Intended use case for Dyson Zone? | Dyson Community
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Intended use case for Dyson Zone?

H
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Hi,

I was curious why Dyson decided to pair headphones with air purification, to design this product. Dyson has done air purification, but not audio before to my knowledge. Why make this bet on air purification headphones when there are already n95 masks out there? 

I think I do see a long more young people wear over the ear headphones these days. Was the idea to add purification for those that enjoy listening to music on the go? I think I saw a photo of James Dyson wearing these on the Tube. I think wearing these in a stuffy or smelly subway, especially like NYC for example, would make sense. 

But only for those that are bold enough. Clearly these are very conspicuous devices, and I’m wondering what Dyson’s thoughts are on the willingness of people to wear something like this. I’m not sure if covid and the normalization of masks was related. 

Thank you,

Henry

Jack 9 months ago

Hi,

I was curious why Dyson decided to pair headphones with air purification, to design this product. Dyson has done air purification, but not audio before to my knowledge. Why make this bet on air purification headphones when there are already n95 masks out there? 

I think I do see a long more young people wear over the ear headphones these days. Was the idea to add purification for those that enjoy listening to music on the go? I think I saw a photo of James Dyson wearing these on the Tube. I think wearing these in a stuffy or smelly subway, especially like NYC for example, would make sense. 

But only for those that are bold enough. Clearly these are very conspicuous devices, and I’m wondering what Dyson’s thoughts are on the willingness of people to wear something like this. I’m not sure if covid and the normalization of masks was related. 

Thank you,

Henry

Hi @hhsuey,

With our extensive understanding of air pollution from our indoor purifiers, we began looking for a solution to protect against outdoor air pollution. Our history has also included audio research - starting with the sound our products make. We became increasingly aware of noise pollution through our work. People are already familiar with the headphone format and wear them on a daily basis – particularly in locations where they’re most exposed to pollution, like on public transport, walking down the street or on planes.

We’re not afraid to do things differently! Most Dyson products had striking designs when they were launched - like the original Dyson Air Multiplier™️ bladeless fan, or the Dyson Supersonic™️ hair dryer. For us, form follows function, and every piece of the Dyson Zone™️ headphones plays an integral part to the function of the product. We know it may not be the style for everyone but we've also seen from user trials that many find it beautiful.

Hope this helps!

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ernables
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since you posted this in the general section rather than emailing dyson direct, ill surmise you are open to general opinions and posts from the public.

ive had these phones since launch day, so a few months now. i live in LA where the air is not the best but certainly not like china or a smelly subway in NY. I use them every chance i get. ive posted myself wearing these out in the wild. i also wear them inside.

with all due respect, your post reads like you have not read any marketing material from dyson, as they state why they made these and to what demographic they are aimed at. this product does not filter out germs nor the coronavirus as it was in development for several years BEFORE the world saw carona, but you can add a n95 style mask to the unit.

since dyson are known for their filtration, why not make a product that “filters” the sound (with its noise cancelling feature) as well as the air around you? there are other products out there that do similar as to what dyson have done here, but dyson, in my opinion, did it much better.

the headphones are comfy to wear ( i am used to wearing large headphones -- the ones i wore prior to this are AKG N90Q) and the air smelllllsss frreessshhhhhhh… 

i could not care how i look wearing them. its disappointing to hear that people are afraid of how they look out in the wild to a stranger, but i am certainly not judging. . this product is definitely pushing the envelope and in time products like this will be more commonplace. someone had to create it , and dyson saw an opportunity.

Jack
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Userlevel 6
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Hi,

I was curious why Dyson decided to pair headphones with air purification, to design this product. Dyson has done air purification, but not audio before to my knowledge. Why make this bet on air purification headphones when there are already n95 masks out there? 

I think I do see a long more young people wear over the ear headphones these days. Was the idea to add purification for those that enjoy listening to music on the go? I think I saw a photo of James Dyson wearing these on the Tube. I think wearing these in a stuffy or smelly subway, especially like NYC for example, would make sense. 

But only for those that are bold enough. Clearly these are very conspicuous devices, and I’m wondering what Dyson’s thoughts are on the willingness of people to wear something like this. I’m not sure if covid and the normalization of masks was related. 

Thank you,

Henry

Hi @hhsuey,

With our extensive understanding of air pollution from our indoor purifiers, we began looking for a solution to protect against outdoor air pollution. Our history has also included audio research - starting with the sound our products make. We became increasingly aware of noise pollution through our work. People are already familiar with the headphone format and wear them on a daily basis – particularly in locations where they’re most exposed to pollution, like on public transport, walking down the street or on planes.

We’re not afraid to do things differently! Most Dyson products had striking designs when they were launched - like the original Dyson Air Multiplier™ bladeless fan, or the Dyson Supersonic™ hair dryer. For us, form follows function, and every piece of the Dyson Zone™ headphones plays an integral part to the function of the product. We know it may not be the style for everyone but we've also seen from user trials that many find it beautiful.

Hope this helps!

Jack - Dyson Community Manager
H
Userlevel 2
Badge +1

Thank you both! That helps. 

I also found this (https://www.dyson.com/newsroom/news/product/dyson-zone-announcement) after posting which is helpful too. As a side note, it seems like the device originally started as a backpack of some sort with even a mouthpiece! But my key takeaway was that it was decided somewhere (after the shift to headphones) that there must not be any face contact. To that end, the Dyson mostly delivers if you ignore the fact that the large cushions cover some percentage of the sides of the face. 

@ernables Thank you for your reply. I am aware that the Zone wasn’t made for covid. I mentioned n95 masks because they are highly effective in filtering PM 2.5. 

I think the device suits you well, particularly if don’t mind the looks. But handling the looks are only the surface of the problem. A greater concern is that the product might send the wrong message to the people around us that can’t afford it. I honestly would not feel good about looking back at a kid standing next to me when the air quality is bad (most days during the summer in Los Angeles, for example). Knowing what I know about the long term health ramifications long term, it would be make me very disappointed in myself. I would, however, feel somewhat better about wearing an n95 mask around because everyone can afford it, and it could potentially be a public reminder that masks do help with blocking air pollution, and that on a given day, the air might be bad. 

For Dyson, this could potentially hurt their brand. It does seem their at home purifiers have some following but also many naysayers. Perhaps the Zone is already a similar case for now. 

If it’s the fresh air smell you’re after, you can reduce odors with a mask that has an activated carbon layer. If it’s breathability, there’s ones that have a lower pressure drop. There is a Twitter user MaskNerd that documents all the masks and their pressure drops, and some are considerably lower than the typical n95, while still having the same filtration rates. 

@Jack C A visor is not something I have ever seen anyone wear unless for special situations. I think it takes a lot to convince the average person to wear something in public that is not typically worn. It’ll be interesting to see if this picks up. 

Perhaps there can be more affordable alternatives one day for those that want a breeze of fresh air into their mask. I think this is the central added value and newly created differentiator the Dyson brings. While this already exists with masks that have fans by large brands such as Phillips and LG, I think they are very limited in use outside of Asia. 

H
Userlevel 2
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I think that Dyson can make the product more appealing to most people if

  1. There were to be a visor that is considerably less conspicuous, or simply was a normal n95 mask in appearance that allows the headphones to provide a stream of air to effectively. 
  2. The cost was significantly reduced. $1000 is not competitive to most high end NC headphones (e.g. Apple, Sony) + mask (w/ active fans/cooling/vents). 
ernables
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my opinion. we all have one. :)

its a gen1 product so expect it to be the most expensive. it takes early adopters like myself to buy into it and provide feedback so Dyson R&D can improve. everything man made can be improved.

remember when people thought it was weird to wear a mask around?? now it's no big deal. beauty is in the eye of the beholder. there are people who have bought this who don't frequent social media who wear this and don't worry about what other people think, like myself. it is a niche product and quite unique in its appearance so it won't be for the masses-- not everything is. I don't like how the apple airpods/buds look in people's’ ears and i personally would not be caught dead wearing them because i think they are ugly and rubbish.

i bought my AKG N90Qs (quincy jones help design them) at MSRP which was $1500.00 back in 2016. look ‘em up. They are as big as the dysons and are quite gaudy with the all gold version (i have both versions of them). i wear those on planes, and everywhere i want sound. Some products are not going to be for everybody.

the dyson was in the design phase years before carona showed up, so this is why the n95 was not considered because it was not a big deal until 2020. perhaps the next version will have this design in mind -- you are welcome to send them feedback and request. im sure dyson are aware of how n95 masks are common place now...

ernables
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@hhsuey ,i understand your concerns and appreciate your compassion for others.

the “cat is out the bag” as they say , so these headphones are already out in the wild and being used by people. i've had people ask me what it was, how expensive it was, and “what else can it do?”, so there's people out there who are not afraid of asking and are curious about the product.

one does not have to wear the air filtration portion of the headset if they don't want to. to that end, it's a very nice set of headphones. 

This entire system works brilliant on a plane! this is exactly the perfect solution for that.

i dont feel we are (yet! :) ) living in such a dystopian world that people NEED to wear air filtration all the time, so i dont think people feel or DO feel “left out” or “less fortunate” if they are not able to purchase this product. I went for years and years living in LA through wildfires, hazy smoggy days and was able to breathe just fine, and have millions of other people. :)

im not a mask wearer. we can verbal joust all day about the pros and cons of mask wearing. the dyson product is not aimed at that market but they did include an n95 kit for those who may want it. 

most of the social media influencers and bloggers are panning the product , with most people just bandwagoning with them. this is unfortunate because the product works. this is why i hang out on this site as one of its satisfied users to try and give a different opinion about it from what these influencers say, who don't even use the product longer than a few days for their content.

we all have our own opinions about this product, and yours are valid. its so cool of you to make the effort to post up and offer your concerns and dialog. i wish you well. :)

H
Userlevel 2
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Thanks! Yes, I suppose to each their own here. I appreciate your friendliness. I know I’m a bit critical of the product and Dyson. I would like to see their products serve the greater good a bit better. Alas, that’s just my personal wishes. 

ernables
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@hhsuey 

i think they are watching this space and hear your concerns my friend. hey look, we are talking about it, and that's a good thing!!! 

i also want their products to succeed and as long as we can all have an open mind and a safe space to talk about improvements here, i think you and i may help them make version 2 even better.

 

cheers! 🕺

H
Userlevel 2
Badge +1

I think that Dyson can make the product more appealing to most people if

  1. There were to be a visor that is considerably less conspicuous, or simply was a normal n95 mask in appearance that allows the headphones to provide a stream of air to effectively. 
  2. The cost was significantly reduced. $1000 is not competitive to most high end NC headphones (e.g. Apple, Sony) + mask (w/ active fans/cooling/vents). 

Looks like the price is now $800/$700 in the USA. 

H
Userlevel 2
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Seems like Dyson is changing the marketing of the headphones, at least on the product pages. The focus used to be on air purification, and air purification was mentioned at the very top of the page. Now, the focus is on noise cancellation, and air purification is not mentioned until near the bottom. You need to do some scrolling before you ever see the visor. 

Perhaps the most telling change is the name used to be “Dyson Zone™ headphones with air purification”, but now it is called “Dyson Zone™ noise-cancelling headphones” 

Before:

After:

H
Userlevel 2
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Now on sale at $300 off for $500, which is $500 less than the launch price of the Absolute+. The $300 drop is also the biggest for their current Black Friday sale. 

 

ernables
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yeah i got an email about it a few days ago. good deal. was only a matter of time before they reduced the price, especially for the holidays.

im still tickled pink i was able to get one as soon as they went live. ive enjoyed these headphones immensely. 😎

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