all the other cool features.

But then it happened. I went for my first run in them. I couldn't believe what i was hearing! The sound was cutting in and out consistently. I had my phone strapped high on my stomach via a running storage belt (i don't like to wear arm bands) and it couldn't hold a connection while i ran. I finally had to turn my music off because it was driving me crazy!

I originally assumed that everyone doing activities in the promo video, like running, were streaming music. They must have been listening to stored audio because the Bluetooth connectivity is not reliable enough for activities.

I'm in the process of trying to return them. I have to assume this will be a difficult process. $350 plus shipping is ridiculously overpriced for this item since you can hardly consider BT a feature.
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Not Worth the money and time that you will spend on these.
by KhaoticR (1 out of 5 stars)
March 15, 2018

The regular Dash was something that I was looking for, and specially for the discounted price. Bought these twice and the same results. One of the buds (the first one was the right bud and the second one was the left bud) were not working at all. Call customer service and was advised that this was considered as a discontinued item and was not going to be made anymore. Also they have been receiving many complains about this specific product, when recently bought.

I went with the Bragi Dash Pro, which I know if much more expensive, but it was worth it and loving that as of right now. The additional functionality of the buds and the comfort and the lack of issues (Bluetooth connection) is all worth the additional 100 bucks.
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One of a kind
by Mark (4 out of 5 stars)
May 7, 2017

I was initially hesitant about getting the Dash due to the proportion of reviews reporting one malaise or other, but eventually my JBL Reflect Mini's dongle rubbed my neck one too many times on a jog, and I caved.

The headphone themselves are slick as heck, and barely visible when tuck into you ear, but my immediate gripe was with the audio. I'm no audiophile, but I was not impressed with the Dash's first time performance. The bass is weak and audio very low, compared with my JBL Reflect Mini BT, which is less than half the former's price. Overtime, however, I've grown attached, as the Dash seems to need a bit of burn in - the bass is still weaker than I was used to, but the audio reproduction is better than my JBL and I can hear way more details.

I personally don't have any problem with the battery life - it has lasted more than 4 hours on medium volume playback with no fitness tracking.

Pairing between the left and right Dash seem fairly consistent - they only dropped out once during my week of use, which exhibited as left Dash audio dropping out, replaced by a continuous monotone, but it re-paired itself without needing a trip to the charger after a while.

I can't tell you how useful Audio Transparency is - it doesn't allow you to have a smooth conversation, but it is invaluable when you are exercising outdoors and need to be mindful of the surrounding and traffic.

The only real gripe I have is that the silicone sleeve doesn't breathe very well, so prolonged use during exercise or listening to music can get a bit uncomfortable if you're using a sleeve.

Overall, I'm happy with my purchase. Can you get a better value BT headphone else where? Absolutely. But the Dash is one of a kind in it's category, and the premium is definitely worth it if it's what you are looking for.
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Great concept and superior quality, HORRIBLE PERFORMANCE.
by Nick13 (1 out of 5 stars)
January 5, 2017

I really want to love these because theyre unlike any other earbuds in the market. I'm a designer myself and there's so much love that went in to these earphones, you can immidiately tell from opening them up. With that being said there are so many flaws I thought would have been addressed already through firmware. I first saw these being reviewed on tech sites from it's first proto I believe from CES. I couldn't wait to get my hands on them but the reviews then weren't so good so I decided to wait and see if or when bragi fixed those issues.

These earbuds are far superior than most wireless earbuds in the market that basically copied this very earbuds.

I am an audiophile. I heavily rely on my shure wired earbuds on the daily. Given the iPhone(3.5mmJackless)7 and SHURE's reluctance to come out with a dac for it's earphones, I decided to maybe take the plunge with wireless and give it a try with DASH knowing it flaws and okay sound.

The sound is pretty terrible for these which is an absolute shame specially given its price point.

But that isn't even the last draw for me.

The smart functions are absolutely amazing but I imagined them being more useful, so far it's just there.

Here's where I draw the line and for anyone looking to buy these, I say hold off until Bragi redesigns these earphones.

The sound is okay at best, the 2.2 firmware really needs to be fixed because the max volume is terrible.
**The biggest issue with these is its Bluetooth connection.

BELIEVE THE REVIEWS! There is no other way to say it, the connection absolutely sucks!

When they say these earbuds need to be in line of sight for good connection with your phone, its absolutely, absurdly true.

With my phone in my jackets hand pocket, they start to go in an out pretty badly.

With my phone in my jackets chest pocket, they still go in and out sporadically.

Unfortunately this IS NOT firmware fixable. With a year now on the market I wish bragi stopped trying to sell these in their current state because they're continuing to ruin the appeal of these otherwise amazing concept earbuds. Or at least offer a .1 redesign of the hardware.
**The other big issue is definitely battery. First day of use, I got about 4 hours.

Charging was a bit of a headache, I had to reset them because they just wouldnt charge, three hours into the case and they were still blinking red.

From then on it would charge fully with blue light lit for full and then go to green in 20 mins of use.

I too am usually skeptical of online reviews and these in particular has been a bit confusing for its mixed reviews.

This product and brand has had a lot of clout for being one of the first with these earbuds that many company went on to copy, such a shame that Bragi has been really slow to redesign and upgrade the hardware on these otherwise far superior earbuds.
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I am so disappointed in these
by funny runner (1 out of 5 stars)
May 24, 2017

I am so disappointed in these. I researched earpods and wanted a pair that could store music internally because I don't want to carry my phone with me while I'm running. These are really cool in concept, but they are still working out the kinks. In my opinion, this product is trying to do way too many things instead of focusing on (and being good at) one thing. For example, I don't want an exercise tracker; I and all of my running/biking/swimming pals already have Fitbits, Garmins, etc. I was excited to try this product when it arrived, but first I had a lot of trouble charging it. The instructions are terrible. I first tried charging via USB in a regular outlet. They buzzed all different color lights and I had no idea what was going on. I later tried charging them via my computer. Still some weird lights (one minute they would indicate charged; the next minute they would indicate no charge). When I got help via the online chat button, the tech person told me ONLY to charge it via the computer, yet the instructions tell you just to use any power source. When they finally seemed charged, I couldn't get it to go on. I had to get help from the chat button again - it took me about 3-4 hours to get an update, reset them, etc. - ridiculous for a product that just arrived brand new.

All of this didn't dissuade me too much, although I was frustrated. The last straw, and the reason I am returning these, is that when I'm running, there are constant blings (announcing various functions turning on and off - windshield, audio transparency, etc); that part is bad enough. The straw that broke the camel's back is that it CONSTANTLY TURNS OFF THE MUSIC. I turn it on, and then it turns it off. I can't get it to play music for more than 30 seconds before it turns off. Very frustrating. It doesn't happen when I walk - only when I run. I thought it was maybe just responding too sensitively to the body control movements, etc., so I set all of those to OFF, but it still happened.

Very sad. Will perhaps try again when they've had a chance to work out all of the kinks. All I want is a wireless music player!
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Just OK.
by Alvin Robancho (1 out of 5 stars)
September 3, 2017

So far this pair is just in the LOW OK. The battery charge does not last as long as stated. The pieces also don't charge as well in the cradle. I have to remove the sleeves everytime just to sit properly and charge. Otherwise, only one or the other charges. Will NOT recommend at this time. There has to be a solution with the charging and battery issues.

Update Sep 27: just 5 weeks and this product is a disappointment. It does not hold the charge and still have to remove the sleeves to make sure the ear pieces sits properly on the cradle. Very disappointing. Not recommended!!! One star is being generous at this point.

Update Oct 21: now this product is completely dead. Very disappointed. Not worth it. Not recommended.
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I love that I don't have to carry anything with me ...
by Phyllis (5 out of 5 stars)
November 28, 2017

I don't get the issue people have with these earbuds. I have had mine for almost a year, use them almost everyday for work and for workouts and have never had even one drop out on me. The fitting of them was a little hard at first but once I got the right fit (and it was a different fitting for each ear for me.....strange), they have never dropped out of my ear. I love that I don't have to carry anything with me (phone, iPod...etc) and all my music is stored in the earbud. I also love, with the new update, that is senses my run, my bike and my swim and starts tracking them without any operator assistance. Great product.
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Bragi is nothing to brag about.
by wwh (3 out of 5 stars)
January 20, 2017

So far so good. This is a review after about one week of daily use.

The Good:
-- The biggest complaint - through my research online before I made the purchase - was that the bluetooth connectivity sucks. I updated to firmware 2.2 right away so I didn't get to compare between that 2.2 and the versions before it. However, in terms of bluetooth connectivity, contrary to what a lot of others are reporting, it's actually pretty good. There are still occasional very brief cut-outs even using it at home with my laptop computer, but it is manageable and has not become annoying. For 98% of the time, it actually stay connected well.

The neutral:
-- The learning curve to use the product is pretty steep because at first you feel like there are a millions ways to swipe and tap and swiping/tapping the left or right yields different functions... but you become good at it after a couple of days, so no biggy there.

The Bad:
-- Audio quality is only alright. It's essentially similar to a pair of cheap earbuds you can buy anywhere. But for a non-audiophile like me, it's alright, it's not crappy. But again, for some company who claims on their website the Dash delivers "Premium sound quality," they can do much better.
-- For all the bells and whistles that come with the Dash and its firmware updates through the past year, there is no active noise isolation. Yes there is Audio Transparency mode, but there is no active noise isolation. Go figure.

The Ugly:

Bragi customer service. The sleeve on the left Dash ripped (see photo) after just 2 days of regular use. It happened when I was taking it out of the case. It just ripped. So I emailed Bragi and told them I was disappointed with the quality of their product, and they basically said something like "too bad BUT you are welcome to buy a new pair of sleeves at the ridiculous price of $10 if you want to. Oh wait - you HAVE TO because otherwise the earbud won't fit properly. Again, too bad." Nope. Zero stars to their customer service team for being too cheap to replace an essential part of their product that broke after 2 days of regular use.

Overall, 3 stars.

I will try to update my review with more prolonged use. Maybe after a few months or something.

Cheers.

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