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A WHOLE new generation of headphones is about to hit the market in early 2023. Not content with cutting out unwanted noise, they promise to protect the wearer from gases, allergens, viruses and other potentially harmful fine particles.
Back in the spring, the manufacturer Dyson revealed a prototype for a pair of audio headphones that also acted as an air purifier.
It is a finalised version of these high-fidelity headphones with active noise reduction and air purification that is now due to go on sale in January 2023, first in China, then in the United States, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong and Singapore, priced at US$949 (about RM4,170).
The distinguishing feature of these headphones is their 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 pollutant particles up to 0.1 micron in thickness.
Other filters, with potassium-enriched carbon, target the most common acidic gases associated with urban pollution, as well as unpleasant smells. These filters will obviously have to be changed, but will have a lifespan of almost 12 months, the manufacturer states.
Note that for maximum comfort, the speed of the airflow can be controlled, as can the sound quality, via a dedicated mobile application.
Otherwise, the Dyson Zone has an advanced noise reduction system, offering up to 38 dB of noise cancellation, and no less than 11 integrated microphones.
Note that the headphones have up to 50 hours of battery life in audio mode, dropping to just four hours in combined air purifying and audio mode.
Unsurprisingly, the final design is anything but discreet. In fact, while users may breathe healthier air, they will also have to endure looking like a distant relative of Bane from "Mad Max: Fury Road."
In a similar style, Razer's high-tech face mask promises to provide protection against Covid-19 and other viruses.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that 9 out of 10 people in the world breathe polluted air. – ETX Daily Up, December 9, 2022
