Dyson’s new OnTrac headphones don’t purify air

If your top concern for a pair of headphones is how well they filter the air, Dyson’s OnTrac aren’t for you. In fact, the new over-ear headphones don’t filter air at all. That much, at least, marks a key change from their spiritual predecessors, the Zone, which both fascinated and baffled the tech world with their combination music play/particulate filtration.

That device was, in its own peculiar way, a logical extension of Dyson’s existing product offerings, as a direct line could be traced to its home air filtration systems. For any shade that was thrown the Zone’s way, no one could claim that the product didn’t — at the very least — stand apart from a sea of likeminded over-ear headphones.

“Dyson’s audio engineering mission is to preserve the integrity of the artist’s sound wave, free from interference,” said Chief Engineer Jacob Dyson, for whom the Zone appeared to be a pet project. “We also wanted to create a set of headphones that people would cherish, be excited by, and be proud of. With over 30 years of experience in aeroacoustics, we’ve mastered sound physics.”

Given the years and money invested in the Zone’s creation, there’s logic in Dyson’s decision to turn its R&D work into a more standard set of headphones. After all, the Zone did offer excellent audio quality, but it’s unlikely many spent the $700 solely to use them as headphones with so many excellent choices on the market.

OnTrac is cheaper, though at $500, it’s still a big premium over the top-end offerings from Bose ($429), Sony ($399), Apple ($449) and even recent entrant, Sonos ($449). Those last two in particular aren’t known for their low prices.

As for what half-a-grand gets you, the OnTrac sport 40mm speaker drivers that range in frequency from 6 to 21,000 hertz, coupled with active noise cancelation that can negate up to 40dB of sound. Battery life, meanwhile, is listed at an impressive 55 hours with ANC turned on — which, if true, would be best in class and would get you through a couple of around-the-world plane flights.

The OnTrac maintain a large, industrial design in keeping with Dyson’s other offerings. They’re available in a variety of metal finishes and colorways for the ear caps and pads; those run another $50.