As someone who has been using the same headset for around 4 years now, the Astro A40 headset has been a significant and welcome upgrade. From comfort to sound quality, I was really blown away.
When I first put the headset on, my ears were instantly greeted with pillows on both side of my head. It’s incredibly cozy and doesn’t cause your ears to ache after long play periods. The padding on the speakers is soft and comforting, opting for a fabric for the cups rather than rubber.
The design of the headset itself is sleek and light. The microphone is easily adjustable and rests softly when not in use, often allowing you to forget its there in the first place. It moves smoothly up and down, allowing you to adjust it without it squeaking or feeling cheap.
When I started playing games, I thought the sound was still coming through my TV because it was so clear and enrapturing. To my surprise, my TV was muted and the headset was doing all the work thanks to its stereo sound. The audio quality is crisp and clear, drowning out any other sounds. I ended up totally ignoring my girlfriend when she was trying to talk to me because I couldn’t hear her over the sound of my game.
Games like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare really benefit from having a pair of Astro A40s, as well. You can really get a sense of direction with footsteps and gunfire, giving you an even greater advantage in game. I even tested films like Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk with the headset which allows for Dolby 7.1 surround sound. It was like sinking myself in a room with movie theater-quality sound, the only thing missing was the vibration of the seats.
The bass rumbles deep in your ear drums, you hear the most sensitive of sounds. The term immersive is a bit of a eye-rolling buzzword but it feels like an accurate descriptor for the Astro A40 headset. I rarely felt like looking at my phone or disengaging from the game I was playing because the sound keep me hooked into the experience.
You can even create custom presets/audio profiles via the Astro Command Center Software which allows you to adjust all kinds of settings for different types of usage (music, streaming, gaming, etc).
The only issue I really had with my Astro A40 headset was the actual phyisical Mixamp control pad device. Some headsets opt to put volume control and other buttons on the headset itself, the A40 does not. Instead it’s all hooked up to a separate square remote pad. It has a large knob for the volume, a smaller one to adjust prioritizing game and voice audio, and buttons for other options. If the sound seems to loud or echo-y, you can turn the stereo off with a push of a button.
The problem is, it’s this sizable piece of equipment that is hooked up to your console and headset and has to be at your side at all times. So, you have long wires draped across your bed/couch/wherever you’re sitting and this pad awkwardly placed next to you. It’s a relatively minor complaint when you consider how good the rest of the headset is but still worth noting if you’re easily bothered by cords that get tangled up easily.
The Verdict
If you’re looking for a premium quality headset, the Astro A40 headset is easily one of the best around. It provides comfort, high quality, visceral sound for gaming and movie, but is slightly held back by its large and cumbersome control pad. Still though, it’s easily the best headset I’ve ever used and is well worth the price tag. To make it an even sweeter deal, the Astro A40 TR + Mixamp Pro is forward compatible with Xbox Series X so you can be next-gen ready.
