Dyson OnTrac review: a bold and sophisticated first-generation audio product

You know Dyson for a lot of things – air purifiers, handheld vacuums and hair care products – but for audio products, it’s not something you’d associate with the brand. There were the eminently missed Zone over-ear headphones with the air-purifying face mask launched last year, but it was only with the new OnTrac headphones (Rs. 44,900) that Dyson signaled serious intent when it comes to personal audio, taking on the likes of the Apple AirPods Max and Sonos Ace in the premium end of the market. Is it worth thinking outside the box for the OnTrac?

Customizations offered include the ability to change the tips and ear cushions to different colors.

Design and comfort

As you would expect from a Dyson product, you won’t confuse these cans with any of its peers in the crowd. They’re bold and loud, with large circular ear tips and colorful cushions, with even a splash of Dyson vacuum color in the flashy Metallic CNC Copper with a navy blue unit I tested. And that’s before we even get to the customizations on offer, which include the option to swap out the ear caps and ear cushions for different colors (Rs. 4,900 for each pair of caps/cushions). It’s a simple twist-and-lock method for swapping out caps and cushions, and you can be as stylish or garish as you want with the colors on offer. Only the color of the headband remains the same. If there’s ever a pair of headphones that strives to be noticeable, it’s this pair.

I’m torn about the protective case that comes with the OnTrac: it’s more like a case that you slide the earbuds into, and while that keeps the case discreet in your backpack, the open top and bottom allow prevent dust and dirt from entering. at will, apart from doing little to protect the headband from bumps and blows.

Aside from that, what is also notable is the weight of the OnTrac which, at 451 grams, is a bit more than the AirPod Max (385g) or the Sonos Ace (311g). However, you don’t feel any extra weight on the head, or extra clamping pressure on the ears, thanks to the well-padded headband and an ingenious weight distribution technique of placing the battery in the headband rather than the earphones . The plush, large ear cushions do a good job of enveloping your ears in a bubble of passive noise isolation (even with ANC/active noise cancellation turned off), but the microfiber material used is not also breathable and tends to heat up more quickly than faux leather does. Sitting under the air conditioning at my desk, I occasionally felt the need to air my ears.

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Controls and Features

Once worn, you control the OnTrac through a combination of physical buttons and gestures. There’s a power/pairing button and a multifunction joystick for playback and volume control, and you can double-tap the earbuds to switch between ANC and transparency modes. Getting started with your tracks on OnTrac is pretty simple if you have the MyDyson app on your device. There’s support for AAC, SBC, and the high-resolution LHDC codec, but shipping these cans with the older Bluetooth 5.0 standard means no support for multipoint connectivity for seamless switching between your phone and computer portable. There’s also no spatial audio and you get three presets (Neutral, Enhanced and Bass Boost) via EQ functions. A nice addition in the app, but not seen on any other brand, is the real-time sound exposure graph which uses the eight built-in mics to sample the ambient noise around you (both in-ear and external) , alerting you when the sound levels of either. music or ambient noise reaches dangerous levels.

Audio performance

Dyson sent the OnTrac shortly before a day trip to Delhi, giving me plenty of plane and airport time to test the headphones in their natural habitat. Unlike their bold appearance, the OnTrac’s sound signature is clean and balanced, with good levels of detail delivered through the custom 40mm neodymium drivers angled at a 13-degree angle toward the ear. Running it through a playlist of Coldplay, Simon, Garfunkel and Rahman, the OnTrac delivers a healthy mix of controlled high frequencies and a healthy dose of bass. If you find the neutral sound profile too restrained and lacking in pizzazz and personality, I suggest trying the Enhanced EQ mode, but I really wish there was a customizable EQ instead of just three presets.

On those same flights, it was Dyson’s ANC talents that impressed me considerably: the company hyped up how the OnTrac’s eight mics sample external noise 384,000 times per second to reduce up to 40 dB of unwanted noise, and it really works! The plane engines, the general hubbub of airport chatter and the traffic on the long taxi ride home to Bangalore all faded into the distance with the ANC “isolation” mode activated. Transparency mode also works well, allowing situational awareness in airports and while walking on a trail. For a brand I’ve long associated with high noise levels thanks to its vacuum cleaners’ 125,000 RPM Hyperdymium motors, getting ANC as good as in a near-first-generation product is commendable. It’s not exactly best in class – being able to adjust or manage ANC and audio modes would certainly help – but it’s certainly earned a place at the big table in this regard.

Where the OnTrac stands out from the competition is in its longevity: a claimed 55 hours… with active noise cancellation enabled. That’s a massive amount of playtime, and I’ve barely made a dent in over a week of testing. Frequent travelers will love this: not only will it last most transatlantic trips and back on a single charge, but a 10-minute charge will also give you 2.5 hours of juice.

While impressive sound coupled with excellent noise cancellation and exceptional battery life work in the OnTrac’s favor, at its price, every shortcoming is magnified. While Dyson has gone for gold when it comes to design customization, the OnTracs feel like they’re just a few software and firmware updates away from delivering more personalized sound to please everyone, everyone .

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