The Astro A10 are budget-level gaming headphones. They're the predecessor of the Astro A10 Gen 2 and offer a very barebones experience for users looking for a gaming headset without any extra bells and whistles. Their wired-only connection ensures low latency and compatibility with both Xbox and PlayStation consoles and PC. They also feature a flexible boom mic that mutes automatically when you flip it upright.
Our Verdict
The Astro Gaming A10 are satisfactory for neutral sound. These over-ears have an uneven sound profile, adding extra boom and punch to your audio. Vocals and lead instruments, however, sound honky, and are pushed to 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 aren't recommended for commuting and travel. These bulky headphones aren't very portable, have bad noise isolation performance, and their boom mic isn't detachable for a casual look. However, they're decently comfortable, and their wired-only 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. Their bulky build means they'll fall off your head with more intense head movements, and their AUX cable 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. They don't do a good job isolating you from background noise, like chatter from nearby coworkers, which can be distracting. Also, they leak some sound, which will annoy those working near you. Fortunately, they're decently comfortable and have a wired connection, so you don't have to worry about them running out of battery.
- Well-built and decently comfortable.
- Awful noise isolation.
- Escaping audio sounds full and can bother those around you.
The Astro A10 are wired-only headphones that can't be used for wireless gaming.
The Astro A10 are decent for wired gaming. For full audio and microphone compatibility, you can plug these headphones into your PC, PlayStation, or Xbox controller. Their boom mic makes it easy to communicate with your teammates and makes your voice sound full and clear. They're also decently comfortable for long gaming sessions, though they aren't compatible with companion software and don't offer gaming-oriented customization features.
- Amazing microphone recording quality.
- No sound customization features.
The Astro A10 are fair for phone calls. Their boom microphone has excellent recording quality and noise handling, so your voice is transmitted clearly even if you're calling from a loud environment. However, these headphones have terrible noise isolation, so you can hear distracting background noise during your calls.
- Amazing microphone recording quality.
- Awful noise isolation.
Changelog
- Updated Jun 20, 2023: We've updated this review's text for better clarity and adherence to current writing standards.
- 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.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Astro Gaming 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 expect the other color variants to perform similarly.
If you come across another version of these headphones, let us know in the forums.
Popular Headphones Comparisons
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 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. However, the originals have a better overall microphone performance as their mic sits closer to your mouth.
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 performance.
The Astro A10 and the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 1 are both budget-level wired gaming headphones, so deciding between them will depend on your personal preferences. While both headphones have a good build quality and wired design, the Astro have a more immersive soundstage and a better overall microphone performance. Conversely, the SteelSeries are more comfortable, and their sound profile is more neutral, although it's still leans warm.
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 across reseats, so, unlike the Astro, you won't get the same consistent sound each time you wear it. The Astro is slightly better designed 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 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.
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