Astro A40 TR with MixAmp Xbox Series X Review

Astro always has been seen as the premium manufacturer for gaming headsets, so today we’re taking a look at the top of the line A40 TR headset with MixAmp Pro for the Xbox Series X and S.

Unboxing and setup

Upon arrival I am greeted with a large, premium designed and well thought out package. Unboxing started by removing the outer sleeve and revealing a two section box, which has been designed with an awesome graphic to hype you up for your new gaming headset. Opening the larger compartment of the box, which is held down with magnets and also provides a convenient pull tab we are welcomed with the headset ready to be set up. On the right side we find the MixAmp Pro, as well as the required cables to get everything connected.

Setup started a bit bumpy, Astro doesn’t really provide a lot of instructions apart from a simple setup diagram – so initial setup took some time to realise I had to connect the MixAmp Pro to my computer and update the firmware to make it compatible with the new next gen consoles.

If you’re also looking for the correct firmware update file for the Series X/S I recommend this Reddit post, which is what I also used as a guide to update my MixAmp.

After updating, I could simply put the MixAmp in Xbox mode and connect it up, immediately then my console did recognise it and assigned it to my profile. If it doesn’t assign, you might need to restart your console by pressing the Xbox button on the controller and choosing restart.

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Software

This is the part I found most impressive – the Astro software. It allows you to not only configure your headset on your console but apply custom EQ modes, adjust the microphone side tone and noise gate. This is an amazing feature to have. Furthermore you can configure custom EQ profiles and sync them to your Mix Amp for maximum personalisation. For example one profile for footsteps and another for music listening.

Another huge bonus is that the software runs natively on Xbox, giving you full control over the headset options just like on PC.

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Sound

Coming to the most important part of the review, the sound quality. I’ve tested and owned a lot of gaming and regular headphones in the past such as Beyerdynamics, SteelSeries and other Astro headsets.

With the default Astro EQ profile and Dolby disabled you are getting a tuned sound which in my opinion sounds really good. The sound is punchy with and detailed crisp high tones, while having a deep low end bass. This makes it ideal for enjoying games and feeling really immersed. Also for music listening all I can say is that listening with the headset is fun, you want to just keep using them.

The other default profiles are tuned to optimise for more gaming-critical uses. They brighten the high tones, so you can easily hear opponents and identify which direction they are coming from. I would definitely recommend to always disable the Dolby Atmos feature though, as it adds a lot of “echo” for a virtual surround sound feature, but in my opinion this can be more distracting.

Comfort

Out of all headsets I have tried out, I always go back to the Astros. The A40, and A50, are both extremely comfortable to wear for long gaming sessions.

The soft ear pads feel pleasant to wear and do not warm up at all. The head band padding is perfect and you do not feel any sort of pressure from wearing it.

Astro has done an incredible job with the comfort of the headset, which can also be customised with mod kits.

Mix Amp Pro

The MixAmp ties the whole setup together. It’s a lovely, high quality device, with extremely smooth volume sliders that allow for chat and game audio mix. It also is the gateway for the Astro command centre to apply EQ presets.

When the headset is muted you also get a red indicator light.