If you catch me in transit from point A to point B, you can bet that I’m plugged into something. Whether it be Sabrina Carpenter‘s new album or a podcast, I’m doing what I can to avoid my raging thoughts using my time wisely. Up until this week, my trusty Apple earphones have done the job. But when Dyson sent their latest release, the Dyson OnTrac Headphones, I had to give them a crack.
The Dyson OnTrac Headphones are the next generation of the Dyson Zone. You know, the freaky-deeky futuristic headphones with the air-purifying attachment? Well, during the development of those bad boys, the clever team had to somehow work out how to make noise-cancelling headphones good enough to filter out a literal vacuum right next to your ears. Once they achieved this, the Dyson Zone came out. Now, for those who are keen on experiencing stellar audio quality without looking like a Halo character, the Dyson OnTrac Headphones are here.
The only catch? They retail at a whopping $799 AUD. So, let’s see if they’re worth the hype and your hard-earned cashola.
The Pros
The noise cancellation is no joke
When I first trialled the Dyson OnTrac headphones out in the wild, I was flabbergasted. With one tap, it was like all the audio hustle and bustle around me disappeared, and I could hear my podcast clearer than ever. It felt like I was in the fkn podcast recording studio rather than on my way to the bus stop.
The Dyson OnTrac claims to be able to reduce external noise by 40dB using eight microphones to sample external sounds 384,000 times a second. Combined with the noise-cancelling materials it’s made of, you’re onto a winner.
While the noise cancelling function is fantastic when you want to lock in, my favourite setting is transparency mode. With another tap on the right-hand ear, you can switch settings to hear what’s going on around you whilst still listening to your tunes.
I love this feature so I can still feel aware of my surroundings when I’m exercising or walking my dog in busy areas.
55-hour battery life
As an unorganised girlie who is too scared to be alone with her thoughts, the 55-hour battery life is by far my favourite feature of the Dyson OnTrac headphones. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve begun my daily trip to work only to realise my headphones were about to die. Or worse, have had them run out of juice during a long-haul flight. Thankfully, this isn’t really on the cards with the OnTrac.
Their quick charging capabilities allow you to listen for 2.5 hours from only 10 minutes of charging, which is low-key spectacular. And if you’re an organised little Capricorn and wait the full three-hour charge time, you’ll have 55-hours of uninterrupted headphone time.
How good?
It’s customisable… to an extent
One of the coolest parts about the new Dyson offering is the customisable nature of the headset. While there are four band colourways that stay put, you can change out the caps and the ear cushions to a whole range of colours including, baby blue, olive green and a nice peachy pink.
If you buy the OnTrac from the Dyson website, you can do a mix-match situation with the colours, too. However, switching up your look doesn’t come cheap. For one set of outer caps, it’ll set you back $79 AUD.
My only note here is to select your band colour veeeeery carefully — more on that later.
Ear safety features
For the full capacity of the OnTrac headphones, you’ve got to download the Dyson app. There, you can switch between settings, have a look at user guides or even report any issues with the headphones. But one of the best features is the sound exposure graph, which shows you in real-time whether you’re listening to your music at a level too loud for your ears.
The Cons
I looked like a construction worker
When Dyson sent me a pair of the OnTrac Headphones to test out, they mentioned that they only had the Ceramic Cinnabar colourway. As I was just giving these a crack for the review, I said sure. But when I received the pair and chucked them on my head, I was surprised by how much they looked like the noise-cancelling headset a construction worker would wear.
When I asked my Close Friends on Instagram, they tended to agree.
Here are some live responses from my very cool and beautiful friends:
If I were to purchase the OnTrac Headphones as a consumer, I would stay the fuck away from Ceramic Cinnabar. But hey, that’s just me.
The case sucks
If I’m forking out almost $800 for a pair of headphones, you better believe I will do everything in my power to keep them safe. However, this isn’t possible with the OnTrac Slimline case that the headphones come with. Although I like how they’re in a hard case that fits easily in my work bag, I don’t like how the case doesn’t seal entirely. This leaves them open to getting dust and dirt all over them.
Look, I’m the first person to admit I don’t clean out my work bag enough, and that’s on me, but I’d still prefer a headphone case that is sealed up all the way.
Conclusion
The Dyson OnTrac Headphones are a pretty stellar entry into the noise-cancelling headphone race. They’re incredibly comfortable — somehow making up for their slightly heavier frame at 450g. The sound quality is excellent, making the listening experience of anything from Charli xcx bops to Mariah Carey‘s high notes clear, crisp and delightful.
The customisations are a cool feature, but whether people will truly utalise them at that price point is another discussion.
Ultimately I think the Dyson OnTrac Headphones are worth the money if you’re an audiophile who truly appreciates a crisp listening experience, someone who needs A+ quality headphones for work or you have an extra $800 lying around.
For my day-to-day activities like exercising or walking from place to place, I don’t think I could justify spending the $800 for the OnTrac. However, for podcast and video editing, I think they’re a worthwhile investment.
You can shop the Dyson OnTrac Headphones here.
The post I Tried The $700 Dyson OnTrac Headphones To See If They Were Worth The Hype & The Price Tag appeared first on PEDESTRIAN.TV .
