Astro Gaming A50 Wi-fi Headset + Inferior Spot

Astro Gaming’s A50 has lengthy stood as one of our current wi-figaming headsets. The 2016 version changed into an Editors’ Desire in its category, and the up up to now 2019 version improves on the construct and adds about a precious aspects. It remains an gorgeous wi-fi headset that would possibly perhaps perhaps well work with your PC and collection of PlayStation 4 or Xbox One, but diversified manufacturers beget actually stepped up their game within the final few years, pitting the $299.99 A50 in opposition to some lustrous stiff competitors, admire the Editors’ DesireSteelSeries Arctis Pro Wi-Fi.

Salvage

Bodily, doubtlessly the most modern A50 headset is form of just like the 2016 model. Or no longer it’s a solidly constructed pair of headphones with prominent pipe-fashioned vertical aluminum helps that connect the huge, rounded rectangular earcups to the headband. The construct is great more understated than the previous version, foregoing main colors for anodized aluminum and settling on an practically entirely dark colour plan, with grey accents on the PC/PlayStation 4 version and gold accents on the PC/Xbox One version.

The enhance microphone is totally linked to the again of the left earcup, and can flip up out of the kind to robotically silent. All bodily controls take a seat on the exact earcup, and embody a quantity wheel, an equalizer preset button, a Dolby encompass sound button, and an affect instructed the rear edge, moreover a game/sigh mix rocker switch for the duration of the again panel. A micro USB port on the backside of the exact earcup enables you to price the headset by a wired connection if you don’t wish to make impart of the unhealthy net page.

Every earpad aspects a beneficiant amount of reminiscence foam lined with breathable fabric, matched by padding on the underside of the headband. Whereas the helps on the perimeters of the headset are aluminum, the remainder of the headset is durable matte dark plastic. The end result is a light, ecstatic match your needs would possibly perhaps perhaps well perhaps also wear for lengthy play intervals.

The unhealthy net page is the supreme alternate between doubtlessly the most modern A50 and the 2016 version. Or no longer it’s about two-thirds the dimensions of the previous unhealthy net page, and also will be improper for a charging cradle. Or no longer it’s an inverted dark plastic trapezoid measuring 4.8 inches wide and 3.3 inches deep, with huge recesses geared up with charging contacts to defend the headset vertically. The indicator lights on the entrance of the unhealthy net page are now positioned abruptly under the charging recesses, as a substitute of to the exact admire they were on the wider 2016 model. The lights exhibit the headset’s contemporary price, whether or no longer it’s dilemma to PC or console mode, whether or no longer Dolby simulated encompass sound is enabled, and which of three equalizer presets are for the time being on.

The again of the unhealthy net page aspects a micro USB port for both energy and connecting to your PC or game console, a USB port for connecting to the headset for playing while charging, optical audio enter and output for connecting PlayStation 4 (or any diversified optical audio offer, optionally) sound to the headset, a 3.5mm aux enter, and a PC/console mode switch.

Connectivity

Searching on which version of the A50 you rating, you can well perhaps also impart the headset with the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One. That you just can well well furthermore impart both version with your PC. For PC, just creep the unhealthy net page right into a USB port with the included micro USB cable (handiest one comes with the headset, so that you just can well deserve to rating your beget if you’d admire to play while charging). For both console, creep the unhealthy net page in with the micro USB cable to enable the microphone and energy the headset, then connect the optical audio output of your console to the enter on the web page with the included optical audio cable to enable sound by the headphones.

Or no longer it’s easy to dilemma up, unless you can well perhaps beget a PS4 Slim. This version of the fashioned PS4 removes the optical audio output, so that you just cannot connect game audio abruptly from the console to the headset. Astro recommends both using your TV’s optical audio output, or connecting an HDMI splitter or audio converter with an optical audio output in between the PS4 and your TV.

Whereas you happen to impart the A50 with a PC, you can well perhaps also customise the design it acts and sounds with the Astro Characterize Heart app. The machine enables you to dilemma three EQ profiles accessible by the button on the headset, using a range of presets or with a personalized profile with a five-band EQ. That you just can well well furthermore alter the microphone’s noise gate mode and sidetone stage, even though the customization alternatives here have to no longer wherever shut to the mic-tweaking you can well perhaps also attain with theLogitech G Pro XorSennheiser GSP 670. That you just can well well furthermore alter the steadiness between game audio, chat audio, mic enter, and any offer plugged into the aux enter for the Lunge Port, the road enter machine that reveals up as a substitute to the microphone enter (priceless if you’d admire to alter quantity stages and steadiness while streaming or recording).

Microphone Efficiency

The A50’s microphone is terribly exact, with a little amount of tinkering. The noise gate presets gave the impact quite aggressive first and predominant, but after some experimentation in Astro Characterize Heart, I stumbled on that the default mic comprise stages were simply quite low. When I pushed the comprise quite above the urged surroundings, my test recordings gash again by the quite muffled sound I skilled in my first checks and produced determined, quite dapper sound.

As mics creep, nonetheless, the A50 doesn’t shine reasonably as great as theSennheiser GSP 670or the wiredTurtle Beach Elite Pro 2.

Music Efficiency

The headset is greater than succesful at facing tune, producing appreciable but no longer overpowering bass. In our bass test display screen, The Knife’s “Soundless Allege,” the bass synth notes and kick drum hits reach by with palpable pressure, and do not distort even at maximum quantity.

The outlet guitar plucks in Optimistic’ “Roundabout” rating a great deal of resonance within the lower frequencies and a honest amount of string texture within the higher frequencies. When the electrical bass kicks in, it sounds punchy without overpowering the combo, letting even the smooth strumming within the left channel reach by clearly. The drums and vocals furthermore rating ample presence within the combo, offering a balanced sound that serves all parts of the display screen.

The Crystal Manner’s “Born Too Uninteresting” sounds worthy and packed with life on the A50, giving a great deal of response for the duration of the frequency spectrum. The backbeat is punchy and packs weight, while the screeching vocals, guitar riffs, and snares rating an complete bunch excessive-mid response to pressure the display screen.

Gaming Efficiency

I played some Apex Legends with the A50. The sounds of fight were punchy and detailed, with gunfire getting a great deal of energy. Footsteps and diversified sounds got here by clearly, letting me know when there were nearby troopers. The Dolby simulated encompass sound supplies the game a nice, wide sound field with solid stereo panning, but it certainly doesn’t provide great bigger than imprecise directionality when looking to observe down the provision of noises. Or no longer it’s solid performance that lets all sound reach by clearly and with an complete bunch presence.

I furthermore played some Name of Accountability: Battle Zone with the A50. The a quantity of weapons sounded sure and worthy, letting me make a selection diversified types of gunfire within the distance. The Dolby simulated encompass provided some exact directionality, giving me a strategy of when the motion changed into a ways off or simply spherical the nook. Moreover the gunfire, footsteps and personality dialogue were without complications heard over the motion.

High-Quality Wi-fi Gaming Audio

The Astro Gaming A50 is silent an gorgeous wi-fi gaming headset. It feels excellent, sounds excellent, and has a extraordinarily helpful charging unhealthy that’s been diminished in size down from the supreme version. The Astro Characterize Heart enables some precious tweaks to sound and microphone performance, which extra pork up the skills of using the headset. That acknowledged, it feels admire a little step forward over the 2016 model, while plenty of diversified gaming headsets beget since established themselves as equally succesful, and rarely offering even higher sound.

For quite bigger than the already costly A50, the $330 SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wi-fi supplies gorgeous performance, plus Bluetooth connectivity and a pair of sizzling-swappable batteries, while the $350 Sennheiser GSP 670 has fabulous sound and an equally fabulous mic, and furthermore supplies Bluetooth connectivity. On the more life like cease, theTurtle Beach Elite Atlas AeroandRazer Nari Mandatorysound gorgeous for no longer as much as half the price of the A50. None of these headsets beget helpful charging bases, but they all beget their beget attention-grabbing aspects, and are price your consideration, displaying how a ways this category has grown since the fashioned A50 got here out.