ASTRO are always looking for improvements, they recently have upgraded the classic A40 headset to bring the Xbox One an even better audio experience. Designed for professionals but fit for any gamer, the A40 headset is lightweight and provides long-lasting comfort, so you can play your way. Most importantly, the A40 delivers unparalleled sound with incredible clarity, allowing you to hear even the subtlest aspects of your game’s soundscape.
To achieve such a crisp and clear sound, Astro have worked alongside professional gamers and audio developers to ensure that their headsets have “the highest level of clarity at every frequency.” Even if you’re listening to music or watching a movie, the sound will be phenomenal. The Astro product range is designed with eSports in mind, but also tailored towards the enthusiast gamer in general. As such, the Astro product ranges do carry a premium price tag.
The cable coils through an extending slider to allow for easy adjustment to your head size, On the left side, you have a fold up boom microphone which feels sturdy. The microphone is easily positioned thanks to its flexible boom. The microphone can be removed if you don’t need it, but you can also swap the back plates and mount the headset on the other ear cup if you desire. Customisation is one of the high points of the A40’s, allowing you to change the faceplates on the headset with a large range emblazoned with icons from games like Assassin’s Creed and Battlefield. It’s these simple little options that make the product very user friendly.
On the underside, you can see how the ear cups padding is angled to better direct the sound towards your ears. There’s also a small 3.5mm jack on the base of the left ear-cup for the Mixamp cable.
Both ear-cups fold completely flat, making it nice and comfortable to wear the headset around your neck between matches. The padding is by far some of the best I’ve ever seen. It feels both durable and soft at the same time; you’ll have no issue wearing this headset for extended periods of time.
The M80 mixamp fits the feel of the controller well; it doesn’t add too much extra weight nor does it get in the way of your hands while playing. The buttons are all within easy reach, and the one cord connection never got in the way. Being connected to the controller, a necessity for chat capabilities on the Xbox One, meant that if you ever needed to get up or move there’s no difficulty with cord lengths connected to consoles.
The sound quality on the headset is incredibly clear. The surround sound really helps to immerse you in the game world – I used the headset a lot while playing Project Cars and the engine sounds are truly mind blowing.
Just like the sound quality, the mic is very clear. Using it across a range of devices found that it picks up sound like it should. I tested it in Xbox Live parties, Skype and steam voice chats, and I was heard clearly by friends throughout. The mic has a great range and balance to it, you don’t have to speak too loudly to be heard, perfect for late night sneaky gaming sessions.
The Astro A40 is one of the best headsets I’ve ever had the pleasure of using. The wired connection is very minimal and the headset is light, comfy and strong. Sound quality is clear and well balanced whether engaging in large gunfights, exploring jungles or just listening to music on a laptop. Paired with the M80 Mixamp the headset makes chatting and playing easy, with the controls right there on the controller without adding much extra weight or bulk. A well built headset with true amazing sound. If you are still deciding on which headset you should purchase then you need to put these into your top 3 without fail.
