Dyson’s OnTrac headphones prioritize audio over air purification, removing the Zone’s air purifier feature.
In early 2022, Dyson introduced its Zone headphones, which integrated the company’s air filtration knowledge with noise-cancelling technology. Despite the ongoing presence of COVID-19, the Zone headphones do not offer protection against the virus. Instead, they aim to deliver cleaner air while on the go, combating urban pollutants and seasonal allergens. However, the initial model faced criticism for its limited battery life and high price tag of $949, making it inaccessible to many consumers.
Now the company is back with the first “audio only” over-ear headphones, the Dyson OnTrac. There’s no Bane-like mask or air filtration system here, just a set of noise-cancelling headphones with a distinctly Dyson design and a $500 premium price tag. Battery life is no longer an issue, and the company touts both active noise cancellation (ANC) performance and sound quality on the OnTrac. There are also over 2,000 customizable combinations for the outer covers and ear cushions, so you can change the look as you see fit.
The design of the OnTrac headphones sure looks like it came from the same company that built the V12 hair straightener, the Airstrait hair straightener, and the Cool air purifiers. Dyson combined premium materials with ergonomics to create a suitable seal for audio and ANC while keeping things comfortable. The company used aluminum, copper, nickel, and ceramic for the outer earcups and “ultra-soft microfiber” foam pads in the earpads. There are also “multi-pivot gimbal arms” that help increase comfort and reduce pressure. Additionally, Dyson moved the battery to the headband to improve weight distribution.
The OnTrac has 40 mm 16 ohm neodymium driver elements, which Dyson says are capable of a frequency response of 6 Hz to 21 kHz. It covers more of the audio spectrum than the standard 20Hz to 20kHz range that most headphones offer. The company also turned the drivers 13 degrees towards your ears for better acoustic performance. All of this combined to provide “a deep sub-bass you can feel and clear high frequencies at the upper end of the frequency range”. Dyson promises that OnTrac will “reveal the hidden details, too.”
The OnTrac’s ANC setup consists of eight microphones that Dyson says samples external sound 384,000 times per second. They work with a custom noise cancellation algorithm and “carefully designed internal geometry” for 40dB of noise cancellation, according to the company. Battery life isn’t a problem either, as long as Dyson’s claims are met. The company says the OnTrac can run for up to 55 hours with ANC on, thanks to two high-capacity lithium-ion battery cells. A 10-minute charge will give you up to 2.5 hours of usage time, and 30 minutes will give you 9.5 hours (with ANC on in both cases). During this listening time, the built-in playback and volume controls are controlled by the “joystick” on the back of the right ear cup. You can turn ANC on or off by double-tapping the outside of either ear cup.
The OnTrac headset is available in aluminum/orange, cooper/blue, black nickel, and ceramic red from Dyson for $500. Replacement caps and pads are available for $50 for a set of two. Only a few colors are available from other retailers, so you’ll need to buy most options directly from Dyson.
