Astro A40 and Mixamp Review

1. Introduction2. Packaging and Bundle3. The Astro A40 headset4. The Astro Mixamp5. Comfort and Performance6. Closing Thoughts7. View All Pages

Within recent years we have seen a lot of competition from many brands in the audio sector. Trying to decide which one is best can often be a long drawn out process. Astro say that they are on a mission to produce the worlds finest gaming equipment. Today we are going to take a look at their A40 headset – it is worthy of your consideration?

Features

• Dolby Digital 7.1 surround.
• Astro Mixamp.
• Precision Microphone.
• Pro Audio quality.
• Superior fit and finish.
• Tuned with Astro Audio.

Specifications

• Frequency 15 -28,000 Hz.
• Weight : 324g.
• Power Output : 70mW 32ohm per channel.
• Power supply : USB mini-b.
• Front inputs : Headset connector, 2.5mm Xbox voice connector, Twin dasy chain 3.5mm connector.
• Rear inputs 3.5mm miniTOSlink, 3.5 mp3 connector, USB mini-b power socket, 3.5mm Stream Output.
• Microphone 6.0mm unidirectional noise cancelling.

The Astro A40 package is extremely well presented and screams quality right away. The outer sleeve of the box is made from high grade cardboard. The front depicts the A40 headset and Mixamp, along with the model of the headset written right over the image in glossy text.

The upper right of the box shows a glossy red box that covers the front and top of the package. The text in the box shows that the headset is designed to work with the Xbox 360, PS3 and of course the PC.

Over on the reverse side of the package, there is an image that shows us how the headset is connected to the Mixamp. Also slightly blacked out we can see that you can connect more Mixamps in a daisy chain configuration. Astro have labelled the different parts and added short descriptions of them below the image.

Removing the outer sleeve we are greeted with a graffiti style gatefold box. On the front there is some rather attractive looking art work, featuring robots in various positions, a truck and some small circles with different images on them, from crash test logos to skulls. A compartment to the right contains the detachable microphone, documentation and all of the required cables you may need.


The cables included in this package are:
Optical audio, USB power cable, A40 console cable, Xbox live cable, PC splitter and a 3.5mm jack cable.

The Astro A40 is very sleek looking, it’s light, flexible and very attractive. The headset alone without cables attached weighs in at 324g.

When we first removed the A40 from the packaging, our first thought was that it was fragile, but on closer inspection it is actually much stronger than it looks. Where some headsets lack in flexibility and are fairly stiff, the A40 flexes really nicely, without feeling cheap.

The ear cups fold flat, this make storing the headset a little easier.

The headset is made from plastic with metal adjustment rods. We really like the way that Astro have designed these rods, there are cut-outs in the metal work that allows you to view the coiled up cable. The coiled cables have a function as well as looking really nice. The cable provides some protection from stretching and wear over time, especially if the headset is used by multiple people and is being adjusted a lot.

It seems Astro have given the A40 the supercar treatment, removing any unnecessary bulk. The design itself is a really nice balance of sharp edges and smooth curves.

Astro have also added microphone sockets in both ear cups, allowing you to choose on which side you would like the microphone to be. The headset has removable plates known as ‘Tags’ on both ear cups, these are attached using magnets. Astro sell replacement tags as well as tags with images and logos on, such as Battlefield 4 and Dead space.

The included tags carry the Astro branding, one has a hole in to accommodate the microphone and the other doesn’t. Both of the tags fit either side, so no extra tags are needed to move the mic from left to right or vice versa. The included microphone is very flexible and has a brushed steel effect mouth piece to give it that premium finish.

The headset has a 3.5mm socket that sits at the back of the left ear cup, this seems a nice place to have it meaning cables do not get in the way too much. This is the socket that connects the headset to the Mixamp using the included 3.5mm cable. The connecting cable has an inline mute slider that is rubberised and is very easy to grip.

The mixamp is a great device that has some great features. The casing is made from plastics with a rubberised layer around the sides and bottom.

Astro have given the device a gloss finish on top while the knobs have a silver plastic finish – this gives the impression of brushed steel. The device is very solid and clearly well built. Negatively, the gloss finish does pick up finger prints fairly easily

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The volume control is always a handy function, but the Astro Mixamp also features a game and voice volume control. The game and voice control lets you balance what you hear, so you can have more voice from your gaming friends or add more sound from a game. We really like the way this saves constant adjustment from in game or your chat software.

On the front of the mixamp there are four sockets. There are two daisy chain sockets either side that allow you to set up a private communication network. Also there is a headphone/headset output as well as a control port for consoles.

The Mixamp is powered via mini USB and has a standby button in the top left corner. All of the buttons have a red L.E.D. back light. The power button glows white while in standby mode. Astro have given the Mixamp a surround sound on/off button, as well as a button for selecting one of the four built in equaliser settings. The EQ button has 4 lights surrounding it, they light up to indicate which setting you are using.

Settings include Upper left – Pro, which is ideal for accentuation hi frequencies to help pick out key sounds. Upper right – Core, Which is the most basic and raw sounding setting. Lower right – Media, Ideal for movies and music with good audio balance. Lower left – Sport, typically used for live sports events.

The rear of the device has an optical sound input, MP3 input, stream output and finally a mini USB input for powering the device.

The MP3 input allows you to listen to music while in game. Astro have added a stream output in this 2013 edition of the A40, so if you like to stream games via the internet, the Mixamp will allow you to capture everything you hear including all voice communications from yourself and friends.

As we stated earlier, Astro have gone for the minimal and light approach. The headband has a small and rather narrow cushioning, but still provides a good amount of comfort. The weight of the headset is very evenly distributed throughout the headband and the ear cups, meaning the A40 is very comfortable for long periods of time.

Each ear cup measures 105mm x 90mm.The ear cup cushioning is comfortable and soft, even with the strong grip placed on the head. This is not a headset you will easily dislodge, even if you like to move around a lot during a gaming session.

We also found that the ear cups were comfortable over the ears. No pinching or squashing in the 40x60mm gap. As with most headsets the A40 ear cups do make your ears get rather warm, but not to uncomfortable levels.

We decided to use Teamspeak and Skype to test the microphone quality, as well as multiple recordings … this way we evaluate the quality. Unfortunately crackling was evident that was audible to all of my friends on TeamSpeak as well as myself.

The crackling issues were there when using either of the two ear cup jacks. In an attempt to remedy this issue I found that by pushing the mic in a little more firmly, that interference was reduced, although after a few moments the mic began cracking again. We are not sure if this is just related to my specific review sample, or a product wide issue. We only received one review sample so it is impossible for us to say.

The microphone didn’t really replicate voices too well, giving dull tones with a reduction in higher end frequencies. When comparing to another mid-range headsets, we found that the A40 microphone was lacking clarity despite the premium looks, build and style.

This headset simulates 7.1 sound surround through its 40mm drivers. We are used to a 5.1 headset that delivers its sound via separate speakers. The A40 has just two speakers that deliver the 7.1 experience.

Our chosen game was Battlefield 3, straight away we noticed that sounds were much clearer than our long term Tritton 5.1 headset. Enemies were easy to hear and with the simulated 7.1 surround, we knew exactly where they were too.

We could also identify certain weapons that were being used elsewhere in the map. With some of the lower end headsets, most gunshots are differentiated though bass and treble levels. It can be fairly hard to distinguish some weapons from the others. The A40 brings out so much more of the game and keeps you well immersed, while giving you that edge regarding enemy location or distance. The Mixamp’s ‘Pro mode’ really helped me gauge just where the enemy soldiers were hiding, as well as accentuating their footsteps and movements.

The A40 brings out so much more of the game and keeps you well immersed, while giving you that edge regarding enemy location or distance.

To put the A40 to the test with music, we wanted to use a mixture of audio tracks. A song we focused on was Octavarium by Dream Theater. We chose this particular band because of how diverse they are in terms of instruments and musical ability. Featuring many different sounds, tempos and a very broad range of instrumental and vocal tones.

The bass is very well balanced here throughout all of the Mixamps EQ settings with no distortion of any kind, all the way up to maximum volume. Treble levels are also very nice, managing to pick up minor details in the very complex arrangement of instruments. Vocals are beautifully rendered by the drivers.

For movie use, we tested with The Expendables on Blu-ray. There was a little extra reason for this, we always have trouble hearing Sylvester Stallone’s voice if the sound levels aren’t perfect. Thankfully the vocal track was crystal clear … Stallone's voice was no problem for the A40 to reproduce even if he does tend to mumble at the best of times.

Astro seemingly have covered all bases here with fantastic balance between the highs, mids and low frequencies. You can connect to your PC via both USB and optical, although while using the USB cable you miss out on all of the EQ settings that the Mixamp has to offer. You are left with the raw sound of the headset. If your PC doesn’t have an optical output, you may want to consider adding a sound card that does.

The ear cups did a nice job of blocking out the sound from a high powered desktop PC. The headphones are very capable at blocking out external sound – meaning you aren't interrupted by environmental sounds close by.

This said, a lot of the audio will leak from the headset so people in the vicinity may complain, even at reasonably low volume levels. If you are looking for a headset that ensures gaming, music or movie watching doesn’t disturb those in the same room, there are better alternatives.

The Astro A40 is an exceptional headset, priced accordingly. Sound quality and build quality are both top class.

We were particularly impressed with the simulated 7.1 surround sound, standing up against the separate speaker configuration of other headsets. The A40 was marvelous when listening to well recorded, complex music.

Comparing directly to mid ranged headsets was on par with going from standard definition to high definition video.

When playing online with friends we found the game/voice control really handy as various friends were using a mixture of microphones at different volume levels. It was quick and easy to make on the fly adjustments and we hope other companies are quick to adopt a similar implementation in future products.

The Mixamp is a great addition and compliments the A40 nicely. We feel a bass slider/button would be a great addition to the Mixamp, just for that added control.

The Astro A40 is not faultless however. The microphone was quite a let down, especially when compared against other quality products on the market. The crackling issues mentioned earlier in the review may have been related to a faulty review sample, but we have to mention them.

In closing there is no doubt that the A40 is one of the most capable gaming headsets available, but this quality comes with a substantial price premium.

The Astro A40 carries a recommended retail price of £249.99. Just before publication we did find Argos selling it for £50 below the recommended price, at £199.99. At this price it certainly deserves some serious consideration.

Pros

• Fantastic audio quality.
• Sleek and modern design.
• Well designed and thought out package.
• The microphone can be moved to either ear cup.
• Comfortable for hours of gaming.
• Mixamp Game/Voice volume control.

Cons

• No bundled software.
• Microphone didn’t replicate voice accurately.
• Expensive.

Kitguru says: If you want a quality setup and have the cash to spare, these come highly recommended.

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