The headset reproduces sound well by itself, with rich bass and tactical emphasis on high tones. The "TR" in Astro A40 "TR" stands for "Tournament Ready," though, emphasizing that this bundle isn't necessarily aimed at users looking for something to use in quiet public spaces. The open-back design creates a wider sound stage than isolating closed-back headsets might, although the trade-off is leakiness. When connected directly to an Xbox One via 3.5mm into the controller, the Astro A40 is a decent headset, but not what I'd call mind-blowing for $150. How does it all sound though? Astro A40 and MixAmp (2019): Sound experienceĪstro A40 (Image credit: Windows Central) For streamers, it lets you mix sound from your Xbox with comms chat from your PC, giving you the ability to adjust the sound spread at arm's length, without taking yourself out of the game. I'd say even if you're not enticed by the headset, the MixAmp by itself is an awesome piece of kit for any gamer. You can also knock up the volume of the sidetone, allowing you to hear yourself speaking while using comms, and adjust the noise gate level to accommodate the amount of background sound in your play area. You can customize the four EQ presets far beyond similar products I've used, to the point where Astro actually warns against messing with the advanced settings unless you really know what you're doing. Honestly, it's one of the better UWP apps out there and gives you a large range of control over the MixAmp. Governing the use of the MixAmp is an incredibly tidy UWP app for Windows 10 dubbed the Astro Command Center. The omission of a power button is, frankly odd, and worth being aware of if you like to make sure all those blinking lights are completely turned off at night. There's also no way to configure the LEDs to "time out" when not in use, unlike Turtle Beach's similar Tactical Audio Controller. Annoyingly, though, Astro felt it necessary to remove the off switch entirely for the 2019 unit. The dials also have LED notches which shine red when your headset is muted, which is a nice touch brought across from the previous MixAmp. The design of the new MixAmp is very attractive, syncing up with the black Xbox One X nicely. On the front side, there's a toggle with four corresponding LEDs for the four EQ presets you can configure, as well as a button to switch between audio pass-through and Dolby Audio processing. Finally, there's a switch to move the Mixamp between its Xbox and PC modes, complete with an LED on the front which lets you know which mode you're currently in. There's a SPDIF optical port for injecting audio from your Xbox or compatible sound card, otherwise, you can just use USB to hook it up to your PC. The MixAmp by itself is an awesome piece of kit for any gamer. There are also digital connectors to daisy chain multiple MixAmps together, ideal for LAN or tournament situations. 3.5mm ports for aux sound feeding in from a phone or other external device, as well as a stream port for extracting sound if your set-up calls for it. On the reverse of the MixAmp are several ports for additional functionality. There are no rubber feet on the underside though, which would've probably helped further with positioning, but it's a minor grip gripe. Although Astro seems to have addressed some criticisms of its previous MixAmp, namely that it was so light that it simply never wanted to sit still on your desk, the new one has a bit more weight to it. The MixAmp now has a horizontal design rather than a vertical one, with asymmetrical dials for volume and chat/game sound mix. The bulk of the changes seem to have fed into the 2019 MixAmp, which has received a pretty broad design revision. Save for the color upgrades, the overall design seems practically identical to the previous generation, albeit with a much sleeker coat of paint. They're built to fit and resist shifting even when you're particularly animated over a clutch battle royale moment or light headbanging session. I've often found the Astro range to be a little tight across the apex of my skull, but it's nothing game-breaking. It looks great, with nice detailing on the speaker plates in clear plastic that gives them depth. The length between the earcups and the headband can be customized generously to suit any head shape and size, with plenty of hard-wearing flexibility. Disregarding the earcups, the headset overall is very comfortable and well-built, with a generous amount of memory foam across the headband and earcups, perfectly suited to long sessions.
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