Recently, MMORPG.com Managing Editor Jon Wood has been assessing the Astro A40 Audio System as a replacement for his old gaming headsets. He liked what he saw and today presents his review.

Let me tell you a little story about the last set of gaming headsets I’m ever likely to own:

Ok, that might be a bit of an exaggeration, headsets break all the time. Last year alone, I went through three or four pairs of low end gadgets. Still though, I’m pretty sure I’ve recently found a set of headphones that I not only care enough about to make sure they don’t break, but that I don’t feel the need to go out and replace… ever, if given the choice.

Read the Astro A40 Audio System Review

You forgot to mention they are $200.  Me, I can get a really nice graphics card for that price.

So these are mainly for the person who has a decked out system and is looking for that extra trinket that will enhance it.

dude next time go here....

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/

ask over there what headphones to use.  nobody knows more about cans than the guys on those forums.

---

Originally posted by Ozmodan

You forgot to mention they are $200.  Me, I can get a really nice graphics card for that price.
So these are mainly for the person who has a decked out system and is looking for that extra trinket that will enhance it.

---

.

---

This headset system (to just call it a headset would be misleading), is the Astro A40, best known for being the official headset of Major League Gaming and it retails for $249.95 USD.

---

Definately peaked my interest.  One thing I have loathed about most gaming headsets is the low quality headphones.  This and the Sennheiser PC350's show that at least someone understands there are audiophile gamers or at least those that can tell the difference between quality offerings and your general consumer grade headphones. 

All it took was 2 minutes of using a friend's studio grade headphones to know how much I was missing out on.  Sure they may look big and silly but the difference in sound quality is night and day.   And really, if you are going to be using them every day, why not invest in the best you can find?  (Sort of like when people spend all their money on a new computer then sit in a $75 office chair that ruins their back.)

Yeah gaming cans are usually sub par, which is why i've always used my regular ones and a mic. However some brands are starting to make quality combos. Since you dont want as much bass when your gaming as when your listening to music the might be a good option. But one thing is for sure as soon as a product is labelled "gaming series" the price goes up.

Then again is amzaing quality really requried when you have vent + game noise in the background?

I got the A40 system for a while now... and only thing i can complain about is the mic... becouse for me when im in vent and speak to people... they say that they cant understand what i am saying becouse of all the wierd noices it makes... if i use my old mic from my old headset... no problem =/

For those of you not looking to spend over 200, but the 100 range will fit your needs, go on over to Steelseries and check out some of their headsets. Their 5H series won PC Gaming Headset of the year last year, and at just under $100 bucks, that's a good prize. Not to mention the Siberia headset, which sits behind your neck, is EXTREMELY comfortable. All of their headsets have retractable microphones too, so if you want to go out into the real world with them, you don't look like some guy from NASA command.

Just letting everyone know, because I grabbed the 5H Series last year, and pretty much everyone I know picked up a pair after trying mine. By far, the most comfortable headset I have ever used, and functional.

Oh no, I can't go outside wearing these.... People will think i look dumb!!! hahaha

So, how much did they pay you apart from the free set? :P

 A while ago, I purchased a Speedlink Medusa 5.1 surround headset. The surround sound works, but is not very pronounced. The microphone is sturdy and connected through a bendable metal cable, which is also not too short. The only serious drawback is the volume control that is on a cheap plastic box attached to the audio cable. Still, considering that the price is about a third of the headset reviewed here, I can heartily recommend it.

Random review: www.trustedreviews.com/multimedia/review/2005/08/23/Speed-Link-Medusa-5-1-Surround-Headset/p1 and Official website: www.speed-link.com/. There is both a USB audio in and audio jack audio in version. For those more picky about the volume control, a slightly more expensive version can be found with a seperate box controlling volume (which I would have liked to know about at time of purchase).

Hope this helps some folks looking for an affordable alternative.