OnTrac headphones review: Dyson challenges luxury audio space
Dyson has re-entered the competitive ring of premium headphones. And it may have just emerged the winner.
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For the longest time, Apple has captured our imaginations with products that have dominated the tech and audio space.
How times have changed, with Dyson looking to steal Apple’s thunder with its newly-released OnTrac headphones.
Claiming to offer the very best in noise cancellation while delivering up to 55 hours of immersive listening, the Dyson OnTrac Headphones are said to leave listeners feeling “excited”. And they’re not wrong.
These are great headphones and come with a fantastic user experience, both in terms of aesthetics and performance.
I’ve been wearing the Dyson OnTrac Headphones for the past week to see how they stack up against competitors like Bose, Sony, Apple, and I’m genuinely impressed with their performance.
1-MINUTE REVIEW: DYSON ONTRAC HEADPHONES
Dyson OnTrac Headphones, $799 at Dyson
What You Need To Know
The Dyson OnTrac Headphones are the nicest headphones I’ve ever worn, and they’re a competitive choice over other brands in this space, like Bose, Sony and Apple
Among their key selling points is the high level of noise cancellation, which uses a custom Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) algorithm, in turn reducing up to 40 decibels of unwanted external noise. Typically, 40 decibels is comparable to ambient office noise and light rain.
These headphones also pair to the MyDyson app for real-time reporting and tracking, and will for example, tell you if the volume is too loud, or let you adjust other settings like the EQ. It’s music to my ears, quite literally.
The Dyson OnTrac Headphones also come with an enhanced sound range. What does that actually mean? Basically, where most headphones operate between the frequencies of 20 to 20,000 hertz, the OnTrac headphones expands the frequency range to 6 hertz at the low end to 21,000 hertz at the top.
Essentially, you’ll experience greater levels of depth and clarity while playing your favourite songs or podcasts.
However, one of the big barriers to purchasing these is the cost. We’re not glossing over the fact they’re pricey, and $799 is a lot to spend on headphones, but it’s definitely consistent with the higher costs usually associated with other Dyson products available like vacuums and portable fans.
If you’re happy paying that little bit extra for a premium product or wanting something special, it’s worth the investment. The Dyson OnTrac Headphones offer a great audio experience, and much like Apple, Dyson puts a lot of nice touches into everything from the packaging, to the app, and through to the actual headphones.
What comes in the box:
Dyson OnTrac Headphones, slimline travel case which compresses flat when not in use, USB-C cable, quickstart guide, warranty and legal information.
HOW WE TESTED DYSON ONTRAC HEADPHONES
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Our team of experts also puts each product through real-life tests, in order for you to get first-hand and honest reviews on how they really perform, and whether they’re worth your time and money.
For the Dyson OnTrac Headphones, I tried these ones out for a week before writing up this honest review. I wore them to and from work on my commute, and also during my work day, listening to music and podcasts, and selecting a range of different styles, genres and volumes to fully put these through their paces. We also tested some extra ear cushions in Prussian blue ($79), and extra outer caps in Ceramic Blue ($79), which can be purchased separately via the Dyson website.
HOW WE EVALUATED DYSON ONTRAC HEADPHONES
- Design And Comfort
- Features
- Call Quality
- Sound Quality
- Battery Life
- Price
- Verdict: Should You Buy Dyson’s Ontrac Headphones?
FULL REVIEW OF DYSON ONTRAC HEADPHONES
Dyson was completely roasted back in 2022 after launching their Zone Air headphones, which came with a wearable air purifier that made people look like a science fiction character.
Let’s be fair, it was straight off the back of Covid lockdowns, at a time where everyone was genuinely concerned about air quality.
Two years on though, Dyson is switching gears with the OnTrac Headphones, a premium offering that’s a competitive alternative to the other noise-cancelling options like the Sony WH-1000XM5 Noise Cancelling Headphones, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones and the Sonos Ace Headphones.
And so far, the Dyson OnTrac Headphones are proving popular for its noise-cancelling capabilities, their ergonomic fit, and the luxe design. But at $799, we’re also not hiding the fact that these aren’t cheap. So are they worth your time, attention and money?
DESIGN AND COMFORT
At 450 grams, the Dyson OnTrac Headphones are the goldilocks of headphones when it comes to weight. They’re not too heavy or light, and they actually weigh just the right amount, while carrying in your hands, stored in your backpack, plus also during use.
They’re ergonomically designed with extra-soft microfibre, and the battery sits in the headband to ensure an even distribution of weight.
Yes, there are some visual similarities to the Dyson Zone Air headphones, in terms of the physical size and the design of the headband, but I love the option to personalise the ear cushions and headphone caps.
Right now, Aussie buyers can choose four colourway options in the range, with materials including CNC Aluminium, Copper, and Nickel.
For this review, I’ve been trying out the CNC Copper, which has a really nice feel and reflects the light nicely. I’ve been taking extra measures to look after them, but with less care I can imagine the copper finish would be prone to scratches.
Thankfully though, there’s more than 2,000 custom colour combinations, so if you’re looking to use these as a statement piece (or need to replace a worn out cushion or cap), there’s endless possibilities to create a look to match your personality and sense of style.
I also have been using interchangeable headphone caps in the Ceramic Blue aluminium finish, which is lightweight, durable and a nice contrast to other colours.
I should note here too that the Dyson website lets you mix and match options with their 360 degree visualiser, so you can see what they look like before purchase, and essentially try before you buy.
The Dyson OnTrac Headphones are obviously bigger than Apple Airpods or other options out there, but will store comfortably in a satchel bag or backpack on your commute.
And if you’re taking these on a plane, they will take up most of the space in your front seat pocket (then again you’re also likely wearing them for the duration of your flight).
Before you even switch these on, it’s also a great experience of unboxing the Dyson OnTrac Headphones, that reminds me a lot of what it’s like when opening up an Apple product.
The packaging and stock quality is lovely to touch, feels very premium, and it left me feeling excited to try them out. I also felt there was some care and attention taken to not overdo the amount of packaging used either.
FEATURES
The Dyson OnTrac Headphones are packed with some great bells and whistles that help to set them apart from other models on the market.
One of my favourite features is the ‘Head Detect’, which is basically a sensor which can tell when you take off the headphones, and then pauses the audio, but as soon as you put them back on, it will automatically press play again.
That’s been really handy if I’m on a deadline or doing some deeper work and don’t want to constantly be unlocking my phone to press play on Spotify once more.
There’s also a joystick on the right ear cup, which lets you play, pause, skip, fast forward, and rewind tracks.
You can even hold this down and use voice commands on the headphones.
Some people aren’t a massive fan of this, and while I wouldn’t normally use this feature, I can still see how it’s designed to be intuitive and provide an ease of use.
One of the coolest things about these headphones is the ability to pair with the MyDyson app, which is a quick download from the App store. Now, while I wouldn’t normally think to use a dedicated app in tandem with headphones, it actually gives you real time reporting on the audio levels, and it can set up to let you know if the volume is too high or at levels that could be harmful for your ears.
When I was younger I was notorious for driving with my car radio blasting, also at the gym I probably often have my audio up a little higher than I should too, so it’s very handy having this information available at my fingertips. The MyDyson app also provides technical support, product guides, and a link to Dyson’s store, so you literally have a wealth of knowledge and other products at your fingertips.
CALL QUALITY
To be completely honest, I’ve never really used noise-cancelling headphones just to make phone calls, so this feature isn’t on my list of desired product features.
That said, I was still interested in trying this out, and the quality during calls was actually very good.
While making a few work calls with the Dyson OnTrac Headphones, I had no issues with the Bluetooth connectivity and the voice quality was clean.
SOUND QUALITY
Noise quality and acoustics will always be important factors when selecting noise-cancelling headphones, and thankfully, the Dyson OnTrac Headphones pass the pub test.
We’ve already touched a little bit on the Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), which is calibrated to 384,000 per second, in turn reducing external noise by up to 40 decibels.
This works really well, I was wearing these during my workday earlier this week and colleagues had to wave at me to catch my attention, because I couldn’t actually hear them calling my name.
You can also actually change the ANC settings through the MyDyson app too, which is a great feature, and there are some noticeable differences between the different noise cancellation settings of isolation (literally no outside noise), Transparency (a blend of headphones audio and outside ambience) and No Noise Cancellation (which as the setting suggests, you can hear external noise).
Another setting on the OnTrac Headphones you might adjust in the MyDyson app is the EQ, which allows you to toggle through “Enhanced”, “Bass Boost” and “Neutral”. For these, it really comes down to personal preference and selecting a setting that you like, but in my case, I’ve been mainly switching between the Enhanced Setting and Bass Boost, depending on the style of music I’m listening to.
Speaking of which, the experience of listening to music is what really sets the Dyson OnTrac Headphones apart from the rest as a showstopper, and your ears will thank you.
There was a phenomenal clarity to the audio as I cycled through a playlist of some of the favourite pop songs from the likes of Panic! At the Disco, Charlie Puth, Dua Lipa and the Jonas Brothers to name a few.
The depth of the bass alongside the crispness of the vocals was excellent, and enjoyable to listen through. I was also interested to see how these performed on live and unplugged tracks too, and I’m not surprised to be left with a feeling like I was in the stadium with Beyonce during hits from her Homecoming album.
The Dyson OnTrac’s audio quality is undeniably impressive.
BATTERY LIFE
These headphones are powered by two lithium ion batteries, each with a battery life of 55 hours at full charge. Even with the ANC settings switched on, the Dyson OnTrac Headphones will deliver around two weeks of listening time, which is pretty awesome.
To be honest, I personally wouldn’t go that long without plugging these headphones in for a charge but it’s great knowing you have that safety net. I was also really pleased to read that 10 minutes of charge will give you 2.5 hours of listening time. For 30 minutes of charge time that translates to around nine hours of listening hours. That’s a great feature and great value for money.
PRICE
OK, so this is going to be the thing that’s really going to divide some buyers, because at $799, these are very expensive for headphones, arguably one of the most expensive options out there.
Right now, they’re also only available via the Dyson Australia website, this may change as we approach Christmas sales periods, but if you want to purchase additional accessories, cap sets and microfibre ear cushions are priced for $79 for the set.
VERDICT: SHOULD YOU BUY DYSON’S ONTRAC HEADPHONES?
Dyson’s OnTrac headphones have massive ambitions to carve out their own reputation among noise cancelling headphones already on the market, and they really do hold their own as a quality product that delivers highly on the features and benefits they’re promoting.
They’re a great option if you’re looking for premium audio – holding them in your hand you can actually feel how well made they are, and not only that, they also look great.
The one sticking point for me on these is the price.
At $799 they’re probably one of the most expensive pieces of headphones you are going to find.
But, if you want to invest in a quality product (that also comes with a two year warranty) and treat yourself, the Dyson OnTrac Headphones deserve your attention.
If you’re looking for a premium product, the Dyson OnTrac Headphones have some serious “wow factor” and I actually don’t want to take them off.
OTHER COMPARABLE NOISE-CANCELLING HEADPHONES
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, $649.95 at Myer
Bose’s QuietComfort Ultras are their most advanced headphones, offering exceptional comfort and superior noise-cancellation. They match the sound quality of Apple’s AirPods Max and Sony’s WH-1000XM5s, though personal preference will dictate the best choice. Despite their excellent noise-cancellation and premium features, such as immersive audio and aptX Adaptive support, their $649 price and battery life might be drawbacks.
Apple AirPods Max, from $709 (down from $899) at Amazon Australia
Apple’s AirPods Max are top-notch for iOS users, delivering excellent sound quality and effective noise-cancellation, along with impressive spatial audio. They offer seamless integration with Apple devices and a premium design, but they are very expensive, heavy, and lack water-resistance. While their battery life is decent and they provide a quick charge feature, they only offer one level of noise-cancellation, making them less versatile compared to some rivals.
Sony WH-1000XM5 Headphones, $499 at Amazon
Sony’s XM5 headphones provide significant improvements over the XM4s, including enhanced noise-cancellation and customizable sound through app presets and EQ settings. They offer useful features like Speak-To-Chat, automatic pause, built-in Alexa, and a long 30-hour battery life. Although their non-fordable design and larger earcups might not be ideal for frequent travellers or those with smaller heads, the XM5s’ high rating of 4.6 out of 5 from over 4,600 reviewers makes them a top choice for premium audio enthusiasts.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How long do the Dyson OnTrac Headphones take to charge up?
Dyson OnTrac Headphones take three hours to fully charge up, and give you up to 55 hours of listening time, and that’s even with ANC switched on.
There’s also a quick charging feature that gives you up to 2.5 hours of listening from 10 minutes of charging, or up to nine hours from a 30-minute charge.
What can I connect the Dyson OnTrac Headphones to?
Dyson OnTrac Headphones use Bluetooth technology which can connect wirelessly to a whole range of devices like smartphones, tablets, laptops and smart TVs.
Can the Dyson OnTrac Headphones be used for travel or on flights?
Yes, you can take Dyson OnTrac Headphones on flights, and Dyson also has an in-flight adaptor kit that’s available separately for $49, and features a 2-pin adaptor.
More Coverage
Note that the In-flight adaptor will only charge your Dyson OnTrac noise-cancelling headphones when the USB-C cable is also used, and you won’t be able to use audio controls while using the in-flight adaptor.
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