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Posted 20 hours ago

ASTRO Gaming A50 Wireless Gaming Headset + Charging Base Station, Game/Voice Balance Control, 2.4 GHz Wireless, 15 m Range, for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, Mac - Black/Gold

£9.9£99Clearance
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Wired headsets on Xbox also come with some basic spatial sound for free using your console's Windows Sonic algorithm, and also some basic mic monitoring through Xbox party chat — although on-board solutions tend to be better, they're usually exclusive to more expensive wireless headsets. Indeed, the main downside of a wired headset is that they often sport less features than wireless headsets. In addition, using a wired headset with an Xbox controller that is plugged in and charging also can introduce nasty distortion into your sound mix, and also for those listening to you through party chat on your microphone. Wireless headsets sidestep some of these limitations, but it comes at a price. Another thing to watch out for are the two different modes that are available on the base station. The Astro A50 headset was made for PC and Xbox gamers alike, and there are two different settings that can be chosen depending on which of the two platforms that users have.

The headset itself is well-constructed for the most part, with metal-reinforced connectors, and hinges, with a wide degree of adjustability. I have received reports of wear and tear over time, though, so perhaps it's ideal to be careful with this headset and avoid giving it to youngsters if you do decide to jump in. In my Turtle Beach Stealth Pro review, I described how this headset attempts to do a lot, which is often a recipe for disaster. Sometimes in these scenarios, we find that key features have not been given the attention they need, with products that try to do too much. Thankfully, this isn't the case here. For those who think the multi-receiver, ANC-enabled, Bluetooth-laden Arctis Nova Pro might be overkill for their gaming needs, the Astro A50 is the next-best option.The first solution to try is the simplest one here, which is to just unplug the cord of the Astro A50 from the base. But there is a specific way this needs to be done for the mic to start working again. Firstly, players need to assign a party with the players that they intend to talk to and/or run the game that they plan to play. This headset has the best price-to-quality ratio of any wireless Xbox headset out there, and should be the first thing you consider if you don't need Bluetooth, and don't want to break the bank. Once the “Get” becomes “Launch” hit the “Launch button to launch the ASTRO Command Center software. That being said, each headset is unique essentially based on a wide variety of factors, so we tend to focus on a general idea of what you'll be getting out of each headset's soundscape. Some headsets prioritize a more realistic and balanced cinematic experience, while others focus on tactical play, emphasizing highs that might give away an enemy position, for example. Some headsets even let you configure this using accompanying apps or software tools, or even onboard switches and features. Turtle Beach's "Super Human Hearing," for example, gives priority to frequencies where sound effects like footsteps or enemy movements may sit. The Turtle Beach Stealth 600 (Gen 2) is arguably the best entry-level wireless headset for Xbox users, with direct-to-Xbox connectivity and a decent array of features. It's not to be confused with the Stealth 600 Gen-2 MAX however, which is a different headset entirely (although, confusingly named). The Gen-2 MAX is a fair bit more expensive owing to its monstrous 48-hour batteries and multi-platform USB dongle. This regular Gen-2 is a pure Xbox wireless headset, and I am recommending it for those who want to ditch the cables without ditching their bank liquidity.

Turtle Beach's Elite Pro 2 is another headset that I personally used as my primary set for a lengthy amount of time coupled with their TAC audio controller, owing to its supreme comfort, durable design, and truly impeccable soundscape. Next up, we have our roundup for best wired Xbox headsets. If you don't fancy wireless for whatever reason, whether you just prefer the versatility of 3.5mm across multiple devices like PC, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch and so on, there are other benefits to getting a wired headset.The Windows 10 version ASTRO Command Center software, from the Microsoft Store, enables full configuration of the adjustable settings for these ASTRO devices: The audio profile on the A50 is balanced and pleasant out of the box, although not what I would call mind-blowing. Using the apps though you can set up dedicated profiles for specific games, which elevates the experience by a large amount. The LucidSound LS35X is a direct-to-Xbox wireless headset, meaning it connects straight to your console without any intermediary USB dongle or anything like that. It's charged via an included USB cable, and sports a generous battery life of up to 15 hours. The CloudX also lives up to its namesake, with a cloud-like fit and weight making it one of the most pleasant headsets to wear on the market. There's a reason this headset has only received minimal changes since its introduction over five years ago — if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Just hold down the red power buttons on both until they start turning white. Once they are fully white, the syncing process will be complete. Plug the headset into the Xbox again and then try to see if the mic is working this time around. The two main differences between Xbox headsets in 2023 boil down to wired, and wireless. Although in a way, all Xbox headsets are wireless, since you even connect wired headsets directly up to your wireless controller, generally. The upside of a wired headset is that they're generally cheaper than the wireless counterparts since they don't need batteries or wireless radio transmitters to connect to your console. They use a 3.5mm cable that plugs into the underside of your Xbox controller.The Elite Pro 2 as a wired headset doesn't sport a huge amount of features that a fully wireless system often does, deferring to 3.5mm connectivity through an Xbox controller as its primary interface with your console. Where it does deliver is big, cavernous sound which works incredibly well coupled with Windows Sonic or Dolby Atmos. The sound profile is cinematic while also giving you tactical spatial awareness, and is one of the few headsets I can definitively attribute additional kills to in games like Battlefield and Call of Duty. The microphone is no slouch either, although you probably won't be creating content on it, it does the job for communication online. The Turtle Beach Stealth Pro follows a recent tradition of higher-end headsets to include Bluetooth, so you can mix sound from a second mobile source with Xbox gameplay. This is great for content creators since sometimes you need to use multiple sound sources for streaming etc, but also just general users if their friends are on other platforms. Usually, this kind of feature is susceptible to interference owing to the proximity of the Xbox wireless radios to the Bluetooth radios. The Stealth Pro is the first headset I've used in my extremely radio-congested office that offers a solid signal across both sound sources over long periods of time. The Razer Kaira series is Razer's mid-range headsets designed for Xbox consoles, which come in various shapes and sizes. The Razer Kaira X we've listed here is their wired version, but there's also a Razer Kaira Pro that is wireless and comes with Bluetooth as well for good measure. Where this headset really shines is the overall sound. I had to tweak it a bit to get it into a place I liked it, but the software gives you a large degree of control over the EQ experience and even has some presets for specific games. You can tune the headset very easily between a more immersive and realistic cinematic experience to something more tactical, with a good soundscape and solid sound reproduction. You can get even finer quality sound by connecting it to the receiver using the included 3.5mm cable too if you want to get really serious about your sound experience. The software experience could be a little better, and the microphone audio is a disappointment for a headset that costs as much as this, but it more than does the job. It's very, very rare that I give 5-star marks to a headset, but the Turtle Beach Stealth Pro more than earned its pay grade here.

The Razer Kaira X has on-ear controls as opposed to in-line controls often seen on wired headsets, and sports a braided cable and a detachable cardioid mic that has no business being this good at this price point. The construction is also impeccable. I really love the similar Arctis Nova Pro (which is another headset I use as my primary when visiting my parents' place), but the Turtle Beach Stealth Pro is more generous with its size range, which is better for people with a large head like me. The over-ear cups are also bigger, roomier, and offer what I'd consider to be a broader sound stage. The audio quality is just luscious too, and something I've always been a fan of Turtle Beach for. Their tactical tuning is just great for games like Overwatch 2 and Call of Duty, accentuating sound ranges that give away enemy positions and the like. You can also turn it off for a more cinematic, bassy sound, which makes movies, music, and single-player games really shine. The Astro A40 TR + MixAmp is a great set up for content creators, given that you can mix a PC source with a SPDIF optical source (like direct from a TV) and mix the sound devices into a single stream. It's essentially the wired version of the Astro A50, although it's a bit too expensive to recommend generally. (Image credit: Future) How to choose The reason why this is such a good thing, in particular, is because not a lot of third-party headsets + microphones tend to work properly with consoles. But this isn’t a problem with the Astro A50 or its mic, as both of them work well. At least, this is the case most of the time.

How good is the battery life?

The Astro A50 series is one of the most advanced ones available from Astro. It has a variety of different powerful headsets that are all great in their own way. Like most gaming headsets, these are equipped with built-in microphones which allow you to communicate with your teammates in online games while also allowing players to try out voice commands. The best part is that it’s also compatible with the Xbox One.

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