Taking Off the Mask - Dyson OnTrac Review
When I reviewed the Dyson Zone, I poked fun at how ridiculous its token air filtration feature was, but surprised by how genuinely good they sounded as just headphones. It left enough of a good impression that I couldn't help but try their successor - the OnTrac. Dyson made more than a handful of changes here, but are they enough? Let's find out.
Now, I know what you're thinking. Why in the hell is a company predominantly known for making vacuum cleaners, air purifiers, and hair care products suddenly dropping a pair of premium headphones; something way out of their wheelhouse? I don't really have an answer for that question - it's just as perplexing to me - but it would be less weird had this not been Dyson's first foray into portable audio.
I was clear to me that the Dyson Zone was designed as a PPE device first and headphones second. It wasn't even a stupid idea, especially given the context of the pandemic - it just wasn't executed competently. Even though the filtration system technically worked, the visor didn't fully seal over the wearer's mouth and nose so contaminants could still potentially work their way past. This also resulted in the device being much too heavy, bulky, and noisy; with the fans completely audible even with active noise cancellation turned on. Considering all of this retailed for $1000 at one point, it really did feel like you were paying for the sheer novelty of being able to wear such a ridiculous device.
Not everything about the package was bad though. The Zone was reasonably comfortable despite its weight, built absurdly well and apart from the mask, they looked quite nice with Dyson's funky industrial design language. With the filtration system off, the headphones were also stout performers with monster battery life, plus surprisingly capable ANC and sound quality. Eschewing the filtration system, I actually ended up really liking the Zone for those reasons.
Dyson clearly saw they had the makings of something here too. Rather than scrap all their efforts with the Zone, they simply reduced the device down to its best elements and refined the sum of what was left into a more focused product. Gone was the silly air filtration system and the end result was a rather striking pair of headphones was well positioned to go toe-to-toe with premium wireless headphone offerings like the Apple AirPods Max and the Focal Bathys.
And a striking pair they are. The OnTrac is a seriously nice piece of kit. I raved about how insanely overbuilt the Zone was and these are no different, however the omission of the air filtration system means they've gained a new slimmed down appearance that looks equally sleek and raw. Dyson is betting big on customization as a selling point for the OnTrac and has made a whole slew of outer caps and ear cushions available for purchase.
Beyond that, the new cans are practically identical to the Zone in terms of overall layout and design. They're actually so similar that the Zone's ear cushions will fit on the OnTrac and vice versa, and the underlying driver assembly looks exactly the same, as does the headband, swivel arms, and much of the earcup body. The controls are also identical between the two, retaining the power button on the left earcup and the control joystick on the right. Double tapping either earcup controls the ANC, again just like the Zone.
All these revisions shed roughly a quarter from its predecessor's weight and the OnTrac now weighs just one pound as a result. That's still fairly hefty for a pair of headphones - most of the OnTrac's competitors still weigh well under that - but it does wonders for the comfort. That plush cushioning isn't working as hard to distribute the load of these cans, and they don't clamp as hard either so they're much less fatiguing to wear long term.
Similarly slimmed down is the carrying case for the headphones. The Zone originally came with a plastic clamshell case or a fancier leather bound messenger bag-like one with the Absolute+ kit. They were gloriously overkill but neither case was small enough to realistically throw into a backpack with other stuff. The OnTrac's case is a far cry from this. It's a much smaller affair that tightly hugs the headphones, protecting the cushions and outer cups from scratches and dings, but it also collapses nearly flat so it can be easily stored when not in use.
I honestly have mixed feelings about this case. On one hand, it's far more portable than the Zone's old hard cases but it offers less protection since the top and bottom are totally exposed. And Dyson still bound it with leather so it's inevitably going to scuff up and look like shit in the long run. The earcups still don't fold either so I feel like Dyson really could've done a better job here. But least it's not as bad as what Apple put out for the AirPods Max.
Also like the Zone; wireless audio for the OnTrac is handled by Bluetooth 5.0, supporting SDC, AAC, and LHDC while wired audio is handled over USB-C. App-side connectivity is handled through Wi-Fi which means that you can still control the headphones with the app even though you aren't paired to them over Bluetooth. It's important to note that the OnTrac will not work passively, so the battery needs to be charged in order to use them wired.
Dyson advertises the OnTrac as having 55 hours of battery life when used with ANC turned on. While I can't exactly confirm this, I've gone several days of sporadic listening without putting much of a dent in the battery. It seems to be pretty damn close to advertised. When taken off, the headphones are put into a sleep state but both the app-side and Bluetooth connections remain connected, which can be a little annoying.
As noted earlier, Dyson opted to use the same 40mm drivers as the Zone in the OnTrac and that's all the more apparent once you take off the ear cushions and look at them side-by-side. I figured given all the other other similarities between the two headsets, the OnTrac wouldn't sound that much different than the Zone. That ended up not being the case by a pretty noticeable margin.
On initial impressions alone with the default EQ profile, I found the OnTrac to have a bass driven sound with a slightly underemphasized upper end. This gives the headphones a warm sound and they're really fun to listen with on heavier genres. Hip-hop, industrial, hard rock and metal absolutely slap with the OnTrac but I find the soundstage to be a touch on the "muddy" side for more acoustic and melodic driven tracks. The new cans certainly aren't lacking in detail - but they're just missing something.
I think most ears would find that the Zone sounds noticeably more bright than the OnTrac, if we're speaking in audiophile jargon. By this, I mean the treble is more accentuated in the soundstage, which isn't necessarily a positive since some might find an overly bright soundstage to be piercing to listen to, and those people might find the OnTrac more appealing. A quick cross-comparison on RTINGS.com between the OnTrac and the Zone more or less confirmed what my ears were hearing: a substantial boost in the low frequencies and a noticeable dip in the highs compared to its predecessor.
To each their own, but I actually preferred the stock sound of the Zone over the OnTrac. I enjoy that extra level of perceived clarity I get in the upper end - especially in melodic songs like Goodbye Blue Sky by Pink Floyd or Voices by Alice in Chains - nor do I feel like it sacrifices much in low end punch. I can definitely see how people would find such a treble forward sound grating though, and I think the OnTrac succeeds in generating a more palatable soundstage for the masses.
The MyDyson app once again offers three EQ presets for the headset: "enhanced" which is the default sound profile, "bass boost" which bumps the low end even further into the stratosphere than it already is, and "neutral" which flattens the curve on the lows and mids. I think this one sounds the best of the three, yet it still somewhat suffers a little from the dialed back high end.
Thankfully, Dyson finally added a custom EQ profile in the latest firmware update - something the Zone sorely lacked. The five bands don't offer nearly as much control as I'd like to see but with a little finagling, I was able to throw together a profile that at least brings it much closer to the Zone's soundstage. Even then, I still find the Zone to sound a little more bright. I think there's more subtle differences in the OnTrac's factory tuning and overall construction that might effect the response, beyond the EQ.
With the OnTrac, I do think Dyson did a pretty good job of refining the Zone into a product with a whole lot more broad appeal. They're built supremely well, perform mostly admirably, and the customizability is a fun touch. I like how the they look, how they feel on my head, and after a bit finagling; I'm happy with the sound too. I find myself dailying them more over the Zone lately as a result. It's just that if I didn't care about any of those things - there really isn't a whole lot going on here.
The Zone was a laughingstock of a product but it did succeed in grabbing people's attention. When the street price crashed down to reality, those curious folks scooped them up and discovered they actually performed pretty damn good. That initial interest helped free the Zone from its own stigma: once a novelty; now they're a bargain. But the OnTrac has none of that going for it, and while these cans are no longer something that will get you weird stares as you walk down the street, the expectations are set high right out of the gate. To the prospective buyer, the OnTrac risks feeling like an “also-ran” rather than a serious challenger.
Sound-wise, the OnTrac does well but I don't feel like they leapfrog any of the category leaders out of the box. You can expect to tinker with the EQ or noise-canceling modes if you want the soundstage to rival Apple, Bose, or Sony. But let’s be real: most people can't be bothered. Customizable padding and outer caps are neat but they don’t make up for a listening experience that doesn't really offer anything advantageous over the very best - and certainly not over their predecessor.
I think fans of the Zone (and god-forbid they paid the original $1000 price tag for them) are going to feel a little smug knowing this. Sure, the OnTrac is more portable and a lot more comfortable thanks to all the weight shedding, but I don't feel like the revised soundstage offers enough to justify the new cans to someone who owns the previous model. Speaking of which, the Zone is actually cheaper than the OnTrac as of writing: $450 versus $500 - and often much less if you're okay with buying them used.
But considering how much of a mess the Zone was in execution, OnTrac is a fitting name and I hope Dyson takes this renewed focus and does more interesting things with their headphones in the future. They have a good, albeit pretty tame starting point here to build on. Two things I'd like to see from a future version of the OnTrac; adaptive EQ akin to the AirPods Max which I'm sure would garner these headphones a whole lot more widespread appeal, and perhaps they can do something more fun with the drivers - like a switch to planar magnetic.
Until then, I'd say buy the OnTrac only if you know you really want them. Or wait for a sale. Whichever comes first.
What's Good
- Eye-catching design with lots of customization options.
- Built incredibly well.
- Battery life is top notch.
- Good sound quality and powerful noise cancellation.
- Isn't really a dramatic improvement over it's predecessor.
- Could still be more portable and the included case isn't great.
- Factory soundstage leaves a bit to be desired.
- Accessories are overpriced.
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