ASTRO Gaming A40 TR Headset and Mix Amp

Product Description

Redefining pro, the new ASTRO A40 TR headset and Mix Amp features user customization to adapt to any environment. Ready for home use, LAN play or the loudest pro tournament, you can transform the A40 TR from an open-back to a closed-back noise cancelling headset by swapping components like speaker tags, microphone and ear cushions (sold separately in ASTRO Mod Kits). For serious live streamers, the Mix Amp Pro TR is re-engineered with all digital components for lag-free and interference-free operation. The included ASTRO Command Center software allows Pros and Live streamers to tune every input and output parameter of the Mix Amp Pro TR to precisely configure it for their specific setup. All TR products are the Official Equipment of Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 and are used by top Call of Duty Pro teams like Optic Gaming and Team Envyus. WARNING: This product contains a chemical known to the State of California to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm

Cables:

2.0m A40 Inline Mute Cable
1.5m PC Splitter

Features

• Tuned for Gaming with ASTRO Audio: optimized by ASTRO audio engineers and pro gamers, featuring Dolby 7.1 Surround Sound
• Superior Fit & Finish: premium materials and construction, highly adjustable and lightweight
• Mod Kit Ready: go from an open-back to a closed-back noise isolating headset with swappable Mod Kit components (sold separately)
• ASTRO Command Center: customize every MixAmp Pro input and output, create custom EQ settings
• Native Xbox One Compatibility: voice chat enabled with no chat adapter required. Frequency response 20 to 20,000 Hz, Headband pressure 2.6N
• All current ASTRO Gaming products designed for Xbox One will offer continuous compatibility on Xbox: Series X.

Top Reviews

Open Box New (2017) White Astro A40s (Xbox) Are Amazing && Cheaper
by Amazon Customer (5 out of 5 stars)
June 23, 2019

Wanted to buy this headset for a long time, but the price was always a sticking point as I am a play-for-fun/social Xbox player. Decided to splurge when my tax return came in, but the new models had released .... and the white A40s were no more. Was thrilled to find a set, but also hesitant to purchase "open box" .... What if something was wrong?

Well they arrived and it was like someone hadn't even unboxed them. All pieces (cords etc) and manuals included. Cords even came wrapped. Everything was clean and in mint condition. Set up on my computer and then Xbox was fairly painless. (biggest issue was me making an error initially).

Since owning them - I am over the moon. Have shared / allowed other friends I game with try as well. All agree sound quality is amazing. (Have even converted some TB fans). Looks is clean & wear is comfortable. Tbh I lucked out - saved a bundle ($75+) on essentially one of the "last" white models. Would consider purchasing "new open box" again....but also highly recommend brand/headset overal (new).
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Absolutely perfect for the FPS/PVP gamer.
by BuysALot (5 out of 5 stars)
May 30, 2017

Not cheap, but then Astro products never are--not that it's a point of annoyance: quality costs. So, build quality is very good--not quite excellent, due to the percentage of plastic parts, BUT that's because metal parts are a personal preference of mine: the plastic is high-quality and well-molded and the overall design of the headphones reduce chances for breakage.

The headphones are extremely comfortable. They're fairly weighty, but you don't really notice because the construction has the headband resting on top of your head hanging the weight almost vertically downward rather than using the headphones themselves to pinch inward to hold themselves in place, making them uncomfortable. This is aided by really nice quality microfiber padding on the earpieces (changeable to leather with a mod kit sold separately).

The amp is larger than you'd think at first glance, but is similarly well-made when compared to the rest of the unit. Construction is tight and machining is good, producing a sleek and solid base unit. Dials and buttons are fitted tight and produce a pleasant amount of resistance when turned/pressed.

The mic is easily switched from one side to the other. Constructed from flexible plastic/rubber, it molds exactly to the position you bend it into and stays there indefinitely. It is solidly built and doesn't seem to be a structural liability sure to break in short order in the way that some mics on other products do. Another high-quality part.

Overall, physical quality is great. I wouldn't say these are heavy duty and some care needs to be taken with them--but then I'd suggest that ANY set of $200 headphones need to be cared for well and not thrown around the place with wild abandon.

As for sound quality? Wonderful. Best gaming headset I've ever tried. The Dolby 7.1 works so well that, no joke, when I first tried it out I took the headphones off to make sure I hadn't left the home cinema surround sound on. Absolutely fantastic quality and PERFECT for FPS/PVP gaming--after 4 days of ownership, I wonder how I ever did without them (I've noticed an immediate climb in my Kill/Death ratio in PVP and have also noticed an immediate and significant drop in the number of times people have been able to sneak up on me in-game). Bass is thunderous but distinct, mid is clear and present, and treble is very clear but not piercing. Proximity and direction of noise as delivered through the headset is precise and accurate. Due to the quality of the speakers, volume can be pumped up good and high without becoming in any way uncomfortable--bass doesn't distort and treble doesn't become tinny or shrill.

The amp adjusts and balances voice/game volume beautifully, meaning the days of straining to hear your teammates above the special-effects are over. As an Xbox One gamer, I don't have access to the control board that PC gamers have for this product, but I haven't found that it's hampered me in any way at all.

The whole thing is incredibly easy to set up (it's literally plug and play on the Xbox One), taking less than a couple of minutes for units to pair with each other, etc.

Overall, the only concern I have is the use of some plastic parts in the headset harness due to the possibility of breakage. That said, the plastic used is of a high quality and the headset design has headphones that swivel on a central metal post, meaning that if you pick the headset up by the ear-cups (but don't...) they swivel before any torque can be put on the plastic pieces. So, it comes down to personal preference rather than a genuine worry about damage.

Five out of five for what is a well-designed, sturdy, great quality, beautiful sounding gaming headset. Can't recommend it enough.
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Quality headset and MixAmp, crappy EQs
by Grant Goodyear (4 out of 5 stars)
July 15, 2018

Quality sound and voice from this headset. Surround sound is great and frequency range is good. The quality of my microphone is a significant improvement from my Logitech Artemis g633s. The only problem I had with the MixAmp were the default EQ settings. They are pretty bad to say the least. You can find good EQ settings for exactly what you need on Astro's forums. Was hesitant buying this product after reading some horror stories in the reviews, but Astro did not disappoint. The $250 price is a little scary, but a quality headset + a mixamp can be well over double the price. If it's not in your budget I'd wait for a deal or just go with buying the headset without the MixAmp. I'm giving a 4/5 for the quality relative to the price and the sub-par default EQs.
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Disappointed (Astro a40 w/mixamp pro xbox one)
by Jesus (3 out of 5 stars)
November 25, 2018

I purchased these Astro A40s with little high hopes. I previously had the gen2 Astro A50s and was horribly let down by them. I purchased these on sale during black Friday, right away when I went to set these up I was hugely let down. Right away out of the box my mic does not work, my voice is in and out or not even picked up. Yes I updated the mixamp to the latest firmware, no that didn't do anything. Oh and this static/popping noise what a nightmare! 2 hours of me going through google trying to find an answer to these issues but I cannot find anything relevant to 2018. If i do not get this solved by the end of the night I am returning these no hesitation. Astros have such great quality audio and they feel great, it' hard going to other headsets but its just unbelievable the problems I've had with them. I purchased some Hyperx Alphas just in case and I 100% recommend those just based on the simplicity and quality.

Update 12/03/18:

After opening a case with Astro they were able to send me a new mic and inline cable. Unfortunately it did not solve the issue that I am having. At this point it's looking like I'm going to need to return this product.

I'm happy with the quick feedback Astro was able to provide me but not happy with the lack of problem solving in these situations. I've been browsing on the astro forums and a lot of these same situations go unanswered.

Update 12/18/18:

I bumped this up to 3 stars based on the great customer service that Astro has provided me. They sent me a new headset and mixamp which I tested for about 30 mins. I had to change it to the streaming setting but everything seems to work for right now. I have no tested this online only with my fiancee using a second xbox in another room but so far no problems that I had before are recurring.
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Unbeatable Sound & Comfort
by Jfoley978 (5 out of 5 stars)
May 25, 2018

I bought this headset as an upgrade from my Astro A40s with the M80 mix amp which plugged directly into the controller. When I first purchased those headphones (with the m80, not this set) I was absolutely blown away with the clarity and sound reproduction that I didn't think there was much to be desired. As soon as I made the switch to this headset, I realized I was highly mistaken.

This headset is insane in every aspect. From the aesthetic of the design, to functionality, to quality of sound, there is truly nothing like it. With the Mix Amp Pro, you can utilize the Dolby audio function (which is a dedicated button on the mix amp itself) to thrust yourself into the game. I am not emphasizing when I say that it sounds like you are actually within the space itself.

Also on the mix amp there is a dedicated button with built in presets which, depending on what you're doing, can maximize the ideal audio output. Although I have yet to try it myself, I believe from some reviews I have seen that you can actually program these presets yourself.

One of the more interesting features I found is that when you mute yourself with the dedicated mute button, every one of the buttons on the mix amp light up red. That way you realize quickly if you're being heard by your teammates, or if you're talking and aren't getting a response because you muted yourself (something I have done MANY times)

Pros:
- Sound quality
- Durable build quality
- Mic Placement
- Customizeability
- Dedicated Mix Amp

Cons:
- Very Very long wires

This could be a con or a pro, depending on your set up
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A good all-in-one solution for gaming.
by nightshade (5 out of 5 stars)
December 28, 2015

Firstly, I wanted to spend some time with this product because this is my first Astro product of any kind. I picked this up on a black Friday sale from Amazon because I really wanted the mixamp TR, but the price was very good for the A40 headset. Before I go over my pros and cons, I wanted to give a quick background of headsets I have and how the A40 compares to those headsets. For comparison purposes I mostly used wired headsets through the Mixamp TR with the exception of using a Sony Gold wireless headset to compare just the A40 without the mixamp. The headsets I used with the mixamp are the Kingston Hyper X Cloud II's, Audio Technica M50x's, Sony Gold's, and the Turtle Beach 420x. In my subjective versus mode, I found that the A40 with the mixamp (after a few custom eqs) was slightly better than the Sony Golds and much better than the TB 420x. With regards to the Cloud II's, the mixamp really has more room to push the 53mm drivers of the Cloud II's and the M50x's simply have a more defined soundstage than the A40's. To be fair, the A40's do not claim to be a hifi audiophile headset and in turn, these game just fine with comfort, quality, and durability. Out of the box I did have to totally redo my eq settings, otherwise I would have gotten immediate buyers remorse. Here are my pros and cons in my experience with the A40 and Mixamp TR.

PROs:
*The Astro A40 TR has fantastic build quality and is much like the older A40's. The headset is modular and comes stock as an open back set of cans. Comfort is top notch as I have large ears that require over ear headsets and pads.
*The mixamp TR is the real bread-winner of this set. It can make pretty much anything sound good. If you spend some time with the Astro command center and the equalizer it can drive even hifi audiophile headsets.
*Having the option of usb chat and not tethering to the controller is an excellent feature.
*Despite the Astro marketing, the xbox one version of the Mixamp TR can be used just fine with the PS4 (sound only) using a matrix pass-through that will make the mixamp work with old consoles as well. I have it passed-through to my xb 360, ps3, ps4, and xb1.
*The A40 headset has very good stereo positional audio stock w/o the amp. With the amp and the right setup, its a real treat for your ears.
*The cloth earpads on the A40 are very comfortable and this headset is good for someone with larger ears, like myself.
*Simulated surround sound is hollowed at first, but once tuned with the eq is much much better.
*Durability of both the amp and headset seems good so far. I have put many hours into the mixamp for music and gaming with zero problems.
*The usb chat seemed to work well for me, everyone in my parties say that I sound fine.
*Outperforms any of the marketed gaming headsets out there, especially anything Turtle Beach offers, even the elite 800x (very uncomfortable).

CONs:
*The price for both items together can go from 200 to 300 dollars, which is not really a great bargain.
*Astro Command center software is finicky right now. It requires me several restarts to get to work correctly.
*The A40 headset itself does not perform up to the high pricetag at retail. I only paid 59 bucks for the headset and 130 for the mixamp. The amp is worth the asking price, but both the Cloud II's and the M50x have a much better soundstage through the mixamp no matter what preset or custom eq setting I used. I understand that people love Astro and I am enjoying this headset and amp combo, but If I had to pay the full retail, I would pass on the A40 headset and just buy the mixamp. The A40's does not match the frequency response of neither the Cloud II nor the M50x.
*Future buyers may want to invest in the mixamp without the A40 headset and use a entry level hifi headset. The pricetag would be the same if not cheaper going that route.
*The modkits to make these cans closed back with more noise isolation are very expensive at this time and Astro should give gamers the option of purchasing a closed back model at retail.

My review is based solely on my experience with many gaming headsets and I am a entry level audiophile who is learning about hifi sound. I did not detract a star for my cons because this is not something that detracts from what this combo does. If you are the type of person with the funds to spend and wants an all in one solution, then this is a very top-end, heavily marketed headset. Just be aware that the A40 headset is simply not as good as a entry level hifi headset like the Cloud I or II and certainly not the M50's. Again though, the mixamp is wonderful and drives my M50x's and Cloud II's to another level, its simply that good. I will commend that the A40 has terrific positional sound on its own and should give fps and shooter fans plenty of thrills, just be aware that the A40 headset has some limitations.

I was not given anything for free to write this review, I paid for this combo out of my own pocket to give an unbiased review of this product. If my review has been helpful to you, be sure to give me a thumbs up.
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This headset is awesome. I had the ASTRO A50
by PaPaKAPture (5 out of 5 stars)
February 8, 2016

Shipped out the same day and was delivered when promised. This headset is awesome. I had the ASTRO A50, which would be my preferred headset if I was gaming from my couch in my living room, but the headset was for my desk, and this setup is hands down the better one for that purpose. The sound is great, the ASTRO command software for the mixamp is simple to use, the headset is just as comfortable as ASTROs should be and the all white w red accent looks amazing.
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My Mixamp Broke - But The Headset Is Phenomenal!
by TylerTheDork (4 out of 5 stars)
November 21, 2017

After having these for around a year and a half, I decided to finally give my review of them.

After cycling through numerous headsets such as the Hyper X's and the Turtle Beach XO Sevens, I was looking for a headset that would last me a long time, which lead me to Astro.

Upon first glance I noticed that these headsets were designed to be used for competitive play. That was all fine and good to me, but I just wanted something that would be reliable, with great comfortability and sound quality. After reading numerous reviews and watching countless videos, I decided to pick these up, despite that hefty price tag.

Upon opening the box I knew that these guys were the real deal. The packaging was absolutely beautiful. The box that they came in was so unbelievably solid - little to no possible way that they could have gotten damaged during shipping . Upon opening it, I was greeted with a headset that was truly remarkable. When I picked it up it just felt professional. It didn't feel like a hunk of plastic like numerous other headsets that I had owned in the past. All of the cables that I needed were packaged nicely in their own little compartment, as were the instructions.

Setup was a breeze - I had mine up and running in about 10 minutes or so. The optical and USB cables that are included have plenty of length to them, although I would be careful with your wire management if you play a bit further from your tv, as these two love to get tangled.

The comfort alone with these was worth the price tag. The ear cushions are unlike anything I had used before. They're incredibly soft, yet cancel enough noise to keep you focused on your game. I consistently forgot that I even had these things on. No ear pain, no head pain, no sweat from leather ear pieces - nothing. By far the most comfortable headset on the market - nothing even comes close.

Now for what really matters - the sound. Im a casual gamer. I don't compete, but I do appreciate great sound upon hearing it. That being said, Astro's mixamp is a MUST for both casual and competitive gamers. This thing works wonders. It is so unbelievably easy and convenient to use, and that's why it dominates the competition. Gone are the days of fighting with your Xbox One chat adapters to turn your game down, your chat down, etc - this gives you complete control right at your fingertips. There are multiple default EQ's that boost different things such as bass and treble, but you can even download custom EQ's for all of your favorite games online - genius. As for game sound, they perform beautiful. I was able to hear numerous things that I had never heard before. It's the smaller, more "hidden" noises that became much clearer. Stuff like people reloading, people climbing ladders, or even people switching weapons. My friends constantly asked me "How did you hear that?!" and I always proceeded to tell them about how great this thing is. Even if you don't play video games competitively, the convenience factor here is just unmatched anywhere else. You have constant control over your sound - what a concept! This thing even comes with a headphone jack installed, so you can hook up whatever device you want with an auxiliary cord and play your music, videos, movies or whatever. I personally have my gaming monitor next to my computer, so I would constantly have youtube, music or podcasts playing in the background of my games. (Yes I know Spotify is Available on Xbox One now, but I feel as though the app is a bit buggy).

However, after around a year and a half, my beloved mixamp decided to literally just die on me. Upon powering on my console I noticed that It didn't want to turn on for me. So I unplugged all of the cables and tried again. Nothing. I tried multiple other USB cables (The appropriate one of course) and nothing seemed to get it to power up. I was disappointed, but hey life goes on. I didn't want to come on here and rip Astro a new one for this occurrence, because the headset was so good to me throughout the time that I had it. I've come to the conclusion that technology has the tendency to indeed malfunction - and this is most certainly the case here. I will be ordering yet another mixamp from here once they arrive back in stock (Possibly never with holidays approaching quickly). I would hope that this issue only affected me, as I would never wish this to happen to anyone that drops this much money on a headset.

With that being said, the A40 TR's are really something special. They combine comfortability, sound quality, and user friendliness to create one monster of a headset that is sure to dominate the competition. I would recommend this to both competitive and casual gamers who are looking for high quality design and sound :)
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Good quality ... Not comfortable!!!
by SEBA James (2 out of 5 stars)
August 9, 2018

i expected more from this Headset but i'm so disappointing after 1 week of using!

The build quality and sound is good!

but it's very annoying for couple of things i list them right here:
1: the Wire cables will make you hate your life!
2: headset is so stiff when you put it on your neck when you take a break, will not let you rotate your head easily!
3: it gives me headache after like 15 minutes of wearing because of squeeze on my cheek and head and i'm a Headset guy so this is not the first one i used!
4: Price is a bit high compared to other same quality Headset!
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A Streamer's Best Friend
by Da_Beard (5 out of 5 stars)
November 8, 2018

There are so many aspects I could address, I'm going to narrow my focus down to what is important to me--Streaming, Sound, and for Xbox, the built in Noise Gate presets.

Let's start with Sound as this applies to everyone buying the headset.

Sound Rating 4/5

You could get a better sounding headset at this price point. I've used the Astro A50's 2nd Gen on Xbox, and they really pack a punch, but the sound quality only tells part of the story. To me, these don't seem as loud, or as clear as other +$200 headsets I've used. But what they lack in "punch" they make up for with flexible presets. There are 4 presets that you can change with a click of a button on the Mix Amp. I almost always use Tournament (for multiplayer shooters when I want to hear footsteps) or the default Astro (my preference for movies or for non-competitive gaming when I want things to sound great). Additionally, if you hook this up to your PC, you can tweak the settings to your liking, or download presets that other gamers have created. Just get your settings how you like them, sync it to the Mix Amp, and you're ready to take those back to your Xbox. (Note: these work great for PC as well, and I frequently use them on both Xbox and PC). I could go on, but in short, as far as features go, this bundle takes the cake.

But what about streaming? The Mix Amp Pro TR has a streaming audio output that offers full customization within the Astro Command Software. You can adjust Mic, Chat, game, and volume from your AUX port within the software, and sync it just like your other settings. My wife and I stream, and often we want to include our chat in the stream. So whether I'm using Discord, or just Xbox Chat, I can include it easily by running a 3.5mm to 3.5mm cord from the Mix Amp to my PC input and capture any of the audio I choose. You want to talk about making streaming simple, this is the way to go. There is one caveat however. Users often have a high level of hiss or buzz when using the stream port. This is a result of a ground loop you are creating when plugging into your PC. I'm not technical enough to get into the in's and out's of electrical ground loops, so I won't address that here. What I will say is that I attempted to trouble shoot by following a guide that said it would eliminate the ground loop. That did not work. So that's a deal breaker, right? Well, it would be if not for a little thing called a ground loop isolator. You can find those on Amazon, and they are around $10. If you're not streaming, then there's no need to get one. If you are streaming, and your audio is filled with hissing and buzzing, save yourself some headache and grab one.

This is the one I purchase: https://www.amazon.com/Mpow-Ground-Isolator-Stereo-System/dp/B019393MV2/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1541692667&sr=8-3&keywords=ground+loop+isolator&tag=c-t-20

Finally, this brings me to the Noise Gate presets. This is perhaps my favorite feature just behind the streaming port. If you game on PC, and use Discord, you probably won't need these. The reason being is that Discord has great noise gate options for your Microphone built into the software. But for Xbox, Microsoft is reluctant to add noise gate options for party chat, which is a big missed opportunity on their part, but I digress. I'm sure you've experienced this issue: Joe Schmoe is playing with you, and you say something, and you hear your voice echo, one or more times. Why? Because your voice is coming out of his/her headset, and right back into their mic, and then out of your headset, and into your mic, and around and around we go. So the Mix Amp has a noise gate that can be customized by the software on your PC that can all but eliminate this issue for the listener. That's the only drawback really, is that you invest in a great headset, with a solid noise gate, but it's those you play with that benefit, not you. So, Joe Schmoe will talk, and he's not going to hear his voice echo back through your mic. Or, you fire your gun, and it's not going to bleed over into your mic. But you will still hear other people's sound bleed, because they may be using an inferior headset. Now, lots of headsets have built in noise gates that do a great job on Xbox, but the Mix Amp Pro TR just takes it up a notch by giving you 4 presets that will almost certainly meet your needs regardless of your voice variance.

A practical use for me has been streaming/playing in the same room. If I didn't have the noise gate settings when playing with my wife, headsets would bounce the sound around, and our Twitch Stream would also have tons of echo, because, ya know, we're sitting right next to each other. However, we don't have this issue since we are both using Mix Amp Pro's.

In Summary, if you are simply buying this for sound, and aren't using the stream port, or don't care about the noise gate and chat balance (which I didn't even address), then I would say it's a 4/5. But as a whole package, you get a lot of features and things to tinker around with. That's why I gave it a 5/5. I loved this thing enough to buy 3 for LAN gaming. If that's not a testament to what I think about it, I don't know what is.

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