Is Astro’s A50 the premiere gaming audio package?
Nothing will boost the best PC games like one of those best PC gaming headset. The improved audio detail and surround sound creates an immersive atmosphere, and turns the glimpse of a foe into a dead giveaway in the location. Single player attempts journeys you won’t want to back from. Online, using a great mic turns it into a social encounter, letting you chat with your teammates and coordinate strategies on the fly.
The Astro A50 is a headset that does all of that and more — and at $300 (#299, AU$480), it really should. Due in part to the Dolby Pro Logic llx format, the Astro A50 offers digitally mixes 7.1 simulated surround audio. It’s among the best headsets if you truly want to feel enemy rockets tear right past your head, and it’s flexible enough that you’ll want to use it for viewing films and listening to music. Finally, the fact that it’s compatible right out of the box using the Xbox One S, PlayStation 4 and any PC or Mac with an optical jack, adds a ton of versatility — blowing the Triton Warhead 7.1, a similar $300 Xbox-only headset, out of the water.
Long praised for its design Astro Studios, characteristics Astro Gaming in 2006 — that has been competing with brands such as Mad Catz, Tritton and Razer to produce premium gaming headsets. While the Astro a50 isn’t an ideal headset, it certainly comes close, and the wide range of devices it is compatible with makes it a fantastic investment for technology fans with crowded entertainment centers.
The Astro A50 features crisp highs, deep bass and thanks to its Dolby Pro llx compatibility, it features software-enabled sound mixing as good as any 7.1 headsets available on the market. You might also have to pick up an adapter if you want to connect to anything with no optical jack, such as the MacBook Pro — although its base channel does have a 3.5mm input jack. We also discovered that Astro’s estimated 12-hour battery life was not very accurate, making the $7.99 Play and Charge Cable a tempting buy. When you have a spare lying 19, But, you can also simply use a spare micro cable.
There’s a Vital firmware update that fixes an Issue together with the A50s that causes an intermittent”pop” in the sound. Make sure to download the update and install it, if you bought the A50s.
Design
With audio power comes a plus-sized Headset; the Astro A50 is bulky and big, but still manages to be comfy. Every piece of this headset that comes in contact with your head, meaning that the earpieces and the bottom of the headband is covered in soft, foam-like fabric. You’ll definitely notice the weight of the A50s sitting on your own mind, but the tender points of touch make it effortless to wear. Throughout long gaming sessions while viewing a film we finally forgot we had been wearing it. You would need to wear the A50 to get a really extended amount of time for it to become uncomfortable or tiring.
The fit of this A50s is not as comfortable as some headphones we’ve tested. It might feel a bit loose if you’re utilized to something tighter, however we immediately go used for it. A more relaxed fit makes it easier in your ears, but it will mean that the audio bleeds a bit. If you’re cranking the noise, people around you will be able to hear it faintly. Don’t listen to any messages with enemy spies around.
Since the device is Big, Astro created a fantastic alternative in providing it a stealthy color scheme. The matte black finish is attractive and subdued; no need to draw any Attention to the oversized A50s. Red, semi-exposed cables running Up the sides of the headband function as an highlight.
The mic is super bendy and durable, and has one smart feature: Pointing it straight up locks it in place and mutes it. It is a neat and Convenient piece of design, but we still would have appreciated to option To simply get rid of the mic. Being able to tuck it straight up is a great Feature for LAN parties or long gaming sessions, but makes you look like An cosmonaut when you’re watching a movie. It’d be fine If we could just take it off.
