Alienware Pro Headset review: Excellent with one fatal flaw

Alienware has long been a leader in gaming laptops, but in 2024, its impact on gaming accessories is what has blown me away. The Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Keyboard is extraordinary on its own, and the Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Mouse is still my favorite mouse — I haven’t stopped using it all year.

Alienware has expanded its Pro series to the world of audio with the launch of the Alienware Pro Headset, and I couldn’t have been more excited when I first got my hands on it. The headset continues to showcase Alienware’s quality at a whole new level with the Pro line, thanks to loud and crisp audio, excellent battery life, and great noise canceling. 

Unfortunately, unlike Alienware’s new keyboard and mouse, one major flaw ensures that I’ll never use it in my daily life. Keep reading to see if the Alienware Pro Headset is right for you.

Alienware Pro Headset: Price and configuration

The Alienware Pro Headset unsurprisingly fulfills the “Pro” in its name, reserved for those who prefer premium gaming accessories. It costs $229.99, the most expensive of the Pro lineup thus far. It doesn’t feature alternate configurations, but you can choose between a black or white color scheme. 

Alienware Pro Headset: Design

With a look that strikes the perfect balance between sleek and minimalist, the aesthetic of the Alienware Pro Headset is a massive success in headset design. The all-white finish of my model is uniform across the device, excluding the reflective silver Alienware logos on the back of each earcup.

Thankfully, Alienware continues to move away from the touch-imprecise volume controls in 2022’s Alienware Tri-Mode gaming headset. The Pro Headset boasts a physical knob that easily lets you control the volume. The knob is on last year’s Alienware AW720H gaming headset, so it was likely going to remain the case this year, but I’m still relieved it has a physical volume control.

On the left cup is a button to mute the microphone, accompanied by an audible notification informing the user whether it’s on or off. This is also the case for the Active Noise Canceling button, which cycles between on, off, and transparency modes, which notify the wearer through the speakers. I appreciate that the texture and size of the ANC button and microphone mute button are different, meaning you shouldn’t get confused about which is which, even while wearing the headset.

The Alienware Pro is also effective at blocking out noise without needing the ANC to be turned on, thanks to the design of its ear cups that create a tight seal during use. When I put the headset on, I can hear my heart beating while most outside noise is blocked.

On the right side are two switches, one of which toggles between on and off (for wireless use) and another between 2.4GHz mode (utilizing the included dongle) or Bluetooth 5.3 mode. You can also utilize a wired connection through a USB Type-C cable.

Weighing 0.7 pounds and measuring 8.1 x 5.9 x 3.5 inches, the Alienware Pro is light enough to wear it without being overbearing.

Alienware Pro Headset: Comfort

While it is designed to optimize comfort thanks to the phenomenally soft memory foam ear cups and headband, it boasts a depth and shape to form what Alienware calls “snug seal” around the ear. The “snug seal” benefits noise cancellation, but it is an absolute nightmare for those with sensitive ears like myself who struggle with noise cancellation and the pressure of tight headphones.

This isn’t a flaw on paper, as Alienware focused on achieving this intentionally. As written in Alienware’s announcement for the product, the earcups were designed to “form a snug seal around the ear to improve sound isolation and block outside noise.” However, this design won’t be for everyone, especially those with sensory issues.

The Alienware Pro Headset became so tightly sealed around my ears that its buttons pushed the headset deeper against my head, creating pressure reminiscent of taking off during an airplane flight or being thrust deep underground while on a train. I’ve never been comfortable using active noise canceling without a sharp pain in my ears, but even with the feature off, the headset is so tight that it mimics the pressure of ANC and yields an uncomfortable experience.

However, my sensitivity issue is mainly personal, and while I’ve met few people who have the same issues with ANC as I do. If you’re reading this thinking, “I’ve never had this issue with a gaming headset before,” you’ll just might fall in love with the Alienware Pro Headset’s incredibly soft memory foam cups that envelop your ear in its entirety. The headband is wonderfully comfortable. But the Alienware Pro Headset will be uncomfortable if you’re anything like me and have struggled with tight-fitting headsets or active noise canceling.

Alienware Pro Headset: Sound quality

Built with 50mm graphene-coated drivers, the Alienware Pro’s audio packs a punch. You can expect impactful, loud, and crisp sound that will absolutely crush any game, movie, or song thrown at it.

I launched Elden Ring and got goosebumps when I heard the title music’s magnificent assortment of drums and strings welcoming me into its epic world. My ears were graced with gentle breezes and the calming atmospheric strings that put me at ease, right up to the point when I charged at an enormous, fiery golem patrolling the area. As the explosive sound of its attacks resounded through the headset with impact and clarity, I was impressed that it never became scratchy or flat.

When listening to the technical death metal epic “To See Death Just Once" by Ulcerate, I was blown away by how crisp, punchy, and engrossing the Alienware Pro’s speakers were. It’s a complicated song with an abundance of instrumentation, yet amidst all the chaos, I could easily make out the individual guitar strums against the percussion, each of which boasted tangible impact. Best of all, I comfortably listened to the song at half volume, and when I really felt like getting into it, the maximum volume could get as loud as I hoped a gaming headset could.

My aforementioned sensory issues also caused problems with Transparency Mode on, as the headset plays audio gathered from the built-in microphone and plays it back through the speakers. However, those sensitive to harsh background noise will get more of a headache from this disorienting feature. It helps you hear what’s happening in your surroundings but is also a bit overwhelming.

Alienware Pro Headset: Microphone

I hopped in a call with my friend, and upon asking how I sounded, she simply described the microphone as “poor.” In my own tests, I recorded myself in Audacity and listened back, but I was disappointed by its muffled and flat audio. At the very least, I could easily hear what I was saying, so you don’t have to worry about the microphone making it difficult to communicate with friends online. Just don’t expect anything mind-blowing.

Alienware Pro Headset: Battery life

Alienware claims the headset boasts over 75 hours of battery life with ANC off, so I put it to the test to see how long it’d last on a single charge. It went from 100% to 0% over 89 hours and 15 minutes, although this wasn’t through constant use and was through multiple days of me utilizing the headset on and off. Regardless, this is quite the long-lasting device, so if you’re worried about the battery, it can last several days of use before needing a charge. 

Alienware Pro Headset: Software

The latest Alienware Command Center 6.4 update offers plenty of options for the Alienware Pro Headset. This includes settings relating to the equalizer, microphone, ANC, battery, and more. You can adjust the volume and swap between ANC modes off, on, and transparency here, although you can change those things on the headset itself. However, you can modify the transparency level between one and five in the settings.

In the microphone settings, users can modify input volume, utilize up to five sidetone levels (which allows you to hear yourself), and activate noise cancellation.

Its battery options feature an automatic threshold at which the headset will turn Active Noise Canceling off if it reaches a certain percentage. You can also set whether the device automatically enters sleep mode when not in use, from 15 minutes to 60 minutes.

Bottom line

While the Alienware Pro Headset boasts many positive qualities, including a snug fit that benefits its ANC capabilities, incredible sound quality, and soft memory foam cups, its uncomfortable tightness yields a headset I’d never use daily. I get a headache after using it for a couple of minutes, and how it naturally blocks out sound isn’t great for those with sensory issues around the ear.

However, if you’ve never had issues with ANC or overly tight headphones or haven’t experienced sensory sensitivity before, there’s no need to worry. The Alienware Pro is excellent; it’s just not for everyone.