ASTRO Gaming A50 Wireless Dolby Gaming Headset - Black/Green - Xbox One and PC
Condition: Used - Very Good
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Arrives
Thursday, Oct 15
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Platform For Display: Xbox One + PC
Edition: Headset
Features
- Pro Audio Quality
- Superior Fit & Finish
- Precision Microphone
- 5GHz Wireless Technology
- Dolby Headphone 7.1 Surround Sound
- All current ASTRO Gaming products designed for Xbox One will offer continuous compatibility on Xbox: Series X.
Description
Absolute Immersion. We've optimized the new A50 to make it the best fully wireless companion for your next-gen console. Broadcasting in interference- free wireless 5 GHz, you'll experience low latency gameplay in Dolby Headphone Surround Sound. With the ASTRO Command Center software, the A50 allows you to tune every input and output parameter including mic level adjustments and creating your own EQ modes. The new precision boom microphone is voice chat optimized for next-gen consoles and features flip-up mute functionality. The A50 headset is lightweight, easily adjustable, and Mod Kit ready, allowing you to transform your headset by swapping components like a synthetic leather headband and ear cushions for improved noise isolation. And when you're done, the new Base Station makes charging and pairing your headset simpler than ever. A50 Mod Kits are only compatible with the New/Gen 3 Battery Life - Up to 15 Hour Primary SpecificationsMicrophone: 6.0mm uni-directional, voice isolatingEar Coupling: Over-Ear Drivers: 40mm NeodymiumMagnet Wireless: Up to 30ft StandbyBattery Life: ~ 20 monthsWireless Frequency: 2.4GHzBattery Type - Lithium Polymer, single cell ยญยญTechnical SpecificationsTransducer Principle: Open Air FrequencyResponse: 20Hz - 20,000HzCharacteristic SPL: 118dB @1kHz
Specs & Other Info
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Connectivity Technology | Wi-Fi |
| Key Features | Integrated Microphone |
| Included in the Box | A50 Wireless Headset (Black/Blue), 1.0m Optical Cable, ASTRO Wireless 5 GHz Base Station Transmitter/Charging Stand, 1.0m Micro USB Cable |
| Intended Demographic | Adults |
| Construction Material | Synthetic Leather |
| Designed For | Gaming |
| Sound Isolation | Yes |
| Ear Placement | Over Ear |
| Suggested Use | Gaming |
| Theme | Gaming |
| Control Type | Call Management |
| Cable Features | No Cable, Extendable |
| Weight | 3.7 Pounds |
| Audio Frequency Response | 20 Hz - 20 kHz |
| Package Style | Standard |
| Quantity | Single Unit |
| Design | Xbox One Compatible |
| Contents | One item |
| Battery Duration | Up to 15 Hours |
| Actively Cancels Noise | Yes |
| Self-Adjusting Headband | Yes |
| Voice Prompt Feature | Yes |
| Reduces Wind Disturbance | Yes |
| Headband Adjustability | Yes |
| Launch Date | October 21, 2016 |
| Product Size | 8.82 x 5.71 x 11.3 inches; 3.7 Pounds |
| Category | Gaming Accessory |
| Model Number | 939-001517 |
| Manufacturing Status | Currently Produced |
| Manufacturer | ASTRO Gaming |
| Power Source | 1 Lithium Polymer Battery Required |
| Initial Release Date | June 10, 2016 |
Frequently asked questions
Yes, while the ASTRO A50 is primarily designed for Xbox One and PC, it can also be used with other devices that have a compatible optical or USB connection. However, for full functionality including game voice balance, it's best used with the Xbox One or PC.
Yes, the ASTRO A50 supports Dolby audio, providing an immersive audio experience with Dolby 7.1 Surround Sound. For Dolby Atmos, it may require additional setup or subscriptions.
The battery life of the ASTRO A50 lasts up to 15 hours on a single charge. The battery is not user-replaceable, but it is designed to last for several years with normal usage.
No, the microphone on the ASTRO A50 is not detachable. However, it can be flipped up to mute when not in use, providing a convenient way to manage voice communication.
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Top Amazon Reviews
๐ Abunda's Overview
This is our summary and key points to consider based on customer reviews.
The Astro A50 headset has been lauded for its superior sound quality, effective noise cancellation, and comfortable fit, making it a hit among gaming enthusiasts. Users have highlighted the need for firmware updates through Astro's Command Center software to enhance microphone performance. Its versatility is well-appreciated, working seamlessly both with Xbox and PC, along with customizable settings for an improved gaming experience. Despite its steep price point, avid gamers find it a worthy investment for its durability, battery life, and the significant upgrade it brings to gaming audio.
Pros
- ๐ง Superior sound quality with customizable settings
- ๐ Excellent noise cancellation feature
- ๐ฎ Works seamlessly with both Xbox and PC
- ๐ Impressive battery life with detailed indicators
- ๐ Comfortable fit for long gaming sessions, even for those with larger ears
Cons
- ๐ธ High price point
- โ Requires firmware update and software installation for optimal use
- ๐ Mic picks up background noise like a fan, despite noise cancellation claims
Should I Buy It?
If you're a serious gamer looking for a significant upgrade in audio quality, comfort, and usability, the Astro A50 headset is worth considering. While it comes with a high price tag, its performance and features justify the cost for those prioritizing gaming experience. However, ensure you're willing to undergo the initial setup process to unlock its full potential.
Platform For Display: Xbox One + PC
Edition: Headset
I was reluctant to buy this headset because of all the negative reviews on nearly every website about the mic. I saw almost nothing but complaints except on one lone Reddit thread where someone explained you simply needed to update the firmware. Using it out of the box on your Xbox may result in a poor quality mic, so download Astro Command Center from astrogaming.com, connect your base station to your PC, flip the switch to PC, plug in the headset, and it will prompt you to update the firmware. There are multiple settings for the mic in Command Center. Here is a link to a YouTube video I found of someone reviewing the Xbox model with recorded examples of the various mic settings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuwJ7aHw0i4 After watching this, I decided on HOME > AIRY. When you change this setting, or any other settings, you MUST click Sync to Device to save these settings in the headset for use on Xbox. I've been testing various mics/headsets on the Xbox lately. I have an old 5.1 A40 model with a mixamp, a newer A40 model with the silver Mixamp M80, the standard Microsoft Xbox headset, a Plantronics headset, and the Turtle Beach Stealth 600 headset. The old mixamp for the 5.1 A40 went bad which caused a lot of mic static. The new A40 model wasn't surround sound, but I never had any complaints about the mic. The standard Microsoft Xbox mic constantly picked up air noise from my ceiling fan (even on low), the Plantronics mic was horrendous, and the Turtle Beach Stealth 600 mic was excellent. I've been searching for a quality surround sound headset for a long time that could be used on both Xbox and PC that had a decent mic. This is absolutely it. Feedback from gamers online indicates the Turtle Beach Stealth 600 mic is ever-so-slightly better than this mic, but they can hear me clearly and perfectly with this mic. The headset does not have a mute button - you have to flip the boom mic almost completely vertical to mute the mic. You can tell it's muted either by the sudden lack of sidetone, or if you disable your sidetone, you can kinda feel the mic slip into place after a bit of resistance flipping it up. The speakers for voice chat (VOIP) sound like dedicated speakers, separate from the speakers for game and other audio. On the PC, this requires Astro Command Center to function (the headset will show up as two different headsets in your Sound settings under Playback Devices - you must set one as the Default and the other as the Default Communications, and you can tell which is which because one icon will have a boom mic). The degree of control between game audio and voice audio is excellent. Game/other audio sounds incredible. It perfectly fulfills what I've been searching for since my original A40 mixamp went bad. The degree of control with the equalizer settings in Command Center is outstanding. You can also export/import your settings/levels with Command Center, including the advanced equalizer for those more knowledgeable with frequency and sound bandwidth. The directional sound is magnificent. A number of other gamers have indicated they can pinpoint the source of noises (footsteps, etc.) with Windows Sonic or Dolby Atmos on stereo headsets, but I have never been able to. I don't use Windows Sonic or Dolby Atmos with this headset, and I have exacting precision with this now. I work from home and am on the phone through my work computer a majority of the day. There is constantly distracting noise outside, and this headset does a great job blocking out exterior noises. Command Center does require administrator rights to install, so if this is a limitation for you on a work device, be aware. But after using this headset for 8 hours straight for work, then gaming for 3 hours after, I have had zero issues with the battery life or the sound quality diminishing. The Command Center has a battery life indicator, as well as the base station, both when charging and when the headset is in use. The features indicate 15 hour battery life, but even with those 11-hour-straight uses, I have yet to drop below 70%. I am sure, however, this will diminish a bit over time. Additionally, it never became uncomfortable during these long uses. I have larger ears, which was another turnoff to the various other headsets I've owned. The ear cups on this headset are consistent with other Astro models in their generous size and are quite comfortable during even long uses. Other reviews have a few notes about placing the headset in the base to charge, indicating a bit of minor frustration or inconsistency. I've not had any issues with it outside of when I'm in a rush, but I've learned how to quickly seat it properly my first attempt. Hold it by the center of the headband, place the right earpiece in its spot, and gently drop the left earpiece into its spot, and it should seat perfectly every time. The only three cons, which seem minor/inconsequential, are the sidetone vs. mic's noise cancellation and the length of the earpiece extenders from the headband. My room is constantly hot, so I constantly have my ceiling fan on. I have to have sidetone in my headset, otherwise I have a difficult time talking. The mic seems to pick up air from the fan constantly, as I hear 'wind rushing' all the time through my headset's sidetone. HOWEVER, the noise cancellation somehow seems to prevent noise from going through voice chat. I keep Party Overlay activated on my Xbox, and even when hearing this noise through sidetone, my voice-indicator never pops up, and people online have indicated they never hear the noise, either - even when I am speaking. I have a fairly large/tall head, hence my big ears. I have to fully extend the sides of the headset to fit on my head. This has always been the case for the Astro headsets (all models of this style all seem to be the same size). If your ears are fairly low on your head, or if you have a fairly tall head, it is possible this could cause an issue. However, just about any gamer who's used this style headset - even those who say they have larger heads - have always said it fits very comfortably, so the likelihood of this being an issue is incredibly slim. Price. $300. Three hundred smackaroos. Some may feel this is a laughable point to make. For others, this may make this headset feel incredibly inaccessible. For those of the latter mind, if you are someone who takes good care of headsets/electronics and you're looking for a quality surround sound gaming headset, save up for these. It will absolutely be worth it, in my opinion.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2019 by Steven Sizemore
Platform For Display: Xbox One + PC
Edition: Headset
I am becoming convinced that none of the traditional gaming headset vendors can create a decent gaming headset. At least not one for XBOX One and have it be completely wireless (no chat cable). After numerous issues with Turtle Beach's 800x, including an RMA, I have decided to try the ASTRO Gaming A50s now that these are completely wireless. I have read all these great reviews on them, but I have to tell you for $300 these do not feel like they should cost that much. For one. They simply do not work without the USB cable plugged into the headset itself for power. I am guessing the power button simply does not work because moving the power button does not appear to make any difference to the operation of the headset. I can only power them up with a USB cable connected. I am very disappointed in the quality of these out of the box. Once they have power, they sound nice enough. The controls take a little getting used to. You have to change the ratio of the voice chat volume to the game volume, and then you can adjust the volume as a whole. I am not sure yet if this is better than having two volume controls, one for chat and one for game volume. I would also prefer a mute button. I do like that the mic mutes when moving it up, but also like the option of tapping a button. The other buttons take a little getting used to as they are pretty small and on the back of the right ear cup. It will take some getting used to where they are. Finally the charge base seems a little temperamental. It appears to take a little finesse to place it properly to get it to charge. If mine were not defective when opening the box, I would probably give these 4 stars, but receiving a broken unit gives me reason to believe the QA process that Astro uses is not very good. This makes me wonder what other issues may pop up. UPDATE 2/5/2017 I have a replacement set from Astro and they power up and work OK. The mic was pretty mute when talking with my friends through XBOX live. I connected the setup to my PC and and the MIC volume was set to about 75-80%. I punched it to 100%. Now they think I am very loud. I moved the mic farther from my face to account, but will probably turn the mic down a little more in the PC application. Just sort of a pain to take it off my XBOX, move it to the PC and sync the new settings and then move it all back. Sort of trial and error. The headset sounds good enough, and it is relatively comfortable. I am really not liking the only mute option is to move the headset boom all the way (ALL THE WAY) up. If not, all the way, it does not mute. It makes noise when you handle the boom to mute it, which is counter to the point of muting. I am OK with muting with the movement of the mic boom, but it should mute sooner and not be ALL the way vertical. It really should have a quick tap button to mute though. Far more efficient. Also, still not pleased with the way it sits in the stand. Still pretty flaky, requiring a little fussing to get it charging. If you do not need or desire 100% wireless on XBOX One, I would recommend another option. It will save you a ton of money and probably give you much better features to boot. Update 2/27/2017 Operation has been fine for the last few weeks. It still takes some effort to get the headet seated into the base properly to charge it. A little surprised this is how Astro decided to design this headset and they were OK with the charging system. The lack of a proper mute button is really becoming irritating. I hate it when people are sneezing, coughing, or otherwise making unwanted noise into my ear. I do my best to mute my mic to mitigate that with everyone listing to me as well. Not having a proper mute button is really making this difficult. I cannot swing the mic boom all the way to the farthest upright position to engage the mute fast enough to catch a sneeze. I find it odd that this would also be the way they would design this. There is no reason you cannot have two mute options. One with moving the mic boom up, and it should activate at considerably less than 90 degrees, the other being simple tap-able button on the outside of the ear cup. My wired Logitech USB headset had this feature and love it. Use it for conference calls using Skype all the time. What could have made this headset great, is a mute button and a better charging option that did not rely on a flaky seating of the headset in a base station. Seems there was some odd design choices here that really hold these headsets back and make me regret shelling out $300 for a supposedly premium experience. Update 3/22/2017 Two major bugs with this headset 1) The base station seems to 'loose connection' with the console routinely. The best way to work around this is to unplug the USB and plug it back in. Sometimes switching to PC mode and back will fix it but not always. Some forums suggested this is some issue with the XBOX instant on feature, but I have found the headset base looses its connection to the Xbox regardless of the instant on being enabled. 2) The game chat does not work in all games. XBOX Party Chat works fine (as long as you unplug and replug the USB in) but games like Destiny also have game chat, and the headset will not broadcast voice. It does not even detect any noise being transmitted by my MIC, but I can hear others talk. This is also a serious issue. Not everyone uses Party Chat or has issues of their own with Party Chat. So having a headset that does not work in game chat is very limiting. At this point, if I could return this headset I would. If this were a $50-90 dollar headset, I could kind of forgive all the issues and design flaws with this headset, but for $300, the experience should be exceptional and it is not. UPDATE 9/15/2017: Firmware update and fixed the issue with requiring the USB to be unplugged and reconnected every so often for the XBOX to detect the headset, but now it is back and doing it more than ever. It actually takes multiple attempts to disconnect and reconnect the USB now. The issue with game chat not working is still a problem even in Destiny 2. I don't know if this is something specific to Destiny as I don't really play other online games that require or can benefit from voice chat. Worst money I have ever spent, Well, now tied with the crap headset of the Turtle Beach Stealth 800x. I HOPE that the new headset that Turtle Beach is releasing, which uses the native wireless protocol of an xbox controller, may be better, but never again will I buy a wireless gaming headset without trying it out first. I highly recommend you try before you buy or simply look to wired headsets.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2017 by Mako
Platform For Display: Xbox One + PC
Edition: Headset
So I did a lot of research before purchasing new headphones. All the gaming review indicated that these headphones were the best for the xbox. The Amazon reviews disnt necisaraly reflect that. I read almost all of them. Since this pair of headphones is soooo expensive I took all reviews seriously. So far I'm glad I did. The Dolby digital surround sound is undescrivable. The best I can do is say that all my other headphones I have had in the past is simply noise compared to these. I have had none of the issues that got the astro A50 ists bad reviews. They are built rugged but are very lite. I love the noise cancelling feature of the microphone.. I also love that they have an app that you can set up and personalize your listening experience. I was looking for a wireless pare and this one fits the bill. It has the flip up mic to turn off which is convient as well as all controls behind the right ear which makes changing your settings on the fly easy. The only two things so far that I can critisise Astro A50 about is the cost which is quiet substantial. At 299 it is alot to swallow. I happened to buy them with part my money and a gift card so it didnt seem so bad at 300 dollars I dont know if I could pull the trigger. But honestly I would say they are worth it if you are serious about your gaming experience. The other thing is the set up. There aren't very good directions included with the headphones despite it saying charge your headphones completely before first use. It takes awhile to first charge. But once charged they last forever. You also need to download the control station on your PC and updated any firmware that is needed and customize your headset. None of this is stated in any instructions in the box. It can be found on Astos website, but I think they should do a better job of making it user friendly. I guess they assume that if you are buying 300 dollar headsets that you have experience using and setting up headsets such as this. Over all the set up isnt horrible. It just takes awhile. If I would give it a grade I would give it an A+. Truely all other headsets are just noise. I would agree with the gaming review these are by far the best set for the xbox one. Maybe not the best set for the money but most certainly the best set you can buy.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2019 by Steve Fleck
Platform For Display: Xbox One + PC
Edition: Headset
Overall this is a very good headset, I really enjoy the fully wireless aspect, as there is nothing more annoying than having wires at your fingers when you're playing. You can tell they are made out of high quality material, but felt like what you get with the mod kit should have been standard as it is for the higher end TB headsets (noise cancelling leather ear pads and headband). Here is what I saw as pros and cons (I've only had these a couple of days) Pros: They are wireless, they are comfortable, and the sound is great (not as good as my TB XO7 Pros). Overall this is a very solid headset. Cons: The mic is not great even with a firmware update. One issue I came across is that my xbox won't recognize it sometimes when I turn my xbox on so I'll have to unplug and replug the usb from the base station and then my xbox will assign it once again to my profile. This isn't a huge deal, but with time I could see this getting annoying. I have had TB headsets going on 8 years now and have always loved their sound. I only really play COD and TB headsets pick up footsteps so so well. I decided to get the TB Elite 800x headset and was very disappointed, it sounded like I was in a hallway and I could barely hear my own footsteps let alone anyone else. If you play COD you know if you cannot hear footsteps you might as well be playing blind folded. I figured I'd give the Astro A50 headset a chance and return my TB 800x. When I first started playing with them they sounded exactly the same as the TB 800x headset like I was in a tunnel and I couldn't hear footsteps. After messing around with them for a bit I decided I'd try to turn off the Dolby Digital 7.1 (this is also what they TB 800x have) and it sounded great! Conclusion: It might be because I am so used to the sound of the TB headset which is just surround sound not Dolby Digital like these, but I much prefer how that sounds as opposed to the dolby digital. When the Dolby Digital was on it was hard to hear footsteps or really determine where they were coming from, but again it might just be because I'm used to the TB surround sound. Like I said overall this headset is awesome and I will be keeping it, but I do not believe it is worth the money an average gamer might spend on them. There is nothing you'd get from these that TB XO 7's or XO 4's for that matter wouldn't be on par with besides the fact that they are completely wireless. So unless you want to spend an extra $200 on them being wireless save yourself some money and get an older generation of the Astro A50's, A40's, or my preference the TB (Turtle Beach) XO 7's/4's.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2017 by Landon Smith
Platform For Display: Xbox One + PC
Edition: Headset
This is my first amazon review... I'm that pleased. The only thing that I can imagine someone complaining about might be the Astro support which I have not had to deal with since these headsets have worked fine since the day I opened them. I have tried many headsets and these are the best in terms of construction, comfort and definitely sound. I have been amazed at how even with the sound turned way up on the game I can hear my friends voices clearly during moments of total surround sound chaos. It is almost surreal how without loud volume the chat feature effortlessly crosses through other noises to your ears with precision. This is my first set of Astros. I waited because I always wanted complete wirelessness like I got with the Triton warheads on the 360, which were my favorite headsets up until now. These are far more comfortable in my opinion. The documentation could use some more detail especially in terms of connecting to the chat features on Xbox live. The solution is to definitely download the Astro command center software and update the base station and headphones the day you take them out of the box. The additional features that the command center allows are amazing and probably far more than I will ever use but if you're a sound freak like some of these reviewers it should cover all of your needs. A few reviewer's have complained about not having swappable batteries but in my experience it is easy to plug in a mini USB power cord (like the ones that come with any wireless xbox1 controller) and charge them while you continue to play. Yes you lose the total wireless situation however the batteries last so long this should rarely be required. I only did it because I wanted to try them out immediately instead of charging them completely and the base station. I don't know who these people are that are giving low reviews - they may have there reasons or may just be trolls but these headsets have lived up to my every aspiration for them and then surpassed them. Unless you love to hate, I can't imagine being disappointed with them. Cheers!
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Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2016 by Conrad M Auchincloss
Platform For Display: Xbox One + PC
Edition: Headset
This is my first set of wireless headphone and the freedom of not being tethered to my desk is great. I no longer have to deal with cables getting snagged on my armrest or getting up after a long session and getting a nice reminder you're still attached. That being said I like the idea of wireless, but this headset is simply plagued with too many issues. The sound quality seems to be alright and I have no complaints, but the microphone seems to be lacking. I've tried many different settings in the command app and some people still think I sound like a robot. The clairity just isn't there for the price. Make sure to turn off side tone in the mic settings to stop hearing yourself. I do like the the flip to mute function. The game/voice button on the side of the ear cup is poorly designed, too often will you accidently press this when putting on the headset without realizing it. Many times i've found myself with no game volume or no voice only to open the command app and find the slider has maxed out in one direction. I got so frustrated with it i've opened the headset and removed the internal button. My biggest gripe is the docking station is absolute garbage, no review i've seen talk about this. After using the headset after some time it will no longer naturally seat into the dock. It has simply become too stretched from its original shape. You have to fidget with it to even get it in and then you have to fight with the pins twisting the ear cups back and forth to even get it charging. Another issue i have found is when removing from the dock there will be no sound and I need to unplug the dock and reset it or insert the headphones over and over (maybe it still thinks it's charging??). The final nail in the coffin is the wireless frequency. Out of the box I think this will haunt a lot of users. This took me the longest time to diagnose but if anything around you is using channel 149-165 (5ghz) you are going to have a bad time with audio randomly dropping. I had to manually disable these channels on my router to fix the issue. I've had these for a year and half and wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt, but for the premium price and long list of issues I cannot recommend these to anyone. Hopefully I can find something else that just works. Edit (2020-04-09): Headphones will not power on anymore, RIP.
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Reviewed in the United States on December 7, 2019 by Amazon Customer
Platform For Display: Xbox One + PC
Edition: Headset
The Astro a50s were my first high quality headset since my others were $50 turtle beaches and right from the beginning I noticed a big difference in sound quality and comfortability. After many long gaming sessions into the night I couldnโt even get under 50% battery life. There are a few minor issues that might bother some is the mic quality should be improved for the price, game chat does not work in destiny for Xbox, and lastly the headset needs a little wiggle to put in, but it is still easy to place and use. Lastly there is a device inside the headset that makes it shut off when placed down which is great so I donโt burn battery life when I forget to turn them off when I put them down. There is one downside to this feature which makes it shut off when not wanted such as laying down or laying back in the chair. I just wish there is an option to turn the device off inside the software on the computer. Overall the best headset Iโve ever used and owned and canโt wait for the improvements in the next generation.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2018 by Denise I. Charles
Platform For Display: Xbox One + PC
Edition: Headset
I would argue that this is a great SOUNDING headset, but it has a couple of critical flaws that keep it from being an overall great headset. Pros- - Audio Quality - Astro is well known for making some of the best sounding headsets out there. This one is no exception. The quality of the audio produced is unmatched on Xbox, and I'm hard pressed to find a better gaming specific headset on PC. - Battery Life - I find that the 15 hour manufacturer estimation is fairly accurate. I play at higher volumes for long sessions with friends and it seemed to last most of the New Year's weekend before needing a charge. - Build Quality - Seems solid, even though it's mostly plastic. Will update if something happens to it. - Pairing with console - Super easy on this part. All I had to do was plug the optical and USB cables into the Xbox and it designated the headset to my profile automatically. After this I just had to go into Xbox audio settings and set it to output to the headset using Optical/Dolby and I was good to go on that front. Cons- - Microphone Quality (This had me ready to return the thing before I had the fix) - It could best be described as mediocre. I previously owned a set of A40s for the Xbox One and they had a fantastic Mic. This set does not share that quality. The moment I got on Xbox party chat with some friends, they asked me if my mic was broken, not knowing I had purchased a brand new headset. After discovering that this has been an issue for multiple people, I contacted Astro support for a solution and they advised that I have the mic positioned ridiculously close to my mouth and have the sensitivity virtually maximized, alongside some rather specific settings in the "Astro Command Center" application on PC only (more on that in a minute). That fixed my issue for the most part, but my friends still indicated the Mic sounds worse than others, to include the one you can get from Microsoft for cheap but I could be easily understood. So if you depend on High Mic quality, skip this headset and go for the A40. - Disconnections - The Headset has a habit of randomly destabilizing or losing connections at times. Not sure if that's because I'm in an apartment building, but I really wish there was an option to hardwire the headset to the console permanently so that I can play without the interference (the headset has a Micro USB input, not sure what it's for). - Configuration - You HAVE to use the Astro Command Center application on PC/Mac to change the audio profile or mic profile on the headset. It works well enough and the headset doesn't have to be docked for it to work, but it's a pain to switch all the cables around from Xbox to PC just to change and test the configuration. As a suggestion to Astro - PLEASE make an Xbox application that would let people configure the headset there. - Charging - Trying to put the headset on the charger is a pain. It's easy enough to ID which cup goes where due to the contacts, but trying to get them to actually make contact and SUSTAIN contact can be a pain, and it has resulted at least twice in me putting the headset on the charger after a session and it only charges for a few seconds without me knowing it stopped, resulting in a dead headset when I go to play later.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2018 by Brian Walen