If your budget only stretches to $60, the Astro A10 is your best bet for sound quality, delivering clean mids and a rich bass thats almost as good as more expensive Astro headsets. His PCWorld focus is on PC gaming hardware: laptops, mice, headsets and keyboards. This very attractive headset produces a clear and natural sound and has excellent connectivity and cross-compatibility so you can use it with just about all your devices, which is why we recommend it as the best wireless gaming headset. Multiple speakers deliver the sound at different positions in each earcup, telling your brain its precise location in your games. Setup was very easy, Atmos as you know comes with them, and the hardware interface buttons are easy to find 'blind' once you learn the button layouts. The time it takes to fully charge the battery. The Astro A10 headset offers above-average mic quality for its price point. The RIG is better if you want neutral sound and dont mind the angular design. Neither headset performs anywhere near a nice noise- cancelling set. The device has an option to mute/unmute a conversation directly from the device. The Logitech G Pro X has great audio customization through the Logitech G Hub, but that is restricted to PC. At less than $100, it is hard to go wrong with this quality gaming headsetespecially if youre on a budget. The RIG mic is decent, but it still has a bit of a microphone sound to it, with a slight bit of nasal tinniness. Based in Australia, Dominic Bayley is a hardcore tech enthusiast. The lack of setting controls might not appeal to audiophile tinkerers, but its ease-of-use, quick connectivity, and excellent spatial audio make it a gamers dream. 111dB/mW vs 104dB/mW 146g lighter? On the other hand, the Turtle Beach are more comfortable and have a more neutral sound profile. Do I consider the Astro A10 an MLG-level headset? This item: ASTRO Gaming A10 Wired Gaming Headset, Lightweight and Damage Resistant, ASTRO Audio, 3.5 mm Audio Jack, for Xbox Series X|S| One, PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch, PC, Mac- Black/Green by ASTRO Gaming $42.70 Xbox Core Wireless Controller - Electric Volt by Xbox $54.99 It isnt a thin sound; theres plenty of low-mids to balance out the strong highs, but nothing sounds quite as deep or forceful as it can on some other headsets. Connected to my PS4 controller I find it gets in the way, but despite that, I appreicate the length for PC. Which is to say, they're both 3.5mm, wired gaming headsets. We analyze everything from how comfortable and durable they are, to how they perform in games and the software support they get via their manufacturers apps. With the RIG, I feel like I could blow on it and itd slide across the table. When securely snapped onto the headset, the mic flips down for use or up to mute. WINNER: For my personal tastes, the RIG 400 has a more correct soundbut they both do exceptionally well for the price range. Like I said, even when explosions are going off, the higher frequencies will pick up and you can still hear cues like gunfire and footsteps. MSRP $69.99 $34.77 at Amazon $38.99. No expert reviews linked yet for RIG 500HC. While previous Astro wireless gaming headsets have featured large chunky charging cradles, the A50s is quite compact so it takes up much less space on your desk. On top of that, it features THX Spatial Audio technology, which elevates your audio to a rich and satisfying surround sound experience. SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless review, Razer Naga V2 Pro review: Mouse MMO customization hits new heights, Nacon RIG 800 Pro HX review: A headset primed for marathon gaming, Logitech Astro A30 Wireless headset review: Supreme style, formidable sound. Additionally, if you plan on using your set as a pair of headphones, youll need to make sure your headsets mic is detachable. Check Price All this functionality could have been delivered in a stock standard design, but the Astro A30 is one of the best-looking pair of cans weve seen in a long time. RIG 500HC is a well-known and one of the cheapest options. I had the exact opposite reaction to the RIG 400. If you do prefer a material other than velour you can buy anti-sweat or abrasion-resistant covers for your headsets earcups, which will help them last a little longer. ReviewFinder is reader-supported - if you click on a link on ReviewFinder and make a purchase, we earn a commission at no extra cost to you. I think theyre both actually well-built. Copyright 2023 IDG Communications, Inc. Lots of software options for personalization, Active Noise Cancellation won't block out all external sound, Fully removable cabling and smarter inline control placement, More expensive than the original Cloud, with fewer accessories, Narrow soundscape sometimes leads to muddy audio, Excellent audio through the bass, mid, and high tones, No boom mic means the mic audio suffers somewhat, Needs some EQ love to reach its full potential, Outperforms headsets two or three times the price, Fantastic microphone, with lots of software-side options, Leatherette in the cups can get sweaty on hot days, Charging cradle is smaller and still very unique, Switches to the more reliable 2.4GHz band (finally), Leatherette is a classy change from the G933's sports mesh, Hidden microphone and dongle storage are great features to have, One of the best-sounding headsets at this price, Still bulky and boxy compared to the competition, Decent audio quality, with deep bass and clear mids and highs, Highly comfortable earcups with memory foam cushioning and leatherette coverings, Metal headband attachments can sometimes trap your fingers. 20000Hz. I tested out the mic while playing PUBG: Battlegrounds and squaded up with some friends to get their feedback on the quality. Devices with a higher sound pressure level are generally louder when supplied with any given audio source. Mercenaries mode is a special mode in Resident Evil 4 Remake that challenges players to survive and score as many points as they can against waves of enemies, with all sorts of ways to extend time, gain score multipliers, and more. If the device supports Dolby Digital it can deliver up to six different audio channels (sides) for a much better sound quality. Has a noise-canceling microphone? The Astro A10 offers best-in-class build quality and cushy earcups, but it might be too heavy for some. The higher the high-frequency response, the clearer and crispier the treble. Both are reinforced with a damage-resistant rubberized cover. Directed by James Mangold, the movie also stars Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Antonio Banderas, John Rhys-Davies, Shaunette Renee Wilson, Thomas Kretschmann, Toby Jones, Boyd Holbrook, Oliver Richters, Ethann Isidore, and Mads Mikkelsen. Technologies like Hi-Res audio, Spatial Surround Sound, and Parametric EQ all spring to mind, which is why we look closely at the kind of software support on offer. All of the 400 series models are wired, all of them use non-detachable wires, and all of them are essentially the same aside from the colors/different headbands. These microphones are designed to filter out background noise from the desired sound. Help us by suggesting a value. Foam is the opposite in that itll keep your ears cool, but disintegrate quicker. The headset has a flexible band to minimize pressure and that the band is height adjustable to fit your ears. Character dialog was also easy to discern. Type Over-ear Enclosure Closed-Back Wireless No Transducer Dynamic Noise Cancelling No Mic Yes Type Over-ear Enclosure Closed-Back Wireless No Transducer Dynamic Noise Cancelling No Mic Yes Recommended in 2 articles: Astro Gaming Under $50 Variants A10 (Black/Blue) A10 (Black/Green) A10 (Black/Red) A10 (Call of Duty) A10 (Legend of Zelda) Sadly, unless you purchase an Astro MixAmp (not included with the A10) there isnt much added to base functionality. I think this is a good thing. Yet its generous feature-set includes a few high-end luxuries. Astro's model has better isolation, a better microphone, and almost the full featureset from Astro's more expensive A50. Devices with stereo speakers deliver sound from independent channels on both left and right sides, creating a richer sound and a better experience. It comes in a variety of models and variants, and some of them even include a free Dolby Atmos code right now. Very high levels of customer satisfaction. The device is designed in a way that allows sound to go out through the back of the ear cups, which usually have vents or perforations. There is a lot more Astro could have done aesthetically with the Astro A10. Scroll down to learn more about it. Help us by suggesting a value. The Astro A10 headset is inconsistent. RIG 500HC is $20.93 less expensive than an average headset ($40.88). There are people on the Internet whose job is to review products. Back in 2006, Brett Lovelady and Jordan Reiss had the goal of making high-end headsets for professional esports players. To see the criteria we use to test each product and some helpful buying advice be sure to read our post scrip explainer below our list. Privacy policy, I've been using my Astro A10 (Ps4/Blue edition) for half of my college (3 years) and now the earpad fell and can't glue it back since it won't last very long, I feel it's time for me to change them for something new, so here are my final thoughts about them Another great point about the audio is that I can accurately hear the bounce of a smoke or grenade in my vicinity. Versus uses cookies to improve your experience on the site. To be fair, a lot of headsets have difficulty blocking out background audio, and the A10 isnt the worst Ive dealt with. Its unrealistic to expect quality design, build, and packaging out of a headset that is this affordable. The driver unit is the component that produces sound in the device. The headsets Bluetooth can also be used simultaneously with a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi connection, which means you can take phone calls and participate in team chats, all the while losing absolutely none of your gaming audio. What I found is that both headsets delivered in the most important areas, such as sound quality, mic quality, and comfort. Whenever there is an emphasis on the lows, you can tell the mids and highs match the sound level so they arent drowned out. The 3.5mm audio jack connects to the left ear cup and has an in-line volume control wheel. I dont think the A10 is uncomfortable at all. Most headsets also come with decent stereo, which will still do a good job relaying the general direction of sounds. Would recommend for casual gamers, not exceptional on music, will work better with programs like Dolby atmos or Windows Sonic for competitive gaming Best Malware Removal and Protection Software, Best Business Cloud Storage and File Sharing Providers, The Best Office Chairs for Working From Home. Things youll want to tick off your check list are: If possible, you should avoid headsets that are excessively heavy, or tightly fitting, since the added weight and clamp force will undoubtedly cause problems. The lowest frequency at which the device produces audio. High-rated Headsets in a similar price range. The highest frequency at which device produces audio. While the RIG 500 Pro HX is a simple, wired, stereo headset, it lets PC and Xbox gamers enjoy Dolby simulated surround. We also test the microphone, listening for muffled sounds, static, robotic noises, and any echoesall signs there could be a problem.