Bragi 'The Headphone'06 March, 2017
UPDATE: The left pair broke and couldn't get repaired so I got the Apple Airpods. They have better sound and battery life than the bragi but the fit is not ideal. Still living the wireless dream, bebe.
The future is wireless and it is here now.
Bragi, a german startup, have released their second wireless earbuds called "The Headphone", a pair of bluetooth connected earbuds, that promise cable-free audio entertainment.
After their 300€ "Dash" earbuds, that had some connectivity issues, these 170€ headphones are their attempt to learn from mistakes and focus on the important things.
Let's see how they stand up.
Fit & Comfort
The Headphone comes with three different tips, one of which will definitely seal your ear and provide good enough bass.
They fit quite well in my ears but can feel a bit uncomfortable after some time in the ear. They are either still too big or do not fit my ear shape good enough. It is not bad enough for me to return them but my ears will have to become accustomed to these earbuds.
The buttons for controlling playback, volume and phone assistant are on the right earbud. You have to press down on them, they are not touch sensitive(which is a bummer!). If you press the buttons with your nails, you do not press the earbuds into your ear too much, but that is cumbersome, which is why I try not to use the buttons much. Now that there are no cables in the way anymore, I am happy to just control everything from my phone.
Audio-quality
The sound of "The Headphone" is good. Good enough for wireless in-earbuds in this price range. They have good bass and highs and lows. I am not an audio aficionado at all, but I think I can say that these earbuds' sound-quality is ok for what it represents.
A new product for early adopters.
If you want really good sound quality, you should buy cable headphones, which will provide you with much better audio for the same price.
Because the headphones seal the ears so well, they come with an ambient sound feature, which funnels outside noise through microphones into your ear. This allows you to hear you environment blended into your music, making life more comfortable and safe.
I encountered no connection issues, while using them, besides some stuttering when I turn my head to the right and have the phone in my left pocket. This can be avoided by putting the phone in the right pocket or simply not turning my head. Not a deal-breaker for me.
Hardware
The look is quite nice, filling your ear with blackness that might be mistaken for a hearing aid.
Though the headphones look well in all black, they feel cheap. They are made completely out of plastic, as is the charging chase. Which is too clunky and big to not even have a built-in battery. I would have expected a little more quality and features for the price.
At least they charge quite fast and their battery lasts for approximately 5-6 hours, which gets me through a normal day.
For future iterations I wish for waterproofing, a smaller case with built-in battery as well as higher quality materials used for the earbuds.
Conclusion
In conclusion I can say that the Bragi "The Headphone" earbuds took steps in the right direction but are not quite there yet.
I will keep them because the freedom of a cable free life is just too beautiful. You get used to it really fast.
All the while being aware of the flaws, especially for the paid price. Once I loose an earbuds or accidentally step on one, these will become more apparent I think.
But for now I am happy to get this glimpse into the future.
What's missing now is my virtual AI girlfriend, that lives inside my earbud. GET ON IT!