Astro has always been synonymous with high-quality audio for gaming. Not for that, historically, they have been the most used headphones in the competitive, and for a long time, the symbol of the CDL. However, the arrival of the new generation changed the audio landscape. The disappearance of optical audio greatly limited its compatibility with new consoles, giving way to the popularization of other brands, such as the Audeze Maxwell (now owned by Sony), which in these early years of PS5 and Series X have become quite popular in the competitive section.
Under the umbrella of Logitech G, Logitech’s high-end gaming division, the company launched the Astro A30, a formidable headset, but far from the symbol that the A40 and A50 represented in the previous generation. Now, Logitech has put on the market what, on paper (and outside of it) are the best gaming headsets on the market, and not only for audio quality, but also for features and compatibility: the Logitech G Astro A50X.
The Astro A50X is the heir to the best earbuds of the previous generation. the A50. Same aesthetic proposal, but with enormous added value. Logitech has improved these headsets with the proposals that we have seen in the past in many of its products, and has also provided them with the best microphone integrated into a headset on the market.
Not only do they maintain the aesthetics of the old Astro, it also offers absolute compatibility with PC, Xbox and PS5, adding support for Bluetooth. For all platforms, the integration is native: it’s the only headset with full compatibility with the PS5’s chat/audio mix, and they are also offering 4K output at 120hz, 24-bit audio, Bluetooth and real-time EQ.
A50X: headphones for the next generation
The secret of the A50X is at its base. In addition to charging the headphones, it serves as an HDMI hub. You can connect all consoles at the same time to their dock, using a single HDMI port on your TV or monitor. The dock passes video over HDMI and extracts audio, with no lag and no imput lag. This allows you to maintain native console video support, including ALLM, VRR, HDR, and Dolby Atmos for Xbox Series X, and 24-bit audio on consoles and PC. The user may, however, choose not to use the base’s video capabilities. The Astro A50X also allows you to connect the consoles simply to USB, but due to their limitations, the audio will be 16-bit and you will not have a chat/game mix in the case of PS5.
With a single tap on the headset, you can switch between Xbox, PS5, or PC, and the dock will automatically switch the corresponding video output to the source. Plus, it doesn’t limit the capabilities of HDMI-CEC, so you’ll be able to turn on your devices from the TV and vice versa, but not from the headphones when switching sources. Another benefit of connecting consoles via HDMI is that it will allow you to configure the PS5 as 7.1, with a mix of chat/games and offers full compatibility with Dolby Atmos in the case of the Xbox (the base includes a license to be able to use the Dolby app totally free).
Neither the design of the base nor that of the headphones has changed. It is still one of the most comfortable on the market and with one of the most characteristic designs out there. By not changing its design, the A50X maintains compatibility with third-party magnetic pads such as the Wicked ones used in competitive competition. In addition, Logitech has fixed the issue that caused the top band to detach over time.
Dolby Atmos and Parametric EQ
The removal of optical audio also says goodbye to the surround audio button on previous A50s. Now that button is for Bluetooth, with which we can connect the Astro A50X to any compatible device, from a smartphone to an Apple TV or an audio system. In addition, it allows simultaneous audio: we can listen to the PS5’s audio while answering a call on our mobile. Here’s an important note: Bluetooth isn’t in the headphones, it’s in the base, so the listening range is limited to being relatively close. No taking them out of the house. The range is wide, but very focused on listening in the same room. It’s more of an add-on than a feature you’re going to use all the time.
Its integration with the rest of Logitech’s products also says goodbye to the Astro Command Center. The headset is now set up and managed from the Logitech G Hub app, available on PC, Mac, and mobile devices. It offers the ability to tweak every aspect of the headphones, from the side tone to the base lighting, and is the rallying point for all EQs.
The Logitech G Hub allows you to add custom EQs for both the mic and the audio itself, including advanced parametric EQ options for the audio or noise-cancelling features for the mic. Regarding the Logitech G Hub, an important note: despite being available on both PC and mobile, the settings are saved on the headset and it does not allow you to use both versions of the app at the same time: the Astro A50x will always use the last configuration applied, so the mobile will overwrite the PC and vice versa.
Regarding EQs, Logitech has confirmed that third-party EQs, such as those in the Dolby Atmos app on PC or Xbox, do not cancel out those of the A50X, but that both coexist, so it is important to take into account if you are looking for a specific EQ for a specific game. On PS5 you don’t have to worry, as Sony doesn’t offer Atmos support for headphones on its console.
The Astro A50X offers outstanding sound and the best mic on the market
As for the audio quality, little to quibble with. They’re still S-tier when it comes to audio quality for gaming, especially in competitive gaming. The sound signature is more similar to that of the Logitech PRO X 2 than the previous A50 or A4oTR with MixAmp. The sound is quite detailed at almost all frequencies, with good bass that offers great immersion, but you’ll want to reduce that if you’re playing competitive FPS. Parametric EQ allows you to greatly customize the sound signature, and thanks to the quality of its graphene drivers, it opens up a huge range of possibilities.
The sound right out of the box is very good, but we’ve found its EQ to be quite flat, so you’ll want to spend some time customising it to your liking, especially for games where audio is critical. If you’re playing Warzone, start by setting the game’s mix to Home Theater, drop a couple of dB in the low range, and adjust the frequency up from 110-125hz (try +6 3.5 Q), you’ll see the difference compared to hearing footsteps. If you use Dolby Atmos, make sure to use game mode, but leave the rest of the filters off within your app. However, we are preparing a list of the best EQs for the A50X to use in the most popular competitive games: Valorant, Call of Duty, The Finals, Tarkov…
Regarding the microphone of the A50X, Logitech has put on the market the best microphone available in a headset on the market. They have no competition. Neither the Audeze Maxwell nor any of the high-end headsets with console compatibility come close to the audio quality that the A50X’s microphone offers, and it’s on par with many dedicated mics worth hundreds of dollars. In addition, it allows you to add filters to cancel out the external audio that can be entered, such as that of the keyboard (the microphone is omnidirectional). It’s perhaps the most surprising point about these headphones, and it sets the bar high for anyone looking to bring a high-end headset with a built-in microphone to market. A whopping 10 for Logitech in this department. In addition, being an A50, they include the automatic mute function when we slide the microphone upwards. Something that, by the way, is built into the headphones themselves and works on all platforms.
In terms of battery life, Logitech promises 24 hours of audio time, but depending on the volume and use of the headphones they are closer to 18-20 hours than the full day. Nonetheless, they charge pretty fast at their base (without having fast charging), and generally I don’t think you’re going to have any complaints with their range.
Astro A50X: Are they worth it?
The Astro A50X is, as of today, the best gaming headset you can buy. Its native compatibility with PS5, Xbox, and PC, as well as its support for the latest video standards and Dolby Atmos, make the A50X the best choice if you’re playing on more than one system. Bluetooth is a great addition, but it’s certainly in its outstanding microphone where it stands out the most. The audio quality is superb, and its parametric EQ opens the door to unprecedented customization in a headset, not just from Logitech, but also from the entire gaming industry. In addition, if you play on PS5 they are the only ones that today offer chat/game mix natively.
Perhaps, one of the biggest drawbacks that we can get out of it is the absence of a 3.5mm jack and how complicated it can be to configure it together with a video capture card if you want to stream beyond the PC. Logitech has released a new app for this task called Mixline that makes it much easier to choose the input and output source or the audio mix from various sources. If you’re streaming from a console, you may run into a few issues depending on your capture model and how you set up your system.
On the other hand, its configuration with PS5 has to be followed to the letter if you want to enjoy all its options natively, but beyond these buts, Logitech has put an outstanding product on the market. Its price, on the other hand, is also very high on the scale of the high-end of gaming audio: 399 euros.