A40 Audio System - BXR
Official Headset of MLG
About BXR Special Edition
Back again by popular demand, the A40 BXR Special Edition Headset comes with all the great features of the A40 headset but now in three new colors: blue, military green, and red. Choose your clan's team color or customize your A40 headset even further. Game with style!
The ASTRO A40 2011 Edition Audio System lets you game like a pro more than ever before. As the official licensed headset of Major League Gaming (MLG), the world’s largest professional video game league and largest provider of cross platform online videogame competition, for the past three seasons, the ASTRO team listened to the pro players and added new features they’ve been asking for. Still sporting 40mm drivers tuned with ASTRO Audio, the A40 2011 Edition will deliver every detail of your gaming, movie, or music experience.
Engulf yourself in uncompressed voice and game sound - The A40 Audio System includes the patent-pending external MixAmp™, providing Xbox 360, PS3 and PC gamers with 7.1 Dolby Surround and combined voice audio - ideal for tournament play and discrete "midnight gaming" sessions.
Features Include:
- Amazing sound quality - Combining audiophile-grade sound and crystal-clear voice communication, you’ll hear your enemies from every direction. Give a read through our reviews or check out any MLG event in person to hear for yourself.
- New and Improved Microphone - When you’re on the MLG main stage with thousands of dollars on the line, you need your mic to stay put to hear your teammates clearly while blocking out the roaring crowds. The A40 2011 Edition features a new and improved mic that picks up your voice flawlessly, filters out the cheering fans and stays exactly where you place it.
- Enhanced Audio and Comfort - Already boasting the most comfortable ear cushions available in a gaming headset, we worked with MLG pros to block more outside noise and deliver more bass without losing the richly detailed positional audio the A40s are known for.
- Signature ASTRO Construction - The A40 has set the standard for quality and performance since its introduction in 2008. The 2011 Edition continues this tradition with unsurpassed durability, flexibility, adjustability and of course our exclusive Quick Disconnect cabling system.
- Fully Configurable Comfort and Style - ASTRO A40’s are a fully adjustable headset to fit any size user. The boom mic can be positioned on either ear or removed entirely. ASTRO’s patent-pending removable speaker tags allow you to game in style, featuring an online Speaker Tag Customizer to design your own unique look (sold separately).
- Multi-Platform Solution - Like all ASTRO headsets, the A40 2011 Edition enriches your audio experience no matter what console you game on or which audio devices you use. For the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3, simply pair your A40’s with our wired MixAmp™ for a complete console solution. The A40 Headset is also perfect for your PC, Mac, iPhone, Smartphone, iPad or anything else with a standard headphone jack.
- Sound and Voice Controls at Your Fingertips - The MixAmp™ features discreet controls for game-to-voice balancing and master volume control. Dial in your own settings to meet your needs.
- Quick Disconnect (QD) Cable System - The A40 comes standard with a mute switch and two QD cables; a 2M cable for console gameplay, and a 2M PC cable with volume control, and a standard dual-jack PC connector.
Want even more information about the A40 Audio System? Check out the Product FAQ.
Download the manuals:
MixAmp™ | MixAmp™ Quickstart | A40 Headset
© TAITO CORPORATION 1978. 2011. All Rights Reserved. SPACE INVADERS and the Space Invader icons are trademarks or registered trademarks of Taito Corporation.
- • Ships With: A40 BXR Headset, BXR Speaker Tags, and Astro MixAmp
- • Headset Cables Include: 2M 3.5mm Quick Disconnect Cable; PC Splitter/Adapter
- • MixAmp Cables Include: 3M Optical TOSLink, 3M USB-USB Mini, 1.5M Xbox Live Chat Cable, 2M 3.5mm Audio Cable, PC Headset Y-Adapter, Daisy Chain Connector
- • Transducer Principle: Dynamic, Open
- • Frequency Response: 15 - 28,000 Hz
- • Norminal Impedance: 50 ohm
- • Weight w/o Cable: 324 grams
- • Characteristic SPL: 104dB
- • Ear Coupling: Circumaural
- • Headband Pressure: 2.6 N
- • Distortion: Less than 0.1%
- • Mic: 6.0mm uni-directional noise canceling
- • Power Supply: USB mini-B (USB 2.0 compatible), or 4 x AA batteries (not included)
- • Power Output: 70mW 32ohm per channel
- • Battery Life: 12+ Hours
- • Frequency Response: 35 - 20,000 Hz
- • Inputs (front): Headset connector, 2.5mm Xbox Live voice communication connector
- • Inputs (rear): L/R analog RCA, TOSlink digital, coaxial digital, 3.5mm microphone (PC voice), 3.5mm mp3 connector, USB mini-B (audio/power)
Check out what the peeps are sayin'...
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Tested.com August 2010
7 High-End Gaming Headsets Tested and Reviewed!
Astro Gaming's A40s are the best gaming headset I've ever tested. The A40s feature an over-the-ear design that remained comfortable even after hours of testing. The A40s are a very capable PC gaming headset out of the box, but require Astro's Mixamp accessory to work with the Xbox 360 or PS3.
( full story... )
Astro A40 + Mixamp
Astro Gaming's A40s are the best gaming headset I've ever tested. The A40s feature an over-the-ear design that remained comfortable even after hours of testing. The A40s are a very capable PC gaming headset out of the box, but require Astro's Mixamp accessory to work with the Xbox 360 or PS3.
In my listening tests, the A40s sounded great when plugged directly into my PC's soundcard, delivering the best sound of headsets I've tested for this roundup. They're not audiophile or headphone-nerd quality, but they sounded crisp and clear with slightly weak, but still acceptable bass in all the applications I tested. They're comfortable for long gaming sessions, and I appreciate how customizable they are--you can mount the microphone on either side of the headset, or remove it entirely thanks to the removable plates on the outside of the ear cups--Astro calls them tags. The A40s are leakier than a fully closed design, even with a gasket between the headphones and the tags, but I like having the choice between ventilation and noise.
The Mixamp accessory adds Dolby Headphone support, a decent USB soundcard (for PC or PS3 use), and the necessary hardware to mix Xbox 360 and PS3 voice comms with in-game audio. It's a USB-powered device, so there's no need to add another wall wart behind your entertainment center, and there are plenty of input options so you won't need to swap cables too much, even if you want to use the A40s with multiple analog and digital sources. The USB soundcard performed well in my listening tests.
In case you haven't picked it up yet, I'm not enamored with any of the psychoacoustic nonsense that people use in headsets, but the Dolby Headphone solution is the least offensive one I've tested. It's still the first thing I turn off, but it doesn't make your games sound worse, it just doesn't make them sound better. It's worth mentioning that the Mixamp comes with all the cables you'd need to to use it with pretty much any analog headset, although Astro doesn't actively support third-party headsets.
I'm not crazy about using the A40 + Mixamp combo in the living room. It requires trailing a fair number of cords across the room, especially if you need to connect the Mixamp to your Xbox 360 controller for voice chat. It's much more desk-friendly, so if you happen to have your consoles near your gaming PC, this is an ideal sound solution.
The big problem with the A40s is price. This is a crazy-expensive headset at $200, and it only gets worse if you need to buy a Mixamp ($150) to hook up to consoles. Astro offers a $250 package deal, if you purchase both the A40 and the Mixamp at the same time.
To read the original review, click here!
Astro Gaming's A40s are the best gaming headset I've ever tested. The A40s feature an over-the-ear design that remained comfortable even after hours of testing. The A40s are a very capable PC gaming headset out of the box, but require Astro's Mixamp accessory to work with the Xbox 360 or PS3.
In my listening tests, the A40s sounded great when plugged directly into my PC's soundcard, delivering the best sound of headsets I've tested for this roundup. They're not audiophile or headphone-nerd quality, but they sounded crisp and clear with slightly weak, but still acceptable bass in all the applications I tested. They're comfortable for long gaming sessions, and I appreciate how customizable they are--you can mount the microphone on either side of the headset, or remove it entirely thanks to the removable plates on the outside of the ear cups--Astro calls them tags. The A40s are leakier than a fully closed design, even with a gasket between the headphones and the tags, but I like having the choice between ventilation and noise.
The Mixamp accessory adds Dolby Headphone support, a decent USB soundcard (for PC or PS3 use), and the necessary hardware to mix Xbox 360 and PS3 voice comms with in-game audio. It's a USB-powered device, so there's no need to add another wall wart behind your entertainment center, and there are plenty of input options so you won't need to swap cables too much, even if you want to use the A40s with multiple analog and digital sources. The USB soundcard performed well in my listening tests.
In case you haven't picked it up yet, I'm not enamored with any of the psychoacoustic nonsense that people use in headsets, but the Dolby Headphone solution is the least offensive one I've tested. It's still the first thing I turn off, but it doesn't make your games sound worse, it just doesn't make them sound better. It's worth mentioning that the Mixamp comes with all the cables you'd need to to use it with pretty much any analog headset, although Astro doesn't actively support third-party headsets.
I'm not crazy about using the A40 + Mixamp combo in the living room. It requires trailing a fair number of cords across the room, especially if you need to connect the Mixamp to your Xbox 360 controller for voice chat. It's much more desk-friendly, so if you happen to have your consoles near your gaming PC, this is an ideal sound solution.
The big problem with the A40s is price. This is a crazy-expensive headset at $200, and it only gets worse if you need to buy a Mixamp ($150) to hook up to consoles. Astro offers a $250 package deal, if you purchase both the A40 and the Mixamp at the same time.
To read the original review, click here!