Not an April Fool: Dyson announces apocalyptic filter-headphone combo

Enlarge / The near-final version of the upcoming Dyson Zone mask-and-headphones system. (credit: Dyson)

In an announcement timed dangerously close to April 1, Dyson confirmed this week that it is working on the Dyson Zone, one of the most intense consumer-facing masks we've ever seen. What's more, the company elected to combine this face-mounted air purifier with its first noise-canceling headphones—which contribute to the filtering process.

At least one outlet says it tested this perfect addition to your Mega Man cosplay project, which suggests this is an actual product and not an April Fool's joke. Curiously, the world's first face-on impressions of the device, as provided by The Verge, recount the company's press release spiel before getting to the heart of why a face-dominating system like the Dyson Zone has us apprehensive.

"The Zone headphones are very big and noticeably heavy," The Verge's Chaim Gartenberg says, and a single look at this head-mounted system clarifies why that might be the case.