Not least thanks to their Microsoft Teams certification, the Dell Pro Plus Earbuds presented at the end of September 2025 are intended to be a reliable companion in modern office environments. In our test, we find out whether they achieve this and whether they are worth buying.
Technical data
| The product | Pro Plus Earbuds |
| Bluetooth version | 5.3 |
| Bluetooth codecs | AAC and SBC |
| Maximum operating range | 12m (without obstacle) |
| Battery life |
|
| Charging time | 1.5 hours (for charging case via USB-C or wireless) |
| Most important functions | ANC; Multipoint; IP54; Microsoft Teams certification |
| The price | RRP: 237.99 euros |
Dell Pro Plus Earbuds review: design and workmanship
The Dell Pro Plus Earbuds are typical representatives of modern true wireless headphones that focus less on lifestyle and more on functionality and suitability for everyday use. Their design is simple, unobtrusive and deliberately neutral. Matt black, clear lines and a minimalist shape define their appearance. This means they fit seamlessly into an office environment or business meetings without attracting attention. The design follows the familiar stem design, with a small stem leading down from the ear. Despite this classic shape, the earbuds do not look cheap or old-fashioned. On the contrary: they give the impression of solid, durable work equipment.
The workmanship is high-quality and robust, and Dell has obviously paid attention to stability and durability. With protection class IP54, the earbuds are protected against dust and splash water. This is not a top rating, but it is sufficient for everyday use or when traveling. The buds are only suitable for sports to a limited extent, but that is not the intended use of the earbuds.
The charging case is particularly practical: it is compact, solidly made and has a clever additional function – an integrated USB-C dongle that allows the earbuds to be used wirelessly even when Bluetooth is not available. This solution makes them an exciting companion in the office, where they cut a fine figure for meetings on desktop PCs or in conference rooms, for example.
The wearing comfort is positive. The earbuds are pleasantly light (around 6 g each) and come with four silicone tips in different sizes. This ensures a stable and comfortable fit that remains comfortable even over longer periods of time. The passive noise isolation is surprisingly effective – ambient noise is significantly attenuated even before the ANC is activated. Overall, the design of the Dell Pro Plus Earbuds is unagitated but well thought out.
Good features of the Pro Plus Earbuds
The features of the Dell Pro Plus Earbuds once again underline the fact that they were developed primarily for professional use in the office and for hybrid working. At their heart is the modern Bluetooth 5.3 technology, which ensures a stable and energy-efficient connection. The ability to pair up to eight devices and actively connect two at the same time is particularly practical.
The aforementioned USB-C wireless audio dongle, which is integrated into the charging case, is a truly unique feature. This allows the earbuds to connect directly to PCs or conference systems even without a Bluetooth connection.
Adaptive Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) is also offered, which automatically adjusts to the ambient volume. In quiet situations, the attenuation is reduced in order to achieve a more natural sound, while it automatically increases in noisy environments. The transparency mode (“Enhanced Transparency Mode”) allows ambient noise to be presented in a controlled manner and with a natural sound.
The battery life is also at a very good level. With ANC activated, up to eight hours of music playback are possible and the charging case extends the total playback time to around 33 hours. With ANC deactivated, the playback time even increases to up to ten hours. In talk-only mode, the earbuds last around five hours, while the case allows multiple recharges and therefore up to around 16 hours of talk time. Thanks to the quick-charging function, five minutes in the case is enough for around one hour of additional use.
The Microsoft Teams certification is a special feature. This guarantees that speech intelligibility and microphone performance are completely convincing, even in difficult acoustic situations. Dell also offers two software solutions that can be used to make various settings and update firmware.
Reliable touch operation
The Dell Pro Plus Earbuds are operated entirely via touch gestures on the outside of the earphones. These respond precisely and reliably. Music playback, volume, calls or the activation of ANC and transparency mode can be controlled with simple touches. The ability to mute the microphone during a call by touch is particularly useful.
Many of the basic functions can be operated directly via the earbuds without having to open the app. So if you don’t feel like installing apps or software, you can easily manage without them.
In everyday use, operation is pleasantly smooth and reliable. Only a faster implementation of the touch inputs would have been nice. From time to time, the earbuds react very slowly to inputs, and opening the smartphone app in particular takes quite some time until all the information has been loaded.
App connection
The software integration of the Dell Pro Plus Earbuds is divided into two parts: On the one hand, there is the Dell Audio Mobile app for “normal” users and the Dell Display and Peripheral Management (DDPM), which was primarily designed for corporate use.
The mobile app can be used to change equalizer settings, adjust touch gestures, install firmware updates and view the battery status. The user interface is clear, modern and well-structured. A particularly positive feature is that the app provides all important information at a glance. However, it takes several seconds before the information is actually visible in the app.
For companies, Dell offers a comprehensive management platform with the DDPM. IT departments can use it to centrally manage multiple devices, roll out firmware and standardize settings. This is a unique selling point that makes the Earbuds particularly attractive for larger organizations.
Audio quality, ANC and microphones
The Dell Pro Plus Earbuds show their greatest strengths in the core discipline of microphone quality. Dell has placed particular emphasis on intelligibility and noise suppression in the microphone technology. MEMS microphones are installed, which have a frequency response of 100 Hz to 8,000 Hz and also react very sensitively at -35 dBFS, allowing them to pick up even quiet sounds.
Microphone test recording Dell Pro Plus Earbuds:
According to the manufacturer, the integrated AI-based microphone processing has been trained with over 500 million speech samples to separate voices cleanly from ambient noise. This is confirmed in practical tests: even in noisy environments, your own voice can always be heard clearly, distinctly and very realistically. The earbuds deliver excellent voice quality for calls and video conferences.
In terms of pure sound quality, however, the Pro Plus earbuds reveal weaknesses. Although the 11.6 mm drivers deliver a fairly neutral, balanced sound, the acoustics lack the dynamics and clarity of the best in-ear headphones.
The sound quality is still at a good level, but measured against the price, you get a much richer, more dynamic and livelier sound from the competition. In addition, the treble appears quite shrill and sharp at a volume of more than 70 percent, although this can be remedied with the help of the equalizer.
The active noise canceling (ANC) works adaptively and adjusts dynamically to the environment. It reduces low-frequency noises such as street noise quite well, but otherwise there is hardly any difference to normal mode. Medium and high frequencies in particular, such as typing on a keyboard or voices, still come through with barely any reduction.
Particularly impressive is the transparency mode, which reproduces voices and ambient noise very naturally, without the artificial sound coloration that occurs with many other in-ears. This makes the mode ideal for holding quick conversations without having to remove the earbuds. Here, the Dell Pro Plus earbuds are on a par with the AirPods Pro 3.
Dell Pro Plus Earbuds Review: Conclusion
The Dell Pro Plus Earbuds EB525 are not typical lifestyle headphones, but in-ears for professional use that are primarily designed for stability, voice quality and integration. The earbuds cut an excellent figure, especially in terms of microphone quality, and also deliver a very good sound as well as a practical connection via USB-C dongle.
However, the price is clearly too high in my opinion. After all, we are already in the premium segment here and the Pro Plus Earbuds cannot keep up with the competition in terms of audio quality, active noise suppression and versatility.
Anyone who values brilliant voice transmission, stable connections and seamless integration into working environments will find a well-rounded, professional overall package here. For the money, however, you can get a more well-rounded package elsewhere.
- High wearing comfort
- Very good microphones
- Good battery life
- Sharp highs
- Sound lacks dynamics
- ANC average
- High price
Dell Pro Plus Earbuds
Workmanship
Wearing comfort
Sound quality
ANC
Features
Value For Money
83/100
High-quality in-ears for professional environments that score points with very good microphone quality and long battery life, but do not live up to the price in terms of sound and ANC.
