Dyson's OnTrac headphones are discounted to AU$299 — as an audio expert, these are the 3 over-ears I would recommend instead

It’s been just over two years since Dyson introduced its second pair of headphones, the OnTrac, to the world.

<![CDATA[ <article> <p>It’s been just over two years since Dyson introduced its second pair of headphones, the OnTrac, to the world. While they were a significant improvement — both in terms of sound and general design — over the Zone, I ultimately found in my <a href="https://www.techradar.com/audio/headphones/dyson-ontrac-review">Dyson OnTrac review</a> that they still couldn’t quite challenge the class leaders — namely Sony and Bose.</p><p>A strong factor in that realisation was their exorbitant AU$799 price tag. Not only was that too much for the Dyson headphones (regardless of brand name), it also allowed other manufacturers to charge AU$700 or more for their premium cans — here’s looking at you, Sony, Bose and Sennheiser. </p><p>Now, two years later, the Dyson OnTrac has plummeted to a much more acceptable AU$299 during <a href="https://www.dyson.com.au/deals">Dyson’s Spring Sale event</a>. At this price, I think they’re worth a look. The noise cancellation is very good, and a 55-hour battery life gives them greater stamina than the closest competitors. I also can’t really fault the ability to customise them, since it’s a feature that’s still pretty unique. That being said, they’re incredibly heavy, so I found I could only wear them for short stints.</p><div class="product"><a data-dimension112="40187fc0-b244-11f1-bb4a-a944e79d195b" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="OnTrac" data-dimension48="OnTrac" data-dimension25="$299" href="https://www.dyson.com.au/products/wearables/ontrac/shop-all/ontrac-headphones-cnc-aluminium" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><figure class="van-image-figure " ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1494px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:100.00%;"><img id="rhMKKnBPfeZwBqkXBSuXij" name="Dyson OnTrac" caption="" alt="" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/rhMKKnBPfeZwBqkXBSuXij-1920-80.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1494" height="1494" attribution="" endorsement="" credit="" class=""></p></div></div></figure></a><p>At this price, the Dyson OnTrac becomes a lot easier to recommend, although I’d still tread with caution. Their looks may make them stand out from the crowd, but where audio quality is concerned, they can be beaten. Although I don’t see them getting any cheaper, even during <a href="https://www.techradar.com/black-friday/black-friday-australia" data-dimension112="40187fc0-b244-11f1-bb4a-a944e79d195b" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="OnTrac" data-dimension48="OnTrac" data-dimension25="$299">Black Friday 2026 sales in Australia</a> later this year.<a class="view-deal button" href="https://www.dyson.com.au/products/wearables/ontrac/shop-all/ontrac-headphones-cnc-aluminium" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" data-dimension112="40187fc0-b244-11f1-bb4a-a944e79d195b" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="OnTrac" data-dimension48="OnTrac" data-dimension25="$299">View Deal</a></p></div><ul><li><em>Check out the latest </em><a href="https://en-au.techradar.com/coupons/dyson"><em>Dyson AU discount codes</em></a><em> for more chances to save.</em></li></ul><p>However, for your AU$300, or thereabouts, you’re not short of great alternatives. So, if you’ve got a burning desire to invest in a new set of mid-priced headphones, take a look at my top recommendations below. </p><p>Do note that <a href="https://www.techradar.com/seasonal-sales/amazon-announces-prime-big-deal-days-dates-for-2026-in-australia-and-the-sale-is-earlier-than-expected">Amazon recently announced dates for its Prime Big Deal Days</a> sales event. If experience is anything to go by, there’s a good chance my three recommended pairs of headphones below could receive bigger discounts when <a href="https://www.techradar.com/au/amazon-prime-day/new-prime-day-deals">Prime Big Deal Days</a> kicks off, but they’re worth every cent even right now. </p><div class="product"><a data-dimension112="4018813c-b244-11f1-9239-eb0aa5aa5696" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="Headphone (a)" data-dimension48="Headphone (a)" data-dimension25="$197.47" href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Nothing-Headphone-Cancelling-Headphones-Bluetooth/dp/B0G6L57FHV/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><figure class="van-image-figure " ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:500px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:100.00%;"><img id="YHreahz6Qiw9zJsRWfTbeH" name="nothing-headphone-a-2026-new-adaptive-ac-cc31fb98-ae81-469a-b189-1f15c35a961a.jpg" caption="" alt="" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YHreahz6Qiw9zJsRWfTbeH-1920-80.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="500" height="500" attribution="" endorsement="" credit="" class=""></p></div></div></figure></a><p>For just under AU$200 (for the white model), the Nothing Headphone (a) are a terrific buy. A vast improvement over the Headphone (1), this newer set delivers a detailed, expansive soundstage coupled with good noise cancellation. Plus, their 135-hour battery life eclipses the OnTrac by some margin. <a class="view-deal button" href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Nothing-Headphone-Cancelling-Headphones-Bluetooth/dp/B0G6L57FHV/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" data-dimension112="4018813c-b244-11f1-9239-eb0aa5aa5696" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="Headphone (a)" data-dimension48="Headphone (a)" data-dimension25="$197.47">View Deal</a></p></div><div class="product"><a data-dimension112="401881a0-b244-11f1-9458-5f3d16e97d7e" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="QuietComfort SC" data-dimension48="QuietComfort SC" data-dimension25="$349.99" href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Bose-QuietComfort-Cancelling-Headphones-Bluetooth/dp/B0CXJBH48R/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><figure class="van-image-figure " ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1470px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:100.07%;"><img id="oBLf55ZRzBd4yCpj5wwX2M" name="bose-quietcomfort-sc" caption="" alt="" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/oBLf55ZRzBd4yCpj5wwX2M-1920-80.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1470" height="1471" attribution="" endorsement="" credit="" class=""></p></div></div></figure></a><p><strong><a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Bose-QuietComfort-Cancelling-Headphones-Bluetooth/dp/B0CXJBH48R/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" data-dimension112="401881a0-b244-11f1-9458-5f3d16e97d7e" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="QuietComfort SC" data-dimension48="QuietComfort SC" data-dimension25="$349.99">QuietComfort SC: was $499.95 now $349.99</a></strong><br>Nearly as good as the premium QuietComfort Ultra, the SC misses out on the Immersive Audio mode — though they do come with a soft case. They have dropped to well below AU$300 before, which could happen during the next Prime Day sales event. <a class="view-deal button" href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Bose-QuietComfort-Cancelling-Headphones-Bluetooth/dp/B0CXJBH48R/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" data-dimension112="401881a0-b244-11f1-9458-5f3d16e97d7e" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="QuietComfort SC" data-dimension48="QuietComfort SC" data-dimension25="$349.99">View Deal</a></p></div><div class="product"><a data-dimension112="40188204-b244-11f1-bf63-5f487451d7cf" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="WH-1000XM5" data-dimension48="WH-1000XM5" data-dimension25="$395" href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Sony-WH-1000XM5-Cancelling-Headphones-Multipoint/dp/B09ZFD9CBB/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><figure class="van-image-figure " ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:500px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:100.00%;"><img id="PQshEPVKhZm7Na5VvEoqqZ" name="Sony WH-1000XM5 Deal Block.jpg" caption="" alt="" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/PQshEPVKhZm7Na5VvEoqqZ-1920-80.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="500" height="500" attribution="" endorsement="" credit="" class=""></p></div></div></figure></a><p>If your budget can stretch, the Sony WH-1000XM5 will reward you with superior sound quality, incredible comfort and excellent ANC. They’re comfortable to wear for long periods and benefit from a smartphone app that opens up a huge world of customisation.<a class="view-deal button" href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Sony-WH-1000XM5-Cancelling-Headphones-Multipoint/dp/B09ZFD9CBB/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" data-dimension112="40188204-b244-11f1-bf63-5f487451d7cf" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="WH-1000XM5" data-dimension48="WH-1000XM5" data-dimension25="$395">View Deal</a></p></div><div data-widget-type="multimodelreview" data-model-name="Dyson OnTrac,Nothing Headphone (a),Bose QuietComfort Headphones,Sony WH-1000XM5"></div> </article> ]]>