Dyson Ontrack over-ear headphones in the test: Great sound in a retro look

Some people have already noticed: vacuum cleaner specialist Dyson has recently been testing ANC headphones in the premium segment, the aim of which is clearly to stand out from the crowd and attract the attention of as many people as possible. With the first model, called the Zone, it went too far: the excessively bulky air filter attachment in front of the mouth and nose made the wearers look more irritating to many than cool or even stylish. Some scoffers even compared his appearance to the Bane of the Batman universe. Furthermore, there was an average technique with a relatively high asking price of 900 euros.

With the Dyson Ontrack, the concept has now been reconsidered in a classic way. The headphones rely on high-quality workmanship, best-in-class sound and ANC qualities and, above all, a very high and customizable style factor. Everything completely without any forward-looking additions. With this premium claim, Dyson is definitely taking on established ANC flagship models like Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra, Sony’s WH-1000XM5 (test report) or Apple’s AirPods Max (test report). We’ll now explain how well the Dyson Ontrack performs in our test report. Our top 10 list actually provides a comprehensive overview of the best over-ear headphones: Best over-ear headphones with ANC.

We’ll start straight off with the first highlight of the Dyson Ontrack: looks and workmanship. Thanks to the use of high-quality materials and an attractive design that can also be customized in terms of color, the headphones are a complete eye-catcher with high style-piece potential. The fabrics and upholstery used feel pleasantly elegant, and there’s a lot of metal and very little plastic. Of course, it also weighs in at a good 451 grams. Despite its huge dimensions, the Dyson Ontrack sits comfortably on your head and isn’t too bulky. Even for a very long time. Only at high temperatures can sweating occur uncomfortably due to the strong basic protection of the upper part of the ear.

The Dyson Ontrack is available in four color combinations at launch: Yellow-Aluminum (our test sample), Night Blue-Copper, Black-Orange, and Black-Grey. The ear pads and end caps are replaceable. Stylish replacements can be ordered or re-ordered through the Dyson Shop in several colors for 49 euros each. This is too much – at this price point, the Flight Adapter Set, which is also available in the shop for 19 euros, is almost cheaper.

Initial setup is quick and pairing doesn’t have any issues either. The Dyson Ontrack is equally easy to operate: music playback and volume can be controlled using the joystick on the bottom right. At the bottom left is a power button, which is also used for pairing (press and hold). ANC mode can be switched by double-tapping the temple or ear cups. However, in testing, it often only works on the second or third typing attempt. If you want to quickly activate aware mode, it’s not reliable enough. Tip: Tap three times to increase the chance of detection.

If we come to the companion app, we immediately wish for the customization options that Dyson offers in headphone style: in addition to controlling noise cancellation and an equalizer with three modes (neutral, customized And bass boost) There’s nothing else to do here. The controls cannot be adjusted, the same applies to the equalizer. Otherwise, the app is filled with blatant – and quickly becoming annoying – references to interchangeable attachments and direct links to the Dyson Shop, which, funnily enough, don’t provide anything. Overall it does not leave a good impression. Dyson needs to fundamentally improve here.

The feature list for Dyson’s Ontrack is manageable. Codecs include SBC, AAC and LHDC. It transmits via Bluetooth 5.3. Celebration bluetooth multipointThat is, the possibility of connecting two devices to headphones at the same time is missing. This is now a big mistake in the premium segment. Especially with the purchase price of around 500 euros that Dyson charges for the Ontrack, the Multipoint really is a must-have.

Otherwise it has a head detection sensor and quick charging function, which makes the battery ready to play for up to 2.5 hours after just 10 minutes. After 30 minutes it is already enough for 9 hours of running. Overall, the Bluetooth headphones offer a long battery life of up to 55 hours.

After the ups and downs so far, we now move on to perhaps the most important headphone discipline: sound. This is where the Dyson Ontrack really pleases us. EQ mode “Optimized” shows a very successful and well-coordinated sound spectrum in almost all musical genres. The EQ profile “Bass Boost” is also impressive, providing really powerful bass without any overlay to songs like “BoA” by Megan Three Stallions. It’s rare for a pair of headphones to pull off this balancing act so well. The only thing missing is the ability to create your own EQ profile. However, Dyson didn’t think about it. The sum total of just three EQ modes is pretty poor. However, in practice, we come to terms with it surprisingly well.

Dyson also delivers when it comes to active noise cancellation. There are three modes in total: out of, A And VigilantIn aware mode, the environment is well present. Your voice sounds natural when speaking, but a little distant for our liking. If the ANC mode is active, the quiet music is really enough to block out everything else around you. This is of course also due to the Ontrack’s excellent basic preservation – the ANC doesn’t have much to do. When the music is turned off, particularly deep background noise is filtered out very effectively. The only time the Dyson Ontrack loses out is when it comes to high frequencies such as voices or clinking utensils. But other ANC flagships like Sony’s WH-1000XM5 (test report) or Apple’s Airpods Max (test report) hardly do any better.

with 499 euros The Ontrack is significantly cheaper than Dyson’s first headphone model, which cost 900 euros. However, given the qualitatively similar competition, it is still quite expensive. There was no significant drop in price at the time of testing (October 16, 2024).

Dyson Ontrack is a very successful headphone for the upper class. In terms of workmanship, sound and ANC, this is clearly one of the best headphones on the market. With its high style factor and the ability to replace the ear cushions and end caps, it also has a special unique selling point. The potential to become a high-flyer is basically there. The small app with barely any setting options, the lack of premium features like multipoint or Dolby Atmos, and the high price still hold the Dyson Ontrack down.

Still: If you want good sound and effective ANC, celebrate high-end vibes and are willing to pay the price for exceptional workmanship, you may be very happy with the Dyson OnTrack. Otherwise, there are plenty of equivalent and, above all, cheaper alternatives available in our Top 10: Best Over-Ear Headphones with ANC.