by Originally announced earlier this year, home appliance giant Dyson has officially unveiled full specs for the upcoming Dyson Zone, the company’s first portable purifier and advanced noise-cancelling headphones.
Reportedly the product of five years of research, the Dyson Zone combines two unique product offerings for the company as its first foray into portable audio and technology. And the specs certainly seem to suggest that the company will start off with a bang.
According to Dyson, the Zone headphones will feature advanced noise cancellation, enhanced by the presence of 11 built-in microphones, 8 of which will monitor outside noise at reported rates of up to 384,000 times per second. There’s also the promise of full-spectrum audio capable of reproducing frequencies from 6Hz to 21kHz, and dual microphones that enable clear voice pickup for calls or recording. The company also promises that there will be minimal harmonic distortions across the entire frequency range thanks to signal processing that is done 48,000 times per second. Additionally, the cans will offer up to 50 hours of battery life, depending on usage.
While these impressive specs alone are enough to make the Dyson Zone headphones stand out, the real eye-catcher comes by way of the Zone portable air purifier that goes along with them on the journey.
In case you don’t remember from our coverage earlier in the year, the Zone purifier is a detachable visor purportedly capable of removing contaminants as small as 0.1 microns, drawing on Dyson’s decades of experience in airflow. air to a portable device for the first time. with an estimate (opens in a new tab) With 99% of the world’s population living in cities with air pollution levels above those considered safe by the World Health Organization, portable purification solutions are seen as potential game changers, if consumers can overlook the strange appearance of the Zone.
Looking very much like an item straight out of a sci-fi movie, the launch price of the Dyson Zone is yet to be known, but the headphones are expected to be available for purchase in various regions from early 2023. , starting with China in January. ahead of its release in the US, UK, Hong Kong and Singapore starting in March. Availability for Australia is not yet confirmed.
Importantly, Dyson hasn’t suggested that the Zone will be an adequate defense against the potential spread of Covid-19, although it remains to be seen whether future testing of the wearable’s purification capabilities could bear fruit in this area.
Analysis: Dyson’s portable purifier could be good, if you don’t mind its looks
There’s no denying the novelty value of the Dyson Zone, with the headphones’ appearance particularly distinctive. How many potential buyers it will have is anyone’s guess, but it’s eye-catching and a conversation starter, to say the least. In fact, we weren’t even sure Dyson would go on with full production and bring the Zone to market, but they put us in our shoes.
When we were first introduced to the Dyson Zone at an event in the UK, it seemed like the wearable was pitched more as a portable purifier than a headphone. However, it sounds like the company is also interested in making sure it sounds good: we’ve yet to test its audio prowess, but our curiosity has surely been piqued.
And while portable air purifiers themselves aren’t new, the combination of audio and a purifier is unique, and we’re not sure anyone else wants to take the engineering resources Dyson has at their disposal. Given the increasing frequency of major weather events, such as wildfires and storms that kick up large amounts of soot or dust, there is certainly a chance that this technology could fill a need in the consumer market.
One look at the Dyson Zone’s impressive performance specs, however, gives you an idea of what the headset might cost, and it likely won’t come cheap. Are we really ready for a niche-looking set of wireless headphones with a premium price tag attached? Dyson hopes so, and has at least backed the Zone up with performance specs to make it an interesting consideration.
