Astro A40 TR Review – U N I Q L O

I got to visit Astro Gaming’s booth during PAX East this year where I went hands-on with their Astro.ID program that lets you customize one of their A40 TR headsets however you want. For an extra premium fee, you can customize the colors of every part of the headset to create something that’s truly your own, and Astro rotates the colors out every couple of months so the headset you create has a genuine feeling of being uniquely “yours” since once a color is out of rotation, Astro claims it’s gone for good.

[Featured in MonsterVine’s 2020 Gift guide]

That’s all good and fun, but let’s talk about the headset itself. So I rely heavily on headphones for my computer because the speakers on the monitor are garbage, and I don’t really have space for speakers on my desk. This means I’m always on the hunt for a pair of headphones that are affordable and will offer great listening quality. I’m also particularly picky with my headphones because I’ve used a lot that caused major ear strain after using them for longer than an hour, so comfort is also a big factor for me.

I’ve been using Astro’s A40 TR headset since February and it thankfully checks all the boxes for me. I’ve worn these things for hours no problem; the cable is a great length, so I’m never worried about accidentally moving my head too far and causing a disaster; the material has held up as if it’s like new which is surprising considering how rough I am with them; and music sounds great in it. I listen to a variety of music, but some of my favorite genres are bass-heavy, which the A40 is able to deliver on pretty well. I also haven’t had any complaints from friends when it comes to coming in clearly with the built-in mic.

Now would I recommend them over something like an Audiotechnica when these are $150? Hell no. But if you’re in the market for a gaming specific headset (and want to pay the premium to customize a headset), the Astro A40 TR is a great pick.