Astro A50 X Wireless Headphones Review
Summary: The Astro A50 X Wireless Headphones is a pricey product for some added luxury
3
Pricey
At the time of writing the Astro A50X are $749 from my local electronics retailer, and they are a great wireless headset with a HDMI splitter channel switching function…
To cover the essentials first – the wireless headset offered by the A50X are just slightly subtler than you would expect, featuring a polygonal ear-cup with subtle controls. The adjustment bar was a pleasant surprise, speaking as someone who never struggles to find comfortable headsets – the A50X fit really well and didn’t give me the tension headache I usually get after an hour or two.
The charging station is innocuous when left alone – to keep it connected to all my devise I had to locate it behind my TV. All the ports are labelled very clearly and there’s enough space between each despite the small size of the device that connecting them all is simple. I didn’t notice any issue with the connection to the headset despite the distance (about 4 metres from the base station to our couch). That being said, once your finish your ‘session’ and place the headset back in the dock on the charging station, it is sufficiently prominent that my wife was glad when I completed my review, and I’m going to have to give something up if I ever want it in the living room again.
Sound quality neither stood our not disappointed. Maybe it was slightly improved compared to previous headsets I’ve tried before, however 20 minutes into Space Marine 2 and I wasn’t thinking about it. I’ll confess to being easily satisfied when it comes to audio quality because I’m content so long as it doesn’t break my immersion.
The standout feature seems to be the ‘source switcher’ – this allows you to switch between console (and PC!) inputs from the comfort of your couch, using your headset (assuming you followed the instructions and actually connected all your consoles, or PC, to the headset base station). I had a fun time showing off to my family how cool it was to switch between my consoles and TV inputs with my headset, and to control the audio too. It felt like getting a new toy. And I think this is where the product confused me the most, and probably where the price burden comes from.
What I kept trying to figure out – ‘who is this for?’
If I think back to my time in Uni, gaming later than was healthy and prudent, and I could get away with connecting my PC to the TV in the living room because I didn’t have to clear this with anyone else… then maybe a device like this would have been brilliant? I could have stayed on my couch (at one point all I had was a bean-bag and to be honest, I kind of liked that better anyway), and I got sick of playing Skyrim for the night I could have switched to Rocket League without having to even more.
But how many people need a headset to do what their TV already can? When I switch inputs on my TV, the console switches on anyway… and how many people have an Xbox and a PlayStation? and also have a gaming PC that they have invested enough into that they have also connected it to their TV? And as we get older, and if we’re lucky enough that life has granted as additional responsibilities that take our time, how many people will actually need to switch between consoles frequently enough that the efficiency of the headset is worth the price?
Because there are so many people who love games, I’m sure there are so many people who will love this product, and can answer most of my questions above. But will they answer my question about price? I’m not so sure $749 for a great headset is also worth the convenience. I give this 3/5 stars for doing exactly as it described, and leaving me disappointed by the value proposition.
Astro A50 X Wireless Headphones Specifications
Dimensions
PHYSICAL SPECIFICATIONS
- Weight: 363 grams
Technical Specifications
HDMI 2.1 Passthru
- 3x HDMI 2.1 ports 40 Gbps bandwidth
- Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM)
- Variable Refresh Rate (VRR)
- Up to 24 bit Audio
USB-Audio
- 1x up to 24 bit/48 kHz (PC)
- 2x up to 16 bit/48 kHz (console)
Headset
- 363 grams
- Drivers: 40 mm PRO-G GRAPHENE
- Frequency Response: 20-20,000 Hz
- Dolby Atmos + Windows Sonic Spatial Audio Compatible
- 3D Audio on PS5
Microphone
- Pick up pattern: Omnidirectional
- Frequency Response: 60-20,000 Hz
- Sampling rate: up to 16 bit/48KHz
Wireless technology
- LIGHTSPEED Wireless @ 24 bit/48 kHz
- Up to 12 meter range via LIGHTSPEED
BATTERY (RECHARGEABLE)
- 24-hours playtime @ 78 dB 1HDMI 2.1 PASSTHRU section and on HDMI 2.1
- Charging Dock or USB-C wired charging port
Warranty Information
2-Year Limited Hardware Warranty
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