Alienware boasts high quality. Delivering years of high-end PCs and laptops, the shift into peripherals like mice and headsets has been an interesting one. Introducing the ‘Alienware’s AW920H Tri-Mode Wireless Gaming Headset’. MKAU puts this quirky-looking headset through its paces to tell you what some average but passionate gamers think.

They certainly are unique in appearance. Like a slap in the face, the design will be the first thing you notice as you slide them out of the box. Ironically, resembling white alien heads themselves, the ear cups are the most interesting show-stopping feature. Bizarrely shaped, these smallish cups actually sit comfortably over the ears with their plush foam padding. The headband isn’t the most flexible I have worn, but it’s padded quite generously, so it sits snuggly.

The rest is quite a sleek and simple design with an RGB Alienware logo embellished on the outside of each ear cup that can be tapped on and off. The left ear cup controls the ANC, mute, and 2.4 Bluetooth connectivity buttons, while the right has the power button and touch controls. These things are light too, weighing in at only around 300 grams making them perfect for portable use.

In the box, you will also find a storage bag, a double-ended 3.5mm AUX jack with an attached mute slider, USB-A to USB-C charge cable, and a USB-C dongle with an adapter for all your wireless capabilities.

The connectivity is pretty much plug-and-play, and wireless is as simple as plugging in the dongle. I found that the wireless connection was flawless, with no dropout or stuttering in sound. The headset can be used wired too, but this will negate the boom mic, as the same port is used to connect the 3.5mm cable.

Audio quality? Well, the Alienware AW920H provides nothing but pure fire. I was blown away by the quality from the get-go. The factory settings provide a very bass-loaded experience off the bat; nothing I’m opposed to as I contently listened to my Spotify playlist.

In game, the audio was just as clean with treble and bass working together to deliver the clean and crisp sounds of bullets whizzing past my face as I duck and dodge hunters of the Bayou in Hunt: Showdown. The 40 mm Hi-Res drivers are perfect too for picking up minute sounds, and perfect for picking up those creeping operator’s footsteps in games like Siege where observational listening is imperative.

Not only are the factory settings great, but by downloading the Alienware Command Centre, you can customise your audio levels to your liking. Dolby Atmos helps you to really tap into the sound to create immersive profiles for gaming to voice, and even your own custom ones. This is where you can also tweak Virtual Surround Sound for some more finesse in your sound.

Another feature I need and appreciate is the ability to have noise cancelling. With a toggle on and off of ANC, you can instantly drown out any environmental noise. These ones were so successful, my partner had to literally tap on my shoulder to get my attention while in the heat of the moment of scrims.

The microphone pick up? Well, surprisingly, the cabled microphone, while not specifically designed for Xbox console use, picked up my voice just as clearly as the boom mic. While sitting in a party chat with my fellow MKAU staff, the feedback was that it was clearer than my regular headset.

If that isn’t the validation you need, I don’t know what else to say. The uni-directional boom mic that snaps in and out with a 3.5mm aux also delivers your voice distinctly and comprehensively without a dropout in sight, even on Bluetooth connectivity. This headset is definitely aimed more at PC use with its wireless features, but I was still impressed by the audio pick-up and output when I had it wired into a controller or mobile device.

One feature I do feel impedes the overall impressiveness of the Alienware AW920H is the controlling. While I love touch controls and it was perfectly fine for them to be used to pause or change songs, I hated the swipe up and down for volume control on the right earpad. I would have much preferred a wheel, as sometimes, if my hands were muggy, they wouldn’t register when I needed to turn them up. Sometimes the basics matter, but that is but a minuscule blemish of such a perfect track record.

While not exactly 55 hrs worth of battery life, they do quote that this is with the RGB lighting turned off and the volume turned down. As if you want to do that. They did last an impressive 4 days with quite consistent use on and off before I felt the need to plug them in again for recharging, and their ultra-fast charging capabilities had me back up and running in no time.

Overall, for the price of about AU $272.80 with Dell, the Alienware AW920Hs are quite a bang for your buck. Unique in design, and if you can ignore the clumsy touch volume controls, you have a headset that produces superb audio both wired and wireless on a number of devices. Beam me up on this one!

Written by: Stacey