The Bragi Dash Review (premature)

Ok, so some impressions from a self professed semi-audiophile.
I'll be writing a more complete review on my website (http://probably.ninja) later on.
Fit is great, actually. Don't just use the default tips and then say they don't fit or the audio quality is lacking. I thought the same until I moved up the sizing and it turned out to be otherwise.

My basis of comparison is RHA MA600i and Trinity Techne Dynamic IEM. Note that I have not done any sort of burn in yet, though I don't see how as music stops playing if i take them out and the batteries only last 4 hours tops. Maybe I'll just listen to a lot more music these few days.

The overall tone is very neutral. Sound reproduction is pretty accurate, I'd say. It's got sort of a serious sound, nothing quite as fun as the 600i or as jazzy as the Techne. Sign of German engineering and heritage (sorry Nikolaj, couldn't resist :P)? After about 30 minutes of listening, I'm glad to report there's no sign of fatigue. Mids are just a tiny bit recessed, similar to the Techne, vocals aren't extended like the 600i, though they stayed clear throughout. Does leave a bit wanting though. Bass response changes based on sound, which confused me a bit. More on that later.

No cables or wires, no microphonics. Fantastic. Noise isolation is A+. I was curious to see how transparency would play into the sound quality, and it seems like Bragi has not failed on that front. Sound quality stayed the same, while the sound of my typing on MX black switches and cracking my knuckles became so pronounced i started to get worried about the health of my hands.

As other people have mentioned, don't expect Beats level bass (not that Beats level bass is a good thing). I'm not saying there is no bass, there is definitely some. On bass heavy songs, you'll still hear it, and it will be pronounced. I may be wrong, but it feels like Bragi's got some sort of sliding equalizer setting built into the Dash. I don't know how I feel about that. On one hand, it's very cool to hear how dynamics change based on the song. On the other hand, it makes it very hard to determine just how sounds definitely... sound. Yes I agree it is lacking on most songs, but that just contributes to the very neutral overall feel.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much of everything you do hear. My sample soundtracks include Strobe by deadmau5, Sail by AWOLNATION, Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen, Boss Mode by Knife Party, and Marble Soda by Shawn Wasabi. I also find new songs to test, then go back and test them again on my references.

Two things would be amiss if I didn't mention them: wireless and white noise. Bluetooth range is fine in my opinion. It's on par with my other bluetooth earbuds (first generation Jaybird Bluebuds X and an assortment of other bluetooth over the ear headphones). Obviously if you walk too far away from your source, it's gonna cut out. I can be in the next room through a cinderblock wall and The Dash still works. Not sure what else to expect. White noise is a non issue in my opinion. It's the same white noise that you'll hear in high quality bluetooth earbuds (Jaybird Bluebuds). Quality bluetooth over the ear headphones don't have this issue for one reason or another, I'm not exactly sure why. Probably different driver technology. Maybe somebody else can clarify this point. In any case, the white noise will fade away once music starts playing. If you're listening to an audiobook, just imagine the old days where audiobooks came on cassettes that had tons of white noise and nostalgia about your lost childhood I guess.

But yeah I'll have a full review later on. Thanks for reading!