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- Table of Contents
- Top
- Main Differences
- Design
- Sound
- Isolation
- Microphone
- Active Features
- Connectivity
- Comments
Astro A50 Gen 3 Wireless 2017 vs SteelSeries Arctis Pro GameDAC
Side-by-Side Comparison
Products
Astro A50 Gen 3
SteelSeries Arctis Pro GameDAC
Tested using Methodology v1.4
Updated Jan 26, 2024 05:59 PM
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comTested using Methodology v1.5
Updated Jan 17, 2024 03:14 PM
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Amazon.com
TypeOver-ear
EnclosureClosed-Back
WirelessYes
TransducerDynamic
Noise CancellingNo
MicYes
TypeOver-ear
EnclosureClosed-Back
WirelessNo
TransducerDynamic
Noise CancellingNo
MicYes
Variants
- A50 (PS4)
- A50 (Xbox One)
- Arctis Pro GameDAC (Black)
Our Verdict
Astro A50 Gen 3 Wireless 2017
SteelSeries Arctis Pro GameDAC
The Astro A50 Gen 3 Wireless 2017 and the SteelSeries Arctis Pro GameDAC are two great gaming headsets, but the Astros are wireless while the Arctis Pro GameDAC are wired. The Arctis might have a small edge over the Astro, thanks to their better microphone recording quality and the fact that they can be used without their dock, making them more versatile. You also get multiple customization options at the tip of your fingers, thanks to the GameDAC. On the other hand, the Astro might feel more comfortable for some and perform more consistently on different heads.
Check Price
PS4
A50
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comBlack
Arctis Pro GameDAC
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comXbox One
A50
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comBlack
Arctis Pro GameDAC
SEE PRICE
BestBuy.comBlack
Arctis Pro GameDAC
SEE PRICE
Walmart.comBlack
Arctis Pro GameDAC
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B&HNotice: Two or more of the products selected have been tested with different test methodologies, so some of the results below aren't directly comparable. Learn how our test benches and scoring system work, and read more about the latest changes to our headphones test methodology.
Main Differences for
Threshold
Mixed Usage
6.2
Full Comparison
Design
Style
Design Picture 2
Type
Over-ear
Over-ear
Enclosure
Closed-Back
Closed-Back
Wireless
Yes
No
Transducer
Dynamic
Dynamic
Comfort
8.0
7.5
Comfort Picture
Weight
0.8 lbs
0.9 lbs
Clamping Force
1.1 lbs
1.2 lbs
Controls
6.2
6.2
Controls Picture
OS Compatibility
Not OS specific
Not OS specific
Ease Of Use
Good
Decent
Feedback
Good
Great
Call/Music Control
No
No
Volume Control
Yes
Yes
Microphone Control
Mute/Unmute
Mute/Unmute
Channel Mixing
Yes
Yes
Noise Cancelling Control
No
No
Talk-Through
No
No
Additional Controls
Presets + Surround Sound
Presets
Breathability
6.7
5.4
Breathability After Picture
Avg.Temp.Difference
5.2 °C
8.3 °C
Portability
5.4
5.7
Portability Picture
L
7.1"
7.4" (18.8 cm)
W
7.4"
6.8" (17.3 cm)
H
4"
3.0" (7.6 cm)
Volume
210 in³
150.00 in³ (2,458.05 cm³)
Transmitter Required
Yes
No
Case
0.0
0.0
Case Picture
Type
No case
No case
L
N/A
N/A
W
N/A
N/A
H
N/A
N/A
Volume
N/A
N/A
Build Quality
8.0
6.0
Build Quality Picture
Stability
6.5
7.0
Stability Picture
Headshots 1
Angled Picture
Side Picture
Headshots 2
Front Picture
Rear Picture
Top
Top Picture
In The Box
In The Box Picture
Sound
Sound Profile
Frequency Response
Bass Amount
-1.48 dB
0.4 dB
Treble Amount
-0.83 dB
-2.59 dB
Frequency Response Consistency
7.9
5.4
Consistency L
Consistency R
Avg. Std. Deviation
0.42 dB
1.33 dB
Raw Frequency Response
Bass Accuracy
8.4
8.6
Std. Err.
2.13 dB
2.01 dB
Low-Frequency Extension
40.58 Hz
10 Hz
Low-Bass
-3.97 dB
-1.81 dB
Mid-Bass
-0.47 dB
-2.69 dB
High-Bass
1.66 dB
-0.7 dB
Mid Accuracy
8.4
8.4
Std. Err.
2.13 dB
2.19 dB
Low-Mid
0.04 dB
0 dB
Mid-Mid
-1.94 dB
-1.07 dB
High-Mid
0.59 dB
-3.28 dB
Treble Accuracy
7.6
6.4
Std. Err.
3.25 dB
5.25 dB
Low-Treble
-2.93 dB
-5.42 dB
Mid-Treble
2.04 dB
-1.93 dB
High-Treble
-6.09 dB
-9.05 dB
Peaks/Dips
7.2
7.6
Peaks/Dips Graph
Peaks
1.91 dB
1.44 dB
Dips
1.23 dB
1.56 dB
Imaging
8.7
8.7
Phase Response
Phase Response Mismatch
Weighted Group Delay
0.18
0.16
Weighted Phase Mismatch
9.19
3.53
Weighted Amplitude Mismatch
0.22
0.71
Weighted Frequency Mismatch
1.51
2
Passive Soundstage
7.1
6.1
PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.)
1.81 dB
5.02 dB
PRTF Size (Avg.)
3.8 dB
6.68 dB
PRTF Distance
5.67 dB
18.19 dB
Openness
9.2
4.9
Acoustic Space Excitation
7.2
3.9
Virtual Soundstage
2.0
2.0
Virtual Soundstage
Head Modeling
No
No
Speaker Modeling
On/Off
On/Off
Room Ambience
No
No
Head Tracking
No
No
Virtual Surround
Dolby 7.1
DTS 7.1
Weighted Harmonic Distortion
7.5
7.7
Weighted Harmonic Distortion
WHD @ 90
0.259
0.362
WHD @ 100
0.165
0.122
Test Settings
Firmware
Unknown
Unknown
Power
On
USB
Connection
Wireless (Proprietary)
Wired
Codec
PCM, 24-bit, 48kHz
PCM, 24-bit, 48kHz
EQ
Default
Default
ANC
No ANC
No ANC
Tip/Pad
Default
Default
Microphone
Boom
Boom
Isolation
Noise Isolation
2.3
4.5
Noise Isolation
Isolation Audio
Overall Attenuation
-5.74 dB
-13.24 dB
Noise Cancelling
No
No
Bass
-0.08 dB
0.28 dB
Mid
-1.11 dB
-8.65 dB
Treble
-15.91 dB
-32 dB
Leakage
3.8
6.6
Leakage Audio
Overall Leakage @ 1ft
54.74 dB
42.08 dB
Microphone
Microphone Style
Integrated
No
No
In-Line
No
No
Boom
Yes
Yes
Detachable Boom
No
No
Mic
Yes
Yes
Recording Quality
7.2
7.6
Microphone Frequency Response
Recorded Speech
LFE
348.96 Hz
85.99 Hz
FR Std. Dev.
1.38 dB
4.57 dB
HFE
3,466.89 Hz
10,240 Hz
Weighted THD
0.334
5.105
Gain
23.46 dB
34.68 dB
Noise Handling
9.0
7.7
SpNR
46.83 dB
33.22 dB
Noise Gate
Always On
Speech + Pink Noise Handling
7.5
Speech + Pink Noise Audio Sample
Speech + Subway Noise Handling
8.0
Speech + Subway Noise Audio Sample
Active Features
Battery
7.4
0.0
Battery Type
Rechargable
No Battery
Continuous Battery Life
13 hrs
N/A
Additional Charges
0.0
N/A
Total Battery Life
13 hrs
N/A
Charge Time
5.8 hrs
N/A
Power-Saving Feature
Auto-Off Timer
No
Audio While Charging
Yes
No
Passive Playback
No
Passive Headphone
Charging Port
micro-USB
None
App Support
7.5
8.0
App Picture
App Name
Astro Command Center
SteelSeries Engine
iOS
No
No
Android
No
No
macOS
Yes
Yes
Windows
Yes
Yes
Equalizer
Graphic + Presets
Graphic + Presets
ANC Control
No
No
Mic Control
Adjustable Level
Adjustable Level
Room Effects
No
No
Playback Control
No
Yes
Button Mapping
No
No
Surround Support
No
Yes
Connectivity
Bluetooth
0.0
0.0
Bluetooth Version
No Bluetooth
No Bluetooth
Multi-Device Pairing
No
No
NFC Pairing
No
No
Line Of Sight Range
N/A
N/A
PC Latency (SBC)
N/A
N/A
PC Latency (aptX)
N/A
N/A
PC Latency (aptX HD)
N/A
N/A
PC Latency (aptX-LL)
N/A
N/A
iOS Latency
N/A
N/A
Android Latency
N/A
N/A
Non-Bluetooth Wireless
6.7
0.0
Non-BT Line Of Sight Range
58 ft
N/A
Non-BT Latency
99 ms
N/A
Wired
0.0
10
Cable Picture
Analog Audio
No
Yes
USB Audio
No
USB Type A
Detachable
No
Yes
Length
N/A
5.00 ft (1.52 m)
Connection
No Wired Option
Mini B 8-Pin
Analog/USB Audio Latency
N/A
1 ms
PC Compatibility
Analog
Audio + Microphone
Wired USB
Audio + Microphone
Non-BT Wireless
No
PC / PS4 Compatibility
PC/PS4 Analog
No
Audio + Microphone
PC/PS4 Wired USB
No
Audio + Microphone
PC/PS4 Non-BT Wireless
Audio + Microphone
No
PlayStation Compatibility
PS4 Analog
No
Audio + Microphone
PS4 Wired USB
No
Audio + Microphone
PS4 Non-BT Wireless
Audio + Microphone
No
PS5 Analog
Audio + Microphone
PS5 Wired USB
Audio + Microphone
PS5 Non-BT Wireless
No
Xbox Compatibility
Xbox One Analog
No
Audio + Microphone
Xbox One Wired USB
No
Audio Only
Xbox One Non-BT Wireless
Audio + Microphone
No
Xbox Series X|S Analog
Audio + Microphone
Xbox Series X|S Wired USB
No
Xbox Series X|S Non-BT Wireless
No
Base/Dock
9.6
7.8
Type
Wireless Dock
Wired USB dock
USB Input
Yes
Yes
Line In
Yes
Yes
Line Out
Yes
Yes
Optical Input
Yes
Yes
RCA Input
No
No
Dock Charging
Yes
No
Power Supply
USB
USB
Check Price
PS4
A50
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comBlack
Arctis Pro GameDAC
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comXbox One
A50
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comBlack
Arctis Pro GameDAC
SEE PRICE
BestBuy.comBlack
Arctis Pro GameDAC
SEE PRICE
Walmart.comBlack
Arctis Pro GameDAC
SEARCH
B&H
Astro A50 Gen 3 Wireless 2017
SteelSeries Arctis Pro GameDAC
Comments
Astro A50 Gen 3 vs SteelSeries Arctis Pro GameDAC: Main Discussion
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