Lifestyle

90 days with the Dyson OnTrac

Shutting the world in style

Published

October 29, 2025

MJ Jucutan

There are days when the world gets a little too loud, like when every honk or notification feels like a personal attack. Even as an extrovert, I sometimes crave the quiet.

Sure, I love people and the chatter inside cafés, but there are moments when I want to turn the volume of life all the way down with a pair of headphones. Although, I’ve never really been a “headphones person.”

The last time I owned a pair was back in 2017-2018. A Sony H.Ear On 2 and an Mpow H5 that saw brief daylight before I decided I preferred the freedom of earbuds. Then came wireless earbuds, and eventually open-ear ones, which suited my lifestyle perfectly.

But maybe this is what growing older does to you. You start craving peace like it’s a luxury item. Because for the past three months, I’ve been living with the Dyson OnTrac.

And now that the honeymoon phase is over, I can say it plainly: I love everything about it, except a few things.

That Dyson DNA

The first time I saw the Dyson OnTrac, it didn’t even look like a gadget. It looked like something you’d wear with a crisp blazer or bring into an airport lounge. It’s unmistakably Dyson: minimal yet distinct.

Mine came in Copper, which felt like it was made for me. It matches my gold earrings and necklaces perfectly, as if it was designed to live in my wardrobe.

That’s the thing about Dyson. They make technology feel personal, like a statement piece that just happens to have a power button.

Even the small details feel intentional. The outer caps and ear cushions can be swapped for colors of your choice, and those cushions — soft and made from microfiber — hug your ears like velvet clouds.

The OnTrac is so comfortable that I’ve worn it through entire flights and long editing sessions without a single ache or hint of warmth. It never clamps too tightly, either.

My only complaint? It’s oddly designed when you want to rest it on your neck. You have to flip it so it lays flat against your collarbones. Otherwise, the ear cups sit awkwardly and press against your neck.

It’s not a dealbreaker, but it’s… fussy. Beautiful, yes, but impractical in that “fashion before function” kind of way.

Still, that comfort kept me company from my flight to Hong Kong to my bus ride into Shenzhen. It was so light, I almost forgot I was wearing it. Almost.

And that battery life — 55 hours, give or take — held up. I didn’t even need to charge it while traveling from Hong Kong to Zhengzhou and back to the Philippines.

The silence I needed

Wearing the OnTrac, I couldn’t hear the hum of the plane’s engine, the crying baby, or the chatty group behind me on the bus. Its Active Noise Cancellation is easily one of the best I’ve tried.

It feels like being inside a bubble, a little world of your own. Only a few pairs of headphones can deliver this kind of isolation without feeling suffocating. You know that eerie stillness where you start hearing your own thoughts? It’s like that, but gentler.

Of course, there are better options for pure noise-cancelling performance, but none of them look this good doing it.

The OnTrac also automatically pauses when you take it off, which I love. It’s the closest thing to someone gently turning down the world for you.

Through the MyDyson app, you can tweak your experience. You can adjust isolation levels, switch between transparency modes, and decide how much of the outside world you want to let in. It’s thoughtful and seamless, exactly what you’d expect from Dyson.

The sound I didn’t want

There’s more to tweak in the MyDyson app, including a sound exposure monitor and an adjustable equalizer with four modes: Enhanced, Bass Boost, Neutral, and Custom. I tried them all. I really did. And yet, the sound never quite came alive.

Despite its brilliance in design and noise control, the OnTrac sounds… flat. It’s clean, but too clean that it’s lacking depth and warmth. The vocals don’t quite have texture, and the bass feels subdued. Even my colleagues noticed as we compared it to the more affordable Sony WH-1000XM6 and JBL Tour One M3.

Somehow, the OnTrac falls short. It’s not bad. It’s just not enough for the price Dyson asks. It’s like ordering a luxury dessert and realizing it looks exquisite, but doesn’t melt the way you hoped.

Price and availability

The Dyson OnTrac retails for US$ 499 / PhP 32,900 in the Philippines. It’s available in CNC Black Nickel and CNC Copper.

You can personalize it further with ear cushions (PhP 3,500) in colors like Oyster Pink, Khaki, Chrome Yellow, Prussian Blue, and Ultra Blue.

The outer caps (PhP 3,500) are also swappable, with options like Ceramic Blue, Coarse Titanium, and Ceramic Cinnabar.
Even the braided Aux cable with an in-flight adapter feels premium, though it’ll set you back PhP 2,000.

Is the Dyson OnTrac your GadgetMatch?

It’s rare to find a pair of headphones that feel as much like a fashion statement as a functional device. The Dyson OnTrac is exactly that — a piece of wearable art that lets you shut the world out in style.

If you see headphones as an extension of how you carry yourself and not just a tool for listening, then this could easily be a Swipe Right.

That is, if you have a little money to burn. Maybe the comfort, aesthetics, and excellent ANC are enough to make you splurge.

But if you’re after a rich, dynamic sound profile, looks alone won’t do. It’s automatically a Swipe Left, as there are better options out there. Both the JBL Tour One M3 and Sony WH-1000XM6 sound fuller and more balanced for less.

Maybe that’s the irony of the OnTrac. It perfects the art of silence but forgets the poetry of sound. Still, every time I slip it on, it feels like I’m putting the world on mute.

And for now, that’s the kind of peace I’m willing to pay for.

Lifestyle

What a day at Masungi GeoReserve taught me about a smartphone’s durability

Captured through the lens of the Redmi Note 15 Pro+ 5G!

Published

February 4, 2026

Her and Noela

Xiaomi Philippines brought the Redmi Note 15 Series to Masungi GeoReserve to see how it holds up when the terrain is uneven.

Through the REDMI Titan Quest, we were brought into limestone paths and forest trails where dust settles fast and footing rarely stays predictable.

The day started with uneven ground beneath my feet and a phone that stayed out of my pocket. At Masungi GeoReserve, there was no reason to baby anything.

I spent the morning hiking and climbing, stopping only when something felt worth capturing using the Redmi Note 15 Pro+ 5G.

Wide frames captured the scale of Masungi’s rock formations and open viewpoints.

Closer shots focused on textures, stone, and other details along the path. The 200-megapixel AI-powered camera system made it easy to move between 1x and 4x focal ranges as the light shifted throughout the day.

Power also never became a concern. With a 6,500mAh battery and 100W HyperCharge technology, the REDMI Note 15 Pro+ 5G kept up through hours of being outdoors.

Really ‘Titan Tough’

Durability showed itself early. Dirt clung to the device, and there were small knocks along the way that felt normal for a trail like this. Nothing cracked, of course.

A Titan Tough Durability Station later reinforced what the hike already proved; that dust and water resistance, and drop protection matter most in activities like this.

Designed for days like this, the REDMI Titan Structure, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2, and fiberglass back panels create a phone that feels ready for impact.

The Pro+ variant I’ve been carrying also supports drop resistance of up to 2.5 meters, which feels reassuring.

The Titan Quest builds on earlier REDMI Titan Lab durability tests, where toughness was measured under controlled conditions. On the trail, those results felt tangible.

Availability

The REDMI Note 15 Series is available through Xiaomi’s official stores on Shopee and Lazada. Select models come with bundled accessories, gift sets, and digital perks such as three months of Spotify Premium and a three-month 100 GB cloud storage plan.

The series includes Xiaomi Philippines’ No. 1 protection package, covering a four-year battery warranty, two-year liquid damage and exterior protection, and a two-year standard warranty.

Entertainment

Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 premieres in April

The animated series is set between seasons two and three.

Published

February 3, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Stranger Things is over. After years of success, the long-running series finally reached its definitive conclusion. But if you thought Netflix would easily let its biggest cash cow go, then you’d be mistaken. Barely a month after the final episode, the franchise is back with an animated spinoff called Stranger Things: Tales from ’85.

The animated series, which oddly features a new cast to voice the characters, is not a continuation of the concluded story. Rather, it’s a midquel set during the winter between the second and third seasons. Despite closing off a gate to the Upside Down, Eleven and the gang discover that some monsters are still lurking around in their world.

Because we already know what happens up until the very end, there’s hardly any tension. That said, and based on the show’s subtitle, the animated series might be a creature-of-the-week adventure. However, Eric Robles, who will run the series, says that saving Hawkins is still a major plot point.

The Duffer Brothers, who will be executive producers, says that it was a challenge to feature monsters after the events of the main show’s second season. The show will still have a substantial story, though.

For now, we’ll have a bit of a reprieve from everything Stranger Things (or time to catch up with everything, if you prefer). Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 will premiere on April 23.

Entertainment

BTS returns with global live comeback event on Netflix this March

BTS reunites live worldwide

Published

February 3, 2026

GadgetMatch

Netflix has officially announced BTS THE COMEBACK LIVE | ARIRANG, a global livestream event set for March 21, 2026. This marks the group’s first full reunion performance since completing South Korea’s mandatory military service.

Streaming live exclusively on Netflix, the event will air at 8 PM KST (or 4 AM PST and 7 AM EST). It will broadcast worldwide from the historic Gwanghwamun in Seoul. The performance celebrates the release of BTS’ fifth studio album, ARIRANG.

Netflix partnered with HYBE to bring the seven-member group back to the stage. This is being positioned as a landmark global comeback. RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook will reunite onstage for the first time as a complete group since their hiatus.

The live special will be directed by Hamish Hamilton and produced by Done + Dusted, with executive producers including HYBE, BIGHIT MUSIC, Guy Carrington, Garrett English, and Kevin Hermanson. Netflix confirmed that the event will be ticketed, with further details to be announced at a later date.

A symbolic return in Seoul

The choice of Gwanghwamun as the livestream location adds symbolic weight to the comeback. One of Seoul’s most historic public spaces, the setting reflects the themes explored in ARIRANG. It is an album described as deeply reflective and rooted in identity, heritage, and renewal.

The album announcement arrives alongside confirmation of the ARIRANG World Tour, scheduled to run from 2026 to 2027. The tour will span 34 regions and include 82 shows. This will happen across Asia, North and Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and additional territories.

Together, the album and live event mark the start of a new chapter for BTS. This follows years of solo activities and military enlistment. The comeback positions the group not just as returning idols, but as artists re-entering the global stage with a renewed sense of perspective.

Netflix expands its live ambitions

BTS THE COMEBACK LIVE | ARIRANG also represents a milestone for Netflix. It will be the platform’s first-ever live global broadcast originating from South Korea, further expanding its growing slate of live programming.

The event joins a lineup that already includes live specials. These are Skyscraper Live, Star Search, Jake vs Joshua, WWE Raw, NFL Christmas Gameday, and major boxing and sports events. Netflix has also confirmed upcoming live coverage of MLB games, the FIFA Women’s World Cup, and The Actor Awards.

With BTS leading the charge, Netflix continues to test the limits of live global entertainment beyond traditional sports and reality formats.

A documentary follows days later

Just days after the livestream, Netflix will release BTS: THE RETURN, a feature-length documentary premiering on March 27, 2026.

Directed by Bao Nguyen, the film chronicles the group’s long-awaited reunion and the making of ARIRANG. The documentary follows BTS as they reunite in Los Angeles. Watch as they create new music, navigating personal change, shared history, and the challenge of beginning again after time apart.

Produced by This Machine, HYBE, and EAST Films, the documentary promises unprecedented access to the group’s creative process. It explores moments of doubt, reflection, and rediscovery as BTS shape what is positioned as a defining album of their career.

Intimate and emotional in tone, BTS: THE RETURN frames the comeback not just as a pop culture moment, but as a story of resilience, brotherhood, and reinvention—one shaped by time, growth, and the weight of global expectation.

For millions of fans worldwide, March 2026 marks not just a return, but the beginning of BTS’ next era.