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A whole new generation of audio headsets is about to be launched on the market, at the beginning of 2023. Not content with eradicating unwanted noise, they are also supposed to protect you from gases, allergens, viruses and other fine particles dangerous to health.
Last spring, the manufacturer Dyson had already announced a prototype of headphones that also act as an air purifier. It is a finalized version of these high-fidelity headphones with active noise reduction and air purification that will go on sale from January 2023, first in China, then in the United States, in United Kingdom, Hong Kong and Singapore where it is announced at 949 dollars. No date is yet scheduled for a release in France.
The particularity of this helmet will be its detachable visor, which projects purified air towards the user’s nose and mouth. It includes various electrostatic filters capable of capturing up to 99% of polluting particles 0.1 micron thick. Other potassium-enriched carbon filters target the most common acid gases associated with urban pollution, as well as bad odours. These filters will obviously have to be changed, but would have a lifespan of nearly 12 months according to the manufacturer. Note that for maximum comfort, the speed of the air flow can be controlled, as of course the sound quality, from a dedicated mobile application.
For the rest, the Dyson Zone has an advanced noise reduction system, up to 38 dB, with no less than 11 built-in microphones. Note that the headphones display up to 50 hours of autonomy in audio mode, but only 4 hours in purification and audio mode combined.
The result is, unsurprisingly, not very discreet. If its users breathe clean, they’ll also look like Bane’s distant cousins in “Mad Max: Fury Road.” In the “improbable look” genre, this helmet therefore joins Razer’s sanitary mask, intended to protect against Covid-19 and other viruses.
As a reminder, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 9 out of 10 people in the world breathe polluted air.