Dyson OnTrac Customizable Active Noise-Cancelling Headphones - Aluminum

Amazing products with great sound quality, connectivity and battery life. The noise canceling feature alone is worth of money. I bought a second pair for my wife so she can watch t v at night.Whilst i'm sleeping. You can also wear with the cpap if you want to fall asleep to noise music. The dyson app was absolutely easy to use great connectivity bluetooth. Highly recommend.

Dyson’s second attempt at headphones is a solid swing after taking a Mulligan on their first release with its ridiculous air filter + headphones combo. They stick to their trademark industrial design with the OnTrac, which if nothing else, will make them stand out wherever you are. PROs • The sound is excellent as should be expected on a premium device. Dyson claims that they have an expanded range of 6Hz to 21kHz and while that may be true, I am not convinced that most people can take advantage of that, as human hearing is generally 20Hz to 20kHz. Nonetheless, when comparing these to other brands I own, I hear much better sound separation in songs regardless of genre. • Surprisingly comfortable. These headphones are heavy but Dyson’s decision to put extra batteries in the headband was a good choice. They feel balanced. The ear cups are large and the padding hits a Goldilocks zone of sponginess. These are one of the few ear cups that completely enclose my ears, which may explain why I hear such good sound separation in tracks. • The power button is the only button on the left side and is easy to find. I have other headphones where the power button is similarly designed to other buttons on its side – and that makes it easy to confuse. • Noise canceling is very effective and does so without altering the sound. I’ve had headphones that would muffle the sound when noise canceling was turned on. These don’t do that. The mics take a few seconds to monitor the external noise before kicking in fully. The mics are also impressive in transparency mode that lets you clearly hear outside sound without sounding muffled either. Transparency mode automatically kicks in when you take a phone call. • Sensors in the headphones automatically pause playback if you remove them from your head. Then they resume playback when you put them back on. CONs • As mentioned, they are heavy even if comfortable. They can get weary after a couple of hours if your head is aimed downwards looking at a laptop. But if you’re looking straight ahead or have a headrest (like on a plane), then the weight is fine. I wear glasses and like pretty much every other headphone, the arms of my glasses get pressed against my head which is uncomfortable after a while. • No multipoint support. To switch devices, you have to restart the Bluetooth connection process by holding down the Bluetooth button for 5 seconds. To me, this is mandatory on any expensive headphones so I can take Zoom calls on my computer and phone calls on my mobile without a hassle. • App has very limited EQ settings and no customization. You can’t create your own settings and there are only three to choose from: Neutral, Bass Boost and Enhanced which is Dyson’s default. • The joystick on the right cup is a mixed blessing. It’s used to control volume, playback, and toggle your voice assistant. One the one hand it’s the only switch on that side, so there’s no confusion about finding the right button. And, adjusting volume or initiating voice assistant is easy. But it’s a bit tricky to skip ahead to the next song or go to the previous one. That’s going to require practice. • When you toggle noise canceling, it makes a swooshing sound like a Dyson vacuum to let you know you’ve changed the setting. While it’s a neat little trick, the swoosh volume is at the same setting as your playback. That’s really annoying if you have to adjust it in a noisy environment while the volume is turned up. Other • Dyson offers a huge variety of accessories if you want to change the color of the ear pads or outer caps. • The app has a function that continuously monitors the loudness of both your volume and the environment. I put this down as a nice-to-have. These are very good headphones with a few flaws that keep me from giving it five stars. But, if those flaws are not important to you and you can find them on sale, then they are worth considering.

PROS: • the sound is excellent for bass heads while still possessing a detailed soundstage • The app works well and has a few sound presets that differentiate from one another well • Build quality is fantastic • Super comfortable for big heads (like mine), perfect weight distribution • Connects quickly and consistently to the media source • ANC is excellent CONS (subjective, of course) • Price ($500 is spendy, and there are too many great options in this price range) • Dyson branding (I wish they'd name their music products a subsidiary name from Dyson, so there'd be less preconceived notions) • There is too much focus on expensive accessories that most will not explore. This can clutter the app a bit when using it • Transparency mode isn't the greatest (compared to other wireless headphones out there - specifically the Airpod Max) I know what you're thinking if you're reading this. "What? Dyson makes a pair of headphones? Why? They're a vacuum cleaner company!" I had the same questions, honestly. While I am a Dyson fan (I own a vacuum fan, and my wife has the hair dryer), I hesitated to order it, but my love for headphones and music piqued my interest. I have several high-priced headphones in my collection. I use them all for different media but mostly listen to music with them. A few of them are Hifiman Arya Organic ($1300), Mark Levinson no. 5909 ($1000), Bowers & Wilkins PX8 ($700), and the Sonos Ace ($450). I consider myself an audiophile, but only because I love to dissect the differences between headphones. I urge you not to judge these simply because they're from Dyson. Dyson makes quality products. One can't argue with that. The materials, architecture, and engineering of their devices are top-notch. Expensive? Yes, but you know you're getting a high-quality product that the company takes pride in - which generally means a great warranty. These OnTrac headphones are the same quality, and it's easy to tell as soon as you unbox them. The case that's included isn't a fully closed case, but is better than the case that comes with the Airpod Max. The first thing you'll notice is the weight of them. These weigh in at one pound. That may not seem heavy to a typical user, but those who love headphones know that most weigh less than a pound. It may have been unavoidable for Dyson due to this construction. The replaceable earcup covers, for example, are relatively weighty. You can take these off if you'd like, which works just the same; it relieves a bit of weight. On the other hand, for me, these are super comfortable. Three large cushions on the band make for good weight distribution. Combine the cushions with the soft earcups; these are some of my most comfortable headphones. But what's most important about headphones? The sound, right? And that is one aspect that surprised me the most. These sound great. They're not my favorite sounding pairs, but when it comes to hip-hop or bass-heavy music, I prefer these among my other, more detailed pairs. The bass is clear and precise - with no muddiness. At the same time, it doesn't drown out the vocals. These will make your head nod as you listen to them. Other types of music will perform above average, but they need more accuracy and details than other headphones at this price range. For example, the Sonos Aces ($450) possess a broader, more apparent soundstage, but I need a personality - they're not exciting to me. But if you're a fan of headphones and music, you'll know that every single headphone has a subjective sound. Some will be okay with a $50 pair, while others feel the need to go big or go home. If you're in between, the OnTracs are a good option, but there are other great options. If I were a lead headphone designer at Dyson, I'd encourage the company to name their music devices something different than Dyson. Have it be called another thing while not necessarily hiding that they're from Dyson. The OnTrac name should be more prominent in branding than the Dyson name. Because I can see most people seeing these out in public, laughing to themselves that Dyson makes headphones, even though they're fabulous-sounding headphones. For many, the name Dyson immediately decreases credibility, deserving or not. My prediction is that these will go on sale by Black Friday. And if they're around the $400 range, the value is there. These are great for the collection due to the bass and comfort alone. For $500? I'm still determining. But if you're pinching pennies, I would go with something else - especially if you're not a bass-heavy music lover.