Astro Gaming A10 Gen 2 Review

The Astro Gaming A10 Gen 2 is a mixed bag. The audio quality stood out as a strong point, offering crisp sound and a flip-to-mute mic. However, the headset fell short in other key areas. The build quality is somewhat lacking, with a plastic construction that could compromise durability. Additionally, the comfort level is relatively low, as the padding and fit could have been more ergonomic. In other words, long gaming or multimedia sessions could be strenuous.

Comfort

At first glance, the headset appears plush and flexible. But, during our testing we encountered discomfort after wearing them for merely two hours, necessitating breaks to rest our ears. While your experience may differ, we believe the issue lies in the poor quality headband and size of the ear cups. Even though we admired the sleek design and the incorporation of the breathable mesh and fabric materials, the actual comfort level proved inadequate in practice.

Audio

Here is where the Astro A10 hits some above-average marks, with some caveats. We put each headset through a gauntlet of different benchmark tests, and the Astro A10 scored well. The overall audio is pretty crisp but falters a bit when it comes to positional audio. Not to say that you can't discern some directionality with things like enemy footsteps, but it might not be on the level you're hoping for. You might want to consider this if you're playing competitive online games.

The Astro headset does not excel at effectively blocking out external sounds, which may or may not pose an issue depending on individual preferences. While some gamers prioritize immersion, others prefer to hear what's happening around them.

Microphone

In terms of communication quality, it delivers crisp and clear audio, satisfying the needs of most gamers. If you frequently game in a noisy external environment, you may notice that some ambient sounds seep through; however, we didn't find it too overwhelming. Your gaming buddies won't have much to complain about here.

Ease of Use

Fortunately, this headset is plug-and-play right out of the box; no additional software required. The flip-to-mute mic is often an underrated feature when purchasing a new headset, but you're covered here. While having a noticeable click or tactile feedback when the mic is muted would have been preferable, it's easy enough to get accustomed to.

The volume control, located on the cable, functions perfectly fine. We would have preferred a longer cable length, as it measures only 7 feet for consoles and 6.5 feet for PC. Depending on your setup, this could be an important factor to consider. This cord is detachable, which comes in handy when packing the headset down for travel.

Should You Buy the Astro Gaming A10 Gen 2?

Probably not. There's much room for improvement, even considering the price point. This headset doesn't stack up against the competition. Even its strong points are pretty much standard in most other headset brands these days. It feels like Astro took some shortcuts with this model.

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