Dyson OnTrac headphones first impressions

Dyson is known for a lot of premium products; headphones are not one of them. And yet, the brand has managed to launch two eye-catching products so far in the segment. The first was the Dyson Zone – a pair of headphones with an attached air purifier. The second takes a drastically different approach.

Meet the Dyson OnTrac, a pair of premium headphones that double down on customisability, while retaining essentials like Active Noise Cancellation, tunable sound and more. We got our hands on the headphones and checked out what the fuss is all about. Here are our initial thoughts.

Dyson OnTrac first impressions

The Dyson OnTrac looks unique in every aspect – be it the three-part head cushions or the steampunk-styled earmuffs under them. While I liked the look of the CNC Copper colourway, I’m sure a lot of people would not like these specific colours.

ALSO READ: Dyson Airwrap multi-styler and hair dryer launched

But what if we told you Dyson wants you to feel this way? With over 2,000 colour customisations on offer, the Dyson OnTrac can be truly customised to everyone’s taste when it comes to colours.

This is achieved through a combination of three customisable elements. The first is the headphones themselves. Dyson sells these in four variants – CNC Copper, CNC Aluminium, Ceramic Cinnabar and CNC Black Nickel. This is where the customisation on most other headphones would typically start (and finish).

Not the OnTrac, though. You also get seven ear cushions in multiple colours. These include cushions for both the left and right side of the headphones, which can both be replaced, or mixed and matched to give the headphones a unique look altogether.

Apart from the seven ear cushion options, there are also seven ear cap options. This is the part that stays on the outside and changes how the pair of headphones looks to others around you when you’re wearing them.

Between the stock colours, ear caps and cushions, you can make the Dyson OnTrac look different every day of the year, for over half a decade. If that isn’t true customisability, I don’t know what is.

Dyson OnTrac: Other features

Besides the customisation, the Dyson OnTrac also comes with plenty of other features – from a companion app with multiple customisability options and a software upgrade portal, to generous Active Noise Cancellation powered by eight noise cancellation microphones.

Dyson also claims the headphones can cover a wide frequency spectrum from 6Hz to 21,000Hz, which should give it enough oomph to cover all genres of music from the highs of rock to the lows of hip-hop.

Powering all this is a battery that is claimed to offer up to 55 hours of music playback on a single charge. Thanks to a fast-charging mechanism, this can also be charged for 10 minutes for over two hours of playback.

The Dyson OnTrac is also really comfortable to wear – a conclusion you may not initially come to when you see how big the headphones look.

Other highlights include Siri-support and a joystick (yes, you read that right) on the headphones to control volume. For all this, the Dyson OnTrac will set you back by Rs 44,900, while the customisable accessories will cost Rs 4,900 a pair.

ALSO READ: Bose QuietComfort Ultra review

While there’s no debate on the fact that these headphones nail the aesthetics, what kind of sound quality should you expect from them at this super-premium price?

Does it beat other premium headphones in the segment like the Sony WH-100XM5 or the Bose QuietComfort Ultra? Well, that’s a question we will be answering very soon in our full review. Stay tuned to Unboxed by Croma for a detailed review.