Dyson OnTrac
Bluetooth: 5.0
Codec support: SBC, AAC, LHDC
Battery life: 55hrs
Weight: 451g
With an eye-catching design and customisation options, the OnTrac certainly stand out. The sound quality, ANC and battery life are all very good or outstanding, but the slightly safe sonic profile, some usability issues and missing features mean they're not quite ready to compete with the best. Bring on mark two!
For
- Clear, detailed, with even balance
- Mature, neutral tone
- Customisable design is interactive and fun
- Comfortable
- Effective ANC
- Outstanding battery life
Against
- Sound lacks dynamic punch and subtlety
- Could do with better timing and more enthusiasm
- Oversized ear cushions get too hot
- Usability isn’t flawless
- Some premium features missing
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
Bluetooth: 5.3
Battery life 24hrs
Codec support: SBC, AAC, aptX Adaptive
Weight 250g
The Bose have it. Superior sound quality and the best ANC going seal the deal, plus they're more user-friendly and fold up smaller to stash in a bag. It helps that they're cheaper, too, and more comfortable to wear.
For
- Folding design
- Rich, full-bodied sound
- Punchy, dynamic delivery
- Exceptional noise cancelling
Against
- Immersive Audio is unconvincing
- Expensive compared to key rivals
- Can’t be used via USB-C
