Headsets these days aren’t just accessories anymore. It’s the gamer’s partner that is used for gaming most of the time or doing something like streaming or watching movies. In gaming, the headset has more advantages as it can project the sound directly into your ear and block the background noises.

The evolution of the gaming headset gives much more features that are so much helpful. Like the noise-canceling features to block any external disturbance, the surround sound technology to pinpoint locations, and most especially the superb audio quality.

The brand that makes headphones are a lot. Mentioning something like Logitech, Razer, Sony JBL, and even Audiotechnica make gaming headsets nowadays. But among all the manufacturer brands, there is one that has been famous for making high-quality audio headsets. That brand is called Astro gaming.

Astro Gaming has been known for making quite a renowned gaming audio device and here we will discuss two of their masterpiece that is notorious for their premium quality. These two headsets are the Astro A40 TR and the A50. These Astro gaming headsets have been a rival and people love them for their features. So many things that we can discuss with Astro A40TR and A50 So, so let’s not wait for long and jump!

Astro A40 vs A50

Created by the company with the portfolio in making premium high-quality gaming headsets with premium audio quality. Their mentioned product, the A40, and A50 is one of their best-selling items and is already well-known by pro gamers and sponsored by many E-sport gaming events.

The Astro’s A40 and A50 are masterpiece product that gathers the attention of pro gamers. their sound quality is top-notch with different features between one and another. Maybe consider it like… Same, but different 🙂

Design

When looking at both the A50 and A40 TR, we’ll see that they have similarities. That is because the A40 TR and A50 are made using the same design language with different detail on each. Like the modern futuristic A40 with its soft corner that looks trendy, or the cyberpunk-ish A50 that resembles the headset from the future. Although the design is top-notch, you need to understand that there’s no RGB here because it’s the sound quality that matters the most.

Going deeper, the Astro A40 TR comes with three color combinations – The Black PS/Black-blue, Black XB/Black with a bit of red, and X-Edition which is the total combination of deep blue and bright red. On the other hand, the A50 only has two color combinations which are mostly black with a bit of detail of gold or silver on each of the cups.

Comfortability

Apart from its design, one headset must be comfortable in order to be used for a long time period. Because gamers can play games for hours without even stopping, a comfortable gaming headset can become a partner that always standstill even in a crucial time.

Therefore, I am so grateful to know that both A40 and A50 only weigh around 300 grams while the A50 can be around 40 grams heavier than the A40. Supported with premium materials and covered with synthetic leather make these gaming headsets are very comfortable without losing their sound quality. Plus, both are open-back headsets so your ear won’t get hot for long usage.

Sound Quality

Talking about sound quality is also the most crucial part of choosing your gaming headsets.

Taking a closer look into these high-end gaming headsets, both the Astro A40 and Astro A50 have what you called a premium instrument that produces a premium audio quality. For the driver, both of them are equipped with a 40mm audio driver that is specially tuned with Astro Audio V2 for a more balanced sound delivery and distortion-free bass for your gaming session.

Furthermore, both the A40 and A50 are packed with 40mm sound drivers on each of the cups which is enhanced using the Astro Audio V2 for a more balanced, smooth, and clear bass for a better resolution. The 7.1 Dolby Digital Surround sound enhances the audio quality for better gaming performance.

These surround sound technologies have become one of the features that most gamers will look for in premium gaming headsets and it makes both A40 TR and A50 a good recommendation.

Key features

Apart from the audio feature, Both the A40 TR and A50 have their own feature that can be a consideration. Like the A40 TR, it’s a wired headset you basically don’t need to charge it up or have a sound delay especially when the battery is almost depleted. The A40 TR also has a detachable microphone, which is cool, but it becomes easier if you want to change parts in the future.

Different from the A40 TR, the A50 is a wireless headset which means you won’t be needed to mind the cable while playing games. One of the distinguishable features of Astro A50 is the Base Station which is mostly used for charging your wireless headset, which is also cool. What’s cooler is the way it charges the battery. Just put it on the top of the Base Station and it will charge it up. Make sure to put the connector in the right place.

Connectivity

With an almost similar design, both A40 TR and A50 have almost the same features, but it’s definitely the connectivity that split them apart. On one side, the A40 TR is a wired headset with a 3.5mm jack. Before I forgot to mention, the Astro A40 TR comes with two different cables – its original inline mute cable with a 2m length, and a splitter with a slightly decreased length.

On the other hand, The A40 TR is a wired headset and it has a wire that connects the headset to any device that has a 3.5 mm jack connector that can be plugged into a device with the 3.5mm jackhole. Thanks to that, the Astro A40 can be used almost for every kind of activity – watching movies, listening to music, perhaps making podcasts, and of course, playing games.

Different from its twin brother, the Astro A50 is a wireless gaming headset with a cool and useful Base Station. Because the connection can only be made through the Base station but you basically don’t need to do anything else – just put your headphone there (make sure they fit the yellow connector) and voila! You can play the game and go anywhere without putting down your headset. Because the wireless range can reach quite far – around 49 feet or 15 meters.

Controls Comparison

Different headsets have their own way of control. Thus, the Astro A40 got everything connected through the cable, but the control might be slightly different than its twin, the Astro A50. Because there’s no physical button on the headset but you got a Mute Cable which can come in handy.

On the other hand, the Astro A50 got buttons on the right cup which are the Power button on the top, the Surround sound button, the Eq presets button and the volume wheel. Also on the in-game voice chat adjustment. Pretty neat. And

Power Considerations

Now considering the power, there is a significant difference between both. Starting with the A50 first, it’s a wireless headset which means it has a battery life that you need to consider. While playing the games, it can hold you up for more than 11 to 12 hours of gaming sessions with more than 20 months of standby battery life. But it was powered by a battery, which means you need to mind that you will need to change the battery when it doesn’t work properly.

On the other hand, the A40 is a wired headset, which means you don’t need to worry about the above things that are related to the battery because… it has no battery. Plus you don’t need to panic when the battery life reaches 1% in the middle of a gaming session.

Color and Style Customization

Going deeper into the color/style customization is one of the appealing points of this magnificent piece of technology, as a matter of fact, you should check our special article about pink-themed gaming setup which displays how color can increase your mood in gaming. But talking about mod kit, The A40 is the winner here.

The mod kit that I talk about is the Closed-back cover for Astro A40 TR. It’s very useful for gamers who don’t really like to play while hearing background noise. On contrary, the A50 doesn’t have this kind of feature, thanks to the fixed ear cups which doubled as control buttons. However, the cushions and headband can be customized instead.

A40 TR MixAmp vs A50 Base Station

These two are the most interesting things. Before you can buy the Astro A40 TR and the Mixamp Pro TR but nowadays you can buy these as a bundle. The MixAmp Pro allows you to control things like the audio volume, the voice chat volume, switching the Dolby audio technology, and the EQ button that allows you to choose between 4 customizable EQ presets.

The Base Station of Astro A50 is something on a different level than the Astro A40 TR + the Mixamp Pro. While both of them are sold separately, the Astro A50 comes in one package with the Base station. The most significant function is the charger for the headset and the connector to your gaming platforms. That’s it, but the headset itself is equipped with dedicated TR buttons on the headset.

Astro Command Center Software

The Astro Command Center Software is a dedicated software to set up your gaming headset. It has some features like the EQ presets, microphone noise gate, the Stream Port and so many more. It’s actually quite useful especially if you are the type who likes to switch between gaming and music instantly.

Wired vs Wireless Gaming Headset Debate

The connectivity is indeed one of the most important factors in a gaming headset, as it’s the way the sound is transmitted. That being said, gamers often debate which one is better, the classic wired headset or the high-tech wireless headset.

Those who love the simplicity and don’t want to be bothered by a random cable tangled in their hands while gaming, will then choose the headset with the wireless feature. But they need to mind the battery life of their headset if they want to use it. Thankfully, the Astro A50 has the Base Station which makes charging more simpler and you can also use it for more than 11 hours so, I don’t think it will bother you much.

But for those who think battery life can cost their win, a wired headset would be the best option. While gamers don’t need to mind about the battery life, a wired connection will provide the actual sound transmission and no delay whatsoever. The downside is just, that sometimes you need to mind the cable around you. That’s all.

Thanks to that, the Astro A40 TR is a wired headset that can be connected to almost any device that has a 3.5mm jackhole. While the Astro A50 can do the same except the PS5.

Note: In 2021, Astrogaming released a tutorial on how gamers can connect their Astro A50 to the Ps5 using the Astro’s HDMI Adapter. Kind of a roundabout way, but it’s worth it since there’s no other way (because on their website, the Astro A50 can’t even be connected to PS5 so, it’s a lifesaver).

Here is the official video incase you are curious:

Showdown Is – Astro A40 vs A50

Taking on a neutral side is quite difficult when we try to pick up the difference between the Astro A40 TR and the Astro A50. Because each of them is built for a similar purpose but the target market is totally different.

There are factors that you might consider when buying the Astro gaming headsets and you will end up comparing both of them to understand which one is the best for you.

Main Differences Between the Astro A40 TR vs Astro A50

picking up the differences between Astro A40 TR and A50 is something that is easy, but not really. First of all, the design language is the same but details are different between both Astro A40 TR and A50 – the A40 TR looks more like a modern headset with a detachable microphone, and the A50 looks more like a cyberpunk gadget with a matte color and non-detachable mic.

Another thing that is significantly different is the connectivity. The A40TR is a wired headset with a 3.5mm jack, which basically can be used in a gadget with a 3.5mm jackhole in it. On the opposite, the Astro A50 is a wireless headset with a Base Station with hours and hours of battery life. The charger is just the Base Station which also becomes the source of the connection between the device and the headset.

FAQs related to Astro A40 vs A50

Is Astro A50 better than Astro A40?

Therefore, what’s better between both of them? well, that depends. As I said, both Astro A40 Tr and A50 are made for a similar purpose but different people like a different kind of headset.

IF you don’t like to be bothered by a wire while playing games, the Astro A50 will be the best option. But if you don’t like the fact that you need to charge your headset even in the middle of the game, then the Astro A40 TR is good.

But a bit of note… the Astro A50 comes with dedicated buttons to set the surround sound, volume, and so on. But for the Astro A40, you need to buy the Astro Mixamp Pro TR in order to use this feature without opening the software. In this term, I can say the Astro A50 is the best.

Do a50s sound better than a40s?

Sound-wise, honestly, both come in a similar driver setup and got tuned with the Astro Audio V2. Considering which one is the best, I think both Astro A40 TR and A50 will have a good sound especially since they got the 7.1 Dolby Digital Surround sound on them.

If we go deeper, the sound quality is determined by the power that the headset is received. Therefore, the A40 TR would keep the quality steady, while the Astro A50’s audio quality is determined by the power of its battery.

should you buy it?

And should you buy it? of course. Both Astro A40 and A50 are capable headsets created by gamers and for gamers. Therefore, it’s really worth buying these headsets