Dell WL7024 Headset: The Ultimate All-in-One Wireless Powerhouse

Dell is a company most known for producing high quality, reliable computers that are used around the world. Though they are less known for producing headsets, that’s what they’ve embarked on, and their headsets are being received well.

At the current time, Dell offers headsets in three sizes; small, medium and large. Specifically, these are the Dell WL3024, the Dell WL5024, and the most recent addition to the line, the Dell  WL7024. It’s the latter that I’ll be discussing in this blog. 

Watch Or Read - Your Choice

In order to learn more about the new Dell WL7024, you can read through this blog post, and we encourage you to do that. But, if you’re like a lot of people, you may find watching video tutorials to be your preference over reading content. If so, then make sure to watch our review video of the Dell WL7024 above.

Scan This Blog Easily

This blog will present the Dell WL7024 by breaking it down by categories. This way, you can scan the blog to find the features you’re most interested in. I know I like things served up that way, and I’m hoping you do as well. So, to kick things off, let’s find out what comes in the box.

Box Contents

Most of us are interested to know what you can expect to receive when you order something. Well, wonder no more when it comes to this headset, because here’s what you get:

Connectivity: What The Dell WL7024 Connects To

This is a Bluetooth wireless headset, and it’s designed for use with:

The WL7024 is able to connect to eight devices, and maintain a connection to two simultaneously. However, in our testing, we did have some problems with maintaining connectivity, with it disconnecting on us, and requiring it to be reconnected. Hopefully this is something that Dell is aware of, and are working to resolve.

It’s not uncommon for Bluetooth headsets to struggle with connectivity, especially when switching between devices. For example, I use a Jabra Evolve2 85 and it disconnects periodically.  And though we had some challenges with this on the WL7024, we were able to establish a connection, and use it, but it wasn’t as seamless when switching devices as we would like.

Compatibility & Certifications

The Dell WL7024 Bluetooth headset is compatible with:

Works All The Leading UC Apps. Besides Microsoft Teams, and Zoom, you can use the WL7024 with all the leading UC applications such as RingCentral, 8X8, Google, Dialpad, Amazon Chime, GoToMeeting, Cisco Webex and others.

So if you use Microsoft Teams, Zoom, or any of the other popular UC applications, the Dell WL7024 is compatible with them all. Though with Teams and Zoom you’ll have additional features such as remote call answering, headset muting, and launching a meeting from the headset. So whichever application you use, the WL7024 will connect to it easily,

Design

The release of the Dell WL7024 headset says that Dell is wanting to play in the big pond with the likes of the Sony XM 5, Jabra Evolve2 85 and others. Time will tell if this venture proves to be successful or not, but I’ll give Dell credit for producing a high-end, premium headset that’s pleasing to look at, and packed with features.

Fancy fabric. I like the Dell signature 50-50 cloth fabric and plastic exterior ear speakers because I think it gives it a classy look that helps it to stand out in the crowd. Most headset manufacturers don’t incorporate the use of fabric into the design of their headsets, so it does help the WL7024 to have a look of uniqueness.

No Mic Boom. The boomless design allows it to take on the look of entertainment headphones rather than looking all business with a boom mic.

Headsets in the Jabra Evolve2 line, such as the Evolve2 75, and 85 use a clever design where the microphone drops down when needed, and then folds away, out of sight, when not needed. Dell chose to do away with the boom entirely which eliminates the possibility of it being taken for a business oriented headset.

Sound Quality

When speaking about sound quality, two things need to be kept in mind;

1. Sound quality is subjective because what sounds good to me, might not sound good to you.

2. Sound quality should be broken down into two categories; Microphone sound quality, and ear speaker sound quality. That’s how I’ll break this down.

Microphone Sound Quality.  As mentioned earlier, the Dell WL7024 wireless headset isn’t configured in the traditional way, which is to feature a boom microphone. The WL7024 is boomless, and comes with 7 omni directional, Ai noise canceling, beamforming microphones. So what you get is a pair of headphones that look more at ease listening to music, or watching videos. But, don’t let that casual exterior fool you, because behind that laid back look lies a very capable business grade headset.

Best Boomless Sound. We’ve tested some boomless headsets in the past, and in my opinion, the Dell WL7024 outperformed them in terms of voice audio quality. Having said that, I wouldn’t say that it gives you better audio quality than a premium boom microphone headset, but it does provide a sound that’s every bit as professional making it a great solution for use on any of your important voice or video calls. And there is something appealing about not having a mic boom to contend with.

Ear Speaker Sound Quality. The WL7024 comes with stout 40mm loudspeakers. The same that you’ll find on the best premium grade business headsets. The sound quality is satisfying when listening to calls or podcasts, and also for video meetings. And though the sound is solid, it comes in a click below entertainment headphones like the Sony XM5 for example. But to be fair, the Sony XM5 was designed to be entertainment headphones, where the Dell WL7024 was designed to be a dual purpose headset; business and casual use.

Not The Best. If you’re wanting headphones with high emphasis on listening to music, the Dell WL7024 may not be your best choice. Though they sound crisp and clear, they do lack a bit in the way of volume, and low end bass which is important if you’re wanting the best sound for music. Not a knock exactly,  just an area where it can be improved. 

Noise Reduction

Removing unwanted noise is a highly sought after feature in business headsets because nobody wants their callers to be distracted by the noise in the background. The Dell WL7024 aims to remove noise through the use of artificial intelligence. 

In our review video, we ran the WL7024 through the paces in our noise tests. We tested it against the sounds of:

• Typing
• Crying Babies
• Dogs Barking
• Office Noise

To me, the WL7024 struggled to remove the noise we subjected it to. The babies, and barking dogs could be easily heard, and the blender, which is a bit of an extreme test of noise canceling, it did just ok because the blender sound could also be easily heard, though dampened. And by no means are these tests scientific, they do give you a good sense for how it handles noise overall.

If you’d like to hear these tests for yourself, make sure to watch our review video above. If you do, you can decide for yourself how the Dell WL7024 sounds, and how well it removes noise because your opinion may be different from my own.

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Comfort

There are several things that go into making a headset comfortable, or uncomfortable. Among them are:

• Its Weight
• The Padding - the amount, and type
• Adjustability - swiveling ear speakers, adjustable headband

But when evaluating comfort, it’s important to keep in mind that this is a very subjective  topic. What one person finds comfortable, another might feel uncomfortable. So all I can do is to share my opinion knowing that you might have the same, or a different experience.

With that said, let’s talk about the Dell WL7024 comfort features.

Weight. Not great news here because the WL7024 needs to be put on a diet. It tips the scale at over 10 ounces (10.4 to be exact), which by double ear headsets standards, it’s on the chunky side. Most double ear headsets weigh in the neighborhood of 6 ounces, and some can weigh up to as much as 10, like the Jabra Evolve2 85 that weighs 10.08 ounces. Other headsets in this class like the Poly Surround 80, and the Sony XM5 weighs 9.6 ounces (Poly), and 8.8 ounces for the Sony.

Though the weight of a headset isn’t the sole determining factor on comfort, it does contribute to it, so it makes sense that lighter is generally better. Our experience was the notice of slight discomfort at about 3 hours of wearing. Others have reported it being very comfortable after even longer periods of use. So it’s difficult to say if the WL7024 would be for you, simply because comfort is a personal thing.

Padding. The Dell WL7024 comes with nice padding. The headband is completely padded, and wrapped in leatherette material which makes it comfortable when coming in contact with the head.

The ear cushions, like the headband, contain memory foam which is known for its ability to adapt to personal angles, shapes and contours. The ear cushions fully surround the ear rather than press up against them. That design helps to avoid the pressure of a speaker and ear cushion pressing against the ear resulting in a more comfortable wearing experience. 

Adjustability. The WL7024 headband ratchets up and down so you can find the right spot to place the ear speakers. This provides you with a personalized fit for greater comfort.

The ear speakers rotate allowing them to conform to the angle of your ears. This avoids the need for your ears to conform to the ear speakers, which over time, can become uncomfortable. 

So between the headband’s ability to adjust, combined with the ear speaker's ability to adapt to your ears, helps to make the WL7024 a headset you can comfortably wear for long periods of time.

Integrated Busy Lights

Interruptions can be annoying, and disruptive to the natural flow of a conversation, and when interrupted, it can be hard to re-establish your train of thought. 

One weapon against unexpected interruptions is the Dell WL7024 integrated busy lights. These bright LEDs are neatly hidden beneath the fabric covers on the outer shell of the ear speakers. Once on a live call, the LEDs light up to alert those around you that you’re on a call, and not to be interrupted. Without these busy lights, coworkers would have no way of knowing if you’re on a call or not. Even if you’re not speaking, that doesn’t mean you’re not on a call because you could be quietly listening to your caller. The busy lights help to establish your call status, and prevents interruptions that can be costly. 

Slide & Tap Controls

The Dell WL7024 wireless headset features traditional buttons for power, pairing, ANC and muting, but it also includes the feature of slide and tap controls which are seen as a premium feature.

The slide and tap controls allow you to do the things you’d expect such as:

• Adjust the volume up/down
• Play/pause
• Answer/End call
• Reject incoming calls
• Voice Assistant
• Incoming Audio noise cancellation

Having this ability helps to declutter the headset by minimizing the number of buttons needed to operate the headset. It lends a more clean, minimalist feel to it, while helping to maintain a sense of elegance. 

Head Sensor

This is a feature that’s appearing more often on business headsets. It can go by different names such as on head detection, smart sensors, or in this case, head sensor. Whatever name it’s given, they’re all designed to do essentially the same thing, which is to sense when the headset is on, and when it’s off. Once the headset detects the status of the headset (on or off), it will perform different functions depending on what activity you were engaged in. 

For example, if you were on a call, and you remove the WL7024, it will mute the microphone. Putting the headset back on will unmute it. Or, if you’re listening to music and you take the headset off, your music will automatically pause, and resume when the headset is placed back on.

There are a number of things that this head sensor can do, and it’s part of the premium feature set of the Dell WL7024 wireless headset.

ANC - Transparency

Active Noise Cancellation, and Transparency are two features that are showing up more often in business grade headsets, and both are included on the Dell WL7024 wireless headset.

Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). ANC is your countermeasure to distracting background noise. A noise canceling microphone removes noise, but for the benefit of your callers. ANC is different from that because it helps to dampen the room noise for the person wearing the headset. And when you’re not distracted by background noise, you can stay focused on your work, and be more productive.

If you’re not familiar with Active Noise Cancellation, or you’d like to know more about the differences between a noise canceling microphone, and Active Noise Cancellation, then make sure to watch our informative video below that explains it.

When we tested the Dell WL7024 ANC feature, we were left a bit disappointed. To be perfectly transparent, we actually didn't notice a difference with it on, or off. And on one occasion, it actually sounded a bit worse with it on. So as much as I like this new Dell headset, my take on its ANC feature is it's not ready for primetime because there's room for improvement.

Transparency. This feature solves an age-old problem experienced by just about everyone who’s ever worn a headset. Here’s the problem: While wearing a headset, a coworker, or family member will approach you and begin talking to you. To engage in the conversation, you’re required to remove the headset, and place it back on when finished. This process can repeat itself to the point of frustration. The good news is the transparency feature solves this problem.

Using the same example, if someone approaches you and begins a conversation, with transparency, you can press a button on the headset which activates external microphones allowing you to hear the conversation clearly. When done, press the transparency button again to turn the microphones off, allowing you to resume what you were doing. This is a great feature because it eliminates the need to repeatedly take the headset off to have a face-to-face conversation, and in the process, eliminates one of those work life frustrations.

Battery

Wireless headsets use rechargeable batteries, and the amount of talk, and listening time varies greatly among the different makes and models. Here’s what the Dell WL7024 Bluetooth wireless headset offers:

Talk Time

Listening Time

Battery recharge method

• USB-C powered charging base

Recharge time

• Up to 3 hours

Fast charging

• 15 minutes = 12 hours

To give you a comparison on how the Dell WL7024 battery compares to a couple of comparable headsets, check out the table below.

Feature	Dell WL70244	Poly Surround 80	Jabra Evolve2 85
Talk Time w/o ANC	Up to 28 hours	21 hours	Up to 26 hours
Talk Time with ANC	Up to 26 hours		Up to 21 hours
Listen Time w/o ANC	Up to 60 hours	24 hours	Up to 37 hours
Listen Time with ANC	Up to 80 hours		32 hours
Battery Recharge Time	3 hours	1 hour	Up to 2 hrs 20 minutes

 

Headset Software

Dell offers a free downloadable software program to personalize your headset. This software is called  Dell Peripheral Manager. Here are some of the things you can do when you access this software:

• Noise cancellation-- Turn on intelligent microphone noise cancellation feature to remove background noise, allowing your voice to be clearly heard
• Customized audio output— Activate Presets (Default, Speech, Bass, Treble) and Equalizer settings
• Sidetone— Adjust the level of user’s voice
• Device settings— Turn on the “busy” light feature to enable indicator light to alert others you are on a call and to not disturb. Turn on “voice guidance” to hear audio prompts and announcements for device features.
• Firmware updates - headsets, like other devices, need periodic updates to resolve issues,introduce new features etc. The Dell  Peripheral Manager software is an easy way to keep your device updated, and working at its best.

Final Thoughts

I’m impressed with what Dell has done with the WL7024. This headset announces Dell’s interest to participate in the high-end headset space. The WL7024 has an impressive array of features like ANC, Smart Sensors, Transparency, use of Ai, and its boomless design. 

Though a bit on the heavy side, it will likely be perfectly comfortable for many, as the padding on the headband, and ear speakers are nice and soft. And I have to admit that I was a little surprised at how good it sounds. For a boomless headset, with microphones built into the headset body, I was expecting much poorer performance. It sounds loud, clear and professional which is what you need if using a headset for business purposes.

I like the cloth accents used alongside the plastic because to me, it gives the headset a rich, even elegant look when compared to other headsets that don’t have this. It’s one of the features that helps this headset to stand out.

The noise canceling could be better, but it should be adequate for those who aren’t dealing with excessive background noise. I’d like to see the ANC feature improved along with a few levels of adjustment. That would allow someone to regulate how much, or how little noise to allow in. 

All things considered, I can’t help but like the Dell WL7024. It looks great, it sounds great, it’s comfortable, it’s loaded with features and has software to customize it to your preferences. And compared to other premium headsets, it’s priced very reasonably as well. So really, there's a lot to like about this headset.

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