One of the hottest products shown at this year’s CES was the Dash a wireless in ear headphone, and OZ distributors are desperate to get the rights to sell the device in Australia.
Currently Australians can place an advanced order for the buds online, they cost around $330.
The Dash headphones are from the Munich-based developer Bragi who has demanded to see the financials of several distributors that ChannelNews has spoken to before they ship samples.
“Forget about anything else at CES this is the product to get the rights to” said the CEO of one leading distributor.
The wireless, coin-sized headphones, which debuted at CES are about to revolutionize the world of portable audio in the New Year.
The product was developed by a former Harman Kardon designer who back in March 2014, Bragi posted a Kickstarter for
the Dash.
Instead of raising the $260,000 he was after he managed to raise A$3.5 million.
At the time insiders who saw the wish list designs people thought these headphones would be impossible to pull off.
Thankfully, the public was quick to back the all-in-one headphones, as the Dash surpassed its original fundraising goal of $260,000 by about $3 million.
The Dash is short for personal dashboard, and the tech packed into these headphones is exceptional considering the size of the device which fits into an earlobe.
The Dash is wireless and has a rubber-coated sleeve that is silicone and waterproof, this helps them to stay in the ear.
A simple tap of a smartphone, and the Dash comes to life.
Each Dash headphone is powered by a microcomputer that not only connects to your smartphone, but also connects the two headphones to each other.
They also have a 4 GB of internal flash memory that can store up to 1,000 songs.
When you want to switch them on and off, you just tap the outside of the device. The Dash deliver around 3.5-hours of battery life before a top up charge is needed.
They also contain 15 sensors that measure everything from your running speed and distance to your heart and respiration rates.
A built-in accelerometer allows gestures – Bragi calls them macros. By tilting your head in certain directions, you could have the weather forecast read to you, change a song or answer a call. The macros can be swapped, reprogrammed and deleted depending on your preferences.
Bragi’s CEO Nikolaj Hviid says the Dash software will eventually be adapted to fit any situation or lifestyle. They could serve as a language translator, a hearing aid or an audiobook version of a sports tutorial. Eventually, Bragi aims to have the software work independently of Bluetooth.
Bragi will ship the first wave of Dash headphones in April 2015. The price tag is currently A$330 via the Companies online store.
