The ASTRO A50’s have been my ‘go-to’ gaming headset for the better part of the past year or so – READ REVIEW HERE. I’ve slapped on many headsets over the years but as far as I’m concerned the A50’s remain one of the best wireless 7.1 Surround Sound headsets on the market, and I don’t think it’s close.
As much as I love my A50’s they have always been a pain when it comes to using them with all my various consoles. Disconnecting the A50’s MixAmp from my Xbox 360, plugging it into my Xbox One, and them back into my Xbox 360 is always such a nuisance. I go through this ritual of grabbing my flashlight, hunkering down on my rickety knees, unplugging and plugging the optical cable and MixAmp – it’s such a pain! I know first world problems, right? Regardless it’s annoying and something I have to do if I want to use my headset with all my various consoles. ASTRO has a solution for that. Well at least when it comes to those who want to jump back and forth with their A50’s between their console and the PC.
ASTRO’s USB TX allows gamers with the A50 headset to wirelessly connect to their PC while leaving their MixAmp connected to their console. It definitely makes jumping back and forth between your console and PC so much more convenient, but does it work? It does as a matter of fact and works quite well considering the ASTRO USB TX is still in pre-production and won’t be out until later this year. ASTRO provided COG with one of these pre-production beta units to test out and the result is quite positive.
Just like other ASTRO products the packaging of the USB TX is top notch. Included in the box is the USB TX which just happens to be a little larger than a USB stick. It has a short cable on the end which allows you the flexibility of plugging into any USB port on your PC or laptop. Also included in the box is a quick set up guide and a card with a link to down the Dolby Digital software directly onto your USB TX. Did I mention the USB TX is not eye sore either? It has a slick looking black matte look. So it’s not a bad looking dongle at all.
Pairing the A50’s to the USB stick took a few attempts. I was a little frustrated my A50’s didn’t connect to the USB right away but the same issue resulted when I attempted to pair the A50’s back to my MixAmp. It could be a problem with my headset or maybe the actual unit itself but regardless it eventually paired. If you encounter the same issue my advice is to be patient and keep trying. That said it wasn’t long before I was taking advantage of the A50’s Kleernet 5.8 Ghz technology in in Dolby 7.1 Digital sound while gaming on my PC.
One thing I noticed as I grabbed a coffee with my A50’s before I barely sat down was how far away I was from the USB TX before the sound cut out. I was a good 10 to 15 meters away and the sound was still coming in strong. It was impressive and speaks to the quality of not only the headset but the USB TX as well.
Another feature I liked is the lack of tiny buttons or controls on the USB TX that you typically see on the MixAmp. The MixAmp controls and abilities are all included but are accessed via the controls on the A50 headset. You also don’t need to download any software or special apps onto your PC. Once you plug in the USB your PC picks up the driver and automatically detects the USB TX. So as far as ease of use and set up is concerned, the USB TX scores high marks.
As far as the sound quality is concerned I experienced no issues. If anything I was incredibly impressed. The sound came through crystal clear and the 7.1 surround sound packs a punch. The bass levels are tight and not muddy. Mids and highs make their way out of the speakers and only compliment the boom from all those in-game explosions. I noticed no difference between the sound quality of the A50’s on my Xbox and the sound quality of the A50’s on my PC. It remains superb even when connected to the USB TX.
As far as price point is concerned the USB TX is affordable at around $40-50 bucks. It is certainly cheaper than the price of a new headset. Should you want to get in on a preview of the USB TX you can head over to ASTRO Gaming right HERE and purchase a beta USB TX for $40.00. You’ll get VERY close to the final product. Once the beta is over and the final retail version is released you’ll be able to trade in the beta USB for the final version and only have to pay the balance of what would be owed.
If you own a set A50’s and enjoy PC gaming the USB TX is simply a no-brainer of a purchase. Even in beta pre-production form, the ease of use and quality of the sound you will get from your A50’s while paired with the USB TX is not compromised in any way. For $40-50 bucks you can’t go wrong.
