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June 2010
SFX 360
Since the very first time I walked the hallowed hall of PAX West in 2008, I was amazed by the quality of Astro's headsets. Playing Halo 3 at the show with those headsets on gave the game superior sound quality reserved for home theaters while also giving oustanding comfort which is much better than the cheap headsets that came with my Xbox 360. Recently, I sat down and tried out the new Astro A30 headsets with some of my favorite games. After countless hours of playing, I truly realize why I enjoy Astro's products so much.
So let's talk about these awesome headsets. Let me first say that the A30 is very lightweight and very flexible. When your not using them and your wearing it around your neck, the ear pieces fold and rest over your shoulders which take away the blocky look of headsets on your neck. This is a big plus because I wouldn't want to walk around looking like someone from the 1980s. The earcups are also amazing. They're very comfortable like heaven on the ears and practically block out all other noises. This is something I really like because when I'm playing games, I want to concentrate on all the action and not the sounds of constant whining and nagging from other people.
The Astro A30 also features a MixAmp (Sold seperately) which is a great addition for those who are playing on the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. The MixAmp gives you full control over your sound quality along with volume and balance control. The MixAmp is on a rechargeable battery which means no needless plug-ins. Just remember to charge the battery when your done using them. I learned this lesson well when I was playing Battlefield: Bad Company 2 and the the amp ran out of juice. If the power is low, just connect the USB to your game console and your good to go.
Since one of the main reasons for anyone wanting to buy a pair of headsets is for sound quality, I decided to test out the Astro A30s on some of my favorite games. First up was Battlefield: Bad Company 2. As I started playing the game, I never really wanted to stop. The sound quality is top notch! You can hear everything going on including distant sounds as well as the approaching footsteps of anyone looking for a cheap knife kill. That's right suckers...I can hear you now! Let's just say that with these bad boys on, I was abIe to increase my kill/death ratio by leaps and bounds. I also played Left 4 Dead 2 and was able to hear the distant sounds of special infected well out in the distance which allowed me and the rest of my party to prepare early for any surprise attack. The A30s also have a detactchable mic for games that require communication like Halo 3, Modern Warfare 2, and more.
Of course, the Astro A30s can be used more than just playing games on your Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, you can also use them to listen to your music on your iPhone, Zune, and more. Better than placing earbuds in your ears, the Astro A30 can make for some much needed down time and listen to music, watch movies, or play iPhone and Zune games whenever you want. They're great for long road trips an even on airplanes. The CD sound quality is amazing as each song I jammed to sounded crisp along with the extra bass boost which means that I don't have to turn the volume up really high where other people can hear what I'm listening to.
Like any gaming headset, the Astro A30 is not cheap. The headsets alone will set you back $149. Get the complete bundle with the MixAmp and get ready to spend $229. Sure it may sound like a lot, but the audio quality and the expressions of your friends when they notice that they can't cheap kill you will have them wanting one too. The sad part for me was that I enjoyed these headsets so much...I didn't want to give them back. Astro once again hit a home run with thew A30 so get these headsets now!
Click here to read the full review!
So let's talk about these awesome headsets. Let me first say that the A30 is very lightweight and very flexible. When your not using them and your wearing it around your neck, the ear pieces fold and rest over your shoulders which take away the blocky look of headsets on your neck. This is a big plus because I wouldn't want to walk around looking like someone from the 1980s. The earcups are also amazing. They're very comfortable like heaven on the ears and practically block out all other noises. This is something I really like because when I'm playing games, I want to concentrate on all the action and not the sounds of constant whining and nagging from other people.
The Astro A30 also features a MixAmp (Sold seperately) which is a great addition for those who are playing on the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. The MixAmp gives you full control over your sound quality along with volume and balance control. The MixAmp is on a rechargeable battery which means no needless plug-ins. Just remember to charge the battery when your done using them. I learned this lesson well when I was playing Battlefield: Bad Company 2 and the the amp ran out of juice. If the power is low, just connect the USB to your game console and your good to go.
Since one of the main reasons for anyone wanting to buy a pair of headsets is for sound quality, I decided to test out the Astro A30s on some of my favorite games. First up was Battlefield: Bad Company 2. As I started playing the game, I never really wanted to stop. The sound quality is top notch! You can hear everything going on including distant sounds as well as the approaching footsteps of anyone looking for a cheap knife kill. That's right suckers...I can hear you now! Let's just say that with these bad boys on, I was abIe to increase my kill/death ratio by leaps and bounds. I also played Left 4 Dead 2 and was able to hear the distant sounds of special infected well out in the distance which allowed me and the rest of my party to prepare early for any surprise attack. The A30s also have a detactchable mic for games that require communication like Halo 3, Modern Warfare 2, and more.
Of course, the Astro A30s can be used more than just playing games on your Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, you can also use them to listen to your music on your iPhone, Zune, and more. Better than placing earbuds in your ears, the Astro A30 can make for some much needed down time and listen to music, watch movies, or play iPhone and Zune games whenever you want. They're great for long road trips an even on airplanes. The CD sound quality is amazing as each song I jammed to sounded crisp along with the extra bass boost which means that I don't have to turn the volume up really high where other people can hear what I'm listening to.
Like any gaming headset, the Astro A30 is not cheap. The headsets alone will set you back $149. Get the complete bundle with the MixAmp and get ready to spend $229. Sure it may sound like a lot, but the audio quality and the expressions of your friends when they notice that they can't cheap kill you will have them wanting one too. The sad part for me was that I enjoyed these headsets so much...I didn't want to give them back. Astro once again hit a home run with thew A30 so get these headsets now!
Click here to read the full review!