Please help me make a decision on the A40!

[peteer01]

Hey Astro Staff, Astro Users and Astro Fans, I've got a decision to make, and I'm looking for feedback

I am 90% sure I want to spend the money on the A40 + MixAmp set. They are worth paying for if it lets me use a suitable volume and sounds better than my current speakers.

Here's my current situation. I live in Japan (have for +7 years) in a nice condominium my wife and I purchased a few years ago. We have a 1 year old son. Between concern for the neighbors and concern for waking up my son, the volume levels are my primary issue with my 5.1 sound system. Knowing it'd be kept at relatively low volumes, I picked up a $300 (or so) Yahama home theater in a box a few years back when I was in the states, that that is what I'm using. (both amp and speakers)

I've toyed around with the idea of gaming headphones for a while, but getting to the states is difficult, and spending $80+ on shipping to Japan just doesn't quite appeal to me. A friend of mine is visiting the states next week for two weeks, and between his offer to pick things up for me and the strong yen, I'm very tempted to spring for the A40 + MixAmp pack for $249.

My concerns are as follows: (Basically, I'm listing my concerns and answering my concerns to try to move towards a purchasing decision, and I'm sharing my thoughts aloud so that you guys can help call BS if a concern is bogus or my rational for thinking it's not a show stopper is faulty.

There is only one driver in each ear. My 5.1 sound system uses 6 speakers to create positional sounds, these headphones, and virtually all headphones, especially audiophile high end headphones, use only a single driver per ear. The multiple speakers in the Tritton AX Pro (which an ex-colleague of mine who I'm not that close with picked up a while back) was initially interesting to me for that reason.

However, I did a lot of reading on an audiophile site, and it seems that bi aural recordings on good headphones allow full spacial cogency, as the subtle audio cues in each ear allow your brain to place sounds in 3D despite only having a left and right speaker. My layman's understanding of this is basically that just like the left and right ear, the subtle differences in a left and right headphone speaker can provide our brains with enough information to allow us to position sounds. If I'm understanding correctly, this is what makes the MixAmp that comes with the headphones so important, since it takes the 5.1 audio feed using "5.1 Dolby Digital " and "Dolby Headphone surround" technology to enable spatial placement on the stereo A40 heardphones.

I kind of which I could try my ex-colleague's 3 driver per ear Tritton AX Pro headphones, as they seem to be "inferior sound" compared to ultra high quality headphones, but some of the reviews I've read claim they're easier to "spatially place" sounds with. Would probably be A-OK with me...I'm by no means an audiophile, I just want to be able to turn up the volume loud enough to *hear* foot steps easily, and other audio cues that I know I'm only partially getting with my subpar setup. (mostly subpar because of volume, but it's not the best speakers or receiver in the world either.)

The A40 has been out for a while, and at the same price...it wouldn't be a surprise to see something new come out soon or see a price drop on the A40.

In a way, there basically has been a price drop on the A40. The 112.5 --> 90 yen/dollar means 20% off. That, and the technology is what Infinity Ward has been using to demo MW2, so clearly this is something MW2 has been designed to sound good on, as opposed to something that has been designed to sound good with games after MW2's already been developed. Some of the only major concerns I've read are limited Dolby Headphone encoding (The Astro A40 only does DH2, not DH1 or DH3.), which might only matter for an audiophile using this for something other than games, a lack of microphone volume control (I've read that people sound very loud on the A40 mic) and only a single driver per headphone (which seems to have the majority of audiophiles agreeing that's the most elegant solution). I don't think I'd NEED anything extra in the amp or headphones, so I don't know why the thought that something new would be coming would impact my decision, other than the basic desire to make sure if you spend $250 on gaming headphones, you want the best $250 gaming headphones out there...not something last gen two weeks after you buy it.

I worry that switching between speakers and headphones will be tediously difficult.

And it could be....but...it looks like Monoprice sells a splitter and cables (x3) that would cost me $10 total, and would theoretically let me have both my speakers and headphones on at the same time (or independently) with no issues. I know some people have had issues with this splitter, mostly running two signals into one output, but hopefully running two outputs from my Xbox over the shortest Monoprice TOSLINK cables will ensure both the receiving and the MixAmp would be just fine.

One thing I might do is play with headphones tonight. I have some very high quality earbuds I got for Christmas, and I have a 1/4" adapter for them that I can use to plug them straight into my receiver. I'm hoping my receiver will be capable of some Dolby Headphone Surround Magic (not quite the official wording, but you guys know what I mean.;)) , allowing me to hopefully hear positionally... If they do, and I can hear properly game sounds, positions and volume levels with that, then I will almost certainly want the A40, as if those headphones are designed for gaming, and that MixAmp is designed for the Xbox 360, and MW2's audio as been designed to sound great on the A40...sold.

What do you think? tl;dr? Worth pulling the trigger? Misinformed? Lemme know.

[Tim_in_NC]

Lots of people feel that a 2 speaker headset surround sound is better than any multiple speaker headset surround sound ... You only have 2 ears, right ... as long as the decoding is there and the speakers are of good quality, you're good to go ...

One of the reasons why 1 speaker per side in a headset if ofter preferred is that to most, you can determine the sounds location much more precisely ... I use a powerful surround sound setup during the day, and I hear things with the astros that I normally don't notice with my high powered surround sound setup ...

If anything new and improved comes to market ... I plan to sell my a40s and upgrade to the new set ... I wouldn't expect anything until end of year or next year some time ... if even they do come out with newer versions ...

Here are the Pros & Cons that I came up before deciding to go with Astros ...

Astro Pros
- Better Sounding Mic
- Can Hear yourself Talk through headset speakers (no screaming while trying to be quiet in the first place)
- Lan Connectivity if Needed
- Extra Cables Included for PC/LAN/Etc ...
- More Comfortable and Flexible
- Carrying Case Included
- No Hiss or Background Noise
- Better Pinpoint Location of Enemies while in Game (Subjective)
- More Durable
- No Wireless Issues with Interference due to WiFi Router, etc ...
- Great Mix Amp for true game vs. voice adjustments
- Mix Amp also allows for future headphone & mic upgrade if wanted (HiFi Headphones, etc...)
- Good Sound Quality (seams more spacial and correct than some)
- Don't have to worry with batteries, plug into xbox USB for power
- Customize your headset with different speaker tags (if this interests you) ...

Astro Cons
- $30 to $90 more expensive than some sets - such as Tritton AX Pros, Tritton ax720 & Turttle Beach x41 (but you get the carrying case, extra cables, and more pros)
- Older Dolby decoding technology (a40's have been on the market for some time now), seems the new Tritton ax720 have slightly better Dolby Decoding
- Not quite as Loud as some Sets but gets plenty loud for anyone (I can't play with it at full volume - too loud - and I don't want to go deaf)
- Not Wireless (this can be good or bad ... good b/c no cables, but bad b/c you have to worry with batteries and interference issues with other wireless devices in your home - such as WiFi Router, Phones, etc...)

[PsGalaxy91]

I don't think you have to worry about the quality of the sound, or the surround effects, because everywhere I looked this where regarded as *The* best gaming headset system available.

If the price of these dropped, well, that would stink fro me, because just bought them 2 days ago. But they're toally worth it, and I wouldn't regret it. Even if something new comes out, this set is currently #1, so no big deal of there's something *slghtly* better there.

[Stormy]

The Dolby Headphone chip that the OP describes is an extremely old version that Freescale (who manufactures the silicon for Dolby's chips) phased out about 3-4 years ago. It's at least two revisions behind the current one. This older chipset had three different surround "Modes" : DH1, DH2, and DH3. Nobody really used any of the modes other than DH2, so Dolby simplified the chip and began shipping a product that approximated DH2 (and just called it 'Dolby Headphone'). DH1 didn't contain noticeably enough surround information (echo and reverb) to matter, and DH3 was just obnoxious. DH2 was what everyone used 99.9% of the time.

The other big benefit of using this new chipset is that the MIPS (instructions per second) are lower, and it uses about 35% less power (if I remember correctly). When you are running on batteries (or on the outer edge of the USB power envelope), this is a huge benefit. (affects the MixAmp in both cases).

The current chipset that we use today (two newer than the old revision that the OP referred to) supports Dolby 7.1 input (matrixed rear side and rear back channels). it's an extremely subtle effect and we don't jump up and down about it here at ASTRO, but the technology is there. It uses even more efficient architecture, so we can give the amp even more juice. :)

If you are in Japan, you can get a better version of the JVC SU-DH1 -- it had abysmal sales according to Dolby due to it's poor amplifier/power output, no provision for a DC/wall power input, and general lack of quality.

The Japanese version is the Victor SU-DH1 -- which has DC-in (yay!). This product also has DTS decoding, which is a benefit to people that are really in to Home Theater. For gaming though, you are going to love the MixAmp. Gaming is where the ASTRO stuff is really going to shine. :)

As for the A40 Headset, you've already gotten some really good advice. The only thing that I would add is that in my opinion, two full-sized drivers along with the top-grade Dolby Headphone technology in the MixAmp give you the best of both worlds: 5.1 when you are plugged into a full sized console, and full-range stereo on the go. It's really nice to have a full-range headset when you want to use it for anything other than gaming on your console--say on an iPhone, PSP, or DSi. Music and games through your portable system come to life because of the full-range driver arrangement. You simply can't get the same performance with only 1 out of 3 tiny drivers working in a multidriver headset. Plus: the A40 makes bass that you *hear* -- it doesn't simply vibrate your ear with a transducer. Being able to use a headset with only a single device limits its value to a large degree -- even though it is "cheaper".

BTW, don't forget to plug in the A40's mic when you are using it with your iPhone and PSP (PSP-3000 and newer). These types of devices have 4-pole inputs that are fully compatible with the A40's standard cable!

--Stormy out.

[kILLDR3n]

Hey Stormy, when some games support 7.1 on Xbox 360 will the mixamp decode that and create virtual 7.1? or is it only 5.1 the mixamp does?

[Cartel-Cashflow]

The Dolby Headphone chip that the OP describes is an extremely old version that Freescale (who manufactures the silicon for Dolby's chips) phased out about 3-4 years ago. It's at least two revisions behind the current one. This older chipset had three different surround "Modes" : DH1, DH2, and DH3. Nobody really used any of the modes other than DH2, so Dolby simplified the chip and began shipping a product that approximated DH2 (and just called it 'Dolby Headphone'). DH1 didn't contain noticeably enough surround information (echo and reverb) to matter, and DH3 was just obnoxious. DH2 was what everyone used 99.9% of the time.

The other big benefit of using this new chipset is that the MIPS (instructions per second) are lower, and it uses about 35% less power (if I remember correctly). When you are running on batteries (or on the outer edge of the USB power envelope), this is a huge benefit. (affects the MixAmp in both cases).

The current chipset that we use today (two newer than the old revision that the OP referred to) supports Dolby 7.1 input (matrixed rear side and rear back channels). it's an extremely subtle effect and we don't jump up and down about it here at ASTRO, but the technology is there. It uses even more efficient architecture, so we can give the amp even more juice. :)

If you are in Japan, you can get a better version of the JVC SU-DH1 -- it had abysmal sales according to Dolby due to it's poor amplifier/power output, no provision for a DC/wall power input, and general lack of quality.

The Japanese version is the Victor SU-DH1 -- which has DC-in (yay!). This product also has DTS decoding, which is a benefit to people that are really in to Home Theater. For gaming though, you are going to love the MixAmp. Gaming is where the ASTRO stuff is really going to shine. :)

As for the A40 Headset, you've already gotten some really good advice. The only thing that I would add is that in my opinion, two full-sized drivers along with the top-grade Dolby Headphone technology in the MixAmp give you the best of both worlds: 5.1 when you are plugged into a full sized console, and full-range stereo on the go. It's really nice to have a full-range headset when you want to use it for anything other than gaming on your console--say on an iPhone, PSP, or DSi. Music and games through your portable system come to life because of the full-range driver arrangement. You simply can't get the same performance with only 1 out of 3 tiny drivers working in a multidriver headset. Plus: the A40 makes bass that you *hear* -- it doesn't simply vibrate your ear with a transducer. Being able to use a headset with only a single device limits its value to a large degree -- even though it is "cheaper".

BTW, don't forget to plug in the A40's mic when you are using it with your iPhone and PSP (PSP-3000 and newer). These types of devices have 4-pole inputs that are fully compatible with the A40's standard cable!

--Stormy out.
I have some questions what makes DH3 so bad isnt a newer version then DH2? also your mixamp can output in 7.1 did i hear that correctly? but can an optical cable send that large of a signal? also what improvments in internals have you made in the mix amp and a40s over its life span so far?

[The Doctor]

Sound quality is beautiful. your friends will pretty much bow before you just to try them at lans. The only disadvantage is the mess of cords. 1 optical link, 1 2.5mm from the computer, the power cord, the 2.5mm headset cord and the smaller controller cord just makes my desk look like burnt spaghetti. But it is well worth it:D

[peteer01]

Very helpful posts from everyone. I was extra pleasantly surprised to see Astro staff offering helpful information. The rational behind the lack of a need for DH1 and DH3 makes me more comfortable pulling the trigger. I am now 99% decided on ordering.

(I actually went to order, only to discover that my friend who's visiting family in CA and HI over the next two weeks lives in two of the worst states to order from. The HI shipping is steeper than I expected, and the CA sales tax is 9.5%!? Yikes.) $260 or so I was good to go, but +280 needs a little while to digest. I tried tracking down a coupon, but the only one I could find is a 10% off coupon that's expired. Does Astro have any valid promotional offers or ways to get coupons? It'd be nice to see a coupon in the forums or a coupon for signing up for the forums...::hint, hint:: ;):p:D

Seriously though, thanks for the help everyone. I'll make a decision soon, and hopefully have this when my friend gets back after 10/18.

EDIT: I did play with my nice pair of in-ear headphones yesterday through my amp, and between that and the virtual haircut (http://www.andy-coates.com/blog/2007/05/06/have-a-virtual-haircut/), I am more than sold on the one speaker per ear being enough. Being able to run both game audio and chat audio through the speakers without having to lower the game volume would be fantastic! (I used my wireless headset over my earbuds and had the 360 run audio only through speaker...it worked, but the lower game volume affected the audio position...but single player Nazi Zombies at normal volume on earbuds was an improvement over 5.1 speakers. :-)

[Stormy]

I have some questions what makes DH3 so bad isnt a newer version then DH2? also your mixamp can output in 7.1 did i hear that correctly? but can an optical cable send that large of a signal? also what improvments in internals have you made in the mix amp and a40s over its life span so far?

I wish that Babelfish had a language option for you, Cartel. ;)

However, if I understand correctly, the answers to most of your questions reside in my original post if you read it again carefully.

As for the carriage of 7.1 over optical, remember that Dolby Digital 7.1 is a "matrixed" signal: so, 7.1 channels are squeezed into the 5.1 mix much in the same way that Dolby Pro Logic's 4 channels are squeezed into a 2-channel stereo signal. If you want the technical details, visit the www.dolby.com site for more information than you could possibly imagine. :)

[kILLDR3n]

I wish that Babelfish had a language option for you, Cartel. ;)

However, if I understand correctly, the answers to most of your questions reside in my original post if you read it again carefully.

As for the carriage of 7.1 over optical, remember that Dolby Digital 7.1 is a "matrixed" signal: so, 7.1 channels are squeezed into the 5.1 mix much in the same way that Dolby Pro Logic's 4 channels are squeezed into a 2-channel stereo signal. If you want the technical details, visit the www.dolby.com site for more information than you could possibly imagine. :)

So for newer games that support 7.1 I'll be able to output that through the mixamp but it won't show as much of a difference though?

[Cartel-Cashflow]

I wish that Babelfish had a language option for you, Cartel. ;)

However, if I understand correctly, the answers to most of your questions reside in my original post if you read it again carefully.

As for the carriage of 7.1 over optical, remember that Dolby Digital 7.1 is a "matrixed" signal: so, 7.1 channels are squeezed into the 5.1 mix much in the same way that Dolby Pro Logic's 4 channels are squeezed into a 2-channel stereo signal. If you want the technical details, visit the www.dolby.com site for more information than you could possibly imagine. :)

Sorry bout that that was on my ipod i wasnt really paying attention either it was 2 in the morning i think :o
Also could you tell me internally what upgrades to the mix amp and headset have been made since the first production unit. Whats it like being an astro staff nice job on the zune hd that **** is hot

[Robotson]

Hey Stormy, when some games support 7.1 on Xbox 360 will the mixamp decode that and create virtual 7.1? or is it only 5.1 the mixamp does?

I would like to know the answer to this question also.

[peteer01]

Alright, I am now a proud future A40 owner. You guys will probably see me back here at the end of October.

[peteer01]

Alright, I am now a proud future A40 owner. You guys will probably see me back here at the end of October.It's a little later than October, but here I am.

First off, the Astro headphones/MixAmp combination is amazing. I am very happy with their look, sound, ease of setup and versatility. They work great with a 360.

Now, for the sad part of the story. My A40 headset is broken. I ordered it in October of 2009, and as I live in Japan, had it shipped to a friend who was visiting Las Vegas, who brought it back for me.

The headset and MixAmp worked perfectly until yesterday. When I went to put the headphones on, the black center screw on the left ear piece popped out, and the left post became dislocated from the top bar, but was still held on by it's wires. The screw that holds the left and right earpieces in place is a triangular screw, even though I I found the screw and pushed the bar back in place, it wasn't like I could screw the bar back in place. I tried using a + and a - screwdriver to screw the screw back in as best I could, and although neither worked well, the bar was being held in place, and the headset worked just fine that night.

Today, I went to put on the headset again, and again the screw popped out, but this time the wires holding on were pulled out even more.

Living in Japan, I was hoping I could screw the screw back in after the first time and keep using it, but it obviously needs maintenance and/or repairs from Astro Support, and I am not looking forward to shipping a heavy headset overseas for repairs. ($$$!)

I've got my fingers crossed that Astro support team's quality is as good as the sound quality of the A40s...but with the geographic distance and cost of shipping, I'm definitely bummed at what I'll have to shell out to get them working again, and how long I'll have to go without them. :(

[peteer01]

I've got my fingers crossed that Astro support team's quality is as good as the sound quality of the A40s...but with the geographic distance and cost of shipping, I'm definitely bummed at what I'll have to shell out to get them working again, and how long I'll have to go without them. :(An update for any interested parties out there:

I sent off my A40s out on Monday, February 8th, via EMS (the fastest method short of overnight or courier that I know of) and the were in San Francisco the very next day. However, thanks to the "efficiency" of US customs and the USPS (which handles EMS deliveries to the US), Astro Gaming, which is also in San Francisco, didn't get the package until the 11th.

Considering that was President's Day weekend, I'm pretty satisfied to have received an e-mail from Astro on the 20th saying my headphones "...are ready to ship back out to you. Your return shipment will go out with our next scheduled postal pickup" Five business days for turn around, and hopefully a speedy and safe return trip to Japan, and I can game with my A40s again very soon.

(A quick side note, I'd previously wondered why there were no gaming earbuds offered, and used a high end pair of earbuds I have with the MixAmp while the A40s were being fixed. Ouch. Not good for extended gaming.)

Hopefully I'll remember to jump on and give a final analysis of the whole repair process and how my A40s are working when I get them, but I wanted to type this message now, as if I don't say anything, it almost certainly means they came back in great shape and that I'm too busy using them to remember to update here! ;)

[LolXCoreZorz]

This is actually a pretty entertaining read.
And with regards to one of you're original posts peteer, the mic volume adjustment is the distance the mic is from your mouth :)

[peteer01]

This is actually a pretty entertaining read.
Thanks for the e-mail. Unfortunately, there's a not so entertaining update, or lack of update from Astro, more specifically.

Since my last post, I've still been waiting to receive a tracking number from Astro, and I have no idea if my A40s have shipped or when I can expect to get them back. It's been 6 days since I last heard from Astro, so I've contacted them again, asking for an update, but I am a bit bummed to have not heard anything after being told to expect a tracking number...:(

[ASTRO Warblade]

peteer1, shoot me a PM with your Support Case #, and I'll have it looked at again by the Support Team and you'll hopefully get a reply soon! =)

[peteer01]

Thanks for the e-mail. Unfortunately, there's a not so entertaining update, or lack of update from Astro, more specifically.And now for the happy ending. Apparently the A40s had been sent out earlier in the week via EMS (the same method I used to ship them) and arrived late Saturday evening (Japan time). They'd been sent as I'd hoped, I just hadn't been sent the tracking number. They work fantastic, and I am a happy camper. Thanks for the good products and service, Astro. :D

[Holiday]

Good to hear :) I can't wait for mine to come in.

[peteer01]

Just a quick update. I love my A40s, my friend who has a receiver that is worth more than most people's total 5.1 sound system system, loves his A40s so much that he does all his single player gaming on them, and my brother is now looking into getting a set, after having picked up the new 360 and a new HDTV.

I do wish my purchase had lined up with the new MixAmp that replaced the original...but honestly, if that's my biggest concern, I think I'd have to say this is one of the best puchases I've made in a while. :-) For any of you on the fence, I hope my story and experiences leave that as the main take away.

[carlmcd]

I can't really stand gaming without my A40s anymore. Well, unless it's with my A30s. ;)

Promise I'm not a crazy fanboy, though, I only have both because the latter were an on-sale limited edition from PAX (and make better "travelling" headphones). The best thing about the A40 set over any other option I've seen (that does Dolby Headphone) is that the mixamp takes pretty much every standard input, and does standard outputs (with adapters). I'll be honest; the A40 headset alone is a bit overpriced (IMO). For $199, you can do better. But the Mixamp is worth every penny ($130), at which point the whole system for $250 is more than reasonable. The A40 headset has sound on par with any headset (not headphones) you'd get in the $100-$150 price range, and is one of the most comfortable things I've ever worn.

And if you're looking to save a few, don't write off the A30. On-ear and closed driver means it isolates sound a bit more, and while you'll feel a bit more pressure than the A40s you also have less overall weight...and they still sound great. The only real issue with them is the mic is a bit awkward compared to the A40.

Like, I sat there and read every negative review of the A40 before I bought it. But a friend had a pair, and when I put it on my head they blew me away. They're expensive, but (as a set, with the Mixamp) they're not particularly overpriced. I've not regretted my purchase for a second.

[peteer01]

Just a quick update. I love my A40s, my friend who has a receiver that is worth more than most people's total 5.1 sound system system, loves his A40s so much that he does all his single player gaming on them, and my brother is now looking into getting a set, after having picked up the new 360 and a new HDTV.

I do wish my purchase had lined up with the new MixAmp that replaced the original...but honestly, if that's my biggest concern, I think I'd have to say this is one of the best puchases I've made in a while. :-) For any of you on the fence, I hope my story and experiences leave that as the main take away.Unfortunately, my second experience with support wasn't nearly as smooth or as satisfying as my first...and the fact that I've had to contact support more than once is also a bit disappointing. I'm trying to work out the situation with support at the moment, and I'm going to try to give them a chance to set things right and for me to cool down a bit before I start ranting. Hopefully I'll edit this to say that all is well...the follow up will come when it comes.

Edit: Misunderstandings and delays aside, support did repair and get my A40s and MixAmp back to me, and they're now working as intended. My first experience with support was very impressive. And in the end, Astro support definitely did their job the second time was well. I stand by my repeated claim that the A40 + MixAmp is a fantastic product, especially for the 360, and while support fixed my problems, hopefully the vast majority of Astro customers never need to use support at all.