Astro A40 vs Astro A50: Which Wireless Headsets are Better?

With each new gaming console that comes out a slew of multiplayer games are put onto the market. To get the best experience out of them you require a speaker and a microphone. So why not get both, packaged together as gaming headphones.

Two of such we’ll be comparing today. Astro A40 and Astro A50 shall be looked into and the best option of the two suggested to you.

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Connectivity

Both Astro A40 and A50 can be connected to a multitude of gaming consoles be it PlayStation, Xbox or PC. They can also be used for mobile gaming as they are compatible with cellphones.

Frequency Response

The range of frequency found in a pair of headphones dictates the sounds they can reproduce. The lower its minimum frequency the deeper the sounds they can recreate and the higher its maximum frequency the better it can reproduce high sounds. When it comes to our entrants the values of their minimum frequency are 20 Hz each while maximum frequency goes up to 20 kHz, or rather 20,000 Hz.

Microphone

These headphones utilize uni-directional microphones with voice isolating properties. The boom mics on them are suitable for any voice chat no matter the console.

Impedance

Possessing impedance of 48 ohms places Astro’s models in our review at quite a nice spot sound quality-wise. While it is far cry from high impedance models it will provide more than enough clarity for your needs.

This category provides information on how loud the sound that’s reproduced can get.

Astro A40

The first entrant provides an ample 101 dB of sound pressure level, going way above regular soundscape for a human ear.

Astro A50

Surging up to 118 dB of volume Astro A50 manages to go above the standard SPL rating most headphones have.

The Winner: Astro A50

Astro A40

A40 is a wired headphone model, with a regular 1/8 inch male connector and 3.5 feet cord.

Astro A50

Unlike its competitor, A50 has wireless capabilities. Utilizing standard 2.4 GHz wireless frequency and a range of 30 feet provides more mobility. Although PC users may not initially need it for console owners this means that the distance between them, the console and the TV doesn’t have to be limited with a cord. Moreover, it will lower the number of tangling cords below your TV.

The Winner: Astro A50

Read next – Turtle Beach Elite 800 vs 800x: Which Wireless Gaming Headsets are Better?

Astro A40

Astro headsets are specifically tuned for gaming. Their aim is to provide a mix of highs, clear mids, and tight distortion-free bass for balanced resolution. This is accented with their close work with developers. A swappable boom microphone is a highly sensitive uni-directional mic that focuses on your voice and minimizes background noise. The term swappable refers to the fact that you can position it on either side of the headset. Lastly, it is mod kit ready. Featuring noise-canceling ear cushions, voice isolating mic, and closed-back speakers.

Astro A50

A50, as is expected, possesses the same Astro Audio V2 configuration. On top of that, it offers Dolby audio for immersive and cinematic gaming audio flushed with clarity. Built-in MixAmp technology is another feature that improves the quality of these headphones, in terms of voice communication because it allows for low-latency one. Last on the list is a Flip-to-mute microphone that allows for quickly departing from conversations and entering them.

The Winner: Astro A50

Astro A40

Equipped with two big earmuffs and a comfortable headband you will be enjoying a comfy, warm feeling throughout your gaming sessions. A lightweight and swappable microphone provides ample freedom in terms of positioning the whole set. Customizability brought on by its speaker tags allows you to personalize your headset, you can even try it out by using the online speaker tag customizer. Color variations for Astro A40 include red and black, black and blue with a third option of black and red.

Astro A50

The enjoyable design of A40 is maintained in Astro A50, although with a slight tweak to its microphone functionality. Namely, this comes in the form of a flip-to-mute microphone. Its unidirectional mic allows for clear and accurate communication. The color options for A50 are poorer than those of its competitor, offering only two color schemes one with black and gold and the other with black and grey.

While customizability is definitely on A40’s side, functionality is on A50. Considering the advantages of both are very subjective we’ll call it a tie.

The Winner: Astro A50