The Astro A10 are straightforward wired-only gaming headphones. These well-built over-ears have a bass-heavy sound profile that adds extra boom and punch to action-packed video games but may push lead instruments towards the back of the mix. Unlike more premium gaming headphones, they aren't compatible with companion software or customization features. However, their boom microphone makes it easy to communicate with your teammates even if you're gaming in a lively environment.
Our Verdict
The Astro A10 are satisfactory for neutral sound. These over-ears have an uneven sound profile with a bump in their bass range that adds extra boom and punch to your audio. Vocals and lead instruments, in contrast, sound honky, and are pushed towards the back of the mix. Unfortunately, there aren't any sound customization options to help you tweak their sound to your liking.
-
Consistent audio delivery.
-
No sound customization features.
The Astro A10 are poor for commute and travel. These bulky headphones aren't very portable, and they can't block out background noises very well. You can't detach their boom microphone for a more casual look, either. However, they're decently comfortable, and their passive design ensures that you don't have to worry about battery life during long days on the go.
-
Well-built and decently comfortable.
-
Awful noise isolation.
-
Bulky design.
The Astro A10 are middling for sports and fitness, though they're not designed for this purpose. They have a bulky design that can fall off your head with more intense head movements, and their wired design can snag on something. That said, they have a decently comfortable fit.
-
Well-built and decently comfortable.
-
Not stable enough for exercise.
-
Bulky design.
The Astro A10 are sub-par for office use. These decently comfortable headphones have a wired connection, so you don't have to worry about them running out of battery. However, they don't isolate against background noises like chatter from nearby coworkers, which can be distracting. Also, they leak a bit of sound, which may be annoying for those working near you.
-
Well-built and decently comfortable.
-
Awful noise isolation.
-
Leak a bit of noise.
The Astro A10 are wired-only headphones, so they aren't suitable for wireless gaming.
The Astro A10 are decent for wired gaming. You can plug these headphones into your PC or your PlayStation or Xbox's controller for full audio and microphone compatibility. Their boom mic makes it easy to communicate with your teammates, and they're decently comfortable for long gaming sessions. However, they don't offer companion software or any gaming-oriented customization features.
-
Amazing microphone recording quality.
-
No sound customization features.
The Astro A10 are fair for phone calls. Their boom microphone has an excellent recording quality, so your voice is transmitted clearly even if you're calling from a noisy environment. However, these headphones have terrible noise isolation, so you can hear background noises that may be distracting during your calls.
-
Amazing microphone recording quality.
-
Awful noise isolation.
- 7.2 Neutral Sound
- 4.3 Commute/Travel
- 5.6 Sports/Fitness
- 5.6 Office
- 5.3 Wireless Gaming
- 7.3 Wired Gaming
- 6.9 Phone Calls
- Updated Apr 07, 2022: We've retested 'Feedback' in the Controls test as we felt that the original 'subpar' result was too harsh. There are only two controls but they have good feedback, which is to be expected for a volume wheel and mic mute. We have updated the scoring of this text.
- Updated Dec 13, 2021: Updated review for accuracy and clarity.
- Updated Jul 22, 2021: Converted to Test Bench 1.5.
- Updated Dec 11, 2020: Updated review for accuracy and clarity.
- Updated Feb 05, 2020: Converted to Test Bench 1.4.
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.1.
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.
- Updated Aug 05, 2019: We've updated Microphone Control since these headphones have a flip-to-mute mic.
- Updated Feb 23, 2018: Review published.
Check Price
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Astro A10 Headset is available in several different color variants, including 'Black/Red', 'Black/Green', 'Black/Blue', 'White/Green', 'White/Blue', and 'Call of Duty' as well as 'Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild' themed editions. We tested the 'Black/Green' variant, but we expect the other color variants to perform similarly.
If you come across another version of these headphones, let us know in the discussions, and we'll update our review.
Compared To Other Headphones
The Astro A10 are the previous generation of the Astro A10 Gen 2 and are budget-friendly wired gaming headphones. Although they have a no-frills design, they're decently comfortable and well-built. Their also microphone offers great overall performance, ensuring you're heard clearly, even in moderately noisy environments. However, they don't have any sound customization features to help you adjust their uneven sound profile. Their control scheme is also limited.
See our recommendations for the best wireless gaming headsets, the best headsets for Xbox One, and the best PS4 headsets.
The Astro A10 are better gaming headphones than the Turtle Beach Recon 200. The Astro are noticeably better built and have a less bass-heavy sound profile, which some users may prefer. The Astro mic offers better overall performance, and their ear cups don't get as hot as the Turtle Beach. However, the Turtle Beach have a more stable fit.
The HyperX Cloud Stinger is a better headset than the Astro A10. It's more comfortable and isolates noise better than the Astro. The HyperX sound better, but are prone to inconsistencies in the bass and treble delivery among wearers, whereas the Astro doesn’t have this problem. The Astro is slightly better designed though and feels better built. The microphone performance of these two headsets is very similar, but the recording quality of the Astro is a bit better. They’re both decent gaming headsets, but the Astro are usually more expensive than the HyperX. If you care more about build quality, get the Astro; if you prefer better sound, go for the HyperX.
The Astro A10 are slightly better gaming headphones than the Turtle Beach Recon 70. The Astro are quite noticeably better built and feel more durable. Their microphone performance is also better and records detailed and full-bodied speech. On the other hand, the Turtle Beach are more comfortable and have a more neutral sound profile.
The Astro A10 Gen 2 are the second generation of the Astro A10 and have slight changes to their design and tuning. The Gen 2 have a lighter, more comfortable design with a more neutral overall sound profile, which some users may prefer. That said, they're more prone to inconsistencies in audio delivery due to their fit. That said, the Gen 1 have a better overall microphone performance as their mic sits closer to your mouth.
The Astro A10 are better wired gaming headphones than the Xbox Stereo Headset. The Astro have more consistent audio delivery, a better overall mic performance, and they have a detachable audio cable, which is handy if you break or lose it. However, the Xbox headphones are more comfortable and are compatible with virtual soundstage features like Window Sonic Spatial Audio.
The Astro A10 are somewhat better wired gaming headphones than the Razer BlackShark V2 X. The Astro are better built, they have a significantly more consistent bass and treble delivery, and their passive soundstage is better. The Razer, on the other hand, have a downloadable virtual soundstage feature and are more stable and comfortable on the head. However, both headphones have boom microphones with excellent performances.
The SteelSeries Arctis 3 2019 Edition Wireless are better headphones than the Astro A10. The SteelSeries are more comfortable to wear for long gaming sessions, have a better control scheme, and have a slightly better-balanced sound profile. The SteelSeries are also Bluetooth-compatible, which means you can stream music from your phone while playing on consoles. On the other hand, the Astro feel slightly better made and less plasticky than the SteelSeries, but that’s about it.
The Astro A10 are better wired gaming headphones than the JBL Quantum 100. The Astro are much more premium feeling, have a better-balanced sound profile, and provide a more consistent, comfortable fit. However, the JBL are a little more portable thanks to their detachable microphone, while their simple onboard control scheme provides more feedback than the Astro’s in-line remote.
The Logitech G430 and the Astro A10 are both decent wired gaming headphones. The Logitech reproduce audio a bit differently depending on who's wearing them, but they generally sound quite neutral. The Astro perform more consistently across different users, but their sound signature isn't as well-balanced. Their microphone quality is much better than the Logitech's, though, and they also feel a lot more sturdy and durable. However, the Logitech are more comfortable, and they're also customizable on PC thanks to their USB adapter.
The Astro A10 are better sounding gaming headphones than the Razer Kraken Pro V2. The Astro's overall sound profile is more neutral and won’t be as boomy and cluttered as the Razer. They also perform more consistently across various users, which is good. On the other hand, the Razer have a PC Y-splitter included, and their style might appeal to more people considering you can retract their microphone inside the headphones.
The Astro A10 are better wired gaming headphones than the Turtle Beach Recon 200 Gen 2. While both headphones are comfortable, the Astro are better built, have more consistent audio delivery, and their mic offers a significantly better overall performance. However, the Turtle Beach have a virtual soundstage feature.
The Astro A20 Wireless are better gaming headphones than the Astro A10. The A20 wireless design gives you more freedom and more range to play from your couch. You also get channel mixing and a mic mute switch, which are features the A10 are lacking. On the other hand, the A10 gives you a gaming experience without any delay, and their microphone is noticeably better than the wireless A20. However, the A20 have a better-balanced sound profile and a companion app that lets you EQ the sound to your liking. Unfortunately, you can’t use the headset wired, so you need to keep it charged, which you don’t have to do with the wired A10.
The Astro A40 TR Headset + MixAmp Pro 2017 are better gaming headphones than the Astro A10. The A40 come with a nice amp that allows for a lot of customization right at the tip of your fingers. They're more comfortable to wear for long gaming sessions and are also better built. The A40 are also compatible with the Astro Command Centre software, which allows sound customization with an EQ, although some users have experienced issues when using the software. On the other hand, surprisingly enough, the A10’s microphone sounds a bit better in our tests.
The Astro A10 are a better-wired gaming headset than the Turtle Beach Stealth 300. The Astro have a better build quality with a more premium-looking design than the Turtle Beach. They also sound better and have a better boom mic for voice chat. The Turtle Beach, on the other hand, are a bit more comfortable than the Astro since they're not as tight on the head. Also, since the Turtle Beach are active, you can switch between four audio presets directly on the headphones. This makes them slightly more customizable than the Astro, although a full app would have been preferable.
The Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Wireless are wireless gaming headphones while the Astro A10 can only be used wired. The freedom of going wireless is convenient but comes at the expense of having to keep an eye on battery life. As for the headphones themselves, the Turtle Beach are a bit more comfortable and have a slightly better-balanced sound profile, while the Astro are better-built and feel a lot more durable.
The Astro A50 Gen 3 Wireless 2017 are noticeably better gaming headphones than the wired Astro A10. The A50 are more comfortable, better built, and have a more accurate out-of-the-box audio reproduction. On the other hand, the A10 have a better-sounding microphone, and their wired design means you don't have to worry about battery life. However, the wireless latency of the A50 is fairly minimal, and they come with a dock that offers convenient inputs and dock charging. The A50 are also compatible with the Astro Command Center, while the A10 are not.
Test Results
The Astro A10 have the same design as the Astro A50 Gen 3 Wireless 2017, but with a few brightly-colored accents on the ear cups. Thanks to their boom microphone, they have a distinct gaming-oriented design. However, you can't remove the microphone, so they don't transition well to outdoor use. The microfiber-covered ear pads also give them a slightly more high-end vibe than the HyperX Cloud Stinger or the Logitech G430.
The Astro A10 are decently comfortable. They have spacious ear cups that fit well around most listeners' ears. Also, they're well-padded and covered in a microfiber coating that feels nice on the skin. However, they're tighter on the head than the Astro A50 Gen 3 Wireless 2017, which can get a bit fatiguing during long gaming sessions. For slightly more comfortable gaming headphones, take a look at the Turtle Beach Recon 70.
The Astro A10 Headset has sub-par controls. There are only two physical controls, which is a bit limiting. Unfortunately, the volume wheel lacks discrete points, so you won't be able to achieve a consistent volume setting. The wheel stops when you've reached min or max volume. The mic also makes a clicking sound when you put it upright so that you know you're muted.
- Flippable boom mic: When flipped upwards, mutes the microphone.
- Volume wheel: Adjusts the volume.
The Astro A10 are fairly breathable thanks to their slightly porous pads. However, since they fully encapsulate the ear, your ears may feel slightly warm during long gaming sessions.
The Astro A10, like most gaming headphones, aren't very portable. They're big, bulky, and don't fold into a more compact format. They also don't come with a carrying case to help protect them when you're on the go.
The Astro A10 have a good build quality. They're mostly made out of plastic, which feels solid and durable. They don't have the premium build of the Astro A50 Gen 3 Wireless 2017, but their headband is more flexible and feels a lot more durable. The cable is thick, rubberized, and detachable, so you can always replace it if it gets worn down by regular wear and tear.
These headphones are reasonably stable. They should stay on your ears during casual gaming sessions, but they aren't designed to be worn during workouts. They may fall off your head during more intense physical exercise.
The Astro A10 have an uneven sound profile. While they deliver a bit of extra punch and boom to help emphasize sound effects, dialogue and instruments are pushed to the back of mixes and sound harsh. Unfortunately, they're not compatible with Astro Command Center software and lack built-in EQ presets to help you customize their sound to your liking.
The Astro A10 have very good frequency response consistency. While they're relatively consistent in delivering bass, they're more inconsistent when it comes to the treble range. You may need to readjust them each time you wear them to get the same listening experience.
These headphones have great bass accuracy. Low-bass is slightly underemphasized, so you may not feel the deep thump and rumble in action-packed video games. The overemphasis in the mid and high-bass adds an extra boom and punch to your audio.
These headphones have okay mid accuracy. The low-mid is neutral, so vocals and lead instruments are clear. The dip in the mid-mid pushes these sounds to the back of your mix, while the peak in the high-mid makes them harsh and honky.
The Astro Gaming A10 have just okay treble accuracy. The low-treble is underemphasized, veiling the upper harmonics of vocals and lead instruments. However, the mid-treble is more neutral, so sibilants like cymbals are bright but not piercing.
These headphones have middling peaks and dips performance. A peak across the bass range produces a punchy, boomy bass. As it turns into a deep dip in the mid-mid, lead instruments and vocals are pushed to the back of the mix. The rise in high-mid, in comparison, makes notes in this range harsh and honky. The deepest dip in the low treble dulls lead instruments, while the peak in the mid-treble makes sibilants like S and T sounds piercing.
These headphones have great imaging. Weighted group delay falls below the audibility threshold, resulting in tight bass and transparent treble reproduction. Our unit's L/R drivers are also fairly well-matched in amplitude and phase response, creating a stereo image with accurate placement and object localization (like voices and sound effects). While there is a slight mismatch in frequency response, it shouldn't be too noticeable with real-life content. However, these results are only valid for our unit, and your experience may vary.
The Astro A10's passive soundstage performance is mediocre. While the soundstage is relatively open and larger than on-ears and in-ears, sound is still perceived as coming from inside your head rather than from speakers placed in the room around you. The soundstage also doesn't seem as spacious as the open-backed Astro A40 TR Headset + MixAmp Pro 2017.
The Astro Gaming A10 have a great weighted harmonic distortion performance. Where the spike in the low treble at normal listening volumes can make your audio sound harsh and impure, this might not be noticeable to everyone. Its frequencies otherwise fall within good limits, resulting in clear and pure audio reproduction.
These are the settings we used to test these headphones. Our results are only valid for these test settings.
These headphones have terrible noise isolation. They hardly block out any background noises in the bass and mid-ranges, meaning you can hear the low thump and rumble of engines and voices from people nearby. On the upside, they have a fair performance in the treble range, meaning they may block out some higher-frequency noises like the hum of a nearby AC unit. If you're looking for a similar pair of gaming headphones that block out slightly more background audio, check out the JBL Quantum 100.
The Astro A10 have mediocre leakage. While the overall leakage isn't very loud, it sounds fuller than in-ear headphones. If you're listening to audio at loud volumes in a typical office setting, it could be audible to others.
The boom mic's recording quality is excellent. Recorded speech sounds rich, full, and detailed but lacks brilliance and airiness.
The Astro A10 Headset's microphone is great at noise handling. It transmits your voice clearly, even if you're in a noisy setting.
You can't use these wired headphones with Bluetooth. If you want a gaming headset that supports Bluetooth, check out the Turtle Beach Elite 800 Wireless.
The Astro A10 Headset has a wired 1/8" TRRS connection with in-line volume control. Unlike the Xbox Stereo Headset, the audio cable is also detachable, so you can easily replace it if it gets damaged.
The Astro A10 have full audio and mic compatibility when you plug their 1/8" TRRS cable into your computer's AUX port.
These headphones have full compatibility with PlayStation consoles via an analog connection.
The Astro A10 are compatible with Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S consoles when you plug their 1/8" TRRS cable into your controller's AUX port.
These headphones don't have a dock. If you need a headset with a dock with a wired connection for gaming or watching movies, consider the SteelSeries Arctis 7 Wireless 2017.
