{"id":2149,"date":"2020-08-07T08:30:00","date_gmt":"2020-08-07T06:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.senses.se\/en\/review-astro-a50-wireless-headset-pc-ps4\/"},"modified":"2025-06-16T19:18:29","modified_gmt":"2025-06-16T17:18:29","slug":"review-astro-a50-wireless-headset-pc-ps4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.senses.se\/en\/review-astro-a50-wireless-headset-pc-ps4\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Astro A50 Wireless Headset (PC\/PS4)"},"content":{"rendered":"

With an extensive archive of headphone tests (possibly the largest in the Nordics), we at senses.se are pleased by the strong reader interest in our reviews. We often provide early or exclusive ratings for various models, and we’ve expanded our testing based on specific requests. The Astro A50<\/strong> review is one such request from our readership. Astro Gaming, an American company now owned by Logitech<\/strong>, has long held a prominent position within the gaming community, fostering a large fan base but also facing criticism regarding design and build quality. Considering the considerable price point, the crucial question is: do these headphones live up to expectations? senses.se provides an in-depth analysis.<\/p>\n

Astro A50 – Design and Aesthetics<\/h2>\n

Let’s address the design: the Astro A50, in our opinion, isn’t particularly elegant. The headphones appear large and somewhat bulky, an impression reinforced by the oversized packaging. The design heavily emphasizes a “gaming” aesthetic, which can be a drawback, resulting in a somewhat juvenile appearance. However, it’s important to note that these headphones are specifically designed for gaming and not intended for everyday use outside the home (as we’ll explain later). Therefore, the visual design is less critical for their intended purpose. The construction utilizes robust, matte plastic of reasonable quality for the earcups, complemented by metal hinges for height adjustment. The ear cushions are soft, and the headband features a slightly thinner-than-usual memory foam (“tempur”) cushion.<\/p>\n

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An acceptable gaming design, though lacking in visual appeal at first glance. Photo: senses.se<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Wireless Connectivity via Base Station Only<\/h2>\n

The Astro A50 is available in two versions, both compatible with computers (PC and Mac), but differing in their base stations, which wirelessly transmit the audio signal to the headphones. One version is for PS4 (the model reviewed here), and the other is for Xbox, featuring additional components to manage the Xbox’s specific USB audio handling. The base station for this version (Gen 4, released as an updated version in 2019) is sleek and serves as a charging dock. The base station’s display indicates the active mode (PC \u2013 applicable to both PC and Mac \u2013 or PS4), charging status, and Dolby support. The Astro A50 lacks any wired connectivity options, completely omitting a 3.5mm audio jack. Furthermore, wireless connection to other devices like phones isn’t possible, as they utilize radio waves (2.4GHz) instead of Bluetooth, presenting both advantages and disadvantages. This reinforces their exclusive focus on gaming applications.<\/p>\n

For PC and Mac, the connection process is straightforward: connect the dock (base station) via the included USB cable and select the headphones as the audio output and input (for the microphone, which mutes when flipped up). This process may require manual configuration, but it automatically switched for us. The software experience felt most intuitive on PC but also functions on Mac, enabling firmware updates, which are always recommended to address potential issues.<\/p>\n

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The base station provides an overview of settings and battery status \u2013 but only when connected to a computer? Photo: senses.se<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On PS4, the setup is slightly more complex. In addition to USB, audio must also be connected via the included optical cable (which requires a separate cable for the PS4 Slim<\/em>, as that model lacks an optical port, necessitating an additional purchase). The connection is simpler on the original PS4<\/a> and PS4 Pro<\/a>. Once connected, the system configures itself automatically, despite Astro Gaming’s recommendation for manual settings. Everything functioned correctly, even with PCM instead of Dolby Bitstream, influencing where the audio decoding occurs. The PS4 Pro seemed to yield the best results, with a “warmer” sound profile using the PCM setting. However, the optical connection, an older technology, has inherent limitations, which we will discuss further below.<\/p>\n

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