Astro A10 Headphones Review

The Astro A10 have the same design as the A50 but feel a bit cheaper and more plasticky. While they're a bit more discrete than the A50 as they only have bright colors inside the ear cups and a few highlights on the boom mic, they still look like gaming headphones. Since you can't remove the microphone either, these headphones 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. They're bulkier than the Logitech G Pro and the Turtle Beach Recon 50X.

The A10 are comfortable headphones with decently spacious ear cups that fit well around most listeners' ears. They're tighter on the head than the Astro A50 which can get a bit fatiguing during long gaming sessions, and they're also somewhat bulky and heavy. On the upside, they're well-padded and covered in a microfiber coating that feels nice on the skin. They won't be the ideal headphones for all listeners due to their tight fit, but they should be comfortable enough for most. For slightly more comfortable gaming headphones, take a look at the Turtle Beach Recon 70.

Update 08/05/2019: The A10 have a flip-to-mute microphone, which we didn't account for in 'Microphone Control'. The review and text have been updated.

The Astro A10 have disappointing controls. The limited button layout only gives you control over the volume. You can't turn off or reduce the microphone level, there's no multipurpose button or additional features, and the volume slider doesn't have any discrete points for those who prefer a consistent volume setting. On the upside, the volume slider, being the only control option you have, is pretty easy-to-use and you can easily mute your microphone by flipping it up.

The Astro A10 are decently breathable thanks to their slightly porous pads. However, since they fully encapsulate the ear, they'll make your ears 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're a hassle to carry around too since they don't come with a case or pouch and might not easily fit into a bag or a backpack.

The Astro A10 don't come with a case.

The Astro A10 are well-built despite being made entirely out of plastic. They don't have the premium design of the A50, but their headband is more flexible and feels a lot more durable. The ear cups are also dense enough to withstand a couple of drops or mild impacts without getting damaged. The cable is thick, rubberized, and detachable so you can always replace it if ever it gets worn down by regular wear and tear.

The A10, like most gaming headphones, have mediocre stability. They're quite tight on the head which makes them a bit more stable than most, but they'll quickly fall if used while exercising or doing more strenuous activities. On the upside, the cable is detachable so if ever it gets hooked by something, it won't pull the headphones off your head.

• Astro A10 headphones
• Audio cable
• Manuals

The sound profile of the Astro A10 is bass-heavy and cluttered. If you like an immersive gaming experience, this added bass can emphasize action sounds like explosions and rumbling machinery. However, vocals and leads can sound honky but lacking overall presence, dulling more dialogue or voice-centric content.

The Astro A10 have good frequency response consistency performance. While they're relatively consistent in delivering bass, there are more inconsistencies in the treble range, making it harder to get the same listening experience each time you use these headphones. You might need to readjust your headphones each time you wear them to get the same listening experience.

The Astro A10 have a very good bass accuracy and won't have problems producing rumble and thump. However the bump in mid to high bass adds excess punch and body to bass and kick instruments, which can be slightly overpowering.

The mid accuracy of these headphones is okay. The dip in the mid-mid will push vocals and leads to the back of the mix while the bump in the high mid will intensify lead instruments, making the mid-range sound uneven and, at times, honky.

The Astro A10 have mediocre treble accuracy. The big dip in the low treble means instruments in this range will lack detail and presence. The slight bump in the mid-treble can also make sibilants like T and S sounds bright and piercing.

The Astro A10's peaks and dips performance is disappointing. While the high plateau in the bass range will produce a punchy bass, its continuation into the low mid produces a cluttered sound. As it turns into a deep dip in the mid-mid, lead instruments and vocals will also be pushed to the back of the mix. The rise in high-mid, in comparison, will make notes in this range harsh and honky. Finally, the deepest dip in the low treble dulls sibilants and lead instruments.

The Astro A10 have very good imaging. Because group delay falls below the audibility threshold, they should produce tight bass and transparent treble reproduction. Our test unit's L/R drivers are also fairly well-matched in amplitude, frequency, and phase response, creating a stereo image with accurate placement and object localization (such as voices and sound effects). However, these results are only valid for our unit, and they may not be the same for every pair.

The Astro A10's passive soundstage, like most closed-back headphones, is disappointing. While the resulting soundstage will be perceived to be relatively open and larger than that of on-ears and in-ears, it won't sound as spacious as the open-backed Astro A40.

The A10 don't have a virtual soundstage.

The weighted harmonic distortion performance of the A10 is good. Where the spike in the low treble can make your audio sound harsh and impure, this might not be noticeable to everyone. Its frequencies otherwise fall within good limits, which should result in clear and pure audio reproduction.

The results are only valid for these test settings.

The isolation of the Astro A10 is terrible. If you're commuting, these headphones won't reduce any low bass sounds like bus and plane engines. They're poor for the office, too, as they struggle to reduce speech. However, if you work at home with the AC turned on during the summer, this headset will help to cut its hum.

The Astro A10 have mediocre leakage performance. While the overall leakage isn't very loud, it'll still sound fuller than in-ear headphones. If you work in an office and you're trying to cut out chatter by cranking up the volume on your audio, it could be audible to others, even in moderately quiet environments.

These headphones have a non-detachable boom microphone.

The recording quality of the boom mic is very good. Speech recorded will sound rich, full, and detailed but lacking in brilliance and airiness.

The microphone of the Astro A10 is excellent at noise handling. It does a great job in all conditions, whether you're at home or surrounded by cheering fans, so your voice will be heard clearly amongst background noise.

These headphones don't have a battery.

The Astro A10 aren't compatible with Astro Command Center.

These headphones are wired and can't be used with Bluetooth. If you want a gaming headset that supports Bluetooth, check out the Turtle Beach Elite 800.

These headphones are wired only.

The A10 have a wired 1/8" TRRS connection, with in-line volume control. This wired connection also has audio and microphone compatibility support for both the PS4 and Xbox One as long as they're plugged into the controllers.

These wired headphones can be used on PC and PS4.

These wired headphones can be used on the Xbox One.

The Astro A10 don't have a dock. If you need a headset with a dock that also has a wired connection for gaming or watching movies, then consider the SteelSeries Arctis 7.