Dyson OnTrac Review

Over All Rating 3.5/5

Price ₹ 44,900/-

PROS 👍

CONS 👎

For a very long time, Sony and Apple have been dominating the wireless headphone scene. But this year, a new challenger emerged, and that too from an unusual source. Dyson, the company known for making world-class vacuum cleaners, had tried its hand at launching headphones last year, but its Dyson Zone, which came with a mask of its own, failed miserably at capturing consumer attention. But the company has shown grit in continuing with its foray into the headphone space. The Dyson OnTrac, which costs Rs 44,900, is proof of that, as competing directly against the AirPods Max with a Rs 15,000 undercut on the price of the Apple headset. Let’s find out whether the Dyson OnTrac is worth your cash.

Dyson OnTrac: In-depth Review of the Premium Headset

Design

The design of the Dyson OnTrac is clearly inspired by the way its vacuum cleaners are crafted. The industrial look and the use of shiny materials are something we’ve come to expect from the company’s products, so the OnTrac doesn’t seem out of touch in any way. But unlike Dyson vacuum cleaners, it’s a very heavy headset. This is largely due to the battery packs that are unusually placed on its headband and smoothly integrated into the design. It’s a good design choice, but there’s no ignoring the fact that the overall weight of these headphones leads to noticeable discomfort. If you’re sitting on a chair and lean back a little, there’s a good chance that the headphones will just slip off your head.

What it loses in terms of comfort, it makes back up in terms of looks and modularity. Both the ear cushions and the aluminium caps on its outside are removable with a twist mechanism, so you can replace them and mix and match the design. But the steep price of Rs 4,900 for a new pair of ear cushions tells me not many will bother to utilise this opportunity. However, I liked the fact that four different combinations are offered when you purchase the device.

Functionality

The Dyson OnTrac comes with two buttons on either of its sides. One is a four-directional key that lets you control the music, the volume, and the skipping of tracks and the other is for powering it on or off. Even if you don’t use this key, the headphones will turn off after 30 minutes of inactivity to conserve battery life, which is a good feature. Coming back to the four-directional key, it’s a bit difficult to adjust to, and it took me a few days to get hold of it. Thanks to an eight-microphone array, the Dyson OnTrac is able to offer active noise cancellation (ANC) support. And the best part about it is that it can be controlled by the mere act of double-tapping the outer cap. It’s an innovative addition that makes the process of switching between the ANC and Aware modes fun and convenient. The ANC performance of this headset is remarkable, and it easily lets you zone out from the commotion around you. The Aware mode also works well, making you aware of any important sounds around you despite the considerable isolation that the ear cushions offer.

Coming to battery life, the OnTrac headphones score a big win in this department. I ddin’t need to charge them for five days straight, given my moderate usage. They are rated for 55 hours of battery life, which is considerably more than its competitors like the Apple AirPods Max and the Sonos Ace. The Dyson app is a nice companion to have. It gives you neat equaliser settings and lets you switch between the ANC modes. But its standout feature is a live Sound Exposure graph that shows you how much outside noise the headphones are suppressing at that given moment. This is another innovative addition that slightly elevates the user experience of these headphones.

Sound quality

The sound quality of the Dyson OnTrac is impressive, delivering a clear and immersive audio experience. Its well-balanced sound profile ensures that both highs and lows are crisp, with mids maintaining clarity even at higher volumes. Bass response is strong but not overwhelming, making it suitable for a wide range of music genres and content types. The OnTrac excels in minimising distortion, even at max volume, providing a clean and refined listening experience. Dyson’s noise-cancellation technology works effectively, blocking out ambient noise for uninterrupted focus on the sound. Overall, it offers a premium sound quality that matches its cutting-edge design.

Verdict

The one major thing that the Dyson OnTrac has going for it is that it’s Rs 15,000 cheaper than the Apple AirPods Max. Dyson is hoping that this fact, combined with the better battery life and the ability to switch its ear cushions and caps, will be enough to convince buyers to opt for its headphones. But the trade-off is that it lacks a comfortable fit. If you’re okay with that and wish to save a good chunk of your cash, the Dyson OnTrac headphones are worth going for.

Specification

Body:	Aluminium
Cushions:	Microfibre
Height:	201mm
Length:	261mm
Battery:	Up to 55 hours
Port:	Type-C

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