Astro Gaming's A40 Audio System is largely pitched at the "pro gaming" market, a headset and amplifier combo that offers a private audio experience and the necessary options for voice chat while playing others.

The A40 Audio System is comprised of Astro's A40 Headset and A40 MixAmp. Released last year, it's a petite but powerful package that supports gaming on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC, offering 5.1 Dolby Surround and combined voice audio. But you certainly don't need to be a "professional" to partake in the sweet sounds of the A40.

Here's what we thought of our month-long ears on time with Astro's audio system.

Loved
The Headphones: These things sound glorious. It wasn't until I was forced to take them off so that other people in the room could participate in the listening experience via my antiquated receiver and surround sound set up that I realized how meaty the A40 Audio System was. The A40 headphones deliver sharp, crisp and powerful audio, which I credit with helping to improve my performance in some recent Left 4 Dead 2 and Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer gaming. And while aural advantage is great, it was while playing Dead Space with these things on that really sold me.

The Mixamp: The compact, densely constructed A40 MixAmp packs plenty of connections and power into a tiny package. It's simply and beautifully designed, with one large dial for controlling volume, a smaller dial for controlling the mix of game audio and voice chat audio. Popping cables in and out and storing the MixAmp out of site makes the wee amplifier an easily portable option.

USB Powered: I like things that are USB powered, as each of my currently hooked up consoles and the PC on which I play games come equipped with USB ports. The device can also be powered by a quartet of AA batteries, an option I haven't found a need for yet.

Comfortable, But Hefty: I'm not used to wearing headphones, so my initial experience wearing the A40 headset was not an altogether comfortable one. But my head adjusted, eventually feeling comfortable with the light pressure the A40 put on my skull. It's a solid set of headphones—324 grams/11.4 ounces—so some adjustment doesn't seem out of the ordinary, but at this point, I use these things for nearly every solo gaming session.

Hookups Aplenty: Astro doesn't skimp on the cables, including just about everything you'd need in the package from a connection standpoint, way more than I needed for my own personal use.

Hated
Boy, That's Kind Of Expensive: Purchased together, the A40 Audio System, will set you back $249.99. And that's not cheap. The package is much more expensive if the headset and MixAmp are purchased separately, so don't do that. But they're a great, well-built option for late night gaming or for those who move their gaming sessions around the house.

One Cord Too Short: The one cable that's lacking is the Xbox 360 controller communicator cable, which plugs into the MixAmp and at the bottom of the pad. My own set up has just a little too much distance from couch to console and your mileage may vary. But the shorter cable, much shorter than the headphone cable, means I'm forced to play leaning forward. And to suffer this minor discomfort is the kind of thing wimps like me prefer to nitpick.

At $249, the A40 is an investment, pricier than some of the consoles, but also a sound one. I've mostly made the switch from my home audio set up to the A40, and not just because the other residents in my household have become annoyed with the constant din of zombies, terrorists and space aliens being aerated and liquefied by heavy gunfire. It's not without its shortcomings, but the warm, powerful audio experience more than makes up for the minor inconveniences it's saddled with.

Would we suggest that everyone go out and grab an A40 and make it their primary audio option? Absolutely not. If you're already good on sound, more power to you. But if you're in the market for a new audio option, either out of consideration for your housemates or for a better headset/mic combo, give the A40 an earful.

The A40 Audio System was developed and release by Astro Gaming. Retails for $249.99 USD. A unit was provided at a video game review event. Played through through portions of Modern Warfare 2 on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, Left 4 Dead 2 on the Xbox 360 and Dead Space on the Xbox 360 with the full A40 Audio System. Played through portions of Batman: Arkham Asylum on the PlayStation 3 using a dedicated receiver and A40 Headset.
(Read the entire review)

A gaming headphone solution designed for the pros, but how does it perform?

December 18, 2008 - As the gaming industry has grown and gained new ground in mainstream commerce, so has the marketability of accessory products. What was once a segment of the industry populated only by a few enthusiast developers has since expanded into a full-spectrum field of low-to-high end manufacturers. While this change has given consumers a larger selection of products, it has also stifled or distracted from the companies whose foundations were built upon the principles of delivering quality products to people who, like them, simply love video games. These companies still continue to thrive, but few seem to penetrate the market like mainline manufacturers. Occasionally, however, a company can break into the market with a solid, straightforward product, and the right ideals. One such company is Astro Gaming, who have developed a stellar reputation through their association with Major League Gaming.

We met with Brett Lovelady, CEO of Astro Gaming, on IGN Gear's Tech Fetish Podcast and learned a bit about the company. Astro Gaming stemmed from a product design firm, Astro Studios, which has worked on everything from sports watches for Nike, to the Xbox 360 for Microsoft. While the firm was closely tied to the gaming space, Lovelady informed us that Astro Gaming was developed in order to cut out the middleman; to bring Astro's designs directly to the consumers. The company's inaugural product was the Astro A40 Audio System, a surround sound headset designed specifically for gaming. While we are a bit late to the party for a review, we were given a sample of the A40 Audio System for evaluation. Does it live up to its reputation as the competitive gamer's choice or company's admirable intentions?

The answer, as you would expect, is not clear-cut. There are many things to like about the A40 Audio System, but it's not without its faults. But before we get into that, lets go over what the A40 System actually encompasses, which, as it turns out, isn't as simple as a headset and cable. While the A40 headphones can be purchased individually, the A40 Audio System incorporates the headphones and a dedicated mixer system. With the complete system, users can integrate the A40s with nearly every platform, including PC, Xbox 360, PS3, and a host of other media devices. The A40 Audio System's mixer, dubbed the A40 Mixamp, accepts optical audio connections as the primary input source from consoles and home theater systems. Additionally, the A40 Mixamp accepts stereo RCA connections, 1/8" audio cables, and digital coaxial inputs, which can serve as primary sources in the absence of optical digital or as simultaneous secondary sources.

The only way to achieve full Dolby Digital performance with the A40 headset is with digital optical connections, which can only be used with the A40 Mixamp. Both the A40 Headset and the A40 Mixamp can be purchased individually, $199.99 and $129.99 respectively, or they can be purchased in a bundle as the A40 Audio System, which retails for $249.99. Obviously the bundle is the better value, but it is still a hearty amount of cash compared to some products. So the question becomes whom exactly is the A40 aimed toward, and what do you get, performance wise, for your $249.99 investment?
First off, anyone considering spending $249.99 on a headphone system has to be in one of two camps: the highly competitive, hardcore gaming market, or the mature gamer market with more expendable income. In either demographic, the consumer is undoubtedly looking for performance and functionality, with a splash style.

For the most part, the A40 Audio System delivers to both markets fairly well. The design and construction of the A40 Audio System takes a minimalist approach that avoids aesthetic gimics like elaborate multicolor finishes and LED illumination. The headset itself features a light frame with multiple swiveling mechanisms for increased versatility. As you would expect, the headband can be extended to accommodate noggins of nearly every shape and size, but the extension mechanism is reinforced by a small metal tube that shields the connection wires and prevents users from inadvertently breaking the ear cups off from the main frame. The ear cups themselves utilize a highly padded, but extremely breathable material that wraps fully around even the largest of ears. The extra air passage that the padding allows does result in a significant loss in exterior noise reduction. On the flip side, Astro's choice in padding also doesn't insolate a whole lot of noise either. Those around you will be able to hear the audio emitting from your headset after reaching volume level. The lack of noise reduction, from interior or exterior sources, could be a problem for those looking to eliminate noise from their late night gaming sessions, but for others this might not be much of an issue. Those looking for complete sound elimination should be steered elsewhere, but for those looking for a significant reduction in their after-hours noise, the A40s should do just fine.

But really, the A40s are designed specifically for those who do their gaming in more public settings, perhaps at LAN parties, with small groups, or even during league play, for this demographic the A40s offer some very specific benefits. Those who err toward the more hardcore end of the spectrum stand to benefit from several key features: the A40 Audio System's interchangeable ear plates, high-performance microphone, and daisy-chainable communication system. First off, the A40 Headset uses magnetized ear plates on the outside of both ear cups that can be swapped out at any time. The benefit of this is to allow users to add a custom flair to their headset by using a number of graphical plates made available through Astro Gaming, or by hand-finishing them themselves. The swappable ear plates also serve as a means of accessing the A40's snap in microphone port. Both sides feature a port for the mic, which allows for players to pick which side as a matter of preference. The mic port not in use can be concealed or both can be covered for microphone-less use by ear plates provided by Astro.

As we mentioned, the snap-on microphone is incredibly high-performance. It is flexible and built for the road, but it is also highly directional. The microphone picks up only the sound of a user's voice, and is so powerful that it must be placed inordinately far from the speaker's mouth. But the A40 microphone's strength is also one of its weaknesses. The sound is so clear and resounding that many of the Xbox Live players that we played with complained that it was too loud over the other users. We often found ourselves having to move the microphone several inches away from our mouths in order to balance it with players speaking through other sources. One other simple solution that seems to have been overlooked by the Astro Gaming crew was means of controlling the microphone volume outside of console or PC-based settings. Neither the inline wire nor the A40 Mixamp incorporate volume controls for the microphone output.

For communication volumes other than your own output, the A40 Mixamp offers a dedicated knob for balancing voice communications and in-game effects. The dedicated communications mixer gives a much broader mix range than the standard console or PC-based microphone. Perhaps the most standout communication feature of the A40 Audio System is the A40 Mixamp's daisy-chain feature. The A40 Mixamp uses a looped audio signal for personal use, but when multiple A40 owners are gathered together for group play, each system's can be connected to form a closed voice communications circuit. In other words, when each user's A40 Mixamp is lined up and connected, they can communicate directly with one another on a physical connection. The daisy-chain feature eliminates the delay and signal degradation of using software-based communication clients.

While the daisy-chain feature will only effect competitive players with teammates with A40 systems, it's certainly a cool addition to the system. Another cool feature of the system is the potential for secondary audio inputs that mentioned earlier. Users can connect anything from MP3 players to PC's iTunes library to the A40 Mixamp through a number of input methods. The audio is then filtered into the headset output, and like the daisy-chain feature, gives significantly better audio quality than software-based output. As for the audio performance of the headset itself, the A40s are superb. The sound field is rich and three-dimensional, and we were able to effectively locate sources of sound (often sneaking up behind us in Call of Duty 4), and eliminate them. The natural equalization of the headset is a bit subdued in the lower end of the spectrum, but highs and mids are crisp and vibrant. Those looking for a little extra low-end response can tweak the output by altering the EQ on other parts of their audio chain (PC EQ, receiver EQ, etc.).

Overall, the A40 Audio System from Astro Gaming represents the pinnacle of personal gaming audio. Although it is designed for the pros, nearly everyone in the intermediate or hardcore range can stand to benefit from its features, design, and construction. The price might be a bit steep for some, but for those willing to drop the cash, it's a sound investment. And, for a company that is so clearly committed to advancing the platform rather than simply capitalizing on it, it's an investment that will satisfy your conscience as well. -- Scott Lowe (9.5 out of 10 overall)

Because you need yet another headphone review. Okay, maybe you don't, but you're getting it anyway. Call it concessions to the manufacturer. Also, the topic is timely as some of you might be in the market, it being Xmas and all.

First things first. Why headphones?

For most people, the television is good enough. For others, they’ve invested their geek cash in a finely-tuned surround sound system. Maybe you live alone. Maybe volume isn’t an issue for you. Maybe you just don’t give a jolly good damn about whether or not your hobby encroaches upon the lives of your significant other, children, cabanna boy, live-in mother-in-law or your neighbors.

I can only give you my reasons. Reason, really. My wife loathes the sound of my games. Halo, Gears, anything that’s loud and obnoxious with gun reports and explosions makes her want to trash my hdtv and gouge out my ears with a screwdriver. Yeah, I made that up. She’s not really violent. But she does get cranky, and you wouldn’t like her when she’s cranky.

There’s an added bonus, obviously. If I game elsewhere, I get to take my surround sound with me. And by else where, I mean places like the Chitown Lan or the in-Laws. Awfully convenient to actually hear the game at the lan when all the music game nerds are trying to crush your soul with the same three songs over and over and over and over and over again. Just sayin’.

I’ve owned the Tritton AX360s, but I currently roll the Astros. I gave up the Trittons for a number of reasons. First, they just didn’t sound great. Good, but not great. The AX360s also suffered by not having true bass, instead opting for a rumble feature, and the inline volume control just wasn’t all that great.

And then there was that whole issue with the mic. The mics on the AX360s short out. It’s not a matter of if, but when. I don’t know anyone who has a pair who hasn’t had a mic crap out on them. Tritton’s customer service is pretty good, however, and they’re quick to provide you with a replacement.

I can only imagine the company was highly motivated to redesign the mic as Tritton is not very big, and Mike, the customer service guy, is probably damned tired of getting calls/service requests about mics.

Anyway. Enough of the past. Don’t buy the old ones. Save for another five or six weeks and upgrade to either the Tritton AX Pros or the Astro A40s. Preamble finished, let’s get to the scrap.


AX Pro vs. A40

We’ve reviewed both these headsets already. Tank’s review of the Trittons is here, and NeksOne’s review of the Astros is here. I’ll try not to retread too much of Nek’s and Tank’s ground, but in case you’re A.D.D. or link adverse, I’ll hit the high notes.



Tritton AX Pros

These are an upgrade in every way over the previous, lower-end model.

The sound quality seems vastly improved. The bass is awesome and the overall speaker sound is crisp, clear and full. The old Trittons tended to get tinny and distort, and the rumble was kind of lame, really. I turn the rumble off on my controller. Why the hell do I want it on my head?

It appears the mic is going to be a helluva lot more reliable (it’s not flexible and uses a standard 3.5mm plug). And the way it works is much better this time, as well. Instead of plugging into the side of the cans, the Xbox mic plugs into the in-line volume control and gives you an individual volume control for the mic, allowing you to finally get some real boost to the mic sound.

Comfort is also and improvement, as the Pros are significantly lighter than the 360s. That said, they squeezed my head a bit. And they are rigid to the point where when you take them off, it’s like you’ve removed a helmet. There’s no flexibility in the form of them, which makes me think it’ll be a really bad idea to accidentally sit or step on these bad boys.

The two AC adapter situation is a big deal to me. In my living room, which doubles as my mancave as I don’t have an office to absorb and convert into a bastion of nerddom. In and around my HDTV, I have this list of shit plugged in: router, cable modem, Xbox 360 Quick Charge Kit, an Xbox 360, a PlayStation 3, a 600-watt Pioneer receiver, a Motorola HDDVR and the HDTV itself.

The last thing I want to do is plug in not one, but two AC adapters to power one tiny freaking headset. They did take advantage of the added power by adding internal LEDs to illuminate the double T Tritton logo. Tell me again why I need lights on the side of my head? I’m not, in fact, the Master Chief, and gaming is not spelunking.

Sure, they cost more, but it’s still less than the Astros and I’m betting you can find these cheaper at Frys or TigerDirect.


The Astro A40s

Not sure where to even start here. I own the Astros. Paid a fuckton of money for them. Sorry, Astro guys, but $250 is a lot of scratch for a headset. You can get a 360 for less than that. At the time I bought them, there was only the Tritton AX 360s and whatever the hell Turtle Beach has on the market, and my AX 360s weren’t getting the job done.

The Astros were like headset porn, all wrapped up in strippers and bacon. Had to have them. Fortunately, they deliver. From the first moment you see the frickin boxes, you’ll be smitten. Of course, that also means that part of the high price is wrapped up in these pretty damn boxes you’ll put in the top of your closet and never see again.

The Astros sound amazing, but honestly I’m not sure which of the two headsets sounds better. Obviously, the discrete sound of each channel has to be better in the Trittons, but my ears are shot from too many years of heavy metal concerts. I can’t tell a lot of difference between real surround speakers and the simulated Dolby Headphone surround of the Astros. Both sound good. If anything to me, the Astros are crisper, but lack the Trittons’ bass.

One feature I love about the Astros is the ability to move the mic to whichever side you prefer, or to remove it entirely. Both sets of cans feature removable covers, but you get the idea the Astros had a plan for this from the beginning, whereas with the Trittons, it’s just something they do but serves no real purpose.

The Astros also win in the lighter/more comfortable category. Not much to elaborate on here. The ‘Stros weigh less and feel better on my head. Might be different for someone with a differently shaped melon.

Though the new Trittons handle game sound and voice volume really well, I still love the A40 MixAmp (the sound processor for the Astros). I love the ability to change the voice vs. game volume mix with the turn of the dial. I love that I can plug my Zune into the MixAmp and play Seek and Destroy through the headset while I’m in matchmaking and still hear the game and my teammates.

Furthermore, and this was something that always pissed me off about my old Trittons, I can use my Astros with anything that takes a normal headphone plug. I can use my Astros with my Zune. With the Trittons, I could only use them with their amp. The new Trittons come with an adapter that lets you use them with your PC, but nothing so simple as your MP3 player.



Final Verdict

Let’s be honest. I spent $250 on the Astros. I sure as hell didn’t want to like the Trittons, but I did. That said, I still wouldn’t trade my Astros for the Trittons.

In the end, the things I dislike about both systems are all the damn cords. With the Trittons, you have the two AC adapters, the 12’ cable and the connector going from the in-line controller to the 360 controller. With the Astros, you’ve got basically what amounts to a much longer toslink cable in place of the Trittons 12’ connector cable, in addition to the cable to the cans and the cable to the controller. You might also have the usb power cable, if you don’t buy the optional rechargeable battery pack.

All the cables amount to a damn mess no matter which set you’re rolling.

Which brings up another topic of conversation. Tritton is getting ready to unveil their wireless headset, and it’ll rock the Dolby Headset tech that’s featured in the Astros. If the sound quality for the Tritton Wireless headset is as good or close to as good as the Astros, I’m trading in my Astros. Of course, that’s with the understanding that there’s a mic involved that works with my 360 controller.

Comfort: Astros

Sound: Tie (Astros sound crisper, Trittons have much better bass and spatial differentiation)

Style: Probably a matter of taste

Price: Trittons

X-Factor: The Astros come with that badass hardcase for transporting your gear. The old Trittons came with a felt bag. The new ones… nada, zero, zilcho.



Winner by a slim margin: The Astros

ASTRO A40 Gaming Headset/MixAmp -- 9.0/Editor's Choice

VOICE, SURROUND, AND QUALITY -- CAN YOU REALLY HAVE IT ALL?

Let's be upfront about this -- $250 is a helluva lot of money for a gaming headset. However, the ASTRO Gaming A40 Audio System finally gives gamers an all-in-one late-night gaming solution with no compromise in quality.

The A40 consists of two parts: a headset and an amp. The headset is a killer closed-ear design, which isolates you from the outside world with minimum sound leakage to annoy anyone sharing space with you. It delivers great positional audio (you'll need to use an optical cable to hear surround effects), and it includes a boom mic, which you can place on either side of your head. The A40 performed extremely well in our music testing: we picked up nuances in our test tracks that we'd never noticed before, and the boom mic also worked admirably well.

The real magic for Xbox gamers lies in the bundled amp. This little wonder takes your audio input, whether it's 2-channel stereo or the 5.1 optical connection, and mixes it with the voice chat from your game. A simple balance control lets you blend the two signal volumes to your liking -- a fantastic feature that works wonderfully. When we began testing, we detected a little bit of static using this knob, but it disappeared after an hour or two of use.

The ASTRO A40 Audio System is crazy-expensive for a normal stereo headset, but it's priced comparably to 5.1 headsets from other vendors -- and those units don't include the voice/game mixing capability. Our only complaint is that it creates a messy wire snarl in your living room, but it sounds so good that we don't even care. -- Will Smith

Worthplaying.com's hardware reviewer gives our flagship product an extremely comprehensive review. Prospective customers who'd like an exhaustive rundown of the A40's feature set should read this first!

Worthplaying reviews the A40 Audio System

Extremetech's elite hardware ninjas Jason Cross and Joel Durham Jr. put the A40 Audio System up against some very stiff competition in their latest headset roundup. How does the A40 fare? Our tournament-grade bloodlines leave us on top of the heap, of course. Check out the full version of how the A40 Audio System compares to the best headsets on the market today at Extremetech.com

ASTRO A40 Audio Gaming System

If you frequent LAN parties, or an ill-tempered roommate / significant other/ downstairs neighbor disapproves of muzzle fire thundering from your speakers at 4 AM, you might want to give the A40 Audio System a listen. Consisting of a headset and a dedicated mixer and amplifier (sold as a set or as individual components), it’s geared towards Xbox and PC gamers who want solid surround sound without violating municipal noise ordinances.

The headset is fairly impressive on its own: comfortable, great sound, and fairly attractive to boot. The microphone can be swapped to either side — a nice touch that complements the customizable faceplates. We noticed a slight problem with noise leaking from the headset: the included foam inserts help cut some of the excess din, but bystanders could still hear the occasional of clashing swords or revving engines. Definitely not a deal breaker, but if you’re taking these to the library, you'll want to turn the volume down a tad.

The A40 really shines when it’s paired with the A40 MixAmp. Powered by 4 AAs (which last for about 7 hours of continuous use), it can also run on USB power, or via an optional rechargeable battery pack. You can connect it with traditional analog cables or through an optical cable, directly through your TV or PC, or hook even it up to your home theater—ASTRO packs plenty of cables to support your needs. You can also attach your own MP3 player to play music alongside the voice and game audio. Unfortunately, the balance on the Mixer will only handle game and voice volume, so you have to adjust your iPod manually. The MixAmp’s best feature is the Dolby Surround support, pumping surround audio in a multi-channel setup, or simulating it on standard stereo headphones. So even if you’d rather stick to your own headset, you can still get (faux) surround sound.

This system is most definitely designed with professional gamers in mind, with a special nod towards the LAN gaming community. Multiple units can be daisy-chained together via a connector tucked into the base of the unit, creating a sort of hardware-based Teamspeak (assuming you and your buddies get several MixAmps). For Xbox Live users, just jack the mic cable into the bottom of your controller and you’re good to go.

WIRED: Comfort, for multiple head and hair sizes. Clear voice quality is a plus for smack-talking. Connectivity options to complement most setups.

TIRED: PC gamers won’t mind, but wireless La-Z-Boy warriors probably don’t want to be tethered to their audio system. Add every component up and you've got an expensive setup on your hands.

See Wired.com's original review here.

The current crop of gaming headsets runs the gamut in terms of pricing. Spend pennies, and you’ll surely have a mind cramp after just a few hours into that marathon online session. Spend a butt-load, and odds are that the definition of The Law of Diminishing Returns will become abundantly clear in a matter of minutes.

At an MSRP of $249.95, Astro Gaming’s A40 Audio System, for some, may ponder the question, “how much better can it be?” A good question that we’ll answer for you shortly. But let’s first get to the hard data on why the A40 Audio System costs as much as a Wii.

There are various configurations and price points of gaming headsets on the market. The major division is between wireless and wired, with the former normally being less-featured to keep the price outside of the stratosphere (i.e. more than the frugal gamer types are willing to spend). The A40 Audio System is part of the wired lineup, and is the apogee of said lineup in terms of completeness and features. The A40 Audio System is like a decked-out Bimmer in fact, with every bell and whistle that you ever wanted in a gaming headset, and a few that you probably didn’t think of, but are noteworthy. On the more basic side, the A40 Audio System features a separate amplifier section which not only handles internal Dolby encoding, but also allows the custom mixing of game and voice chat data (thus the moniker Mixamp). The headset has its standard items too, such as 40mm drivers (made from alloy, which is less common than impregnated paper, but not as esoteric as, say, electrostatic transducers), a heavily padded headband, over-the-ear cups and adjustability for heads from egg to melon.

The A40 Audio System’s goodies don’t stop at the nuts-and-bolts of it all. Atop the impressive list of standard features, the Mixamp contains a separate circuit designed for communication with other amps connected to it. Astro’s patent-pending “daisychain” system may not be that big of a deal to Joe Gamer, but to Joe Clan Gamer, a clear, lag-free comm. line could be the difference between a slash in the ‘W’ column and a wet teabag. This separate communications line for daisy-chained Mixamp’s of the A40 Audio System also rules out proximity-chat detection, provided that the stock Xbox 360 chat line is disabled (the A40 Audio System can run both if desired). Score another one for serious multiplayer gamers.

Whether the aforementioned chitter-chatter is going through a daisy’d Mixamp or the 360 itself, the device used to send said blabber is about as nice as you’ll find this side of NASA. Not only is the A40 Audio System’s mic boom noise-canceling and super hand-malleable, but it also connects via a standard 1/8” jack, and, you guessed it: the headset has both a left and right receptacle. We realize that mic earcup flippage isn’t going to make or break your decision on a gaming headset, but it does illustrate the level of thought that Astro has put into designing the A40 Audio System for true game enthusiasts. Not gamers will appreciate that the mic can be removed altogether– no need looking like a fighter pilot just because you are watching Stealth with a headset on.

A quick jaunt through Astro’s website will make you realize that this “upstart” headset manufacturer isn’t upstart at all. You may not have heard of Astro before, but odds are, if you’re reading this, you interact with one of their designs at least once a day. Yes, Astro handled the Xbox 360’s design, not to mention the designs of beautiful gear by Alienware, Compaq and even for the high-end furniture gurus at Herman Miller. It should go without saying, then, but we’ll say it anyways– you won’t find a better designed 3rd-party peripheral for your Xbox 360 than the A40 Audio System. In fact, you won’t even have to open the packaging to know that you’ve bought something aesthetically-spectacular. Package design is an industrial art in and of itself, and the A40 Audio System proves that with sleek, black and orange hinged boxes with ghost graphics depicting gaming scenarios. Seriously, if a Cartier necklace costing ten-large came in the A40 Audio System’s packaging, you’d be ecstatic. Strip away the sexy packaging and you’re met with more packaging; this time the casing for the A40 Audio System’s phones. The ovoid hard-shell case is slick enough to make any turtle green with envy. Ok, so turtles are already green….so how about greener? Bottom line: the case is not a throw-away. Even the Mixamp comes with a case that is nicer than whatever currently ensconces your iPhone. Last layer away– removable, Steinway-black “speaker tags”, or earcup covers, stare you in the face. These end-caps will surely become custom billboards for gaming’s elite clans. We just can’t stop playing with them, as the four small magnets suck the caps to the earcup backs as if by the supernatural powers of the Amazing Kreskin.

If you can afford them, your ears will thank you.

The Mixamp is no slouch either, looking like a retro 60’s device– perhaps a prop on Get Smart– but in that good, “look what we can do with plastic now” sort of way. The Mixamp’s shell is covered in rubberized plastic to-boot; none of that el-cheapo, flashing-riddled ABS look here. The rest of the A40 Audio System kit is top-shelf too, from the highly rubberized cables to the peach-fuzz-soft earcup materials. If there was one negative in the quality and design, it would be with the headset’s length adjustability. The range might not be enough for those with longer mooks, and the action along the tubular earcup posts is pretty chunky. For $250 out the door, you’re not going to get Stax quality, but for a game-specific peripheral, the A40 Audio System is the new design benchmark.

Unless you completely subscribe to the “function follows form” mantra, using the impeccable styling of the A40 Audio System merely as a conversation piece at your next art open house ain’t gonna’ cut it. Thus, the important question is: “Does the A40 Audio System perform as good as it looks?” Nearly. The aluminum drivers don’t quite extend down to grasp the truly low frequencies, and unfortunately come out sounding a bit colored, especially on the top end. The A40 Audio System’s sonic capabilities are still near the top of the gaming headset world, however, so we may be expecting a bit too much sonically: hoping the aural would somehow match the visual. Aside from the very small gripe in bass extension and tonal coloration, the A40 Audio System performed its Dolby and game/voice duties via the Mixamp with aplomb. The amp’s compact size makes it a pint-sized powerhouse for the serious gaming enthusiast. The four AA batteries it takes is a downside for those that need the range (USB can power the Mixamp), but the rechargeable battery option which is due out soon will make those alkaline nightmares go bye-byes (the rechargeable is worth the twenty dollar asking price). Feature-wise, the Mixamp is quite the pound-for-pound brute too. How often do you find a pre-amp the size of a mid-80’s garage door opener housing both coaxial and optical digital inputs? How about…never.

Two fifty is a big chunk of change in a day and age where gasoline approaches the cost-per-gallon of Starbucks coffee. But if you are more than a casual gamer, and are looking for a complete solution for your gaming and personal audio needs, Astro’s A40 Audio System is where it’s at.

The A40 Audio System’s combination of versatility, style and performance is tough to find from the third-party market for sure. Throw the patents-pending-level features of the A40 Audio System on top of this tasty sundae, and the answer to your questions about which high end audio solution to purchase should resonate loud-and-clear.

As we mentioned in a recent PC Gaming Headset roundup, a good headset is a gamer's best friend. A great number of online multiplayer games on the PC have integrated voice chat, and gamers frequently use products like Ventrilo or Teamspeak for those that don't. If you're not talking with your friends and teammates (or enemies), you're missing out on half the fun. Plus, a good headset serves double duty as a good pair of headphones, allowing you to hear the game sounds more clearly in a noisy environment or to play at a decent volume without disturbing the neighbors (or your family).

Of course, the quality of headsets vary widely, and it has been our experience that you just can't get a good experience with that $20 special from your local office supply store. We were certainly interested when Astro Gaming announced their A40 Audio System, a headset and mixer/amplifier (sold separately or together) that promised exceptional design and quality for PC and Xbox 360 gamers. Astro Gaming is an offshoot of Astro Studios, the same design firm that worked on the Xbox 360's sleek enclosure and controller, along with products from Apple, Herman Miller, Sony, Virgin, and more.

In fact, right from the unboxing you get the impression that you're in for something a cut above the competition. We haven't seen this much care put into the packaging design since the last time we opened a higher-end iPod or Zune box. Yes, the A40 Audio System is sleek and has an impressive feature set, as should to justify its premium price. But does it deliver the quality you'd expect from a $250 headset-and-amp combo? Let's find out.

The A40 Audio System is comprised of two parts (headset and MixAmp), sold separately or together in a price-reduced bundle. The combined system costs $249. The headset by itself is $199 and the MixAmp is $129, so buying them together is a significant difference in price. Let's start with the headset.

Fresh out of the (frankly, kind of impressive) box, you'll notice the headset comes in a hard protective case so you can throw it in a bag on your way to the LAN party or tournament and not worry about damage.

The headset proper is a good-sized circumaural (over the ears) type, with a detachable boom microphone. The headset comes in black or white, and is extremely comfortable over long periods of use. The size adjustment mechanism is one of the best we've used, and the earpieces turn 90 degrees to lay flat "DJ style" when you hang them around your neck.

The sides of the earpieces have little detachable plates that snap on magnetically, and the headset comes with three of them—one with a hole in it for the detachable mic, and two without for a cleaner appearance. With these snap-on plates you can move the mic to the left or right, or get rid of the "mic hole" if you plan on only using the A40 as headphones. There are little foam rubber inserts that can rest under these side panels to help deaden outside noise and prevent some of the headphone sound from bothering those around you (on a plane or in a very quiet room).

The headset cord stops short about a foot from the left earpiece with the microphone mute switch; you attach one of two cords to this connector. One cord ends in the 1/8-inch stereo headset and microphone jacks typical to PCs and the other is a single 1/8-inch 4-pole jack meant to plug into the A40 MixAmp, should you get that as well. Astro throws in a 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch adaptor if you're going to plug them into a stereo.

Overall, the design and implementation of these headphones is the best we've seen. They're among the most comfortable, easy-fitting, secure, and appealing PC headsets we have ever tested. Of course, it's almost one of the most expensive.

The A40 MixAmp

Perhaps the more interesting part of the A40 system is the MixAmp, a headphone amplifier and mixer companion product. Open the box and you see the MixAmp in the middle, surrounded by an absolute flurry of cables.

You get a stereo 1/8-inch jack to left/right RCA cable connection, for hooking the MixAmp to your PC (or really, any audio source). There are two cables terminating in stereo 1/8-inch jacks, a half-meter one for hooking up your MP3 player and a two-meter long one for plugging the MixAmp to your PC's microphone input. There's a thick USB-to-mini USB cable for providing the unit with power, a one meter 2.5mm stereo jack for plugging in your Xbox 360 controller, a dual stereo jack to 4-pole plug adaptor so you can hook up any non-Astro PC headset to the MixAmp, and a long 4 meter RCA to RCA-passthrough cable so you can plug the MixAmp into a source like the Nintendo Wii or other stereo output.

You also get a nice little carry case for the MixAmp. On the top of the MixAmp unit are two dials and two buttons. The big dial is volume, the small one is the mic/sound mixing level. The left button is power, the right toggles Dolby decoding.

Did we say Dolby decoding? Yes, the MixAmp performs Dolby Digital decoding from either optical TOSLink or Coax input, Dolby Pro Logic II from any analog cable, and spits out Dolby Headphone. Just plug your PC or game console into the optical or coax connection and press the Dolby button, and you'll get that full 5.1 experience translated into Dolby Headphone virtualization. We tried it on multiple connections and with several games and movies, and it works great.

On the backside of the unit is a wide array of inputs. The front side is a little simpler, featuring just two plugs. One is for your headset, the other is a 2.5mm plug labeled "controller." You connect the 2.5mm cable from this to the headset jack on the bottom of your Xbox or Xbox 360 controller and you can use the MixAmp and headset as an Xbox Live headset. But Xbox Live headsets just transmit the voice channel—your game audio comes out of your TV speakers or other sound system. Well, with the MixAmp plugged into your Xbox/Xbox 360's audio output, it will mix the Xbox Live chatter with the game sounds. The small dial on top lets you adjust the mix from "no voice, all game" on the left to "no game, all voice" on the right.

The MixAmp is a powered headphone amplifier at heart, so it needs juice. It runs off the USB connection, or four AA batteries. Astro sells a $20 rechargeable battery pack that trickle-charges when you plug the unit into a USB port. It takes a long time to charge—like leave it overnight—but the charge lasts a good while. And yes, it charges when plugged into your Xbox 360's USB ports, even when the 360 is turned off.

Last but not least, the red part of the bottom of the MixAmp snaps out to reveal a pair of jacks and plugs. You can use these to daisy-chain multiple units together, so if you're playing a local game on a LAN, the daisy-chained units will perform all audio decoding instead of going through your PC. The result is a private "channel" of sorts, with much higher sound quality because there's no compression going on.

Final Thoughts

Okay, so the design and feature set is killer. The A40 headset and mixamp together are everything we want in a PC/console headset, from Dobly Digital and Dolby Headphone to a stylish design and comfortable fit. None of that matters if the sound quality isn't equally excellent.

Fortunately, it is. The headphones are equal to the best we've heard in a consumer headset—far better than many "gaming" headsets and light years beyond the general purpose inexpensive headsets you get at most computer or office supply shops. To put it in perspective, they're on par with the $100—150 Grado or Sennheiser headphones you'd buy at an audio shop. We feel Sennheiser's high-end PC headsets have marked the high point for microphone quality until now—the A40 headset's mic is of similar quality.

It's hard not to love Astro Gaming's premiere product. The headset and MixAmp are simply excellent, high-quality gear with slick design, a great feature set, and fantastic sound quality. If there's a downside, it's the price. Sold separately, each of these items represents quite a premium over other products, and even together, $250 for gaming headset goodness is a hard pill to swallow. We have often warned about the fleecing of gamers here at ExtremeTech, lamenting the vast number of products that are slightly modified from normal consumer gear, given a "gamer" visual makeover, and marked up to unreasonable prices. In this case, we can honestly say that you're not paying big bucks for just a marginal difference in quality. This is one high-priced gamer product that, for once, gives you what you pay for.

PC Gamer's own handsome and loquacious hardware editor, Logan Decker, has bestowed his blessing upon the A40 Audio System in the April issue of the magazine. Branding it a 97% and an Editor's Choice, he states, "the A40 Audio System is the best thing to happen to ears since the Q-Tip!"

We'd have to agree--and best when used together.

The March edition of Game Informer lauds the A40 Audio System for its versatility and audiophile sound quality. The system garnered a 9 out of 10 rating and even nabbed the elusive Editor's Choice award -- check out the review on page 38 of the March issue!

Check out the review from Codename76.com. The Canadian judge gives the A40 Audio System a solid 9 out of 10.

Codename76 does a pretty thorough review and there's a good list of the pros and cons (cons?!?) in there.

In their words, the bottom line is, "the A40 is a top notch headset or more accurately a remarkable audio system. If you're an Xbox 360 or PC gamer and you have the means I highly recommend it...."

Check out the full review here