From hoovers to headphones, Dyson unveil new cans

By Jacca-RouteNoteJuly 19, 20246 mins read

Image credit: Dyson

Dyson move into audio with their second pair of headphones, and this time you don’t have to look like Bane to use them.

Dyson are famed for their high quality vacuum cleaners. In an age of diversification, their new efforts are seeing them enter the headphones market. Could their second attempt actually attract customers?

Dyson’s first attempt at headphones, the Dyson Zone, came with an (compulsory) air purifier. The result was that you looked like Bane on a moody Sunday stroll with The Smiths in his ears, or side-character in Cyberpunk 2077.

Dyson Zone was their first entry into the headphone market last year

This time, Dyson have made the probably-sensible decision to focus on headphones that are just that. Seemingly unable to settle on entering the market without a unique selling point, Dyson’s new OnTrac headphones still have a niche.

These $499.99 headphones have all you’d expect with “best-in-class” noise-cancelling technology that uses eight microphones to function. They also boast an impressive 55 hours of battery life. But, none of that’s particularly new.

What Dyson hope will bring customers in to their OnTrac headphones is the almost entirely customisable build of it. They promise over 2,000 ways to customise the headphones.

Consumers can replace both the ear cushions and ear cups on Dyson’s OnTrac headphones. There are seven different colours of ear cushion and seven colours of caps to choose from. There are then four different colours to choose from on purchase for the headband, which isn’t customisable. The colours range from metallic sheens to matte colours.

An image showing Dyson’s OnTrac headphones with many different ear cushions and ear cups. — *Image credit: Dyson*

With the option to mix and match between each sides cushions and caps, Dyson promise over 2,000 possible looks. This provides a truly customisable look to OnTrac headphones with official materials. Presumably, if Dyson’s OnTrac headphones prove a success they will provide even more options for customisation.

In tech-y terms, the OnTrac headphones are built with 40mm drivers capable of “frequencies from as low as 6Hz to as high as 21,000Hz”. Dyson promises the cans deliver “deep sub-bass that you can feel, and clear highs at the upper end of the frequency range”.

You can use both Bluetooth and a wired connection with the OnTrac headphones. Their Bluetooth codecs support SBC, AAC, and LDHC high quality wireless audio.

So, when it comes to audio there’s all you could want from a 500-dollar pair of headphones. The real selling point is the customisation. The question now will be, is that enough to convince consumers to give the hoover manufacturer another go above trusted brands.