Astro A50 Review Roundup

The Astro A50 is a surround sound wireless headset that's especially friendly toward consoles and boasts a sharp design – but how do these headphones really perform? Let's take a look at what gamers and reviewers have had to say.

Features

The A50 provides Dolby 7.1 virtual surround sound, with a battery life of around 15 hours and a couple different options for headphone material for extra comfort. The headset does support line in connections for other types of audio, and provides audio software if you are tweaking settings carefully on a desktop. The construction is designed to be as light as possible. Pros

• Lightweight
• Excellent surround sound
• Wireless

Cons

• Charging dock can be difficult to use

PC World

PC World liked the upgrade to the battery and the new charging system, but they weren't convinced that a full dock was needed to charge the headset instead of a plug-in system that would have taken up less room. They were also uncertain if the excellent sound warranted such a high price in a market (around $250) that is becoming increasingly competitive with many lower cost options available.

"I also found myself leaving the A50 in a perpetual “On” state, thanks to a more invisible improvement: internal gyros. The previous A50 (and most wireless headsets) would automatically turn off if it didn’t detect any audio being played for a certain amount of time—say, five minutes. But the new A50 detects movement, so if you set the headset on a desk for 30 seconds it’ll automatically shut off. Lift it up and put it back on and by the time you’ve done that, it has probably paired back up with the base station and is ready to play audio again."

Tom's Guide

Tom's Guide loved the surround sound that the Astro A50 can put out, and noted that the headset was surprisingly lightweight for all the features it provided, making it useful for long gaming sessions. The only downsides that the reviewer noted were that the mic was just okay at picking up your voice, and the sound management app could get a little confusing.

"The new Astro A50 is a perfect example of "If it ain't broke, just make it a little bit better." This premium wireless gaming headset retains the superbly comfy design and satisfying surround sound of its predecessor, while introducing the feature-rich Base Station and some neat software tools for casual gamers, streamers and competitors. It even has modular ear cups this time around. Although its microphone and companion app could use some improvement, the Astro A50 is still the best high-end wireless gaming headset you can buy."

Amazon Users

Amazon users were mostly filled with praise for the headset and its sound quality, which apparently hit the sweet spot for buyers. However, many noted a common problem: It was tough to position the headset on the dock in the right manner for it to start charging, which soon became aggravating (having reviewed a few A50 models, we can say that this can be an issue at times).

"After having these for almost a month, I have not once experienced any of the problems people were saying they were having with the headset. I’m sure most people who have seen issues have had the headset for much longer than a month, so maybe it’s just a time thing, but I will happily update this post if I experience any of the issues. What I love about this headset Is that it is very comfortable. The cups don’t even touch my ears, the headband sits nicely on top of my head without any pains. The sound quality is amazing, and to my surprise, the mic quality really isn’t that bad."

Bottom Line

The Astro A50 is a great headset with high ratings for sound and comfort...if you don't mind dealing with the dock and the high price point. Read Next: The Latest Gaming Headset Review

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