With today’s variety of gaming platforms and locations, Astro’s goal with the new A30 was to have one headset that works with all platforms and gaming scenarios. Compatible with Xbox, Playstation, PC, mobile, Bluetooth, and even unpowered via a 3.5mm jack, the A30 is ready for pretty much anything. Be sure to hit the video below to see all of the details.
Astro A30: Overview
With the A30, the aim was to make a multi-purpose headset compatible with any gaming platform. When purchasing the $230 headset, there are options for white or navy blue colorways as well as versions for Playstation or Xbox. Each version comes with a single transmitter that works with the chosen platform, but a separate transmitter for the other gaming platform is available for purchase. So while out of the box it will only have a wireless transmitter for a single platform, another one can be added if the need arises.
The A30 also features dual microphones, meaning the detachable boom mic can be used for more intense squad-based gameplay, but on the go, the built-in microphone can handle Bluetooth calls without a massive microphone.
A handy carrying case can hold the headset along with all of the included accessories. The A30 comes with a wireless transmitter, a USB-C to USB-A cable, a detachable boom mic, and a 3.5mm cable.
Astro A30: Design
The Astro A30 headset features a modern design with a boxy shape like many of Astro’s other headsets. On the earcups are removable speaker tags. The stock A30 tags have a light-blue smoked color to them. Under that tag, though, is a bright, eye-catching iridescent design.
Thanks to the detachable boom mic, the A30 works pretty well on the go without being overly gamery. It looks like a stylish modern pair of headphones rather than a bulky gaming headset.
Astro A30: Video
Astro A30: Comfort
Tied directly to design, the earcups tilt a couple of degrees for a snug fit and rotate 90 degrees to lie flat when not in use. The earcups are soft memory foam wrapped in what feels like a faux leather material. It doesn’t feel like there is much breathability in the earcups, so things can get a little warm in there.
Often one of the things that most irritates me with the comfort of gaming headsets is the depth of the earcups, but I haven’t had an issue with the Astro A30. There is a significant amount of clamping force which also helps with creating a good seal to knock out background noise.
Overall, I’ve found the Astro A30 to be comfortable. There isn’t as much room in the earcups as a larger headset like the Sony Inzone H9, but I haven’t found the headset to be overly fatiguing yet.
Astro A30: Controls
For everything that the A30 can do, the controls aren’t overly cluttered with buttons and dials. On the left earcup is a switch for muting the microphone as well as ports for a 3.5mm cable and the detachable microphone.
On the right earcup are the power button and status light, Bluetooth button, and a four-way control stick. Pushing up or down will change the volume while left or right will change the game/chat balance.
How does it sound?
Stat-wise, the A30 is packing 40mm drivers that are meant to deliver the common 20-20,000Hz frequency response. In practice, that delivers a full sound with deep bass both when gaming and while listening to music.
As always, one of my favorite music tracks to test bass audio is “Solar Sailer” from the Tron Legacy soundtrack. The A30 sounded great with deep, rich bass that didn’t muddy the mids or highs.
Likewise, mids and highs are crisp and clear. Listening to “Mist” by Protest the Hero, the A30 kept the mids nice and bright with bright highs from the cymbals on top. Overall the stock setting is not as dark as many gaming-focused headsets can be. I found it to be well-rounded for music and for gaming with deep lows and crisp clear highs.
Stereo separation is a key component in knowing where opponents are in gaming. The Astro A30 headset seems to focus on this even in music – so much so that occasionally it felt like the left-to-right sound balance was slightly off with a bit more focus on the left side of the headset, but I had a hard time trying to determine if I was just making it up in my mind. But overall, stereo separation and positioning are exceptional on the Astro A30.
All of these factors combine to make the A30 a great-sounding gaming headset. The deep lows, clear highs, and exceptional stereo separation make the headset both sound good and perform well for competitive play. If the stock sound isn’t exactly to your liking, it can also be tweaked from the Logitech G Hub mobile app.
The headset also gets plenty loud without any distortion. I did most of my listing at around 35% volume.
Logitech G mobile app
Interestingly, at least at the time of this review, audio on the A30 can only be tweaked from a mobile device through the Logitech G Hub app.
On the home is an icon for the headset and quick controls for volume, mode, and battery status. Below are profiles that can be set for different scenarios. In each profile, there are adjustments for the microphone, equalizer, and game/chat mixer.
Under the EQ tab setting are presets like Astro immersive and Astro footsteps. Immersive boosts lower and higher frequencies for a fuller sound that works well in narrative-based gaming or for watching media.
The Astro footsteps mode puts the focus on frequencies that can help to hear small details in competitive FPS games. While not as heavy-handed as some other gaming headsets’ footstep modes, it does help to bring down lower frequencies that make hearing footsteps more difficult. But, it does so while still keeping the sound fun and immersive.
Final thoughts on sound
All together with the headset and the app, I am loving the sound that comes from the Astro A30. It absolutely sounds like a $230 gaming headset if not a more expensive one. Its well-rounded sound with incredible separation makes it a treat for playing hectic FPS games like Battlefield 2042. Likewise, racing games like Forza Horizon 5 sound great.
Astro A30: Mic test
While everything else on the Astro A30 gets fairly high marks from me, the microphones aren’t anything special. The boom mic sounds thin which can be good for competitive gaming and crucial communication with squad mates, but it doesn’t sound very natural.
And while the built-in microphone may sound better than a lot of budget earbuds that I’ve tried, I still didn’t find it to be very impressive.
Yes, either will work in a pinch, but neither one is anything special.
Battery life
With 27 hours of battery life, the Astro A30 will last through an entire day or some long travels. And, it can be charged while the headset is in use.
gadgetnewsonline’ Take
Overall, the Astro A30 is a great-sounding headset for the $230 price tag. Long battery life, extreme versatility, a comfortable fit, and great, detailed sound make it a great choice for a wireless gaming headset in my opinion.
I wish that the microphone sounded better for the price point, but that’s not a huge issue for everyone and wouldn’t keep me from buying and using this headset over others.
If you’re in a noisy environment and want ANC you may want to look for something like the Sony Inzone H9 or SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless, but you will be paying significantly more for those.
Buy the Astro A30.
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