Dyson Zone: One-of-its-kind headphones with great sound quality

NEW DELHI: Global consumer electronics company Dyson, which recently entered into the Indian wearable market by launching next-gen noise-cancelling headphones -- "Dyson Zone" is a one-of-a-kind device which comes with a notable addition.

Unlike other active noise-cancelling (ANC) headphones presently available in the market, the Dyson Zone comes with a detachable air-purifying face visor.

Dyson, whose expertise in vacuum cleaners, hand dryers and fans, took over six years to develop their first headphones for listeners to enjoy audio while inhaling purified air.

We used the Dyson Zone headsets in Prussian blue colour for about two weeks. Let us dig deeper to know about it in detail.

The first thing that caught our attention while unboxing was obviously the colour and design of the headphones. The device definitely looks stylish but enormous.

The headphones were tucked protectively in a large, luxury hard case meant to protect your device while travelling, and the visor component was properly housed in a silky pouch. The remaining components, which included carbon filters for air purification, a cleaning brush to remove dust and dirt from your visor, an in-flight adaptor kit, and other items, were kept separately.

On wearing, we found the headphones fitting comfortably initially, but after a while, we had to remove the headsets -- and the reason being its weight -- which is nearly 600 grams. Doing head bops to music while the Dyson Zone is on feels like a neck exercise.

During travel, keeping the headphones in a case would be a better option as hanging it around the neck (which most of us do while travelling) may result in some discomfort.

Despite its weight, the Zone's ear cups are big and cushiony, making it comfortable to wear -- but for a short duration.

Aside from the weight, the headphones are quite stylish. A button on the left controls the visor's airflow as well as Bluetooth pairing, while an audio joystick on the right helps in controlling music. The ANC is activated by a double touch on either ear. Fitting the filter into the earcups is also relatively quick and easy.

In addition, pairing the headphones to the smartphone was really easy using the MyDyson app, which allows you to view the air condition around you.

Let's talk about the sound quality of the Dyson's first-ever headphones. Putting the weight aside, we must say that the sound quality is amazing. The ANC on the Dyson Zone is truly remarkable, providing one of the finest experiences in this regard. The sound isolation and low distortion create an immersive audio experience.

We also took a call with the Dyson Zone on, and we found the audio quality crystal clear.

Now comes the part which makes this device one-of-a-kind -- the wearable air purifier (visor) that sits in front of your nose and mouth.

The visor is magnetically attached to the headphones and is intended to sit over your face -- it does not directly touch your face. Snapping the visor on will instantly start the air purification process while lowering it will place it in 'idle mode'.

With the visor in position, we felt the cool air flowing across the nose and mouth -- which didn't smell or taste like anything -- felt actually pleasant.

However, the thing is that this device is meant to be seen when the visor is on. Though it's a good device, especially during these painfully polluted times, going in public with the visor on will attract eyes. However, it's a personal choice if one wants to wear the visor or not.

When it comes to battery life, the headphones offer about 42-hour battery life for audio (Dyson promises up to 50), but that drops to about four hours if you wish to continuously breathe fresh, clean air.

The device also does not have an auto-off function, which most headphones feature, meaning that even if you take them off and leave it to the side for a couple of hours, it’s still running -- and thus, the battery drains quickly.

The Dyson Zone headphones are available at the company's official website and demo stores at a starting price of Rs 59,900.

Conclusion: The first-ever headphones by Dyson is an exciting product. If splurging for an experience is not an issue, and you don't mind their size, Dyson Zone are glorious headphones. The sound quality is the best part of this headphone and with ANC on, you feel like losing yourself in music. Using the headphones with the visor on is totally a personal choice. Wearing it with the visor on will obviously provide you with purified air, otherwise, you can enjoy the high-quality music whenever you want.