Dyson's New OnTrac Headphones Rival AirPods Max With 55-Hour Battery Life and Customization Options

[MacRumors]

Dyson today introduced its second pair of headphones, the OnTrac, focusing on customization and premium features to directly compete with the likes of Apple and Bose.

The new headphones represent a significant shift from Dyson's previous attempt, the Dyson Zone, which combined noise-canceling headphones with an air purifying mask. Priced at $499.99, the OnTrac headphones are designed with a modular approach that allows users to replace the ear cushions and outer caps, enabling over 2,000 potential color combinations.

One of the standout features of the OnTrac is its active noise cancellation (ANC). Dyson employs an eight-microphone system that samples external noise 384,000 times per second, aiming to provide what it claims is best-in-class noise cancellation. This system is comparable to Apple's AirPods Max, which also uses multiple microphones for ANC, although the exact sampling rate of the AirPods Max is not known. The OnTrac's ANC is designed to block up to 40 decibels of noise, enhancing the listening experience in noisy environments.

In terms of battery life, the OnTrac headphones offer 55 hours of continuous listening on a single charge with ANC enabled. This surpasses the AirPods Max, which provides up to 20 hours of battery life with ANC and spatial audio enabled. Dyson achieves this extended battery life by housing two high-capacity lithium-ion cells in the headband, which also helps distribute weight evenly for comfort. Charging is facilitated via a USB-C port, and a 10-minute quick charge can provide up to 2.5 hours of playback.

The OnTrac headphones are equipped with 40mm drivers that reproduce frequencies from as low as 6Hz to as high as 21kHz. This wide frequency range aims to deliver deep bass and clear highs, with the drivers angled towards the ears for more direct audio delivery. In comparison, the AirPods Max feature custom-built 40mm dynamic drivers and support a frequency range from 20Hz to 20kHz. While both sets of headphones aim to provide high-fidelity sound, the OnTrac's extended frequency range may offer more detailed audio, particularly in the low-end frequencies.

The OnTrac headphones also feature a unique control system, including a joystick for playback control and touch-sensitive ear cups for toggling ANC. The MyDyson app allows users to monitor noise exposure levels and customize the EQ settings with presets like Bass Boost, Enhanced, and Natural.

The OnTrac includes replaceable ear cushions and outer caps, available in various colors and finishes, allowing users to deeply customize the look of their headphones. The headphones come in four main colorways at launch: CNC Aluminum with bright yellow ear cushions, CNC Copper with purple headband and copper ear cups, Ceramic Cinnabar with a light red headband and matte ear cups, and CNC Black Nickel with an all-black design.

The OnTrac headphones will be available from Dyson's website starting on August 1, with additional customization options sold separately.

Article Link: Dyson's New OnTrac Headphones Rival AirPods Max With 55-Hour Battery Life and Customization Options

 

[vagos]

Omg, these are ugly!

 

[cicalinarrot]

Dyson is all about design.
And their design is always utterly kiddish.
Not sure how they manage to survive.

 

[iMac The Knife]

I don't know if that woman just has a small head or not, but they look huge on her head. Otherwise, I like the design.

 

[iphonehype]

Dyson is all about design.
And their design is always utterly kiddish.
Not sure how they manage to survive.

They are doing good stuff with their hair products. Eufy is doing really well with S1 Pro and X10 Pro Robot-vacs. Dyson is loosing this game I think.

They do have hoovers which are very very good with air suction

 

[satchmo]

Maybe it looks different in real life, but that looks huge.
Aesthetically, it's not my cup of tea.

 

[eddjedi]

And yet as both these and AirPods are wireless and therefore don't support lossless sound, they perform worse than most sets of $50 wired headphones. Expensive fashion accessories, not serious headphones.

 

[neuropsychguy]

Do they vacuum out your ears while you use them?

Edit: Yes, I know Dyson has other products. Their hair care products are well-reviewed and work very well (my wife's feedback).

 

[leroy_t]

Good thing they offer that 6 Hz range when the average human adult can only hear down to 20 Hz. The aluminum combined with extra batteries are sure to make this super comfortable to wear for those 55 hours.

 

[nathansz]

Omg, these are ugly!

And yet much less ugly than apple’s headphones

 

[turbineseaplane]

Love all the critics and analysts here ...

Watch these things sell

 

[miketcool]

Curious as to how much these weigh, they look absolutely enormous. I love Dyson's industrial design team but this go around they really could have used some physical size constraints.

 

[nt5672]

And yet as both these and AirPods are wireless and therefore don't support lossless sound, they perform worse than most sets of $50 wired headphones. Expensive fashion accessories, not serious headphones.

But that only matters if a person has ever in their life heard high quality audio reproductions.

If you are just used to the crap that goes for today's audio, then probably does not matter.

 

[AppleUser2]

This market (headphones and earbuds) is HUGE. Wonder what company will come in next? Think the images (and on The Verge) look good, interested to read the reviews but for now happy with my Sennheiser M4s.

 

[contacos]

those look like they require their own seat on an Ryan Air flight.

 

[Josh Puetz]

Several online sources list the weight at 451 grams/15.9 ounces! The AirPods Max that everyone complains are too heavy are 385 grams/13.6 ounces by comparison!

 

[philipglamb]

They probably feel and sound amazing, but wow... that is one ugly headphone. I would not want to walk around with that on my head.

 

[swm]

maybe it's just me, but I see the iCloud-integrated quick reconnection as the major selling point of AirPods Pro. there might be better/fancier/more colourful/more customisable alternatives among the wireless over-the-ear headphones, but none of those can do this specific feature. even if their _measureable_ frequency response is as low as 6Hz.

 

[surfzen21]

Why aren't people talking about the special white noise feature that pumps the sound of a vacuum or blow dryer into your ears whenever you want.

 

[nikon1]

Dyson is all about design.
And their design is always utterly kiddish.
Not sure how they manage to survive.

By charging OUTRAGEOUS prices for what the ”influencers” like to push as the latest & greatest, what the glamorous people are (wearing / using).

Dyson, IMHO, is all about “form over function” and never worth the premium people are willing to pay to be seen with such a (perceived) great item. A fool and his money … but, it is their money.

 

[timber]

Dyson's fugly in your face styling is not that important in vacuums because you keep them inside your home and thsose are utilitarian (if they are worth the price that is another discussion).

But headphones have different requirements, even those large over the ear. Perhaps with the black pieces it's acceptable.

 

[robvalentine]

Just a shame that dyson campaigned for the UK to leave the EU and then moved to singapore. Also they ugly.

 

[abaxworld]

Sounds like the Parrot Zik 4 that never came to live. I wonder if the batteries can easily be changed like in the Zik. That's the main problem with the headphones these days, when the battery dies, the headphones dies too. There are options to change the "non-interchangeable" batteries, but sometimes are reserved for professionals.

 

[PsykX]

Dyson is all about design.
And their design is always utterly kiddish.
Not sure how they manage to survive.

Don't know about headphones, but their vacuums are the best, period.
I've had Dyson vacuums since 2012 and despite all the copycats since the last 2-3 years, I'm certainly not looking back.

 

[iMac The Knife]

Don't know about headphones, but their vacuums are the best, period.
I've had Dyson vacuums since 2012 and despite all the copycats since the last 2-3 years, I'm certainly not looking back.

Agreed. Look at any other vacuum's debris container after you vacuum, especially on carpet, and compare it to the debris container after you vacuum with a Dyson. The difference has always been night and day, Dyson destroys the competition.