Dell enters the earbud market with cloud-manageable kit

"We mention those models because, like Dell's offering, they include active noise cancellation, transparency mode, and adaptive audio that filters out just the right amount of noise so you're not cut off from whatever's going on in your environment. Dell's buds also offer touch controls, come nestled into a charging case, and ship with four ear tips of different sizes. The buds connect over Bluetooth, and a USB-C "audio receiver" that nestles into the case and presumably into a PC, too."

"At this point, readers may wonder how Dell thinks it can get away with selling what look like deeply average earbuds at quite a high price. The company has two aces up its sleeve. One is the claim that the buds are the first to win the Microsoft Teams Open Office Certification, which the software giant awards to those who make audio devices that isolate users' voices so that utterances made by others around an office don't leak into a Teams call."

Dell Pro Plus Earbuds retail for $229, priced $20 above Apple's AirPods Pro 3 and $50 above AirPods 4. The earbuds provide active noise cancellation, transparency mode, adaptive audio, touch controls, multiple ear tips, Bluetooth connectivity, and a USB-C 'audio receiver' that nests in the case and connects to PCs. A companion app enables personal sound profiles. Physically, the buds are described as unremarkable compared with lower-cost reputable brands. The earbuds hold Microsoft Teams Open Office Certification and Zoom approval. Dell's Device Management Console (DDMC) allows cloud-based configuration, firmware updates, and fleet oversight for IT administrators.

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