A more dependable product

[Champloo]

Don't get me wrong, when the A40s work, they work magnificently. They and the Sennheiser PC 350s are the standard for gaming headsets at the moment. However, for those of us that get faulty headphones... it's just really inconvenient.

I know a ton of people who have sold their A40s for about $100, and put that money toward the new Sennheisers... and since both are practically equal in sound, with simply different styles(open vs. closed ear), you've got to wonder why...

Personally, I'm considering doing the same now. I'm on my 4th pair of A40s already, and these just broke down in the same exact way the others have(the connector piece seems to be loose and eventually creates a static sound, and no longer registers the microphone as unmuted). It's almost routine now, every 4 months the SAME EXACT THING happens to them, I email support, they respond the next day, then they drop out of touch for a week or three and don't tell me what's happening- so I'm stuck there without a mic, unable to compete in online tournaments and Gamebattles matches, nor can I even practice with my team.

So, the most important suggestion I think you guys will ever receive... is to make a more dependable product. If you're going to make A50s or something like that, make sure that there are NO faulty parts being used and make sure manufacturing is top notch.

[kILLDR3n]

Do you mean that it makes the mic loose, like when you turn up and down? This recently happened to me. They sent me out a new mic and it was tight when I got it...but now just about a week later it seems looser again.

[DJ PAXX]

Really I have had mine for 7 months and have only needed to get 1 cable replaced nothing else. I think they are well made.

[Bravo]

I'm surprised to read this.

I've had one pair for home and one for travel since they came out, and havent had a single problem. I smashed my Astros into the ground after we won Dallas, and they work just fine. Hell, they might even work better now.

I understand your frustration, but it's important to look at the entire scheme of things. If only a certain (extremely small) percentage has problems, then a more dependable product may not be what's needed. With any electronic device, you'll see problems reported online. Nothing's perfect, but most people take good care of their product (NOT saying that you didn't) and don't have too many problems.

I don't want to sound ignorant, perhaps you're just unlucky with A40s, but could something you do (perhaps the way you store your headset) cause the connector to come loose? Do you mean the area on the headset where the mic is inserted?

[Champloo]

I'm surprised to read this.

I've had one pair for home and one for travel since they came out, and havent had a single problem. I smashed my Astros into the ground after we won Dallas, and they work just fine. Hell, they might even work better now.

I understand your frustration, but it's important to look at the entire scheme of things. If only a certain (extremely small) percentage has problems, then a more dependable product may not be what's needed. With any electronic device, you'll see problems reported online. Nothing's perfect, but most people take good care of their product (NOT saying that you didn't) and don't have too many problems.

I don't want to sound ignorant, perhaps you're just unlucky with A40s, but could something you do (perhaps the way you store your headset) cause the connector to come loose? Do you mean the area on the headset where the mic is inserted?
Yeah I saw you guys throw them down on the stream lol. IDK how they didn't break.

I tried looking for an image to show the piece that's loose, this was the best I could find:
http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/4678/astro1q.jpg
This part is loose on the inside, most likely from muting/unmuting the mic(seeing as that's the ONLY thing I can think of that could possibly affect this piece).


It isn't the way I'm storing them, believe me I've been taking better care of these things than my new car(and I've been taking ridiculous care of that). When I'm done playing, I typically put them back in the case they provide, unplugging the disconnect cable.


And I don't know why you're shocked, I know at least 50 people from the MLG Forums that have had the same exact problem- I'm wondering if part of the problem is that they keep sending refurbished ones that were already broken in the first place, and instead of being completely re-manufactured, they just try to apply some "fix" that, ultimately, isn't working.

[Xel]

Have you ever try not to unplug them when u store it? "I think" the problem here is, Jack in And unplug problem. waddaya say guys?

[rorytsm]

it's good to see this post, i'm going through the exact same problem right now, and mine are only about 5-6 months old. i'm extremely pissed with the company right now. unlike the OP i've only unplugged mine about 5 times total, and that's been recently when the connection has gotten so ****ty/stopped working. i used the mute/unmute switch maybe once. so i know it's not usage or over usage, it's a faulty piece of equipment, and they really do need to make a more dependable product, if i get a 2nd pair and ends up doing the same thing like the OP says, i'll never buy from this piece of crap company again and i'll make sure everyone i can reach knows about it.

they don't even have any customer support available on weekends. wtf.

This in my opinion is a problem that people spending 200+ dollars on a piece of audio equipment should not have and reflects directly on the company's lack of quality control or possible use of sub-par components in their manufacturing process.

edited to add: i also get the static/non-working mic if the cord is moved up by the earphone where it connects to as well, which is a huge PITA since it happens every time you turn your head.

[kILLDR3n]

I thought it the controller to mixamp cable. The first one I had was making static when I ever twisted it. I got a new one and it seemed to have stopped for teh first week, but now its doing it again.

[Champloo]

it's good to see this post, i'm going through the exact same problem right now, and mine are only about 5-6 months old. i'm extremely pissed with the company right now. unlike the OP i've only unplugged mine about 5 times total, and that's been recently when the connection has gotten so ****ty/stopped working. i used the mute/unmute switch maybe once. so i know it's not usage or over usage, it's a faulty piece of equipment, and they really do need to make a more dependable product, if i get a 2nd pair and ends up doing the same thing like the OP says, i'll never buy from this piece of crap company again and i'll make sure everyone i can reach knows about it.

they don't even have any customer support available on weekends. wtf.

This in my opinion is a problem that people spending 200+ dollars on a piece of audio equipment should not have and reflects directly on the company's lack of quality control or possible use of sub-par components in their manufacturing process.

edited to add: i also get the static/non-working mic if the cord is moved up by the earphone where it connects to as well, which is a huge PITA since it happens every time you turn your head.

In the new pair I just received, there are little lines on the cord just above the mute switch... none of my other headsets looked like this, so I'm wondering if this is a fix to that problem.

[kILLDR3n]

The problem I'm having now is that my old mic became loose when you would turn it up and down. So I got a new one. It was tight for like the first week, now this one is loose. The way it works is that something inside the headphone clamps on the contact of the mic and holds it there tightly. Eventually it wears out and literally makes a dent on the mic contact. Its not a fullproof design. They need a new design for any new headset they put out in the future.

[WaRninG]

what is the Sennheisers called ?

[Champloo]

Sennheiser PC 350s

[FLeUry]

My question is what happens after the one year warranty is up. Does astro still stand by their product and try to fix it or are you SOL.

[kILLDR3n]

My question is what happens after the one year warranty is up. Does astro still stand by their product and try to fix it or are you SOL.

You can extend your warranty. Also I'm pretty sure some people were out of warranty and got them fixed anyway.


EDIT: someone on the forums a little while ago said you can extend your warranty for a year each time. but even I don't know where you do that.

[Call Me Smoothy]

Well i have gotten an extended warranty with my system...they ask you if you want to extend it after you register your system online for your first warranty it cost like 27 and come change to extend it.

[kILLDR3n]

Well i have gotten an extended warranty with my system...they ask you if you want to extend it after you register your system online for your first warranty it cost like 27 and come change to extend it.

for Astros? I never got a thing that asked me to register them online.

[Legend]

First, let me start off by saying that I love my Astro A40's. I am an avid gamer with over 58,000 achievements so it is important for me to make sure that my A40's are kept in good condition so that they last the longest as possible. With having spent over $370 on the total package, I would be an idiot not to. Unfortunately I am having problems with them now, in less than a year from when I originally bought them. The same problems that Champloo is having, I am having and more. My friends will not be able to hear me at times when I am playing over Live. When moving around the cables connected to my mix amp, I realized that the cord that leads from the mix amp to the controller is the issue. The only way to fix this is by propping up the end of the cord that connects to the mix amp and if I want to buy that piece, I have to buy a whole new mix amp. After fixing this issue, which is not permanent, another problem has arrived. My mic will now create static noise when I am talking to my friends. I then realized that the area around the mute switch is loose and when I move my head even a couple inches, the mic will freak out. I created this account just to write how I am having problems with this, but now that I have read these forums, I know that Astro's are not for the serious gamer. I wish I didn't have to do this, but I am going to have to look into the Sennheiser PC 350s that Champloo is talking about. Hopefully I will not waste another $370 dollars on a unreliable company again. MLG worthy headphones? Sure. For serious gamers? Definitely not.

[BiG_JoHnN]

i extended mine for another year. so my warranty doesnt go out til 2011. ill most likely extend it again after its up.

[Call Me Smoothy]

as did i also...and will also extend it another year when that is up...i didnt pay almost 300 bucks to just put them a side if they were to just break on me

[rorytsm]

just an update, i sent in my headset, microphone, and 4-pole cable to be checked out, i started having all the problems legend had in addition to my initial ones i posted while going through the customer support stuff. i just got my box back from them yesterday, MINUS the cable and microphone, i emailed them promply, and they already have a new cable and microphone shipped out the next day. so we'll see if everything works when i get my package with the cable and mic in it.

edited to add: i'll be extending my warranty just in case something else like this happens again.