End of The Year Audio Roundup with Tritton, Zowie, and Astro
It’s been a great season for gamers- plenty of fantastic titles have been drawing our attention away from tasks like writing. And any gamer worth the title likely needs a headset- either for a microphone that won’t pick up and echo sounds or for those occasions when a roommate or significant grows weary of the bullet firing sounds of battle. We’ve got three headsets to try out today, all of the wired, and two in the mid-end of the price spectrum with another that is on the higher end.
We’ve tested Tritton before- about a year ago- and were happy to check out their AX 180 model. They call this a ‘universal’ set, as it can work on the PC as well as the Xbox 360 and the PS3. Build quality is OK, though nothing too exciting- standard jacks and a USB microphone are topped off with handy RCA cable adapters. The earcups and headband are cozy, and fairly comfortable- we used each set for several hours and these were the ones that came off or needed adjustment soonest but still lasted a long time before any irritation was felt. The AX180s are lightweight, and we liked the in-line controls with both a regular volume and an excellent addition, a separate voice volume knob (that worked well).
Audio quality was excellent- not as good as some other headsets we’ve tried, especially those with 5.1 and 7.1 support, but sounds were accurate and we had no trouble with spatial awareness. Bass was a bit weak, and music sounded a bit flat, but in-game sounds were clear and crisp. The easy-to-adjust microphone was top-notch- no audible distortion. The sleek black and red design caught attention, but didn’t offer any customization. All in all, the AX180 is a great set for those on a budget, and at under $70 it’s a pretty good bargain.
A name we haven’t seen before is ZOWIE GEAR- and their HAMMER USB headset surprised us in a few other ways as well. They claim that the model is for e-sports, and despite some flaws, it’s an interesting package. The aluminum frame is distinctive, as is the over-sized microphone with no baffle. We liked the two sets of earcup covers that were included, allowing you to chose either leatherette or foam. As with other headsets, basic in-line controls were available, though we did miss the separate mic control from the AX180. USB was plug and play, though regular mini-jack connectors allow use with other systems like consoles.
For a gamer on the go, these seem like a good bet- they were sturdy and light, with large and comfortable earcups and headband. The cables and connectors were unfortunately cheap though. Sound quality was the worst of the three today, and frankly weak- testers reported minimal bass response and poor music performance, though gaming sounds were a bit better. Microphone audio was good, though not great- breathing was a bit more noticeable than some other sets, perhaps due to a bit less flexibility in positioning or the missing foam baffle. At $80, they seem a bit too pricey, but certainly won’t disappoint a game who is on the move.
On the other hand, perhaps you are the more stationary type, and have a bit more money to spend. Might we suggest the Astro Gaming A40? We haven’t used a headset quite so capable since our time with Beyerdynamic- and the A40s have a mic! We should stress that the system is actually a few components altogether, making it a bit more complicated than the others- the MixAmp looks a lot like a regular volume control box but adds a few extra features and the A40 headset itself is slick and solid. They are available separately or you can buy the pieces together.
The MixAmp allows the headset to connect to the 360 or PS3 as well as enables Dolby 5.1 Surround. It also supports optical connections, a nice feature, along with an extra audio-in for use with an MP3 player to avoid using system resources but still allowing you to listen to your own music. Game/voice balance controls are a nice bonus, and the unit offered handy red lights for ease of nighttime use. Rounded out with black gloss and chrome controls, it was easy (and sexy) to use. Of course, the downside of the power is an extra box to carry around if you travel, along with more cables.
The headset was a bit less adjustable than we expected- smaller and younger heads might have trouble. But giant earcups were super-comfy on older and larger gamers, the flip-down mic was sturdy and did the best job of noise-canceling, and the space-age futuristic look grabbed attention. We liked the various customization options- black/white headsets for starters (ours was green), but with some fun speaker tags that really change the style. This headset was the most comfortable, but did allow quite a bit of exterior sound in, which can be both good and bad. And unless most sets, you can swap the microphone from side to side easily. The mic was excellent, though very sensitive, and again we would have liked to see microphone volume controls. We should add a quick note about a feature we weren’t able to try- you can daisy chain these together for use in competitive events where you have multiple people at the same location, eliminating lag and interference. In terms of audio performance, these were by far the most impressive, but still lacked oomph in the lower ranges. Spatially, they were spot on though, and voices were crystal clear. The A40s are definitely an investment, at nearly $300, but hardcore and serious gamers take note- audio cannot be underestimated!
