I Was Not Expecting These Dell Wireless Earbuds To Be This Good Right Out Of The Box

Dell Pro Plus wireless earbuds

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• The Dell Pro Plus earbuds are disposable now for $230.
• They're meant chiefly for master users, pinch exceptional telephone clarity, reliable multi-device support, and a agelong artillery life.
• The touch controls are finicky, and sound tin creep successful past nan ANC.

Follow ZDNET: Add america arsenic a preferred source on Google.

Dell is breaking into caller crushed pinch nan caller motorboat of its first-ever wireless earbuds: nan Dell Pro Plus. While they tin surely beryllium utilized for listening to music, they're optimized for master environments.

In this peculiar context, Dell's Pro earbuds shine. Their on-call capacity is excellent, delivering crystal-clear sound and crisp vocal audio. However, definite features make them difficult to urge beyond their intended use.

Also: The champion earbuds you tin buy: Expert tested

Dell's Pro Plus earbuds excel successful nan 2 cardinal areas that matter nan most: audio value and artillery life. I did respective trial calls, and successful each instance, nan sound value was consistently great. 

The buds besides usage AI to trim inheritance noise. Similar exertion is besides utilized to powerfulness nan ANC characteristic (active sound cancellation) to artifact retired nan aforesaid ambient noise. 

The extremity consequence is crisp, clear conversations that consciousness shockingly natural. Even if nan different caller has a low-quality mic, nan earbuds compensate by boosting incoming audio.   

Productivity powerhouses

Cesar Cadenas/ZDNET

As mentioned, these earbuds really excel pinch crisp vocal audio successful nan agency aliases quieter environments. When it comes to music, nan Dell earbuds do a respectable job; but they autumn down models that specialize successful music, for illustration the Technics EAH-AZ100. Songs sound a small unbalanced arsenic higher frequencies are suppressed successful favour of a much bassy output. 

Also: Finally, wireless earbuds that tin easy switch my Bose and Sony for all-day listening

Despite that issue, nan audio is still rich | and dynamic. Users tin fine-tune nan sound floor plan done nan charismatic Dell Audio app. You tin stress definite aspects of a track, for illustration nan bass aliases treble. Or, if you'd like, you tin make your ain profile.

Overall, audio value was good, but I did brushwood a unusual crackling sound while playing definite content. It first appeared while playing nan mobile crippled Arknights and past successful a fewer YouTube videos, usually spoken-word contented wherever location isn't overmuch inheritance sound. Some songs connected YouTube had nan crackling, while tracks from an charismatic creator transmission sounded perfectly fine.

The crackling was astir noticeable astatine little volumes, wherever it couldn't hide down volume. I firmly judge this isn't a hardware issue. Instead, nan weird sound seems to beryllium tied to poorly mixed aliases low-quality audio sources. Not each portion of contented is produced astatine nan aforesaid level of quality. Either way, it's thing to beryllium alert of. 

Chunky case, smart design

Cesar Cadenas/ZDNET

The charging lawsuit is beautiful chunky -- bigger than an AirPod case. On nan bottom, you'll find a USB-C larboard for charging, and astir nan back, a flush pairing fastener keeps nan creation clean. 

Inside is simply a 5,000mAh artillery that Dell says delivers up to 33 hours of playback pinch ANC enabled. That's longer than nan AirPod Pro 3's purported 24-hour runtime. In my testing, nan Pro Plus earbuds lasted a bully 4 days pinch casual usage.

Also: Are sound translator earbuds really viable successful public? I tested some, here's my advice

Underneath nan lawsuit lid is simply a mini USB-C adapter. When plugged into your PC, it unlocks support for Bluetooth Multipoint, a useful characteristic that lets you link to 2 devices simultaneously. For example, you could beryllium listening to an audiobook connected your phone, and past switch to your PC to subordinate a Slack Huddle. Swapping backmost and distant was very smooth, successful my experience. 

Block retired nan noise

As mentioned earlier, 1 of nan cardinal features of nan Dell Pro Plus is nan ANC. It's an adaptive function, meaning it automatically strengthens successful noisier environments; however, nan effectiveness of nan ANC is hampered by nan earbuds' beingness design. At a glance, it seems that Dell was inspired by AirPods because its earbuds person an elongated stem extending from nan bulb.

Cesar Cadenas/ZDNET

This style allows for a spot of sound leakage. Even erstwhile I had ANC enabled, I was capable to clasp clear conversations pinch others. That's thing that I cannot do pinch nan Sony LinkBuds Fit. Sony's 2024 earbuds connection immoderate of nan champion ANC I've experienced, mostly because their style conforms to nan receptor canal, frankincense creating a tight seal. I person to return those disconnected whenever I speak to someone.

I'm not saying nan Dell earbuds person bad ANC -- acold from it. In an agency setting, they execute wonderfully. But if you scheme connected utilizing them successful a louder environment, they aren't going to execute nan aforesaid benignant of ANC arsenic a brace of earbuds designed for that.

My 1 gripe

Cesar Cadenas/ZDNET

I had problem utilizing nan touch controls connected nan Dell Pro Plus. Instead of utilizing elemental taps for illustration astir earbuds, they trust connected pinching motions. You person to compression nan earbud betwixt your thumb and scale digit to trigger definite commands, for illustration pausing aliases playing a track. While nan strategy mostly works, it's finicky. I particularly struggled pinch adjusting nan volume.

Also: Beats conscionable gave an aged favourite a immense makeover - and a caller Powerbeats name

If you pinch nan bottommost of nan correct earbud, past descent your digit upward, you'll perceive a faint click confirming nan action. The problem is that nan motion isn't very intuitive; you person to beryllium precise. It took maine a while to get nan bent of it, and I still struggle pinch nan mobility moreover aft 2 weeks of testing.

ZDNET's buying advice

The Dell Pro Plus earbuds are disposable for $230 connected nan company's charismatic website. I urge them if you're looking for a reliable brace for video calls and Zoom meetings, but want thing sleeker than a accepted headset. Call clarity is excellent, artillery life is impressive, and nan elasticity that Bluetooth Multipoint provides cannot beryllium understated.

If you want different recommendations, Sony's LinkBuds Fit are a bully replacement pinch amended ANC. ZDNET's Jack Wallen enjoyed nan Status Pro X, a brace of earbuds that location a multi-driver strategy to pump retired incredibly sound quality.