Dyson's high-tech headphones go on sale next month, and they're predictably pricey

After months of hype, Dyson's space-age air filtering Dyson Zone noise cancelling headphones go on sale next month, on the 17th of May. There are two versions, Ultra Blue/Prussian Blue and Prussian Blue/Bright Copper, and they'll be available online at Dyson's own website and in Dyson Demo Stores. We've yet to discover if they're up there with the very best headphones, but they're definitely the best Dyson ones.

The price confirms previous reports: you'll pay £749.99 for the blue/blue model and £819.99 for the blue/copper one. That latter option gives you a second pair of filters, a different case and an in-flight adaptor.

So what else do you get for your money?

What's good about the Dyson Zone headphones?

The Dyson Zone are the first headphones to include a built-in air purifier. Whichever version you get, you'll get a USB-C charging cable, carry case or travel case (depending on model), a sleeve to protect eh visor and a cleaning brush.

We've tested the Dyson Zone headphones a couple of times now, and in our Dyson Zone hands on review we found that they're much more comfortable than they look – although it's important to stress that the air purification that makes them look so strange won't make you COVID-proof, as it's there to remove particles and gases, not bacteria or viruses.

As for the actual headphone bits there's an impressive 6Hz-21KHz frequency range with exceptionally low distortion and an 11-microphone noise cancelling system that checks the ambient audio around you some 384,000 times per second. 

As Duncan Bell wrote, these are the wackiest-looking things we've seen in years – but then again I scoffed at the original AirPods so perhaps I'm not the best judge of fashionability. But for me the design is as much of a problem as the price tag: I do think the Zone looks rather like someone's taken one of the best Dyson cordless vacuums and stuck it to somebody's head. 

But then, these aren't aimed at me: they're aimed at relatively affluent or at least free-spending city dwellers and commuters who'd rather not breathe rancid air on the way to and from work. Will they be a hit? I have absolutely no idea. But they're definitely innovative and interesting.