How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want a lightweight, monaural, noise-cancelling headset built for all-day desk phone and softphone calls, choose PLT Plantronics HW510; if you need an immersive stereo gaming headset with surround sound, a detachable boom mic and a USB sound card, choose Logitech PRO X Gaming. These two are not really rivals — they solve completely different problems. One is a work tool. The other is a play machine. Read on and I'll show you exactly where each one wins.
• PLT Plantronics HW510 — biggest strength: a custom noise-cancelling microphone plus Quick Disconnect, so you can walk away from your desk mid-call and stay compatible with Plantronics USB and desk phone audio processors.
• PLT Plantronics HW510 — biggest trade-off: it's a single-ear (monaural) design with a narrow frequency range up to 6,800 Hz, so music and games will sound thin and one-sided.
• Logitech PRO X Gaming — biggest strength: 50 mm PRO-G drivers, DTS Headphone 7.1 surround and a detachable Blue VO!CE microphone — a full stereo gaming and streaming package.
• Logitech PRO X Gaming — biggest trade-off: it's a wired 3.5 mm headset that leans on a USB external sound card and Logitech G HUB software to unlock its best features, and it weighs far more than the Plantronics.
• Who each pick is for: HW510 → office, contact centre and softphone users who live on calls. PRO X Gaming → PC and console gamers who want positional audio and broadcast-style voice chat.
The HW510 EncorePro is a monaural (single-ear) over-the-head headset, and everything about it points at one job: keeping you on calls all day without fatigue. The custom microphone is tuned to cut background noise and interference, which is exactly what you want in a busy office, a shared workspace or a home setup with a fan, a dog and a road outside. The design also gives you tactile feedback so you can feel when the mic boom is positioned correctly — a small thing that matters when you're adjusting it fifty times a day.
Build quality is a genuine selling point here. Plantronics uses laser welding and aircraft-grade aluminium, and the enclosure material is metal, so this is a headset meant to survive being taken on and off, dropped on a desk and shoved in a bag. The ear cushions are softer and more luxurious than earlier EncorePro generations, and the whole unit weighs just 52 g — light enough that you'll forget the single ear cup is even there. SoundGuard technology protects you from sudden noise spikes and listening fatigue, and wideband audio keeps voices rich and clear rather than tinny.
The Quick Disconnect feature is the detail I'd point a buyer toward. It lets you physically unplug from the cord and walk away without ending the call, and it makes the HW510 compatible with Plantronics USB and desk phone audio processors and direct connect cables. If your job involves hopping between a desk phone, a softphone and a headset lifter, that ecosystem compatibility is worth more than any spec on paper.
Buy it if you spend your working day on calls and want a light, durable, noise-cancelling mono headset that plays nicely with desk phone and USB audio processors. Skip it if you want to game, listen to music in stereo or hear directional audio — a single ear cup with a frequency range up to 6,800 Hz simply can't do that.
The Logitech PRO X Gaming is the opposite philosophy: a stereo, over-the-ear wired headset built for competitive play and voice broadcasting. The headline feature is the detachable 6 mm microphone with real-time Blue VO!CE technology — noise reduction, compression, a limiter and more. In plain terms, that means your teammates and stream viewers hear a cleaner, more professional-sounding voice without you running a separate audio interface.
Audio is where it earns its keep for games. The 50 mm PRO-G drivers use a hybrid mesh construction for precise sound imaging with improved bass response, and DTS Headphone:X 2.0 delivers 7.1-channel, object-based surround so you can pick out footsteps, reloads and directional cues. That positional awareness is the whole point of a gaming headset, and it's something the monaural HW510 can't offer at all.
Comfort and durability are taken seriously too. You get memory foam ear pads with a choice of premium leatherette or soft, breathable cloth — a real benefit if you wear a headset for six-hour sessions. The frame uses durable aluminium forks and a steel headband, and it ships with a mobile cable with an inline mic plus a branded carrying pouch. Note the weight: 11.28 ounces, roughly six times the HW510, which is the trade-off for all that hardware and stereo padding.
The setup detail worth knowing: the PRO X includes a premium USB external sound card with EQ profile storage, but saving EQ settings to onboard memory requires Logitech G HUB software. So this is a headset that rewards a PC user who's happy to install software — and it connects over 3.5 mm and USB rather than wirelessly.
Buy it if you game on PC or console, want surround sound and positional audio, and care about broadcast-quality voice chat. Skip it if you only need a phone headset for work, or you want something feather-light for eight-hour call shifts.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for gaming and positional audio → Logitech PRO X Gaming. 50 mm drivers and DTS Headphone 7.1 surround give you directional awareness the HW510 can't match.
• Best for streaming or voice chat quality → Logitech PRO X Gaming. The detachable Blue VO!CE mic adds noise reduction, compression and limiting.
• Best for desk phone and softphone ecosystems → PLT Plantronics HW510. Quick Disconnect works with Plantronics USB and desk phone audio processors and direct connect cables.
• Best for durability in a rough office → PLT Plantronics HW510. Laser welding and aircraft-grade aluminium in a metal enclosure.
• Best for long gaming sessions → Logitech PRO X Gaming. Memory foam pads in leatherette or breathable cloth, with an aluminium and steel frame.
• Best for travel → Logitech PRO X Gaming. It includes a carrying pouch and a mobile cable with inline mic; the HW510's focus is the desk.
• Best if you want zero software fuss → PLT Plantronics HW510. The PRO X leans on G HUB to store EQ profiles to its USB sound card.
In my opinion, this isn't a close call — it's a category mismatch. If your day is calls, I'd buy the PLT Plantronics HW510: 52 g, a noise-cancelling mic, Quick Disconnect and a metal build make it the smarter tool for hours of talking, and it won't leave you with a hot, heavy head. If your day is games, I'd buy the Logitech PRO X Gaming: surround sound, 50 mm drivers and a detachable Blue VO!CE mic are exactly what competitive play and streaming need. Buy for the job you actually do, not for the spec sheet that looks bigger. Check the current price on Amazon before you commit, since both sit in very different budget tiers.
For work calls, the HW510. It's monaural and light at 52 g, with a noise-cancelling mic and Quick Disconnect that fits desk phone and USB audio processor setups. The PRO X is heavier and tuned for games, not eight-hour call shifts.
Yes. It's a stereo headset with 50 mm PRO-G drivers, a 20 Hz–20 kHz range and DTS Headphone 7.1 surround, so it handles music and films well. The HW510, by contrast, is mono with a range up to 6,800 Hz — fine for voice, poor for stereo media.
No. It's a plug-and-play headset that works with Plantronics USB and desk phone audio processors and direct connect cables via Quick Disconnect. The Logitech PRO X, on the other hand, needs Logitech G HUB if you want to save EQ profiles to its USB sound card's onboard memory.
Both are well built, in different ways. The HW510 uses laser welding, aircraft-grade aluminium and a metal enclosure, so it's designed for office wear and tear. The PRO X uses aluminium forks and a steel headband, built for the bumps of gaming setups.
No. The PRO X is a wired headset that connects over 3.5 mm and USB, with a mobile cable included. The HW510's data sheet also lists wired-style connectivity via USB with Quick Disconnect. Neither is a wireless headset in the traditional sense.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
When you buy through links on this page, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon or its affiliates. This site is an independent third-party review and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Amazon or the product brands mentioned.