Customer Ratings & Reviews

TLDR: The new Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Headset has decent sound quality, but poor Active Noise Cancellation performance, poor mic sound quality, and odd interference on its 2.4GHz channel makes this a NOT RECOMMENDED buy. KEY SPECS AND CONNECTIVITY 50mm Graphene Drivers 20 – 40kHz Frequency Response Up to 75hrs of Battery Life Bluetooth 5.3 / 2.4GHz Wireless Dongle / USB-C Connectivity Fast Charging. 15 minutes = up to 8hrs of playback SET-UP AND CONFIGURATION Dell’s new Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Headset is configured through its simple and intuitive Alienware Command Center. Simplicity in every sense of the word. So simple that it almost looks outdated and out of place. But that simplicity is also its strong suite. EXTREMELY easy to use, easy to configure your devices, with a logical and straightforward design that many manufacturers have long since forgotten. Included with purchase, is access (pun intended) to the Dolby Access app. This allows use of Dolby Atmos with the Alienware. The Atmos app allows for multi-dimensional audio playback via 2 drivers. Not sure how Dolby does it, but their wizardry turns a pair of stereo headphones into a pseudo 7.1 surround sound system. Clever and effective. One thing that Alienware needs applauded for is its layout and labeling of buttons, switches, and dials. Unlike some of my other gaming headsets, the AW Pros are neatly labeled and simple to use. There is no guessing at what switch, or button does what. There is just enough tactile difference to easily identify which item you are looking for without removing the headset and guessing. Yes, I know that once you own a headset for a bit, you quickly learn them, but when you are just starting out with a new set of cans, this is very helpful. These are the simplest and easiest to use headphones right out of the box I have in my collection. AUDIO QUALITY This is where things start to go downhill for the Alienware. While the big 50mm drivers offer big sound, it isn’t with a great deal of tact or finesse. Game sounds are clear and detailed. The addition of Dolby Atmos makes a big difference during gameplay as audio literally sounds like its coming at you from every direction. Dolby technology allows a 3-dimensional soundstage that makes competitive gameplay much more engaging and entertaining. You can hear folks sneaking up behind you or trying to snipe you ahead in the distance. Sound quality is good, and others’ chat audio is clean and intelligible. Using the AW Pros for movies or music is where things fall apart for me. There is a strange inference issue between the headphones and the transmitter. While it is isn’t constant and only intermittent, the interference occurs often enough to be distracting. Updating the device firmware did not solve the problem. Unplugging all other 2.4GHz transmitters from the PC did help some, but did not eliminate the issue entirely. I have had this issue with some of my other headphones too, but usually a firmware update resolves the problems. It didn’t with the Alienware. Secondly. There is an odd bass boost that gets triggered when you turn on ANC. I’m not sure what it is and why. I use ANC all the time when I use my headsets. This may be the cause of the issue I mentioned above too. For whatever reason, bass response increases significantly once you turn on ANC. To be fair to Alienware, that may be what sounds like interference I mentioned above. It may simply be distortion from the over-active and too aggressive bass profiles. Third. For me, a good ANC algorithm is a must. Even in a quiet environment like my house, I still use ANC. It helps drown out ambient sounds like the heat, A/C, traffic, or case and video card cooling fans that often ramp up during demanding gaming sessions. ANC just helps me isolate myself from the outside world and the increased quietness is calming, whether it be working, gaming, browsing etc. The problem with the Alienware Pros is that the ANC algorithms make a constant compression / pumping sound inside the headphones. The quieter it is, the more obvious it becomes. This is not an Alienware specific issue, some of Alienware’s competitors' products do it too, but not the good ones. Most high-quality set of cans have good ANC performance without the added artifacts, especially at this price point. MICROPHONE As good as I find the headphones are for gaming, the mic quality is merely average at best. Audio is thin and distant sounding. Not nearly as realistic and natural sounding as Alienware’s competition. While the audio is clear and intelligible; it just isn’t natural sounding. CONCLUSIONS The Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Headset is a two-trick pony. They do a decent job at gaming. Sound quality is good, and the addition of Dolby Atmos makes games feel enveloping and even more realistic. Bass response from the 50mm drivers is deep and a person would be hard pressed to find a better frequency response from a set of gaming headphones. Battery life is exceptional. Up to a whopping 75hrs. The AW Pros last nearly twice as long as my current go-to gaming headset, even with ANC turned on and using the 2.4GHz dongle. Alienware should be commended on their exceptional battery performance. However, when I use the Alienware Pros for anything but a rowdy, action-packed gaming adventure, the weaknesses of the Alienware quickly rear their ugly heads. I don’t like wearing them for music listening. That odd interference / bass distortion is too distracting for me. While not constant, it is frequent enough to ruin a good song. I wish I could figure it out. While I don’t notice it using the Bluetooth connection so much, I do notice it with the transmitter and that shouldn’t happen. Nor should I have to switch between Bluetooth and the 2.4GHz dongle to eliminate the weaknesses with the product. I don’t have to with other cans that I have. Unfortunately, I can’t wear the Alienware Pros for work. The ANC compression artifacts are just too distracting for me. It is like a constant thrumming in your ears. It is also not tied specifically to just the dongle or Bluetooth. It is present with any of the available connection methods. For me, these artifacts are even distracting while gaming. That same thrumming sound is apparent is games without a lot of ambient environmental noise as well. The last two negatives seal the deal for me. My headphones can’t be good at just one thing. If I’m going to invest in a set of headphones, they must be good, all-around performers. The Alienware Pros don’t do it for me. If I were using them strictly for gaming, I MIGHT be able to give them a recommendation, but I don’t use any of my headphones strictly for gaming. Until they can work out the odd bass performance / interference issues, and odd ANC behavior, I can’t recommend the AW Pros. There are too many better headsets available at this price point to give these a recommendation. NOT RECOMMENDED