The Dyson Zone air-purifying headphones are finally here. The company first announced the unique headphone concept earlier this year but has been relatively silent on it post that. However, the details are here and according to what is known so far, the Zone noise-canceling and air-purifying headphones will cost upward of $949. That’s staggering, to say the least, though that is the price to be paid for getting to listen to both high quality audio as well as breathing perhaps the freshest air possible.
Dyson further said deliveries of the headphones will begin only in March next year. The company will start accepting pre-orders though that is going to be only by appointment after the headphones become available at its demo stores. It is only after this that the headphone and air filter combo will start to be more freely available via its website. So, you might need some luck, initially at least, to come across one of these even if you are comfortable with the price tag that can fetch you almost two Apple AirPods Max. Of course, that’s speculative at best but should emphasize the high price tag nonetheless.
Coming to air filtration capability, this is achieved by way of a separate detachable module for the same which when attached will cover your mouth and nose and will serve you with the cleanest air possible. All of that starts with a pair of 10,000 rpm electric motors fitted inside each of the ear cups. These ensure there is enough air sucked through the mask where the dual layer filters come into play and remove particles such as pollens, dust, and even bacteria from the air. Besides, it can also remove potentially harmful gases such as nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and ozone. The company however is quick to point out that its mask is never a guarantee against preventing transmission of Covid-19 causing virus.
So far so good though having electric motors right next to your ears, even if those as Dyson claimed, are the smallest it has ever come up with is never a nice proposition when you are needed to cancel out external noise. That’s extra work for the earphone’s Active Noise cancellation feature that Dyson had to pay heed to. This is achieved using eight mics for eliminating external noise, which Dyson said is capable of up to 38 decibels. There are a pair of mics dedicated to dealing with the noise emanating from the electric motors while another one serves to pick up the user’s voice needed for phone calls. The headphone otherwise comes with 40-millimeter neodymium drivers for a superior listening experience.
Coming to battery life, Dyson is claiming the 2,600 mAh unit will let the headphone be active for a respectable 50 hours even with the ANC feature turned on. The same however drops down to 4 hours when the air purifier is activated, that too at its lowest setting. The battery will last around 2.5 hours in the purifier’s medium setting while running for just 90 mins when the purifier is at its most active state.
Further, having a headphone and air purifier combo has ensured the entire setup weighs in at 670 grams which is quite huge going by premium headphone standards. Even with the mask removed, the headphone still weighs a quite hefty 595 grams, which again has much to do with the inclusion of a pair of electric motors within each headphone unit. The device otherwise comes in two color schemes – Ultra Blue/ Prussian Blue and Prussian Blue/ Bright Copper.
On the whole, the Dyson Zone air-purifying headphones will let you listen to some quality music while breathing in the freshest air even in the most polluted of environments. However, that comes for a price, which includes parting with the about $1000 it costs while having something weighing more than half a kilo wrapped around your head. Battery life too isn’t anything to be too excited about as well. On the other hand, it is like having your own portable air purifier system with you at all times wherever you go. The choice is yours.
