For most of us who run or work out, music is an integral part of every exercise session. Even world class athletes have their favorite songs or type of music to listen to. However normal headphones can be woefully inadequate for the job.
Cables can tangle or get in the way, plus you have to bring along accessories such as a music player and fitness tracker. But what if you could get rid of all these issues in one fell swoop? Enter Bragi’s The Dash.
The Dash is an all-in-one solution for listening to music on the go, especially while exercising. It’s a pair of in-ear headphones that also function as a music player, fitness tracker, heartrate monitor and sports watch, all in one. Let’s check it out.
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Introducing the Dash
The Dash is a pair of completely wireless and discrete Bluetooth in-ear headphones. As you might expect, The Dash will play music through a Bluetooth connection, but The Dash also has 4GB of built-in storage that can be used to store up to 1000 songs, letting you play music directly from The Dash.
Also A Fitness Tracker
The Dash also has a lot of sensors built into it. These sensors will measure and track performance-related metrics such as cadence, G-force, distance and pace as well as measure vital signs such as heart rate, body temperature and amount of calories burned.
The Dash will also keep track of your exercise goals and provide warnings for when you stray too close to the minimum or maximum limits for any particular metrics.
Switching Between Tracking And Music
While fitness is definitely The Dash’s main target market, The Dash is also useful as an everyday pair of in-ear headphones. The Dash will also work as a Bluetooth headset with the built-in bone conduction microphone. The passive sound isolation means that it’s also great for noisy offices or airplane flights.
The Dash’s tracking and sound capabilities are controlled using its touch interface. The left earphone controls fitness-tracking features, while the right earphone controls music playback. The right earphone also controls The Dash’s transparent audio feature, which channels ambient sound into the headphone.
While most of The Dash’s tracking features will work without a smartphone, you’re still going to want to pair The Dash with Bragi’s The Dash app to make the most out of The Dash’s tracking metrics. The official The Dash app will be free on both Android and iOS, but The Dash will also be compatible with third-party apps.
The Dash is currently being funded on Kickstarter and has blown past its $260,000 goal. At the time of writing, a $199 pledge will get you The Dash if you’re in the United States. If you’re outside of the United States, you’ll have add $15 for shipping. EU residents will also have to add VAT on top of shipping, depending on the pricing tier.
Full-scale production of The Dash is scheduled to begin in November 2014.
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