What you need to know
- Dell has announced a lineup of new headsets focused on productivity and office use.
- The top of the heap is undoubtedly the Dell Pro Wireless ANC Headset, which boasts up to 78 hours of battery life, an optional charging dock, and hybrid ANC.
- There's also a wired variant of the headset with a similar premium design and the same AI-powered noise canceling microphone.
- For the budget-conscious, more affordable alternatives to each headset were also announced, and it's all being released over the next few days.
It's often overlooked just how important a great, reliable headset can be for many jobs. Being able to isolate yourself from the droning white noise of the office and effectively communicate both with customers and coworkers is vital, and Dell's latest announcement aims to give workers the perfect headset to handle it all. Four new headsets are dropping in the next few days, and each is carefully designed for the office.
One headset absolutely stands out from the crowd, and impressed Windows Central's Daniel Rubino when he saw it in person. The Dell Pro Wireless ANC Headset (WL5024) is a high-end wireless headset with an impressive list of features. It boasts a premium two-tone design with user-replaceable ear cushions, up to a staggering 78 hours of battery life, and a unique hybrid active noise canceling (ANC) system that combines feed-forward and feed-back ANC to greatly improve overall noise reduction. There will even be an optional fast charging dock.
Almost as impressive is the Dell Pro Wired ANC Headset (WH5024), which obviously dons a wired connection but still features the same AI-powered noise canceling microphone with flip-to-mute functionality, the same smart sensors that can pause and play your media or mute and resume your call when you remove or put on the headset, the same integration and quick pairing through Dell's software, and the same guaranteed compatibility with Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and more.
Honestly, I think both these headsets look great, and I'm especially interested in the premium WL5024 wireless headset. I'm curious how effective the active noise canceling will actually be considering the design of the ear cushions, and how long the battery will last with that ANC enabled. Dell also announced non-pro variants of these headsets that drop a lot of the high-end features, but do dramatically cut down the price a solid amount (although the WL5024 is surprisingly close in price to its much less cable little sibling, the WL3024).
The Dell Pro Wireless ANC Headset (WL5024) and Pro Wired ANC Headset (WH5024) will be available from Jan. 30 for $287.49 and $137.49, respectively. The Dell Wireless Headset (WL3024) and Wired Headset (WH3024) are available starting today for $62.49 and $199.99, respectively. Replaceable ear cushions go on sale alongside their compatible headsets and start at $19.99, while the Dell Pro Wireless ANC Headset's fast charging stand will be available from Feb. 29 for $49.99.
Exciting potential for those that need a good headset
Most great pairs of headphones focus more on media consumption, skimping on important features like software compatibility and a high-quality microphone. Gaming headsets can feature outlandish designs, charge you for gaming-centric features you won't use in the office, or skimp on useful features like active noise canceling. I'm intrigued by Dell's new lineup, which looks great and has all the features any worker (remote or office-bound) could use.
Will these headsets be comfortable to wear for many hours at a time? Will they sound good for more than just voice chats? Will the experience of using and managing them be intuitive and reliable? These are all questions that can only be answered after actually using the headsets, but the new 2024 Dell Headset lineup definitely shows a lot of promise.
