If your biggest concern about headphones is how well they filter air, Dyson’s OnTrac is not for you. In fact, the new over-ear headphones don’t filter air at all. At least that’s a key departure from their spiritual forebear, the Zone, which both fascinated and puzzled the tech world with its music-playing/particle-filtering combination.
The device was in its own way a logical extension of Dyson’s existing product offering, with a direct link being traced back to its home air filtration system. For all the shade thrown at the Zone, no one could argue that the product was at least a little different from the sea of similarly conceived over-ear headphones.
“Dyson’s audio engineering mission is to preserve the integrity of the artist’s soundwave without interference,” says Jacob Dyson, chief engineer for Dyson, who saw the Zone as a pet project. “We also wanted to create a set of headphones that people would cherish, be excited about, and be proud of. With over 30 years of experience in aeroacoustics, we’ve mastered the physics of sound.”
Given the time and money invested in creating the Zone, it makes sense that Dyson would shift its R&D efforts to a more standard set of headphones. Ultimately, the Zone delivers excellent audio quality, but with so many great options out there, it’s unlikely many people will spend $700 just to use them as headphones.
The OnTrac is cheaper, but at $500, it’s still a big premium over top-tier offerings from Bose ($429), Sony ($399), Apple ($449), and recent entrant Sonos ($449), the latter two of which aren’t exactly known for their low prices.
For $500, the OnTrac features 40mm speaker drivers with a frequency range of 6–21,000Hz and active noise cancellation capable of canceling out up to 40dB of sound. Battery life, meanwhile, is rated at an impressive 55 hours with ANC turned on. If true, that’s best in its class and should be enough for a few round-the-world flights.
The OnTrac maintains the same large, industrial design as Dyson’s other products. The earcups and pads come in a variety of metallic finishes and colors, and cost $50 more.
