Astro headsets have always been among the best gaming headsets, but affordability as always been a barrier of entry for most gamers. This is no longer the case, as the new Astro A10 Headset retails for a decent $99.95. This is well below both the Astro A40 ($349) and Astro A50 ($479), but there’s qualities in this headset which make it a no-brainer for those looking to take a step up into the premium headset market, without the jump in price.
SIMPLE DESIGN, MAXIMUM COMFORT
I’ve come from using the Astro A50 headset which is wonderfully designed and the Astro A10 (whilst completely different), definitely doesn’t look too bad. The headset is made of all-plastic, which sounds like a bad thing but it really doesn’t look too bad. It’s not overly bulky which is important for me when wearing a headset and it also doesn’t feel too heavy, even after prolonged use.
The headset also feels quite indestructible. Obviously, I’ve only been using it for a few weeks but the band, which appears to be made of rubber/plastic was able to twist and turn in any direction without feeling like it was in jeopardy of breaking or snapping. This band also plays a huge part in its comfort due to the fact that it moulds to the shape of your head and also returns to its original shape after use.
The customisability of the ear cups is one of my favourite parts of the A50 kit. Unsurprisingly, the same level of customisability (or any) can be found here and there’s definitely a concern that these could crack or break over time, but providing you’re not overly rough with them, they feel like they’d hold up. These headphones aren’t noise cancelling which isn’t surprising for the price, but the ear cups do a really good job in keeping the sound in and blocking external noises out.
Coming from using a wireless headset for the past few years, I was reminded by how much I actually like a wired headset. You’re able to plug it in, never have to worry about keeping it charged and you don’t have to worry about any interference or connection issues.
GREAT AUDIO WITH LIMITATIONS
The sound of the Astro A10 is crisp and clear. Playing first-person shooters, I was able to perfectly distinguish sounds whether they were quiet moments or loud explosions. There’s no virtual surround sound which might be a deal broker for those who heavily play FPS online.
Another area I found the A10s to be slightly weaker than the A50 was the maximum volume levels. I like my games to be quite loud (my other half constantly yells at me for the TV being too loud) and I found myself trying to turn the headset up even further quite often. This was never an issue with my A50 and I swapped back and forth and there’s definitely a very noticeable difference in maximum volume levels.
Another worry for me prior to using these headphones was the chat audio. It’s always been crystal clear with Astro’s premium line of headphones and it appears to be the a similar story with the A10. You’ve got a microphone that flips up to mute and it provides fairly clear voice to gamers on the other end.
Sound mixing and general volume control is definitely the worst part of this headset experience. You’re able to use a tiny little scroll wheel to adjust the main volume but there’s no way to adjust chat audio (or the split between both) without using your consoles UI. For Xbox users, you can purchase the M60 which will allow you to change the split of chat to game volume, but PS4 users are left in the dark.
