The Astro A40 Tr Headset + Mixamp Pro 2017 are gaming headphones that deliver great audio with a few flaws. Advertised as console-locked to either the PS4 or Xbox One, these headphones are well-built and very comfortable. This makes them suitable for long gaming sessions. The audio quality is good, with overemphasized bass that gives an epic feel to your gaming experience. They also have a great microphone for online multiplayer gaming and the dock provides good control options. Unfortunately, due to their bulky design and open back, they won’t be ideal if you’re looking for portability or noise isolation.
Build Quality and Comfort for Long Gaming Sessions
The Astro A40 Tr Headset + Mixamp Pro 2017 is well built with just the right amount of pressure to keep them on your head. Even after long gaming sessions, they don’t cause any discomfort or fatigue. The ear cups are made of velour and the headband uses a breathable, fabric-covered cushion for comfort. They also come with an adjustable headband that ensures a snug fit for any head size.
In addition, the headset has three pieces that are held together by magnets, which allows you to easily swap out parts for upgrades or customization down the line. They use metal-reinforced mounting plates and thick plastic construction, which makes them durable and improves sound isolation. This can be especially helpful in loud gaming environments.
Audio Quality and Microphone Feature of Astro A40 Tr Headset + Mixamp Pro 2017
The Astro A40 Tr Headset + Mixamp Pro 2017 has excellent audio quality. The soundstage is quite wide and provides an immersive gaming experience. The bass is overemphasized, which makes the sound quite muddy and not too accurate. But if you’re looking for a bass-boosted listening experience then you won’t be disappointed.
The microphone also features a flip-up feature, so you can quickly mute it when necessary. It does a great job of minimizing background noise from your environment and will make sure that your teammates can hear you clearly during online gaming sessions. With the dock, you also have controls to adjust the EQ settings to your liking and even get notifications when someone is talking to you while in-game.
The Control Dock, Transmitter and Audio Mixer
The Astro A40 Tr Headset + Mixamp Pro 2017 comes with a control dock, transmitter and audio mixer. The dock gives you great control over your game sound and voice balance, allowing you to easily switch between game sound, voice chat and audio mix. The transmitter offers a strong connection via 2.4GHz between the dock and headset for strong audio quality within a 32-foot range. The is also adjustable, so you have even more control over your gaming experience.
The mixing capabilities of the headset are one of its main selling points. You can use the dials on the dock to adjust your game-to-voice balance, which is incredibly useful during intense multiplayer gaming sessions or when your friends or family are talking in the background. You can even tweak the EQ settings to get the perfect balance for whatever type of game you’re playing.
Drawbacks and Potential Issues of Astro A40 Tr Headset + Mixamp Pro 2017
The Astro A40 Tr Headset + Mixamp Pro 2017 have some drawbacks and potential issues that you should be aware of. Firstly, they are bulky and quite heavy. This might not be ideal if you like to carry your gaming headset around with you. The open-back design also means that these headphones are not ideal for loud environments since they will leak sound, and the sound leaking out of the headphones will easily drown out the sound coming from your headset.
Additionally, since these headphones are console-locked, you won’t be able to swap them between Xbox One and PS4 without buying an additional MixAmp Pro TR ($150 USD). So if you use both platforms, this could become expensive. Furthermore, the console-locked feature might not work whenever a new console update is installed, requiring a fix from Astro Support or reverting to an older firmware version.
Final Thoughts: Are These for You?
After all this, it’s time to ask the big question: are these headphones for you? Well, it depends.
Generally speaking, if you’re looking for an immersive audio experience for gaming sessions and don’t mind the bulkiness, then these Astro A40 Tr Headset + Mixamp Pro 2017 are great. The sound is good and very bassy, and the included dock gives you good control over your headset’s settings. The built-in microphone also means that your squadmates can hear you loud and clear during online multiplayer games.
However, if you want something a bit more compact or you know that you’ll be gaming in a loud environment, then you might want to pass on these ones—the open-back design means that they won’t be ideal for blocking outside noise.
