Dysonhas announced its newOnTrac headphones. Following up the Dyson Zone, the company’s first wearable, OnTrac takes a different approach. OnTrac slims down the design and feature set, opting for a sleek and highly customizable pair of headphones for $500.
2022’s Dyson Zonearrived at a time when the world was very conscious of air pollutants. Dyson’s move into the wearables category was an ambitious one, resulting in one of my favorite pairs of headphones I’ve ever used. However, because it leveraged its prowess in air filtration, its Zone headphones were rather bulky compared to others on the market. OnTrac cuts out all the filtration systems and gets rid of the futuristic face mask.
While maintaining many of the Dyson Zone’s design aesthetic, OnTrac is designed to be an audio-only device. It maintains all the work the company has put into creating a best-in-class audio experience for users, withnoise cancellationand great battery life. With more attention placed on craft and positioning, OnTrac is made to be a more comfortable and balanced pair of headphones.
Dyson OnTrac Headphones
Dyson aims to take on Apple’s AirPods Max and Bose with its high-end OnTrace headphones. The headphones feature active noise cancellation, a customizable design and 55 hours of battery live (with ANC enabled).
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Audio focused
Dyson cuts features, concentrating on what matters – the listening experience.
The Dyson Zone has a special place in my heart for not only being a radical take on audio engineering, but because its comfort is leaps ahead of its competition. That said, I can’t argue that the Zone headset is heavy to wear and carry with you. Wearing it (with or without the face mask) will also get some stares simply due to its size and design. OnTrac is much more reserved while also maintaining its design philosophy. The ear cups no longer include filters, motors, or any additional systems used to clean the air you breathe. The accompanying face mask is also gone.
OnTrac is simply a high-end pair of headphones. It features a custom Active Noise Cancelation (ANC) algorithm and eight microphones. Together, OnTrac samples external sounds 384,000 times per second to deliver best-in-class noise cancelation. By getting rid of noise pollution, users can expect a reduction of up to 40dB of external noise. All of this is tracked in real-time through the MyDyson App, similar to the Zone.
OnTrac also supports Dyson’s 40mm, 16-ohm neodymium speaker drivers. The Dyson Zone introduced the company’s ingenuity in audio engineering and those advancements are continuing. Dyson’s new headphones can reproduce frequencies from as low as 6Hz to as high as 21kHz. This should result in some pretty powerful bass and clear highs. The MyDyson app also supports custom EQ settings to toy around with, including Bass Boost, Neutral and Enhanced.
Battery life worth celebrating
OnTrac features more than enough battery for a day of constant use.
Dyson’s Zone headset offered pretty powerful 50-hour battery life. However, that was only if it was used as an audio-only device. If I decided to travel with its air purification running, the battery life would be cut down to a mere four hours. With no power to dedicate to air filtration, OnTrac features a stellar 55-hour battery life, according to Dyson. What’s even more impressive is the company claims this total compensates for ANC being active as well.
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Made to be shown
OnTrac touts over 2,000 customizable color combinations.
With a dedicated approach to audio-only, Dyson can make the OnTrac a more elegant piece of technology. The device brings over the super passed headband and ear cups that debuted on the Zone. The tactile joystick returns, supporting controls to play, pause, skip, etc. alongside voice commands. However, the outer caps have been redesigned entirely. They now feature high-grade aluminum, making them more lightweight for users.
The Dyson OnTrac launches with a ton of customizable options. The headphones come in four base color options, including CNC Aluminum, CNC Copper, Cinnabar, and CNC Black Nickel. The headband, outer caps, and ear pads are all styled accordingly. However, Dyson is also releasing a range of replaceable caps and ear pads. These include Yellow, Ultra Blue, Ceramic Blue, and more. Each set is available for $50. While Dyson will sell most color options, some are available via select retailers.
