Astro A10 Gen 2 Headphones Review

They look somewhat similar to their predecessor, the Astro A10, with squarish ear cups and the manufacturer's logo on the headband. That said, there are some updates to the design. The headband is thicker, and the boom mic is shorter, which some users may prefer as it doesn't stick out as far. These headphones come in a few different colors to help match your style: 'Lilac,' 'Mint,' 'White,' 'Grey,' and 'Black.'

They have a comfortable fit. They're lighter than the original Astro A10, and they clamp less tightly due to their differently designed yoke and headband design. The padding is made of a different cloth material, which feels cooler against your skin than the previous generation, and there's more of it on the headband. Unfortunately, while they feel very light when worn and don't exert pressure on your head, the ear cups are a bit small, meaning they may not fit well if you have bigger ears. The headband also has a limited range of expansion, and it can be difficult to get a comfortable fit if you have a larger head.

They have simple controls. There's an in-line volume wheel on the cable, and you flip the mic up to mute it. The in-line volume wheel has stops at min and max, but it lacks discrete points, making it a bit hard to find a specific volume setting. However, you hear a distinct click when you flip up the mic, so you know when it's muted. Unfortunately, we noticed that each time we used our unit's mic, it started at a low volume, and we had to adjust the volume accordingly.

These headphones aren't very portable, which is common for gaming headphones. They have a big, bulky design that can't fold into a more compact form. They lack a carrying case to protect them when you're on the move.

They have a good build quality. They're mostly plastic with a detachable audio cable design. They also have slight differences from the Astro A10. Their headband has more padding than the previous gen's and is slightly thicker. The cloth padding is different, and when you're wearing the second-gen, the padding feels cooler against your skin. Another notable change is the shortening of the boom mic. The second-gen is 5 cm shorter than its predecessor. Overall, they feel sturdy enough to survive a few accidental drops without taking too much damage.

They're fairly stable, so they'll stay in place when you're sitting still and gaming. However, they don't clamp onto your head very hard, so they can slip out of place if you tilt or move your head and are likely to fall off if you make more intense movements.

• Gen 2 Astro A10 headset
• 1/8" TRRS audio cable
• Y-splitter
• Manuals
• Sticker

They have a more balanced and warm sound profile than the first-generation Astro A10. While they lack a thumpy low-bass, they have a touch of extra boom to bring out sound effects while you game. Dialogue and instruments are also clear and present but lack detail. Unfortunately, unlike the HyperX Cloud Alpha S, they don't have any sound customization features to adjust their sound to suit your tastes.

They have a sub-par frequency response consistency. They have a lower clamping force than the Astro A10 and as a result, don't deliver audio as consistently. It's important to take the time to adjust the headphones' positioning, fit, and seal to ensure a more consistent sound each time you use them. You'll especially notice a drop in bass if you have thick hair or glasses.

They have good bass accuracy. Although they lack thump and rumble, they have a bump of extra boom and warmth that can emphasize sound effects like footsteps in first-person shooters.

Note: Bass delivery varies depending on fit, seal, and positioning. Our response represents the average response, and your experience may differ.

These gaming headphones have excellent mid accuracy. The range is fairly balanced, so dialogue and lead instruments sound clear and present. There's a dip in the mid-mid though, so vocals and lead instruments in songs like Lord's Apparition from the Elden Ring soundtrack are pushed to the back of the mix.

They have adequate treble accuracy. It's underemphasized across the range, so dialogue and instruments are veiled, and sibilants like cymbals are dull.

Note: Treble delivery varies depending on fit, seal, and positioning. Our response represents the average response, and your experience may differ.

They have a good peaks and dips performance, so they control their sound profile well. However, some mismatch is present between the left and right drivers. A bump in the high-bass affects the left driver more prominently, adding more boom to mixes. A dip in the mid-mid nudges vocals and lead instruments to the back of the mix, while a peak in the high-mid makes their upper harmonics bright. A peak in the right driver's low-treble can further harshen vocals and lead instruments. Another peak in the mid-treble makes sibilants like cymbals piercing.

The second-generation Astro A10 have great imaging. This is typical for Astro headphones that we've tested and indicates the brand's quality control and ergonomics. Our unit's weighted group delay falls below the audibility threshold, which results in tight bass and transparent treble reproduction. The L/R drivers are also well-matched regarding phase and amplitude response, which helps ensure a balanced and stable stereo image. Although there's a small peak between the mid to high-mid in the phase response, it isn't audible with real-life content. The frequency mismatch also falls slightly outside good levels, meaning there can be small holes in the stereo image. Imaging can vary between units, so you may have a different experience.

These headphones have an okay passive soundstage performance. It seems somewhat small and unnatural, but sound is perceived as coming from speakers placed around you rather than from inside your head, which can help create a more immersive listening experience. However, since they're closed-back headphones, their soundstage isn't as open or spacious as that produced by open-back headphones.

They have a good weighted harmonic distortion performance. There's a spike in the low- to mid-bass, making your audio sound a little impure. However, this distortion can be hard to hear with real-life content. The rest of the frequency response falls within good limits, resulting in mostly clear and pure audio reproduction.

These are the settings used to test these headphones. Our results are only valid when using these settings.

Their noise isolation performance is poor, which is normal for gaming headphones without ANC. They don't block out any of the low rumbles of bus engines and don't do much better with mid-range noise like voices. However, they're better at reducing high-pitched sounds like computer fans and A/C units.

They leak quite a bit of audio in the mid and treble ranges. If you're gaming at a high volume in a moderately noisy environment like a living room, others around you will hear some of your audio.

The mic has a decent recording quality. It doesn't perform as well as the Astro A10, and it's likely because the mic is shorter and sits further away from your mouth. It makes your voice sound bright and natural but is lacking in body.

The mic has a decent noise handling performance. The mic doesn't perform as well as that of the Astro A10, likely due to its shortened length. Since the mic sits further away from your mouth, it captures more ambient noise along with your voice. Still, moderate background noise isn't enough to drown out your voice completely. Louder sounds, like a bus going by outside, are audible to whoever you're speaking with but won't drown out your voice.

These headphones come with a detachable 1/8" TRRS cable with an in-line volume wheel and a Y-splitter to connect them to your PC.

These wired headphones are compatible with PCs via their analog cable.

The second-generation Astro A10 are compatible with PlayStation consoles if you plug their 1/8" TRRS cable into a controller.

You can plug their 1/8" TRRS cable into your Xbox controller for full audio and mic compatibility.