After a week with Dyson’s new and intriguing set of headphones, we contemplate what makes them stand out from its competitors?
For a decade, I’ve been on the other side of the fence when it comes to Dyson products, lacking the hair to appreciate their hair curlers and dryers, and also the disposable income to even consider their vacuum cleaners. But earlier this month, the British brand launched its pair of headphones called the Dyson Zone with a rather steep starting price of Rs 59,900. After using them for a week, there’s a more significant question: Why do they exist in the first place?
The Context
Image Credits – James Dyson Foundation
Let’s dial back the clock to the late 70s when James Dyson, an engineer by profession, grew frustrated with the inefficiency of traditional vacuum cleaners. According to him, they tended to lose suction as soon as they became clogged with dirt and dust. So, what did he do? Make his vacuum cleaners, of course. But that didn’t come without its challenges. As per the company, James Dyson spent five years developing over 5,000 prototypes of a bagless vacuum cleaner. After numerous setbacks and challenges, the first Dyson-branded bagless vacuum cleaner was launched in 1993.
Since then, the company has established its name as a pioneer in home appliances, ranging from the aforementioned hair curlers, and vacuum cleaners to something as cutting-edge as its bladeless fan. Today, as a part of its innovation-first philosophy, the Dyson Zone headphones stand as its latest and greatest premium offering. But will it be remembered as the next stage of innovation in headphone technology or as a part of the thousand initial prototypes James Dyson worked on that laid the foundation for something bigger?
The Feel
If there were any doubts about the placement of the headphones, the unboxing experience should clear them. The Dyson Zone comes in a unique oval-shaped hard case with a quarter-turn opening mechanism at the centre, which needs to be twisted to fully open it. The box itself is soft to the touch and has a rather premium finish. However, once you get inside, you’ll be greeted by an imposing pair of headsets. Pick them up, and soon you’ll notice their 648 grams of heft. So, where does the weight come from? We’ll get to that later.
I still remember being impressed by the quality and the fit and finish on offer here. These are by far the most premium and well-built set of audio devices I’ve ever seen. On the left, there’s a single button that adjusts the speed of the fans that sit on top of your ears. It also doubles up as a power on/off and Bluetooth pairing switch. On the right, lies a pressable joystick which can be moved around to change tracks, scrub music, or simply pause/play. There’s also a double tap on either side of the headphones that controls the ANC.
Wearing It
Right, so for the price it asks and the positioning it is trying to establish, the Dyson Zone should sound like something out of a live Beethoven concert, right? It does, in a way. Don’t get me wrong, the audio profile is pretty good and the MyDyson app allows you to control the sound profile, but the equalizer settings are not as customizable as I would have liked. What I did like, though, was its active noise-cancellation system, which effectively filters out background noise. Switch to transparency mode, and it performs that task well too, letting in enough audio to have an IRL conversation.
Speaking of which, the Dyson Zone has a total of 11 microphones, with 8 of them focused purely on reducing noise. I tested this during audio calls, with the recipient complimenting the clarity during phone calls while being outside in a crowded setting. However, as soon as we switched to video, the person on the other side of the camera let out an awkward “umm”, which I could not hear but sense, thanks to the top-notch noise-cancelling I mentioned earlier.
On The Go
“What is that thing you’re wearing? You look ridiculous,” were some of the first things I heard in crystal-clear sound quality on a group video call. As one can guess now, I was wearing the magnetically detachable visor, which Dyson currently refers to as only a “travel accessory.” However, if the visor is supposed to be just an add-on to the headphones, I pondered, what was the need for fitting two compressors inside the headphones in the first place?
Regardless, though, as unique as the visor looks, I rather like its functionality. I’m not going to make any claims about the efficiency of its air-purifying capabilities, considering the visor doesn’t actually cover your entire face, leaving enough space from the top and bottom to allow “unpurified air” through. What it does do, however, is let a gentle breeze of cool air onto your face, which feels surprisingly pleasant during a hot October month. The speed and fan settings, of course, can be adjusted via four different modes – auto, which takes into account your environmental conditions and pollution levels to adjust the fan speed, then there are the ‘Rest,’ ‘Light,’ and ‘Moderate’ settings, which do exactly what they sound like.
The Conclusion
I’m not quite sure where the Dyson Zone fits in. At Rs 59,900, they are too expensive to be considered as a mass market competitor. Despite their shortcomings, what they do signify, though, is Dyson’s never-ending innovation-first approach and a one-of-a-kind offering you’ll not see everywhere. And for that, I am excited to see what James Dyson has in store for us next.
Image Credits – Dyson
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