Verdict
Priced at Rs 8,249, the Alienware 310H offers decent value for money. It has a robust build and comfortable fit, allowing gamers to play for hours on end without any overbearing discomfort. The headset isn’t the best-sounding for FPS games since the gunshots sound too boomy, however, for other genres of games the headset is pretty competent, with good imaging and dynamic sound.
Alienware 310H gaming headset detailed review
Gaming headsets are a dime a dozen today, with brands pushing to bring their own offerings into this lucrative market. Additionally, gaming headsets are being produced across a wide range of price points, to ensure that every demographic has one adequate for its needs. Alienware is a brand that is renowned in the gaming world and the company has a good lineup of gaming headsets, across several price points as well. A good gaming headset would be classified as one with a robust build, to be able to endure even rage-inducing gaming sessions; a comfortable fit, to allow for hours of gaming; a good microphone, to converse with teammates on Discord or Teamspeak; and immersive sound, to plunge you into the fictional gaming world. Here we are reviewing the Alienware 310H stereo gaming headset which is a mid-range, wired gaming headset, priced at Rs 8,429, but available for Rs 7,999 on Amazon. Let’s see if the headset offers the basics of what makes a good gaming headset.
Build and comfort
![\"Alienware](\"https://static.digit.in/default/baf85d1614121bdbe59bcf4180920b75187eee33.jpeg\" "\\"Alienware")
The Alienware 310H gaming headset isn’t a flashy one when it comes to the aesthetics. The headset is all-black and has a matte texture which feels uncannily like the outside of an eggshell. The Alienware logo is embellished on the back on the headband extenders on either side and has a glossy finish, which adds a tad bit of contrast.
![\"Alienware](\"https://static.digit.in/default/031144d293d3dc76a86ef540b75d6d3b8d37e433.jpeg\" "\\"Alienware")
The earcups are a hybrid of plush memory foam, sports fabric, and leatherette. These materials are meant to optimise cooling and comfort while maintaining noise isolation. In our tests, we found that the material was adequately breathable and was extremely comfortable to don. The ear cups are well-padded and the clamping force isn’t too tight as well. The cups can also be rotated 90-degrees to sit flat on your chest or on a surface.
![\"Alienware](\"https://static.digit.in/default/ad1d355363f5eb6eea6cd0a0ee835390576e6b79.jpeg\" "\\"Alienware")
The headband can be extended on both sides to quite a degree, so most heads should find the headset comfortable to wear. The extenders aren’t exposed and are tucked away neatly within the plastic build. The headband is padded as well and sits comfortably on the head. The padding was a bit too hard for our liking, but it doesn’t get overly uncomfortable at any point.
![\"Alienware](\"https://static.digit.in/default/d4ebfbe0a8beb3b8105c9066f1b0de327edfc783.jpeg\" "\\"Alienware")
The cups isolate external noise pretty well, however, due to the noise isolating fit they do get hot at times, especially when you’re in a non-air-conditioned room in a humid city like Mumbai. The left ear cup houses a retractable boom microphone, which slides in and out with ease. The mic can be bent and adjusted as needed, to produce the best sound possible.
The Alienware 310H is a wired headset which comes with a 3.5mm audio cable. The company has also provided a Y-splitter cable in the box as well. According to Alienware, the headset comes with cross-platform compatibility and can be used with PCs, laptops, Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch and mobile devices. We used the headset with a PC for this review.
![\"Alienware](\"https://static.digit.in/default/6e959a9f25b6b0cfb27652193f8eb10efe9bc3e2.jpeg\" "\\"Alienware")
The headset also has a small in-line remote control with a volume controlling scroll wheel. There’s also a pretty discreet microphone mute switch on the back on the module that can be flicked down to mute the mic and flicked up to unmute.
Overall, the headset is comfortable and robust, however, it is certainly lacking a gaming aesthetic that is prevalent on a lot of gaming headsets these days. There’s no RGB or accents that make the headset stand out visually. Still, it serves the purpose of comfort, which is pretty adequate for us.
Features
The Alienware 310H isn’t feature-rich, by any means. It is a simple, yet functional wired, stereo gaming headset without frills such as 7.1 surround sound, USB or wireless connectivity, software support, and game sound modes. However, it does come with a Discord-certified microphone, which in our testing, proved to be pretty commendable for the price point. The voice was relayed clearly and it didn’t sound distorted or distant as some entry to mid-range gaming headset microphones do. However, a fair amount of external sounds are picked up by the microphone and relayed to your teammates, so ensure to sit in a relatively quiet room to get the best experience.
![\"Alienware](\"https://static.digit.in/default/f34364b369ef369a9d51facb75b510c4ad558d3a.jpeg\" "\\"Alienware")
As mentioned before, there’s also cross-platform compatibility, which is pretty common now but is a nice feature to have nevertheless. The quick mute switch on the inline remote is also pretty useful and works well, in a jiffy. All in all, the Alienware 310H ditches the frills and sticks to the basics.
Performance
Equipped with custom-tuned 50mm drivers for Hi-Res Audio, the Alienware 310H have a frequency response from 20Hz to 40kHz. The headset employs Alienware’s Immersive Audio Technology to power its gaming performance. The headset has pretty decent sound quality for gaming, however, there are some issues.
First, let’s talk about the positive. Soundtracks and songs within games sound pretty good on these headphones. Sounds such as explosions are impactful as well. The imaging on these headphones is pretty stellar, and you’ll be able to pinpoint the direction the enemy is coming from based on cues such as footsteps. Do keep in mind that these are stereo headphones, so you won’t get a surround sound effect.
![\"Alienware](\"https://static.digit.in/default/572507435afd77358776d96df502d4b60073b6e4.jpeg\" "\\"Alienware")
However, the bass response is pretty exaggerated on these headphones, so in FPS games gunshots sound slightly boomy and due to that it can be slightly difficult to pinpoint the location. Being closed-back headphones, the soundstage is slightly limited and the immersiveness is cut down because of this shortcoming. We played Valorant using this headset. The experience was decent, however, we wish that the gunshots sounded a bit more impactful.
Listening to music and watching TV shows or films with this headset is a decent overall experience. The sound is dynamic and lively, however, the exaggerated bass response can make the headset sound a bit too dark and broody at times. Overall, it is a decent sounding mid-range headset, especially if you don’t play a lot of FPS games.
Verdict
Priced at Rs 8,249, the Alienware 310H offers decent value for money. It has a robust build and comfortable fit, allowing gamers to play for hours on end without any overbearing discomfort. The headset isn’t the best-sounding for FPS games since the gunshots sound too boomy, however, for other genres of games the headset is pretty competent, with good imaging and dynamic sound. The soundstage is a bit narrow, but that is expected due to its closed-back design. If you want a mid-range gaming headset with a minimalist look, this headset is a decent option. Another compelling option at this price range is the JBL Quantum 400 which comes with slightly better sound quality and software support.
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