Having a comfortable and reliable headset is important for any gamer who plays online multiplayer titles, which is why I’m always interested in checking out the latest gaming accessories. Over the last two weeks, I’ve been testing the Alienware 720H Dual-Mode Wireless Gaming Headset, which Dell prices at $160 USD. It’s extremely comfortable, offers fun RGB lighting, and handles Hi-Res audio beautifully. It would get a perfect score if it wasn’t for one huge, unforgivable flaw.
Like many of you, I tend to do a lot of online multiplayer gaming with my friends. One of the things you quickly learn from playing with others is that the quality of your PC gaming headset doesn’t only affect you, it can affect your teammates too. For that reason, I always pay attention to how well my voice comes through to teammates so that I’m not bothering them while we play. Unfortunately, while the Alienware 720H provides an amazing experience for the user, it provides an awful experience for those you play with.
Disclaimer: This review was made possible by a review unit provided by Dell. The company did not see the contents of the review before publishing.
One of the most comfortable headsets I’ve ever worn
When I first pulled the headset out of the box and placed it on my head, I felt like I would melt away into a contented puddle of butter. This is one of the most comfortable headsets I’ve ever worn. The 720H’s comfort stems from the fact that the headband features an adjustable elastic that prevents the headset’s structural headband from touching my cranium. Plus, the earphones are super soft and caress my head without applying too much pressure. It’s a lovely sensation, like getting hugged by your favorite music.
Convenience and EQ setting customization
The Alienware 720H Wireless Gaming Headset comes with a wireless USB-C adapter as well as an additional USB adapter in case no USB-C port is available. Also found in the 720H Gaming Headset box are a USB to USB-C charging cable and a 3.5mm audio cable. Together, these connections allow the headset to be used both wirelessly and wired depending on whatever is most convenient in the moment. The battery lasts for up to 30 hours, which isn’t the longest we’ve seen, but still respectable. At any rate, as long as the 720H gets charged between gaming sessions this headset will never run out of juice.
Image 1 of 2
There are Alienware icons on either earphone and these light up with colorful RGB lighting when the headset is on. Downloading Dell’s Command Center and the necessary driver for the 720H (opens in new tab) allows users to adjust the RGB lighting settings on a computer in order to do things like change to one specific color, adjust color transition speeds, or turn the lights off entirely.
However, in order to customize audio performance, users will need Dolby Atmos, (opens in new tab) which can be accessed from within Command Center. Dolby Atmos defaults to Performance Mode, which “prioritizes positional accuracy for competitive gaming.” However, users can also adjust EQ settings to get the specific balance they desire.
An amazing listening experience
Even without turning the noise-canceling headset on, the earphone’s build does a decent job of blocking outside noises from coming through. Then when turned on, noise canceling takes over to really focus in on the sounds.
To test the Alienware 720H Wireless Gaming Headset’s Hi-Res Audio capabilities, I listened to music from various services including my basic Spotify account as well as my Qobuz Hi-Res streaming account — the latter of which can supply tracks at up to 192kHz, 24-bit FLAC, which is considerably higher than standard CD quality. As promised, the headset handled Hi-Res Audio incredibly well, with the wired connection unsurprisingly offering a better listening experience than wireless mode.
Goosebumps ran down my arms from the moment I first put the headset in place and heard a Hi-Res version of Elektric Callboy’s We Got the Moves coming through the earphones. Everything sounds so much fuller than with a standard headset. Deep bass is deeper while mid and high tones have so much more depth to them. I honestly didn’t want to take the 720H off for a long time because of how beautiful everything sounded.
I then went on to test the headset while playing a game and talking to someone else. There is a game/chat balance button on the backside of the left earphone. Tapping it up towards the controller icon makes the headset focus more on game sounds by quieting other players or even muting them when tapped to the most extreme level. Meanwhile, tapping the button down toward the word bubble icon makes other players’ voices come through more distinctly and puts less attention on game sounds. What’s more, simply pressing the button rather than tapping it up or down quickly returns these listening settings to a balanced default, which is very convenient.
The one enormous issue
After verifying the headset’s comfort, button convenience, and audio quality, I was well on my way to giving the Alienware 720H a perfect five out of five score. However, the minute I tested the microphone, I realized that it has an unforgivable flaw — especially for people who play online multiplayer games with others.
During a gaming session, my friends immediately told me that my voice was coming through horribly and that they wouldn’t be able to make it through a round with me if I continued to use the headset. I went from wireless mode to wired mode to see if that changed things, but I was told that the change had only resulted in a different sort of bad. I then switched back to my significantly cheaper HyperX Cloud II Gaming Headset and my friends all cheered in relief when my voice came through clearly once again.
Not wanting to leave things untested, I spent time recording my voice using the headset on various platforms to see if it changed the microphone’s quality. However, in every case, there was always some distracting graininess to the audio and sometimes the audio comes through sounding very distant like I am on an old phone call, but then snaps back to sounding normal. The inconsistency and muddled sounds make the microphone very unpleasant to listen to for long stretches.
It was also during this time that I realized that the headset has two microphones for some reason. There’s the built-in extendable one within the headset that is used for wireless mode, but when plugged in with a wired connection a small microphone attached to the mute button is the main microphone. It begs the question, why on Earth was the headset designed this way?
Should you buy the Alienware 720H Wireless Gaming Headset?
I’m honestly very torn on how I feel about the Alienware 720H Wireless Gaming Headset. On the one hand, it’s super comfortable and provides an amazing listening experience for those who have a Hi-Res Audio library. It also offers great sound quality and volume for video games as well.
However, since it is specifically marketed as a gaming headset, I cannot glaze over the absolutely horrible microphone performance. Not to mention, the inclusion of two separate mics depending on if the headset is in wireless mode or wired mode is incredibly odd.
If you tend to play solo games and are looking for a headset that offers excellent sound quality and little-to-no head fatigue, then the Alienware 720H will be a great choice. However, if you tend to play with friends online, then you’ll want to look elsewhere for a headset or resort to externally using one of the best microphones for PC rather than the built-in one.
Alienware 720H Dual-Mode Wireless Gaming Headset
This headset is extremely comfortable to wear and does an excellent job of playing Hi-Res Audio. There are even buttons on the headset to help adjust the focus of your listening experience between game sounds and voice chat. However, the microphone isn’t great.
