Having used it with Microsoft’s latest console across a range of games, I can comfortably say that this is a brilliant headset – but is it worth the hefty price tag?
Best Xbox Series X/S Gaming Headsets 2021
However, taking full advantage of these consoles’ next-level audio experience requires proper hardware, which brings us to the best Xbox Series X/S headsets. Its intuitive controls, namely the rotating ear cup dials for volume and game/chat balance, make it easy to use during gaming sessions as well. The price isn’t too shabby at $100, which makes it affordable for most people, including budget gamers. It also boasts Windows Sonic support for Xbox and Turtle Beach’s Superhuman Hearing for PC for immersive gaming audio no matter which platform you’re on. For extreme comfort, it offers a great fit, even with glasses on, and comes with a pair of Aerofit cooling-gel infused ear cushions that will let you wear it for hours. It doesn’t come with Dolby Atmos for Headphones out of the box, but you’re welcome to activate it through an Xbox or Microsoft Store App (for a fee, of course).
This has the longest battery life we’ve seen on an Xbox headset that delivers great sound performance, lasting up to 24 hours, which makes it ideal for those who tend to game for long stretches. Thanks to its adjustable ski goggle suspension headband and soft ear cups swaddled in breathable fabric, it makes those long gaming sessions comfortable and sweat-free. Of course, we can’t forget about its multi-device connectivity either – if you have both the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S consoles, as well as a Nintendo Switch and a Google Stadia Controller, this is the headset you want. Not to mention, detaching the mic will let it pass for a pair of regular headphones if you want to game on the train, at a cafe, or at an airport.
And, as this is a pair of Audeze headphones, you’re also getting that audiophile-level sound performance that’s incredibly balanced. The battery life and range could be better here, and again, the fit isn’t ideal, but if you have discerning sound sensibilities, you’ll want this one.
You’re getting a lot for that steep price tag, with multiple connectivity options (and thus, compatibility with multiple devices), Dolby Atmos support, a sleek and incredibly lightweight design, extreme comfort, and fantastic sound quality. We only wish it had a longer battery life and a more robust wireless connection, but with everything else you’re getting, these are small compromises.
Will Xbox One accessories and headsets work on Xbox Series X?
Things like headsets, USB devices, storage drives, and controllers will work, but older accessories such as Kinect may be completely unsupported. Additionally, we’ve had a look at back ports on the Xbox Series X, and it doesn’t look like it has an IR Blaster, which means accessories like the media remotes will no longer work as well. Some of this is speculation, but at a best guess, it may be the case that anything that utilizes the IR Blaster or Kinect will be incompatible unless Microsoft releases USB accessories to include that functionality.
Astro A50 (2021) Wireless Xbox and PC headset review: All roads lead back to Astro
This is the only wireless headset on the market that ticks every box for my specific needs, without compromising with bad Bluetooth and annoying charge cables. Shop Cyber Monday deals at: Amazon | Walmart | Best Buy | Microsoft | Dell Astro A50: Why I love this headset
The Astro A50 dropped the gaudy neon-green accents of its predecessor to go for something a little more subtle, a little more stealth which fits in with wider design trends for gaming accessories as of late. Category Spec Frequency response 20Hz to 20,000Hz Speakers 40mm Neodymium Weight (headset) 380g Weight (base station) 317g Size (base station) 8.5 x 4.25 x 1.15 inches Features Flip-to-mute mic, side-tone voice monitoring, EQ presets Battery life 15 hours Compatibility Xbox, PC and PS4, PC variants Price $300
The magnetized base makes it easy to dock and charge your Astro A50 headset, which lists around 15 hours of battery life with a range of 30 feet for wireless connectivity. The adjustable side frames have been softened on the ends to make them easier to manipulate, and the buttons feel a little more tactile and responsive than the previous set.
The headset’s 40mm drivers deliver virtual surround sound incredibly well, even if the soundstage isn’t as broad as some of its competitors. The A50 is generally performant for music and media, offering lush cinematic qualities that really pulls you into the show, or make you feel like you’re deep in the pit at a rock concert.
EQ presets can help you navigate different sound profiles at a whim, but I found the Astro signature setting to be adequate for general use. The audio is excellent and is highly configurable, the design upgrades are a welcome improvement, and the wireless base station provides unprecedented freedom and convenience. Astro seems to really enjoy its unique headband clasp adjustability, for lack of a better descriptor, but I really think it holds the product back. I’ve overlooked it previously, but when everything else is screaming quality, it’s just a bit odd how difficult Astro makes it to adjust their headsets.
Astro sells a separate A50 mod kit with leatherette earcups which are no doubt cooler on the skin, but you’re already paying $300 for the privilege of this product. Previously, I found that the Dolby implementation on this headset introduced an odd echo-y quality into the sound mix, but I think that has been subsequently fixed with firmware updates. There are no options out there right now that let you mix SPDIF optical audio from your TV in combination with a USB PC source, making the A50 the most ideal solution for those who use their PCs in tandem with their Xbox or PlayStation consoles.
The charging dock convenience, solid wireless signal, and excellent audio when combined have few rivals in the space.
4.5 out of 5 If you don’t need the dual-sound mixing feature or the charge dock, you will potentially find a lot better value with a more affordable headset.
Review: Astro A50 Gen 3 is a fantastic Xbox Series X headset
Having used it with Microsoft’s latest console across a range of games, I can comfortably say that this is a brilliant headset – but is it worth the hefty price tag?
Astro A50 Gen 4 review: a quality all-round gaming headset
But if you are serious about gaming and want a headset that is comfortable and configurable, with a long battery life and top-notch audio, the Astro A50 could well be worth the investment. It carries a not-insignificant retail price, but seeks to justify this by offering 15 hours of battery life, a bulletproof wireless connection with its base station/charging dock, Dolby surround sound, and extensive customisation to both audio input and output. The leather-like finish of Astro’s A50 Mod Kit might offer a more stylish look, but for us the included cushions still felt great, and that’s what matters most. There’s a switch on the back for flicking between PC and console mode, and an included micro USB cable means you can plug the headset itself into the dock if its battery is dry when you need to use it.
Setup is relatively simple, but we needed to first plug the headset into a computer to update its firmware via the Astro Command Centre app. Once updated and set up, all you ever need to do is place the headset on the dock to charge, then pick it up, flick the power switch, and you’re good to go. You can also pick a noise-cancelling mode for the microphone to best suit your environment, from a silent house at night to a loud professional gaming arena. For games where precise locational audio is less important, we enjoyed the Astro’s Dolby credentials and the Atmos fed to it by our Xbox.
For anyone who currently uses a much cheaper gaming headset and is considering taking their setup to the next level, spending a chunk more will bring you a hugely improved experience.
The charging dock is more compact than that of the third-generation A50, taking up less space on your desk or media unit, while delivering a rock-solid connection and enough range to make all-important trips to the fridge without dropping out.
Astro’s software is expansive but intuitive, making it easy for gaming newbies and professionals alike to tune the audio to their personal taste, and we like being able to have three different EQ presets just a button press away. The automatic muting of the mic when raised is a nice convenience feature and the separation of volume for game and chat is welcome (once you have committed button location to memory).
There is no denying that the Astro A50 Gen 4 retails for an awful lot of money for a gaming headset, and whether you feel that is affordable or not is of course down to you.
Astro Gaming A50 Wireless review
Editor’s note: This Astro Gaming A50 Wireless review was updated on April 12, 2021 to include a table of contents and a microphone score based on our reader feedback poll. This is a premium wireless gaming headset, with thick and comfortable velour earpads, a very adjustable design, solid battery life, and a slew of features. The headphones attach to the band using metal bars, which are also use to adjust the headset’s height and rotate the ear cups. Materials like leatherette offer better isolation overall, but you need something a little softer and more flexible to establish a decent seal around a pair of glasses.
Having easily replaceable parts is a great idea, but here that interchangeability makes using the Astro Gaming A50 Wireless worse—it feels cheap, despite being $300. On the back of the right headphone, there’s the volume dial and power switch, as well as buttons for toggling the A50’s Dolby sound and EQ presets.
The included base station is what you use to connect the Astro Gaming A50 Wireless to your PC or console, and using is generally pretty simple—just plug the USB cord in, put the headset in the cradle, and it’s ready to go. On PC, I only ever had to unplug it for a second to fix it, but on PlayStation 4 I ran into issues much more frequently, and it wasn’t always just charging—sometimes the headset didn’t connect at all.
On top of the headset itself, you get the included wireless base station, micro USB cord for connecting it to your platform of choice, and an optical cable for playing on the PlayStation 4. This standby feature means if you forget to shut off your headset and go to sleep, it won’t lose much charge when you next pick it up. However, it also means if you’re prone to laying down as you play or watch movies or what have you, you might run into it going to sleep while you’re using it—as long as you move your head at least every few minutes it shouldn’t be an issue. The heavy metal soundtrack of Doom sounded great, but never overshadowed all the different snaps, pops, and booms that make the game’s combat such a satisfying audio experience.
This headset offers Dolby Audio surround sound for gaming on both the Playstation 4 and PC, and while it works well enough, the directional effect is definitely a little on the light side. However, considering this is more or less a homebound gaming headset: the likelihood that you’ll encounter frequent noises loud enough to distract you is pretty unlikely, but hey, I guess everyone’s neighbors are home these days, so all bets are off. Much like many products on the market, there’s a very significant de-emphasis in the bass range, which means people with deeper voices will come across pretty distorted.
The build quality is suspect, the microphone is quiet and distorts deeper voices, and the base station offers just as much annoyance as convenience.
It doesn’t always connect to the platform its plugged into, getting the headset to sit in the right position is finicky, and it needs to be reset seemingly at random. For less than half the price the SteelSeries Arctis 7 offers all the same features, with a durable and more comfortable build, as do the HyperX Cloud Flight S, Corsair Void RGB Elite Wireless.
If you really want something uber premium, the HyperX Cloud Orbit S and the Audeze Mobius sound far better—they’re slightly more expensive, but might be worth it.
Review: Astro A50 Wireless Headset (Gen. 4) by Kirby Yablonski
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Black Friday Xbox Series X headset deals don’t come much better than £100 off the Astro A50 headset
Treat your ears to the best with an excellent Black Friday Xbox Series X gaming headset deal. Save £100 – A whopping £100 off the excellent A50 wireless gaming headset with a charging station, complete with a tasteful black and gold finish.
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Astro A50 review: “A fantastic and luxurious wireless headset”
In the wrong circumstances, such a press event could easily be a living hell, but, fortunately, there were pairs of A50s laid out for us all by our tellies. The velour-effect covers around each earcup are breathable but wonderfully cosy on the ears, like a duvet that shouts bullet sounds at you. There’s a huge amount of rotation (and in fact the earcups can be positioned flat for space-saving packing) and adjustment from the headband, so there’s always a comfortable configuration for you whatever your cranial dimensions. There is some plastic to it, but it’s shaped and finished to such a pleasing array of rubberised and shiny gloss elements that you could never accuse it of looking anything other than ready to grace a luxury setup. Both the headset and stand look adult, not like an Action Man’s base of operations as so many overtly ‘gamer’ peripherals do. Certainly not the kind of audio footprint you’d use to mix a record in a studio, but the exaggerated lows are invigorating in-game. Personal preference does creep in here: I usually prefer to listen to music with as flat an EQ as possible, and I can certainly hear that I’m not getting a flat response even with Astro Command Center’s ‘studio’ EQ profile (incidentally, the software is still quite barebones, but it does its job without fuss).
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