Maybe not the good way to betray earphone . Matt Alexander / PA telegram
If I had to pick just one gadget as theweirdest and most controversial from the last 18 months , it would be — without hesitation — the Dyson Zone . By blending a set of noise - canceling wireless headphones with an air purification organisation , Dyson create a intersection thatlooks ridiculous even when wear by supermodels .
The problem , esthetically speak , is the compounding of the gigantic earcups ( which contain the refinement filter and sports fan units ) and the detachable “ eyeshade ” ( a bizarre recording label given that it pose well below eye storey ) , which communication channel filtrate strain toward your backtalk and nose . If the way the Zone appear was n’t enough to make you question it as a purchase , the price sure would have : When the Dyson Zone last on sales event in January 2023,it cost $ 949 .
Maybe not the best way to sell headphones.Matt Alexander / PA wire
No one sum up early reactions to the Zone with more vitriol than the New York Post’sJohnny Oleksinski , who wrote , “ Only a full imbecile would drop $ 1 K on Dyson ’s strain - sanctify headphones . ” Ouch .
When New York City had one of its sorry air quality summers in 2023 due to out - of - controller wildfires north of the border , I figured the Dyson Zone would throw off some of that mostly - deserved derision as would - be vendee began to see the benefit of a head - mounted air purifier .
And while I could n’t regain any sales telephone number for the Dyson Zone , several recent shifts in scheme suggest that even the threat of smoke - fill up commute has n’t added much heat to the Zone ’s fire .
First , Dyson has slash the price of the Zone . From its initial just - diffident - of - a - thousand - dollars St. Mark , the floor Dyson Zone is now just . At this raw low price , the Zone now competes directly with some of thebest wireless headphonesyou can corrupt , like theMaster & Dynamic MW75and theBowers & Wilkins Px8 .
Second , the company is likely de - emphasizing the air refining panorama of the Zone . The Internet Archive ’s earliest seizure of Amazon ’s listing for the Zone — from June 1 , 2023 — present the headphones and a detach peak as the lead image . On , the visor has been relegated to accessory position . It ’s now one of six range of a function displayed on a slide title In The Box .
A similar rebranding has happened on Dyson ’s own website . In March 2023 , the lead motto was “ Pure Audio . Pure Air . Anywhere , ” and the lead figure showed a char wearing a visorless geographical zone next to a small simulacrum of the same mannequin with the visor , which it advert to as a liaison - free bill . By May 2023 , the catchword was unchanged , but the lead image was nowa man fall apart a visorless Zone .
Today , the shibboleth now reads , “ everlasting audio frequency . Advanced stochasticity cancellation . ” You have to scroll the combining weight of five or six pageboy before finally watch a small division give to the visor , which has been rename “ attachable travel visor . ”
Now that Dyson has careen the marketing focus square to the Zone ’s audio and noise - cancel capableness , the next obvious footmark is to modify the public ’s perception . An indorsement ( along with a circumstances of social media photos ) from a celebrity would be prison term - honored way to fulfill that , which brings us to the third leg in Dyson ’s strategy to rehabilitate the Zone ’s fortunes .
In a press release issued on January 30 , the Recording Academyannouncedthat Dyson is the Official Consumer Headphones Partner of the 66th Annual Grammy Awards , which take place on February 4 . The release goes on to say that the Dyson Zone will provide event attendees with a “ double-dyed , immersive listening experience throughout the weekend , ” and makes no acknowledgment of the Zone ’s gentle wind purgation feature .
slim the price of the Zone is a wise move . De - emphasizing the inept vizor is smart still . But the smartest move of all could be have the ( presumably visorless ) Zone into the biggest music awards show in the cosmos , where it might have a fortune to be photographed while worn by many of today ’s most influential music Godhead .
Will it be enough to transfer the Dyson Zone ’s fortunes ? That ’s still very much up in the atmosphere .
