If you tend to use your PC and a console simultaneously, you may be familiar with Astro Gaming. Over the years, the A50, the business’s flagship product, has established itself as the standard headset for many users, gaining the company interest from Logitech and a reputation for high-end console gaming. But how does the best on consoles, now in its fourth incarnation, compare to the best on PC? There is still work to be done, that much is certain.
The A50 has a relatively understated aesthetic; it comes in black or black with either subtle gold or silver accents, but the standout feature is the tubular band. Additionally, the dimensions on either side make it convenient for making uniform modifications to get a proper fit. Even while the Astro Command Center app is available for deeper explorations into the equalizer, you may manage your audio experience almost exclusively from the headset itself. A power switch, an EQ preset switch for quick game/music switching, and a Dolby switch for simulated surround sound are all located on the headset itself.
The gaming headset has a wireless base station that shows all the critical data you could need, including your preferred EQ preset and a battery life indicator. Keep in mind that this base station is only compatible with either the Xbox platform or the PS4, not both, if you’re expecting to play a bit on two different gaming systems. However, both PS4 and Xbox headset versions are compatible with PC, so choose based on which is less expensive. The one I was sent for review is made for PC and PS4.
Astro A50 Wireless review: Design
The most recent A50 headset resembles the 2016 model almost exactly in terms of appearance. The big, rounded rectangular earcups are joined to the headband by noticeable, vertical aluminum supports in the style of pipes. The headphones are well-made. Compared to the previous design, this one is considerably more subtle. Instead of using primary colors, anodized aluminum was chosen, and a nearly all-black color scheme was chosen, with gray highlights on the PC/PlayStation 4 edition and gold accents on the PC/Xbox One version.
The boom microphone can be manually muted by flipping it up out of the way, however it is permanently attached to the rear of the left earcup. A volume wheel, an equalizer preset button, a Dolby surround sound button, and a power switch are all located on the right earcup. A game/voice mix rocker switch is located across the back panel. If you don’t want to utilize the base station, you can charge the headset using a wired connection using a micro USB port on the bottom of the right earcup.
Astro A50 Wireless review: Comfort
Surprisingly, the Astro A50 wireless gaming headset is very comfy. Although you would expect a top-tier headset to be comfortable, I was a little worried after our previous disappointments with models like the Sennheiser GSP 670s. The 380 grams of the A50s make them excessively weighty for gaming in my opinion. However, these remain comfy all day because to a flawless clamp force and what I can only describe as cloud-like padding.
Although the clamp on these is almost ideal for comfort, it is important to note that they will need to be adjusted if you lean forward or dance maniacally, so take care they don’t come off your head. Even Garry Lineker could use these without complaining because the earcups’ rectangular-shaped perforations can accommodate fairly huge ears. The earcups’ plush padding is detachable, and it rests on a plate that is magnetically attached to the headset. The cushioning is made of a permeable fabric weave and is a little bit lighter than the A50’s of the first generation. These feel like they burrow into your ears and skull because of the wonderful padding on the skin and for gamers who wear glasses as well.
Astro A50 Wireless review: Connectivity
The Astro A50 headset, which has a range of 30 feet and an estimated 15 hours of battery life, is simple to dock and charge thanks to the magnetized base. Despite being in close proximity to numerous different wireless devices, the signal is unaffected and rock solid. One of the main reasons I continue to use this headset year after year is because of its dependability. Because I switch between my PC and Xbox so frequently, Bluetooth sound mixing is simply not dependable enough.
Beyond looks, there have been a few minor tweaks made to the headset’s design. The buttons seem slightly more tactile and responsive than the last set, and the ends of the movable side frames have been softened to make them simpler to manipulate. You can change the ratio of SPDIF audio to USB audio by pressing on the headset’s outer cup. A dial in the corner controls the master volume.
Astro A50 Wireless review: Audio Quality
The A50 excels in terms of raw audio quality. The 40mm speakers reproduce even the most subtle sounds perfectly, providing a fantastic listening experience. It’s also enjoyable to listen to music because the cans can handle a range of genres with relative ease. Although the sound characteristic is well balanced, the headset doesn’t provide the most detailed sound for the money, and the soundstage doesn’t seem as expansive as it might.
Of course, you can turn on the Dolby Surround, but the music will sound flat and muffled. Don’t get me wrong, the Astro A50 sound fantastic, but for the same money, a pair of wireless B&W P5s could be purchased by genuine audiophiles.
The maximum wireless range is 30 feet, which should be more than enough for most people. In my testing, the music didn’t stop when I walked out of the living room to turn on the kettle in the room next door. However, it did start to give up the ghost if I continued to walk.
Astro A50 Wireless review: Performance
Although the Astro A50’s look may not be all that appealing, we adore the sound quality it produces. But first, let’s clear up something: this isn’t the loudest headset ever, and it doesn’t have the best seal—during sluggish gameplay times, we can still hear our coworkers in the office. This headset might not meet your needs if you’re looking for something with a lot of rumbling and strong noise-cancellation.
However, if sound quality is more important to you, you’ll be happy to hear that there aren’t many gaming headsets with as excellent of an acoustic balance. You see, a lot of the gaming headphones available nowadays have a ton of bass, some to the point where really powerful explosions may make a bothersome cracking sound. These don’t, though.
Gears 5’s early levels are played while wearing the Astro A50, and the combination of the game’s beautiful graphics and crystal-clear music gives the impression that we are watching a movie. The Astro A50 offers a more immersive gaming experience because it supports Dolby Virtual Surround.
Astro A50 Wireless review: Battery Life
Astro says that the A50 Wireless can run for more than 15 hours on a single charge, however we are unable to confirm this. The headset has a built-in “feature” to conserve battery life that can’t be disabled and puts the device to sleep after about 30 minutes of inactivity. This prevents us from performing our standard complete battery test, unless we want to put the battery testing apparatus on top of a washer that is running for more than 16 hours. But based on the information we can gather by periodically prodding the headset to check the battery level, we’d guess that it will play music for about 16 hours.
Because of its standby mode, your headset won’t lose much power if you forget to put it away and go to sleep. It also means that if you tend to fall asleep when playing video games, watching movies, or doing other activities, you can experience this problem. It shouldn’t be a problem as long as you move your head at least every few minutes.
Astro A50 Wireless review: Price
With pricing starting at over $450 AUD, the Astro A50 4th generation headset caters to professional gamers and those with a lot of additional cash. However, given that the Astro A50 Gen 4 headset is feature-rich and suitable for both consoles and PC, there is strong reason for this level of expense if you are serious about audio quality.
When compared to Razer’s Blackshark V2 Pro eSports-specific wireless headset, which is likewise compatible with Playstation, Xbox, and PC, there isn’t much to separate the two. There is still a lot of value in the Astro A50s even though the highly regarded Razer Blackshark V2 Pro would barely defeat them. If you want to spend even more on your headset, the A50 headsets also give you the option to swap out the ear cushions with a mod kit that costs about $75 AUD. If this mod kit had been free, the A50s would have quickly overtaken other headsets as the most affordable option available. Unfortunately, you will need to pay extra for this service.
Conclusion
A excellent wireless gaming system is the Astro A50. They have a wireless base station that delivers audio with incredibly little latency, and they are comfortable enough to wear for extended periods of time. With their boom mic, they do an excellent job of isolating your speech from surrounding noise and delivering high-quality recordings.
They also contain on-board controls for volume control, channel mixing, EQ preset cycling, and activating its simulated surround sound functionality. They also come with accompanying software that provides a variety of setup options.
