Dyson Supersonic by Alvin Soon
Dyson Supersonic by Alvin Soon
Dyson wants to make a better hairdryer with the Supersonic. Yes, Dyson the company better known for its bag-less vacuum cleaners and blade-less fans. I’ve been using the Supersonic for the last three weeks, and it’s really something different; this hairdryer has some real tech. The Supersonic sports a new V9 digital motor, which is Dyson’s smallest (and is manufactured here in Singapore). The V9’s 13-impeller blades spin at up to 110,000 revolutions per minute, moving 13 liters of air through the diameter of a $1 coin every second.
The Supersonic also shares the Air Multiplier technology from Dyson’s blade-less fans, which draws in air from the back of the hairdryer and amplifies it by three times, creating a high-volume, high-velocity jet stream of air.
The serious tech solves the four pet peeves I have with hair drying and hairdryers. First, it’s not slow. The Supersonic dries my hair in record time, making my $70 hairdryer look and feel like a vintage antique.
Second, the Supersonic doesn’t scorch my scalp. It has a glass bead thermistor that measures the temperature of exiting air 20 times per second; a microprocessor then uses this data to regulate the temperature so the air never gets too hot.
Third, the Supersonic doesn’t feel like I’m holding an unwieldy pistol. Instead, its form makes me feels like I’m holding a light hammer. The weight is cleverly concentrated in the handle, instead of the top part like most hairdryers, so the center of gravity rests neatly in my grip, making it easy to swing around.
Lastly, the Supersonic doesn’t kill all conversations and wake everyone in the house. By using 13 impeller blades in the motor instead of the usual 11, the tones it makes are pushed to higher frequencies that humans can’t hear. The Supersonic isn’t whisper quiet, but you can still manage a few sentences over its highpitched whine.
There’s no question that the Supersonic is a superior hairdryer. But is it worth the substantial price tag?
Well, I can best put it this way: when it comes to unique products like the Supersonic, expensive becomes subjective. If I made twice my salary, I’d probably buy it, because it makes a daily chore more pleasant and done with in less time. But unfortunately, I don’t make double my salary, so I won’t be buying one.
CONCLUSION
The Supersonic is a superior hairdryer in every way, including its price.
AT A GLANCE
DIMENSIONS 245 x 78 x 97mm
WEIGHT 618g
PRICE $599
