I was very tempted by the a50's recently being a previous a40 owner but I was put off by the continued reports of crashing. In short you would have to wait up to 14 hours for the battery to go flat to reset it before you could get them to function again. I haven't kept an eye out to see if they fixed the firmware in the last couple of months.
** ASTRO **
- Thread starter rjk
- Start date
I had a pair back during the days no-one had heard of Astro and they hadn't even got any publicity at large gaming events at the time. I also bought a pair when I had my PS4 for a short period.
Both times the Amp, headset and mic have done everything I want them to. They are the best unless you go to an actual headphone manufacturer.
Maybe I've just been lucky but I've had my A50's for 6 months and have had zero problems so far..touch wood
Got my A50s around xmas. Went for the white Xbox ones, just because of the colour.
If you order the PC ones you get a stupid USB dongle - I have an XFI card so why would I use that. I wish they did a model that didn't include it.
these are literally the best headphones I have used. Everything just feels right about them.
If you order the PC ones you get a stupid USB dongle - I have an XFI card so why would I use that. I wish they did a model that didn't include it.
these are literally the best headphones I have used. Everything just feels right about them.
Associate
- Joined
- 14 Dec 2011
- Posts
- 374
Had mine A40's for years now, just put simply: an awesome bit of kit, if they broke today, I would replace them tomorrow without a doubt.
Last edited:
They should have probably called it the Mixamp Pro TX, to stop people having a fit because it doesn't have 'pro' in the title.
YES!!!
Man, why can't companies keep their marketing nonsense simple for idiots like me?
Ok, I'd like to chip in here.
First off, my pair are not from OcUK, this is the result of having a woman who loves me so much she buys me lovely gifts, so when I mentioned these, she went to a high street store and bought them for me. Sorry OcUK for not giving you the sale, but my wife is worth more to me than you lot (only slightly though
)
A few days in now, and these have simply changed the way I look at gaming audio. I'm no stranger to high-ish end headphones, having had two pairs of Turtle Beach cans, one being the PX21s and some other more expensive one. These were both great for the time but sadly build quality let them down.
I then bought a pair of Tritton AX Pros which were good but after about 18 months the cables started breaking inside so I had to send them back. Credit where it's due, Mad Catz tech support were phenomenal, I was expecting an uphill battle of drawn out proportions (this is when I bought the PS21s as a stop-gap) but they were swift and helpful. The AX Pros were discontinued so they replaced my pair with a pair of Pro+ which I still have today.
Two years old, they have taken a beating that no headset should endure. They've had crap spilled on them, covered in ash, flung about (anyone who's pulled their chair out from their desk with the headset cable wrapped around it will know what I mean, it's a decent clout) and they just kept on soldiering on. The audio quality is decent, I thought it was great but I'll come to that. One thing I should comment on is that mic quality. Loads of people thought the mic quality was excellent and commented on it.
They are however showing their age now and the mic cuts out now and then which was the catalyst that started the process. Further investigation revealed that the failing connection was where the headset plugged in to the mixamp, as jiggling that around made it better / worse. The band on top of the head is cracking too. I don't know what that plastic is made of but it cracks, cracks and cracks some more but astonishingly it never breaks which is rather odd.
All that said, I've now had a good few hours of playing with my Astro A50s on both the PC (Dying Light, Minecraft and various Youtube vids including music for comparison purposes) and the PS4 (Diablo 3, Destiny). In both situations I also had voice comms going, Teamspeak for the PC and the PS4s voice chat facility.
I had a little trouble getting it all sorted the way I wanted but later this transpired to be an error between the desk and chair - I had somehow pulled the optical cable out. Once sorted, the sound these headphones put out is nothing short of amazing. I was genuinely impressed with the Trittons when I got them, they do have "proper" surround after all which means lots of speakers in each cup but as I've discovered with these A50s, that's not as good as virtual surround. With only having the one speaker in each cup like the Astros do, the sound output is considerably higher than having lots of smaller speakers and a sub in each cup. Volume wise, the Pro+ cans can't hold a candle to the A50s. It's not even close, two different ballparks completely.
Sound quality wise, I thought I'd seen it all with the Pro+ but now having used these A50s, I'm hearing sounds that I never even knew existed. A prime example is chests in Destiny. I've seen Youtube videos stating that they make a noise when you're near them, but I've never managed to find this so thought these guys were imagining things. With these Astros, I hear it clearly now, and can also hear what direction they're in.
With my Trittons, I always thought I was a bit tone deaf or something because I could never hear directional sound, but never thought it could be my £150 headset. These Astros changed that. I can now hear things from exactly the direction they're coming from, and walking past things means that it actually sounds like I'm walking past them, not that they're simply fading in and out as I go close / far.
The build quality is excellent on these too. They look well made, as someone with an engineering background, I can appreciate when parts are nicely finished, there's nothing worse than paying premium prices for a premium product only to find jagged edges and burs still on components. None of that here, everything's finished to a very high standard and the attention to detail is lovely. One small detail which I really like is that each slider on each side of the headset has little marks, so you can easily remember how far up or down you have each side whilst gaming. Nothing worse than my wife hopping on to my games to chat to my mates and messing my size up, I end up with a wonky headset on my head and it just never feels "right" afterwards. Small issue and probably my OCD causing it, but it's nice that this headset alleviates that.
Comfort wise, they're lovely. The fabric cups are a great fit and the tension on my fairly large head is perfect. I had them on for about four hours last night and only took them off now and then to grab a beer / snack / whatever. Really great. I was especially expecting them to weigh a ton as they are wireless, what with the batteries and all, but I *think* they weigh even less than my wired Pro+.
Another small advantage is that they get all their power from the USB port they're plugged in to, not only does this free up a socket but removes an extra cable under a desk which makes Charlotte's Web look like a well organized array. Another small comment on this is how much power these things have given that they only have a 5v supply. My Trittons, which were mains fed didn't even come close to this.
I can't comment on battery life as I've not had them long, but not having the ability to replace the battery is grounds for an issue once this one start fading after long term use. I don't know what battery they have in them, but given the weight and lifespan I've experienced so far, I would hazard a guess at Lithium Ion batteries, which should last a long time.
Mic quality is great, I requested feedback from numerous folks whilst gaming last night and they all said it was fantastic, one even saying "it's like I'm there". When I jokingly said I can take them with me to the loo due to being wireless, one person commented that they'd probably be able to hear what I've eaten for dinner. Yes, that good.
Another comment which I should leave here is the (included) stand. It's a lovely sturdy affair with a rubber foot so it doesn't slide around. It's sturdy and holds the headset well, and also accommodates the mixamp on it as well. Again this is a small touch which highlights the level of thought and engineering gone in to this product.
The headset isn't without fault though, here are a few small points:
When the battery is low, the headst beeps three times. This only happened when they were fresh out the box, haven't heard that since as I keep them charged but those three beeps are LOUD. If you have sensitive ears, this will hurt. RIP headphones users, as they say.
The headset turns off if there's no activity for a few minutes. This isn't a major fault, but that time could be extended a bit in my opinion. I don't know what the exact time is, but it does seem a bit soon and when it does turn off, it beeps as well, so if you've got them on your head, beware.
With the lack of cable, there is no in-line equalizer like on the Pro+. There is however a three-setting swith on the headset itself which has three different modes. These are plenty for me but if you're one of those people who wants their sound "just so" then keep that in mind.
The last one might be me overlooking something, but it seems there's no option to disable me hearing my own voice. On the Trittons, it was a switch on the in-line controller, but this seems to be on all the time. Again I might simply be overlooking it, but a quick search was fruitless. Bear in mind though that after half an hour of gaming, I didn't even notice it any more.
Verdict:
Hands down the best headset I've ever owned. I abolustely love them and hope that the battery remains reliable for a good few years to come as that is my only concern. They're comfy, sturdy, look lovely and have a well crafted feel to them. The materials feel top notch and so does the craftsmanship gone into putting it all together.
The sound is lovely, whether it's watching videos, gaming or listening to music, this headset really does take your ears to a whole new level. Mic quality is excellent too.
All in all I can't recommend these enough. They're eye wateringly expensive when you factor in the fact that you can buy a headset which "does the same" for a few tenners but once you've experienced these, it all makes sense. They justify their price tag well.
Apologies for the long post but £250 is a lot of money for a headset so hopefully this will help someone make that decision.
First off, my pair are not from OcUK, this is the result of having a woman who loves me so much she buys me lovely gifts, so when I mentioned these, she went to a high street store and bought them for me. Sorry OcUK for not giving you the sale, but my wife is worth more to me than you lot (only slightly though
)A few days in now, and these have simply changed the way I look at gaming audio. I'm no stranger to high-ish end headphones, having had two pairs of Turtle Beach cans, one being the PX21s and some other more expensive one. These were both great for the time but sadly build quality let them down.
I then bought a pair of Tritton AX Pros which were good but after about 18 months the cables started breaking inside so I had to send them back. Credit where it's due, Mad Catz tech support were phenomenal, I was expecting an uphill battle of drawn out proportions (this is when I bought the PS21s as a stop-gap) but they were swift and helpful. The AX Pros were discontinued so they replaced my pair with a pair of Pro+ which I still have today.
Two years old, they have taken a beating that no headset should endure. They've had crap spilled on them, covered in ash, flung about (anyone who's pulled their chair out from their desk with the headset cable wrapped around it will know what I mean, it's a decent clout) and they just kept on soldiering on. The audio quality is decent, I thought it was great but I'll come to that. One thing I should comment on is that mic quality. Loads of people thought the mic quality was excellent and commented on it.
They are however showing their age now and the mic cuts out now and then which was the catalyst that started the process. Further investigation revealed that the failing connection was where the headset plugged in to the mixamp, as jiggling that around made it better / worse. The band on top of the head is cracking too. I don't know what that plastic is made of but it cracks, cracks and cracks some more but astonishingly it never breaks which is rather odd.
All that said, I've now had a good few hours of playing with my Astro A50s on both the PC (Dying Light, Minecraft and various Youtube vids including music for comparison purposes) and the PS4 (Diablo 3, Destiny). In both situations I also had voice comms going, Teamspeak for the PC and the PS4s voice chat facility.
I had a little trouble getting it all sorted the way I wanted but later this transpired to be an error between the desk and chair - I had somehow pulled the optical cable out. Once sorted, the sound these headphones put out is nothing short of amazing. I was genuinely impressed with the Trittons when I got them, they do have "proper" surround after all which means lots of speakers in each cup but as I've discovered with these A50s, that's not as good as virtual surround. With only having the one speaker in each cup like the Astros do, the sound output is considerably higher than having lots of smaller speakers and a sub in each cup. Volume wise, the Pro+ cans can't hold a candle to the A50s. It's not even close, two different ballparks completely.
Sound quality wise, I thought I'd seen it all with the Pro+ but now having used these A50s, I'm hearing sounds that I never even knew existed. A prime example is chests in Destiny. I've seen Youtube videos stating that they make a noise when you're near them, but I've never managed to find this so thought these guys were imagining things. With these Astros, I hear it clearly now, and can also hear what direction they're in.
With my Trittons, I always thought I was a bit tone deaf or something because I could never hear directional sound, but never thought it could be my £150 headset. These Astros changed that. I can now hear things from exactly the direction they're coming from, and walking past things means that it actually sounds like I'm walking past them, not that they're simply fading in and out as I go close / far.
The build quality is excellent on these too. They look well made, as someone with an engineering background, I can appreciate when parts are nicely finished, there's nothing worse than paying premium prices for a premium product only to find jagged edges and burs still on components. None of that here, everything's finished to a very high standard and the attention to detail is lovely. One small detail which I really like is that each slider on each side of the headset has little marks, so you can easily remember how far up or down you have each side whilst gaming. Nothing worse than my wife hopping on to my games to chat to my mates and messing my size up, I end up with a wonky headset on my head and it just never feels "right" afterwards. Small issue and probably my OCD causing it, but it's nice that this headset alleviates that.
Comfort wise, they're lovely. The fabric cups are a great fit and the tension on my fairly large head is perfect. I had them on for about four hours last night and only took them off now and then to grab a beer / snack / whatever. Really great. I was especially expecting them to weigh a ton as they are wireless, what with the batteries and all, but I *think* they weigh even less than my wired Pro+.
Another small advantage is that they get all their power from the USB port they're plugged in to, not only does this free up a socket but removes an extra cable under a desk which makes Charlotte's Web look like a well organized array. Another small comment on this is how much power these things have given that they only have a 5v supply. My Trittons, which were mains fed didn't even come close to this.
I can't comment on battery life as I've not had them long, but not having the ability to replace the battery is grounds for an issue once this one start fading after long term use. I don't know what battery they have in them, but given the weight and lifespan I've experienced so far, I would hazard a guess at Lithium Ion batteries, which should last a long time.
Mic quality is great, I requested feedback from numerous folks whilst gaming last night and they all said it was fantastic, one even saying "it's like I'm there". When I jokingly said I can take them with me to the loo due to being wireless, one person commented that they'd probably be able to hear what I've eaten for dinner. Yes, that good.
Another comment which I should leave here is the (included) stand. It's a lovely sturdy affair with a rubber foot so it doesn't slide around. It's sturdy and holds the headset well, and also accommodates the mixamp on it as well. Again this is a small touch which highlights the level of thought and engineering gone in to this product.
The headset isn't without fault though, here are a few small points:
When the battery is low, the headst beeps three times. This only happened when they were fresh out the box, haven't heard that since as I keep them charged but those three beeps are LOUD. If you have sensitive ears, this will hurt. RIP headphones users, as they say.
The headset turns off if there's no activity for a few minutes. This isn't a major fault, but that time could be extended a bit in my opinion. I don't know what the exact time is, but it does seem a bit soon and when it does turn off, it beeps as well, so if you've got them on your head, beware.
With the lack of cable, there is no in-line equalizer like on the Pro+. There is however a three-setting swith on the headset itself which has three different modes. These are plenty for me but if you're one of those people who wants their sound "just so" then keep that in mind.
The last one might be me overlooking something, but it seems there's no option to disable me hearing my own voice. On the Trittons, it was a switch on the in-line controller, but this seems to be on all the time. Again I might simply be overlooking it, but a quick search was fruitless. Bear in mind though that after half an hour of gaming, I didn't even notice it any more.
Verdict:
Hands down the best headset I've ever owned. I abolustely love them and hope that the battery remains reliable for a good few years to come as that is my only concern. They're comfy, sturdy, look lovely and have a well crafted feel to them. The materials feel top notch and so does the craftsmanship gone into putting it all together.
The sound is lovely, whether it's watching videos, gaming or listening to music, this headset really does take your ears to a whole new level. Mic quality is excellent too.
All in all I can't recommend these enough. They're eye wateringly expensive when you factor in the fact that you can buy a headset which "does the same" for a few tenners but once you've experienced these, it all makes sense. They justify their price tag well.
Apologies for the long post but £250 is a lot of money for a headset so hopefully this will help someone make that decision.
Last edited:
Glad I could help. If you have any questions feel free to reply to this thread, I've subscribed to it so I can hopefully help anyone out.
I'll bill Astro and OcUK for my services
Oh and I'll add some photos at some point too. If one of the OcUK crew want to break that away and make a review of it, let me know and I'll polish it up a bit and add some sass.
I'll bill Astro and OcUK for my services
Oh and I'll add some photos at some point too. If one of the OcUK crew want to break that away and make a review of it, let me know and I'll polish it up a bit and add some sass.
From what I can tell, the headset themselves are exactly the same. The main difference is the fact that the A50s are cordless whereas the A40s are corded.
The A50s also come with a mixamp, however this is an additional purchase with the A40s.
EDIT: This looks like a decent, unbiased comparison.
The A50s also come with a mixamp, however this is an additional purchase with the A40s.
EDIT: This looks like a decent, unbiased comparison.
Thanks for the link, great write up there also.
I think the A40 with mixamp pro bundle in white will be my replacement set.
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=SP-002-AG
I think the A40 with mixamp pro bundle in white will be my replacement set.
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=SP-002-AG
Associate
- Joined
- 1 Dec 2013
- Posts
- 568
The mix amp is the best bit astro make
pair it with any headset I use it with a40s and sennheiser 350
And 360s
A40s if you want a lot of bass
350s and 360s for gaming
on pc and xbox
Would go for a40s over a50s
pair it with any headset I use it with a40s and sennheiser 350
And 360s
A40s if you want a lot of bass
350s and 360s for gaming
on pc and xbox
Would go for a40s over a50s
Can you elaborate on this? Which Sennheisers are you referring to? I'm seriously impressed with the mic on these, I can only imagine what quality you must be talking about
tbh the sennheiser microphone is one of the best on any headset i've used no one has a problem with my modmic but everyone noticed i wasn't using my senns same when i tested some mmx 300 people were commenting in game how my new mic sounded ****e.
I can't comment on astro however.
IRT montegue
I think the mix amp will work with the senns other people use normal headsets on the mixamp that's why it's sold separately
I can't comment on astro however.
IRT montegue
I think the mix amp will work with the senns other people use normal headsets on the mixamp that's why it's sold separately