Review of Astro Gaming's A40 Headset.

---Hey guys, today I'm going to review my pair of Astro Gaming's A40's. They're official MLG (major league gaming) headphones, and are becoming extremely popular. I'm going to go through the five main attributes anyone would want to know about in a pair of headphones: Sound quality, durability, portability, comfort, and value. I've gone through probably a dozen headphones now, so I might be a little biased on how AWESOME these are.---

1: Sound quality:

These are by far the highest quality headphones I ever ever owned. They reverberate with a heavy bass in the eletronica I can't get enough of, and convey the harmonic overtones of the orchestra in concertos I enjoy. While not purely made for audiophiles, these are VERY high quality. They're designed so you can speak to teammates while listening for footsteps around you in professional games. The only downsides I can comment on are that they bleed a little (others can hear what you're listening to), and they don't completely get rid of distracting noise. While you definitely won't hear anyone speaking to you, or understand what they say, you can hear things that might annoy you.

2. Durability: 

I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of material these headphones are made with. They are made out of a very tough plastic. I've bent them, thrown them, dropped them, and they just don't show anything. No scratches, no visible damage, and hardly any weakness. The only thing I've noticed is that the rotation of the earpieces becomes a lot more smooth and a little loose, but I think just a little bolt tighten would fix that, not to mention they were very tough to move when I first got them. These headphones would be VERY hard to break, the headband is sturdy, the earpieces are thick and heavyset, and it's just extremely well made. No real complaints in the section.

3. Portability:

I'm not going to lie, this is a HUGE set of headphones, and if you're the type of person that only uses them casually and keeps them around your neck, you'll be fine. They're comfortable to wear that way and easy to carry. However, they are a bit of a hassle to travel with. They come in a wonderful case that's made out of a cushion and weaved material that is very safe to carry them in, but they take up a lot of space. The case is about 10 inches by 9 inches, and 4 inches thick. It's about he size of a medium-sized wall clock. So while it is a hassle to fit into bags, and you will have to be very conservative with your space usage, it gets points for a free case that WILL protect it, which most companies do not offer.

4. Comfort:

I won't lie to you, I'm under the impression these are about as comfortable as you can get. I wear these for HOURS every day and never get tired of them. I'm talking ALL DAY. Sometimes 8-12 hours a day, and up to 4 hour sessions. The earcups hug your ears and are padded with some insanely soft material that makes them heaven to wear. The headband is hardly noticeable, and features the same material on the top of your head. They're completely adjustable. They rotate horizontally, and have adjustiments on either side vertically so you really can just customize it for maximum comfort. Not only that, they STAY in the vertical position you set them. You don't have to fiddle around every time because the clasps are weak. Both earcups even pivot up and down to ensure you are comfortable. It's amazing. I have to mention this, also: the sound volume is comfortable at almost any level. I once left my sound maxed, and surprisingly while it was loud, my ears were NOT blasted by a deafening wave of sound. The sound controls are incredibly smooth, and it makes up for the minute lack of noise cancellation, but be warned: your friends might want to listen in.

5. Value: 

Here's what I got for $280: The headphones, two sets of cords that plug into the headphones (one with only an audio jack, and another for audio and microphone, they plug into a small foot long cable that comes from the headphones), an amp extension (perfect for when I want to play my electric guitar without annoying others), a mixamp, 3 different plates (two that are plain, and one with a hole for the mic, which plugs into either side of the headset) with foam inserts, a carrying case, and compatability chords for other consoles. If you aren't into getting the mixamp (Which to be honest I don't use, that's for MLG participants), then you can grab the headphones, case, and chords for around 200 bucks (probably cheaper if you search around).

Conclusion:

These are top notch, well priced, fantastic headphones for anyone. You don't have to be a gamer to enjoy the high sound quality and insanely-comfortable pads. I would reccomend these to ANYONE who wants a set of headphones they will use for a long time. If you are a gamer and interested, that's all the better. This is the best gaming headset you can get. It's official and licensed with MLG. I give these a 9.5/10, with only a few minor features bringing these down, because they can't be for everyone. Seriously, if you have the money go pick these up, you won't regret it.

Links:
Audio system (with mixamp): http://www.astrogaming.com/products/detail/108/A40-Wireless-System/

Headset: http://www.astrogaming.com/products/detail/4/A40-Headset/

PS: This is an honest review, I'm not promoting this company in any way besides the fact they truly ARE just awesome.

PSS: I forgot to mention, you can customize the side panels that magnetically clip on, and there's an editor you can use to order them. You'll get three for $20.

~Alex.