On March 30th, Dyson announced something unexpected. The company has decided to go into the headphone business with the creation of Dyson Zone, noise-canceling Bluetooth headphones that feature air-purifying technology by the use of a magnetic air visor. According to the Dyson Website, "Dyson engineering expertise enabled us to develop our first wearable device. With a two-stage air purification system capable of filtering city fumes and pollutants. So, wherever you are, you can breathe purified air.
There is no official price or release date at the moment along with how long the battery life lasts or how heavy the headphones are. The headphones are set to be released sometime in Autumn 2022.
But the question is, how does the device work. According to the website, "The visor channels a continuous stream of purified air to your nose and mouth, without touching your face. For natural, comfortable breathing with no stuffiness." The mask is removable due to a series of magnets if you just want to use the headphones as headphones. The company also showed off a separate attachment that could be clipped on when you need a full-contact face mask. It also flips down so that you can talk to people without removing the whole attachment.
The goal of the product is to make living in certain places, such as urban spaces more comfortable by attempting to limit air and noise pollution. Through the use of unique air pollution technology, The Zone pulls air through each earpiece using a pair of tiny compressors. The air is then filtered and piped through the visor for us to breathe through.
"The Zone’s filtration system also offers multiple settings for different levels of exertion. For example, if you’re running up a flight of stairs or trying to catch a bus, you’ll breathe heavier (and need more air) than if you’re on a leisurely stroll. There’s even an automated setting that uses accelerometers to automatically adjust the airflow." The Zone can filter out 99 percent of pollution but the filters need to be changed after about a year of use. This depends on how much air pollution you encounter and how often you use the headphones.
The headphone part of the device is still a very traditional setup, even though the tech of the new device is newer. "The Dyson Zone™ delivers rich, immersive audio and relief from unwanted city noise thanks to advanced active noise canceling (ANC), low distortion and, a neutral frequency response, to faithfully replicate music or audio as the creator intended." (dyson.com)
In terms of noise cancellation, there are three different modes/ settings on the Zone. Isolation mode activates and has active ANC when the visor is raised. When you lower the visor, the headphones automatically change to conversation mode, which disables the ANC. This can be used to have a conversation with someone and be able to hear them fine. The final setting/mode is known as transparency mode, which filters out sounds such as car horns, and sirens. You can charge the headphones using USB-C and there is even an app called Dyson Link, which provides you with more details about the air quality around you.
We are still waiting for more details on the product.
