About a year ago, Dyson made waves with a rather unusual product: the Dyson Headphones Combo Wearable Air Purifier. I gave it a chance and tested it out, but ultimately, it ended up being the single most impractical product I’ve ever reviewed. Imagine my surprise when, a year later, Dyson unveiled a new product—this time, just headphones. They’ve removed the air purifier component and left behind a substantial pair of Dyson headphones, which were somewhat overshadowed last time. These headphones are priced at $500, and of course, I had to give them a try. Perhaps there were people who were put off by the bizarre air purifier feature but were still intrigued by the idea of high-end Dyson active noise-canceling headphones.
In all fairness, it starts making sense when you consider the existence of AirPods Max. It seems like Dyson noticed AirPods Max—unchanged for four years, still using a lightning port, heavy, and yet still selling at $550—and thought, “Surely that market is looking for an alternative.” When you put them side by side, it becomes clear that Dyson has aimed to outdo Apple’s headphones in as many ways as possible, while still staying in the same category of large, heavy noise-canceling headphones.
Dyson’s headphones retail at $500, which is $50 cheaper than Apple’s. They come with replaceable ear cups for $50 each, which also undercuts Apple. Dyson claims a battery life of 55 hours, which more than doubles the AirPods Max’s 20-hour lifespan. Additionally, Dyson’s headphones function equally well with both iPhone and Android, and they feature a real off button.
However, these are still the heaviest headphones I’ve ever tested, even heavier than Apple’s. At 451 grams, they are not ideal on paper. Dyson compensates for this by distributing the weight well across your head. Almost everything on these headphones is metal, including the ear cups, hinges, and top band, while the top cushion is soft. Interestingly, the left and right cushions aren’t as soft because they house batteries. This weight distribution keeps them as comfortable as AirPods Max, despite being heavy. They aren’t uncomfortable for sitting around and listening passively for a while.
There are some clever design elements here. The interchangeable back plates and ear cushions are notable. These ear cups are easily replaceable with a quarter twist to unlock them. The back material also has a replaceable cap, available in different colors and finishes—some shiny and metallic, others with a matte finish. Dyson has integrated this customization as a feature, allowing users to mix and match ear cup and back plate colors.
There is also a neat little joystick on the back right side of the headphones, which handles most of the physical controls. It can be used to play, pause, adjust volume, and skip tracks. This joystick is easy to find without looking. The left ear cup, however, has a double-tap feature to switch between noise cancellation and transparency mode, which is less reliable and often requires a firm tap to function.
Some other observations: the startup chime is annoyingly loud, and the headphones only twist in one direction to fold flat, which makes the case necessary. The case is simple, with two silicon boards connected by elastic and a pocket for cables. These headphones also feature on-head detection for auto-play and pause and multi-point connectivity to pair with multiple devices simultaneously.
As for sound quality, these headphones are solid but not outstanding. Comparing them to the AirPods Max, the latter sounds better in nearly every genre, but only by a small margin. Dyson’s app allows some EQ customization, with three presets: neutral, enhanced, and bass boost. The enhanced setting, which I preferred, provides a good range, while bass boost is less impressive. The sound stage is somewhat narrow, but for noise-canceling headphones in the $300 range, they perform as expected. Noise cancellation is decent but not as strong as other brands like Sony, Bose, or AirPods.
The standout feature is the battery life. With batteries cleverly placed on the band, Dyson delivers over 50 hours of use with noise cancellation on, which is impressive. Plus, the headphones have a physical off button, something not all high-end headphones offer.
So why do these headphones exist? It seems Dyson wanted to make the most of their R&D investment in the earlier air-purifying headphones by releasing a more market-friendly version—just headphones. Compared to AirPods Max, Dyson’s headphones hold up well with solid build quality, customization options, decent sound, and excellent battery life. They’re a cheaper alternative to Apple’s offering. However, when compared to other high-end noise-canceling headphones priced around $350, Dyson’s $500 price tag feels steep.
Now you know. At least Dyson can say they’ve shipped something compelling.
