Dyson OnTrac 759558-01

The Dyson OnTrac nails the mic at the 98th percentile and ANC at the 90th, but the comfort is a rough 6th percentile and the sound lands in the 20th. At $250 it's a niche buy for call-heavy users. At $475, it's a hard pass.

Let's talk about what the OnTrac does well. The ANC is legitimately strong, with 8 microphones working to cancel up to 40dB of noise. That puts it in the 90th percentile, which is one of the best on the market. The mic setup is even better, with dual beam-forming mics hitting the 98th percentile. If you take a lot of calls, this thing will make you sound crisp even on a busy street.

But the sound itself is where things get shaky. The 6Hz to 21kHz range sounds impressive on paper, and the DSP is supposed to reveal expanded sub-bass and high-end brilliance. In practice, the sound quality lands in the 20th percentile. That's disappointing. The 55-hour battery is a standout, and the auto-off after 30 minutes is a thoughtful touch. But the build quality sits at the 34th percentile, which is mediocre, and the comfort is a real problem at the 6th percentile. That's one of the worst we've seen for a headphone in this category.

Stacked against the Sony ULT WEAR, the OnTrac wins on mic quality and battery life, but Sony's sound signature is far more refined. The Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 absolutely crushes the Dyson on sound quality and comfort, though you'll pay more for it. The Technics EAH-A800 offers a more balanced package overall, with better build quality and sound, though its ANC doesn't match the OnTrac's 40dB cancellation. The JBL Tune 670NC is the budget pick here, and honestly, for most people, it's the smarter buy. The Sennheiser HDB 630 also beats the Dyson on sound and comfort. The OnTrac's only real wins are the mic and the battery, and those are niche advantages.

The pricing on the OnTrac is all over the place. In the US, you'll see listings ranging from $250 to $475, which is a $225 spread. If you can snag these at the $250 end, the value proposition shifts dramatically. At that price, the excellent ANC and mic quality start to make a lot more sense. But at $475, you're competing with headphones that sound significantly better. The Best Buy listing tends to have the lower everyday price, so that's where we'd point you if you're set on these. In Europe, the spread is EUR 119, from EUR 380 to EUR 499, and again, the lower end is where these make any sense at all.

The Dyson OnTrac is a weird one. It nails the call quality and noise cancellation, with its 8-mic array landing in the 98th percentile for mic performance and 90th for ANC in our database. But then it stumbles hard on the basics, scoring just 20.4 out of 100 for studio use and a rough 6th percentile for comfort. It's a headphone that feels like it was designed by people who really cared about the tech, but maybe not so much about the person wearing it for hours at a time.

At 451 grams, these are not light. The 55-hour battery life is genuinely impressive, and the 10-minute quick charge giving you 2.5 hours back is a nice touch. But the sound profile, while covering an extended 6Hz to 21kHz range, lands in the 20th percentile overall. So you're getting a lot of features and a lot of weight, but the core listening experience doesn't stack up against the competition at this price.

If you care about sound quality or comfort, skip these. The 20th percentile sound score and 6th percentile comfort score are both dealbreakers for anyone who listens to music for more than an hour at a time. The 451-gram weight is noticeable, and the build quality at the 34th percentile doesn't inspire confidence. Studio users should absolutely avoid these, with a 20.4 out of 100 score in that category. And if you're paying anywhere near the $475 or EUR 499 end of the price range, you're getting fleeced. There are far better headphones for less money.

The Dyson OnTrac is a headphone with a serious identity crisis. It's got best-in-class mics and strong ANC, but the comfort is a dealbreaker for long listening sessions, and the sound quality just doesn't justify the price. If you're on calls all day and need something that makes you sound great while blocking out the office, the OnTrac has a case. But for music, there are far better options at this price point. The 6th percentile comfort score is hard to overlook, especially at 451 grams. This feels like a first attempt from Dyson, and it shows.