While the AW510H headset does come with dedicated drivers, there’s no specialized software like you often find with Turtle Beach or SteelSeries products. This means that you can’t customize your audio outside of the volume, but thankfully, the 7.1 virtual surround sound from the Alienware headset makes that less of an issue. Even though the headset is light and comfy to wear, it also provides substantial noise cancellation; something I wasn’t expecting whatsoever. The AW510H is a smooth matte black (also available in silver) with the classic alien logo embossed onto the sides of both ends of the headband. The Alienware AW510H features a retractable mic that snugly fits inside the left ear cup, so if you’re just listening to music or playing a single-player game, you won’t have it in your peripheral vision. This headset is wired though – the lack of wireless functionality no doubt helping to drag the price down – which can be a dealbreaker for some.
Footsteps in games like Valorant and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare are clear and easily heard over the sound of gunshots, although the ability to place the exact location of an enemy isn’t always perfect. Not studio-mic quality, of course (because at the end of the day, it’s still a gaming headset), but it does the job adequately for those quick in-game calls when you need to trade kills with an enemy.
Customer Reviews: Alienware AW510H Wired 7.1 Gaming Headset Lunar Light AW510H-L
The Alienware AW510H in Lunar Light (White) is the latest headset offering from Dell. This slots in the middle of Alienware’s headset lineup with the AW988 at the top and the new AW310H at the entry level.
I’ve had a fair number headsets to test and use over the last couple of years, so I gave the 510’s a chance. The Lunar Light color is definitely up my alley – matches my Thermaltake Core P3 Snow Edition tower perfectly (not that that truly matters).
The slanted earcups are a unique design characteristic, and the smooth headband blends the aesthetic all together. The headband pad and outer band are seamlessly assembled, and the connection the earcups is well concealed.
The earpads are bonded to the earcup (non-replaceable unfortunately) with a leatherette outer ring and cooling mesh on the face that rests against your head. Sound The 510H’s are jumping in with 50mm drivers, which appears to be the trend with headphones in this price bracket (moving away from 40mm). There’s also a Y-splitter cable provided if you want to use the headset in stereo mode on a PC with separate mic/speaker ports.
Highs were pretty good, mids were nice and crisp, and lows had enough present. The mic head doesn’t have any foam or isolating material so your breath can come through, or you can come across a bit loud. It doesn’t come straight down, but rather slightly out the back making for a larger bend loop to come forward.
In doing so the cable has to loop forward to head to the PC causing it to contact my shoulder.
Alienware AW510H Review – A Perfect Mid-Range Gaming Headset?
With the AW510H, you’ve got custom-tuned 50mm 20Hz-40KHz drivers for high-resolution audio with custom-designed acoustic chambers that should provide you with really rich sound quality no matter the game. This resolution comes with excellent 7.1 virtual surround sound, so I could hear my enemies approaching a mile away in any direction.
As someone who plays first person shooters, I need this aspect to stay one step ahead and without it, I’m pretty limited in my speed and reaction time.
Adding to that feature is their noise isolation, because when you’re gaming, you really don’t want to be distracted by the goings-on of real life. While they are not wireless, you are given both a USB and AUX port option with volume and mic mute control and a 3.5mm jack. This also allows you to quickly dabble in cross-platform gaming by simply plugging into your Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch or even mobile device (except any new iPhones that lack a cable jack of course – you’ll need an adapter). In terms of vocal quality, I’m always looking for a headset that doesn’t make me sound like I’m in the process of swallowing a bucket of gravel or being buried under 38 weighted blankets. Unfortunately, the ACC leaves a lot to be desired in terms of its interface, but other than that, for the price tag, the performance of this headset was absolutely solid.
It comes in two colors – Lunar Light (white) or Dark Side of the Moon (black). I had to go with Dark Side of the Moon, because there really is never a question for me between choosing white or black for my gaming aesthetic preferences.
With most headsets, after about an hour or so of wearing, my head starts getting that familiar ache… But with the AW510H, I found myself forgetting how long I’d been playing. On the inside of the headset are a large L and R and the earpieces themselves rotate so you can wear them around your neck or store them pretty easily.
One of the major differences between the AW510H and its competitors (including its higher priced predecessor) is that the mic pulls out rather than flips to mute. Neither of these aspects were a dealbreaker for this humble buyer, as the lower price point made up for what they lacked. Altogether the look, feel and sound quality is excellent and for the price range, it really is a strong contender for your next headset. It offers a flip-up mute which can be preferred to the AW510H’s retractable mic, but the overall design and shape is lacking compared to the simple, modern look of Alienware’s model.
I do wish I had more points of contention with the AW510H, but Alienware made a great set for both casual and hardcore gamers. They are a bit large and slightly hefty, but they end up sitting comfortably on your head or around your neck regardless.
I’ve also been pretty used to poor mic quality in the past, so getting a pair that not only has a great input but solid output is a “game” changer for me. I will end this review on one final, negative note… I did wish the headset came with a pouch of some sort for storage, but I will try to find a way to live without one.
New Alienware 7.1 Gaming Headset: AW510H
Featuring our best-in-class custom-tuned drivers, custom-designed acoustic chambers and comfort-fit earpads that give you a wider and more dynamic soundstage both in battle and out.
Alienware AW510H Gaming Headset Review – Time to Immerse Yourself
Alienware’s 7.1 Gaming Headset Brings All the Pros of Its Predecessor at Half the Price Mixing a beautiful design with excellent sound immersion, the AW510H is worthy of your Black Friday wishlist. Though it came with a beautiful design, immersive surround sound and wireless capabilities, the hefty $200+ price tag placed it a bit out of reach for budget gamers.
In an effort to increase accessibility, Dell recently released the more affordable Alienware 7.1 AW510H Wired Gaming Headset, which carries all the perks of its predecessor — for half the price.
Ear pads comprised of memory foam, sports fabric and leatherette for cooling and comfort
Featuring some cool UFO-inspired architecture, the exterior of the ear pads have a very futuristic look, and also serve as a directional indicator. In case you need a reminder, the sides are embroidered right inside the ear cups, which is a nice touch to maintain the symmetry on the outside.
So when I, like a giddy child on Christmas morning, dove into unboxing the AW510H, I was a little befuddled by the three cables inside. The headset broadcasted the audio of the game so precisely that finding hidden chests was a breeze.
And when you need to take a break, the ear cups can be flipped horizontally, so the headset can rest comfortably on your neck or securely on your desk. I had the pleasure of using the headset for a couple of Molten Core runs in WoW Classic, and received great feedback from my guildmates.
To make it easy, Dell offers a free download of the Alienware Command Center Application. You can also assign these presets to specific games so you don’t have re-open the command center every time to change the options.
All in all, Dell really hit it out of the park with the AW510H Gaming Headset by harmoniously combining aesthetics, functionality and sound quality. Boasting crystal clear communication and sound, you and your squad will have the teamwork to make the dream work. And if you are interested in other Dell products during this shopping holiday, you can always check out the Slickdeals store page for the latest coupons and promotions.
Our editors strive to ensure that the information in this article is accurate as of the date published, but please keep in mind that offers can change.
Alienware 7.1 510H Review
Updated 2021 Amazon pricing, audio specs, and review – using scores built around ratings such as volume control, material quality, sound quality, battery life and noise cancellation. So many games are enhanced with great audio, there are always Alienware deals to be had (no need to wait for Black Friday 2021) and there’s a massive range to chose from. High quality sound is super important when you’re playing and the speakers built into gaming monitors are pretty rubbish.
If you’re looking to hear someone creep up on you in Fortnite or love the bass on Apex Legends, you need a proper immersive audio experience and the privacy that brings. PCGameBenchmark ratings are built up from the scores the Amazon community give the most important aspects of a PC gaming headset. 1 surround Sound Featuring signature Alien ware immersive audio
Hybrid of plush memory foam, sports fabric and leatherette on the ear pads designed to achieve optimal cooling and comfort while enhancing noise isolation
Alienware 510H 7.1 Gaming Headset Review
They’ve dropped the wireless capability, changed the look using their new Legend design language and added a USB DAC to power surround sound without software. This is helped by a soft rubbery headband lining that makes wearing this comfortable for long periods with no pressure on the top of your noggin.
I honestly didn’t like the feel; it’s not very breathable and my ears quickly got uncomfortably warm and sweaty in Queensland’s summer heat.
The top and bottom of my ears sustained some extra pressure from the cups that necessitated frequent re-adjustments. That said, because they cover your ears so completely, you get a great sound seal that cuts out a lot of ambient noise. Well simply put, the DAC boosts the signal quality of the audio coming out of your PC or Laptop for the needed clarity and surround sound.
In fact, in my time of testing, I was loathed to return to the standard 3.5mm cable because the sound was so much better with the DAC. The same was true when you used the Alienware software with the AW988’s; literally making the headphones sound dramatically different.
Without the DAC, the bass is just weak and the track lacks the power of brought by Michael B. Jordan’s character in the movie. I enjoyed watching The Mandalorian with its cowboy-themed soundtrack, tons of clear blaster fire and Mando’s almost whisper voice. Remembering the AW988’s, I turned to Alienware Command Center in the hope of adjusting the surround sound profile. After several irritating attempts to get the sound module installed in the ACC, I was able to access the audio profiles.
However, for reasons I couldn’t figure out, the profiles didn’t seem to work with 510H’s – the sound output just stayed exactly the same. I noticed the microphone does pick up ambient noise quite easily which means if you are hacking away on your expensive mechanical keyboard, everyone on the other end will hear.
Be First to Comment