When I first unboxed the Dell Pro Premium Wireless ANC Headset, I had that moment of, “Okay, this looks premium… weirdly, like my other high-end headsets.” That’s not a bad thing. It’s just… surprising. As I originally thought, these were just a work headset, something that gets thrown in a drawer and taken out when you need to jump on Teams. But these couldn’t be further from that, if you tried. These have a matte black finish, soft leatherette ear cushions, and a sturdy-feeling headband. It’s built to last and incredibly fancy, but it doesn’t scream for attention. Which, honestly, I kind of appreciate.
The packaging was neat. You get the headset, a USB-C dongle, a USB-A adapter, a 3.5mm cable, a charging dock, and a hard-shell case. It’s a complete kit, which is nice, and just adds to that premium feel
Comfort: All-Day Wear? Mostly.
I wore it through a full workday, calls, and a bit of death metal during a spreadsheet marathon. The memory foam cushions are soft, and the clamping force is just right. Not too tight, not too loose, for anyone who has met me, you’ve seen the size of my head. And these were so comfortable. But after about seven hours, I did start to feel a bit of pressure on the crown of my head. Not unbearable, just… noticeable. Which is a problem I have with most headsets, but it normally happens hours earlier.
Also, the Dell Pro Premium Wireless ANC Headset isn’t a cheap headset; it is a bit heavier than I expected. Again, not a dealbreaker, as the quality far outweighs the premium feel and sound, but if you’re sensitive to weight, it’s something to keep in mind.
Sound Quality: Crisp, Clean, Not Quite Audiophile
Let’s be clear, this isn’t a headset built for audiophiles. If you’re chasing rich, layered soundscapes or deep, cinematic bass, you’ll probably want to look elsewhere. But for what it’s designed to do, calls, meetings, casual music listening, it’s the best I’ve ever tried. Voices come through crisp and clear, and there’s a nice balance in the mids and highs that makes spoken audio especially pleasant. I actually find myself listening to podcasts while at work, and it sounded like The Incorrigible Party was sitting next to me!
While Bass is present, it’s more of a polite thump than a punch that many audiophiles want and look for. I wouldn’t be the first headset I reach for when listening to bass-heavy tracks or trying to get lost in a game’s sound design, but for podcasts, video calls, or death metal-fueled spreadsheet coding marathons? It does the job, and does it well while still looking corporate.
The ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) is solid. Not as good as my current Razer headset, but it’s effective enough almost to eliminate the usual office hums and background chatter. Which, in a large, open, echo-y office setting behind the always chatty Marketing team, that’s no easy feat. I also tested it on the walk to the train station during peak traffic, and while it didn’t erase the noise entirely, it softened the chaos into barely a whisper. It’s the kind of noise reduction that doesn’t feel aggressive or absolute.
Transparency mode is a nice touch, too. It’s especially handy if you’re working from home and expecting a delivery, or walking across busy city streets and like the land of the living. That said, I did catch myself forgetting it was on a few times and wondering why my mechanical keyboard sounded like it was wearing a Britney mic. It’s subtle, but noticeable once you tune into it.
Mic & Noise Cancellation: Surprisingly Good
This is where it really shines. The AI-based noise cancellation on the mic is impressive. I took a call with construction right outside my window, it was annoying, and the other people didn’t hear a thing. No “Can you mute?” moments. That’s a win, especially at times I couldn’t hear myself think.
The Dell Pro Premium Wireless ANC Headset uses a 7-mic array with beamforming, which sounds fancy and, to be fair, kind of is. This setup isn’t just for show; it delivers a genuinely impressive level of clarity. You don’t get that tinny, compressed sound that plagues cheaper headsets, and even more expensive ones for that matter. Instead, your voice comes through clear, natural, and professional, well as professional as I can sound. Its ideal for video calls, voice recordings, or virtual meetings where sounding sharp matters.
The beamforming tech helps isolate your voice from background noise, focusing the pickup pattern directly on you while minimising distractions like keyboard clatter, HVAC hum, or the occasional framing nailer, as my case happened to be. Combined with its active noise cancellation (ANC), the headset creates a two-way bubble: it blocks out the world for you, and it filters out the world for whoever’s listening on the other end.
Connectivity: Mostly Smooth, Occasionally Fussy
The Dell Pro Premium Wireless ANC Headset connects via Bluetooth 5.3 and supports up to eight devices, with two active at once. On paper, that sounds ideal, especially if you’re someone who’s constantly bouncing between a laptop, a phone, then back again. And for the most part, it works. Pairing is quick, and switching between devices is usually seamless.
But not always.
There were a couple of moments where things didn’t go quite as planned. Once, it just wouldn’t reconnect to my phone after I’d been using it on my laptop. No error message, no obvious reason, just doughnuts. I had to toggle Bluetooth off and on again to get it working. Not a dealbreaker, but it does interrupt the flow, especially if a call comes through unexpectedly, while the headset is contacted to your laptop.
The included USB-C dongle helps a lot with stability, particularly for video calls. I used it for a few back-to-back Teams meetings, and the connection held steady throughout. No dropouts, no weird lag, just seamless. And yes, it’s officially certified for both platforms, if that sort of thing matters to you. Personally, I didn’t even know that was a thing.
Battery Life: Long Enough to Forget About Charging
Dell claims up to 80 hours of listening time (ANC off), and around 60 with ANC on. I didn’t time it precisely, but I went nearly a week without charging, using it for multiple hours daily on a very heavy meeting week. That’s rare. As my current headset normally last 2 or 3 days at most. The fast charging is also a lifesaver. As when it did finally die, I was only 20 minutes away from my next meeting & I prayed that the 15 minutes for 12 hours charge was accurate? And I’m so thankful to say, that’s not marketing fluff. It actually true.
Controls & Features: Smart, But Not Always Intuitive
Touch controls of the Dell Pro Premium Wireless ANC Headset are responsive, but I’ll admit, there’s a bit of a learning curve. The gestures aren’t hard, exactly, but they’re not second nature either. At first, I kept triggering the wrong thing. Tried to pause a track and accidentally skipped it. Adjusted the volume and somehow ended the call. There was a solid 10-minute stretch where I looked like I was at a silent disco, waving my hands around, tapping the side of my head like I was trying to send a secret message. I’m pretty sure someone in the office thought I was rehearsing for a mime performance.
But once I got the hang of it? Smooth. I started to feel like I had command over the headset like a low-key tech-savvy rapper, casually swiping and tapping to control my audio universe. It’s oddly satisfying when it works the way you expect it to, which makes all that learning & goofy hand waving worth it. As Dez-y the Rapper is the master DJ now.
The auto-pause feature is clever, too. Take the headset off, and your audio stops. Simple, but effective. Though it did trigger once when I was just adjusting the headband, which was a little annoying. Not a dealbreaker, more of a minor hiccup. Still, it’s the kind of feature that makes you feel like the headset is paying attention, even if it occasionally jumps the gun.
And the integrated busy light? Surprisingly useful. It’s subtle, just a soft glow, but it works. I didn’t get interrupted mid-call nearly as often, which honestly felt like a small miracle in my workplace. It’s one of those features you don’t think you need until it quietly saves your focus three times in a row.
Final Thoughts: Premium Performance, With a Price Tag to Match
After spending a solid few weeks with the Dell Pro Premium Wireless ANC Headset, I can confidently say, it’s not just another “work headset.” It’s polished, thoughtfully designed, and surprisingly versatile. Whether I was on back-to-back Teams calls, zoning out to podcasts, or blasting music while coding spreadsheets, it handled everything with ease. The mic quality alone makes it stand out, and the comfort, is better than most I’ve tried though not perfect.
But, and there is a but, the price is going to be a sticking point for some. It’s not cheap at $530.20 AUD from the Dell website. And while I do think it’s an amazing headset for what it offers, especially if you’re in meetings all day or need reliable audio that is professional & elegant. For hybrid work or open workplace, I can see how that price tag might raise eyebrows. It’s a premium headset, and it knows it and it charges you for it.
Still, if you’re someone who values clarity, comfort, and a few genuinely smart features that make your day smoother, this might be one of those rare cases where the investment pays off. It’s not designed for gamers, but it’s quietly excellent and sometimes, that’s exactly what you need.
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