Logitech Astro A10: good budget headset in mecha style
4.4.2022
Translation: Veronica Bielawski
Logitech has released the second generation of its Astro A10 budget headset. The wired gaming headset sits comfortably on my head, and the microphone is surprisingly good.
The Astro A10 looks like something straight out of a mecha anime. My white test sample certainly exudes this charm – Gundam says hi. As you’d expect from a gaming headset, the Astro A10 is heavy on the bass. In line with the mecha theme, the headset is fantastic for playing action games, but not suitable for listening to music.
Features and design
The Astro A10 comes with a two-metre cable which includes a volume control. The cable is removable, so you can replace it should it ever break. That’s a nice feature for a budget headset. A PC splitter cable is also included for connecting to a sound card. And that’s about all there is to the controls and scope of delivery.
On the software side, the Astro A10 doesn’t offer any controls or configuration options. Since it connects via a headphone jack, it’s compatible with the PS5, Xbox Series S/X, Switch as well as PC.
The microphone is permanently mounted but can be flipped up. When flipped up, it’s muted. The microphone is flexible, allowing you to position it right where you need it.
The headset is made of plastic and textile. The headband seems completely malleable, too, and the ear cups can be tilted, allowing the A10 to adapt to any head shape. To ensure that it fits your head size, you can adjust the speakers seamlessly by up to 31 millimetres on either side.
The headband as well as the speakers are padded with foam. They feel comfortable. The ear pads can be removed and cleaned or replaced. The pads have a rather small opening for the ears. I have small ears, so this doesn’t bother me. However, I can imagine that for people with large ears, this may feel uncomfortable with prolonged use.
Overall, the headset is well-made. I have the impression that it’s also sturdy enough to survive travel – i.e. that it won’t get damaged in a backpack or bag. But I personally find it too big to use with the Nintendo Switch when I’m out and about.
Sound quality
The Astro A10 sounds unbalanced. It creates a decent boom, but speech and instruments sound harsh and are somewhat lost. Since this is a gaming headset, that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. It’s actually quite fun in action games – just don’t expect to easily understand your fellow players during an explosion.
The headset’s spatial sound is better. You can easily distinguish left and right. The two 32-millimetre neodymium magnet drivers also do a good job creating sound in the front and back. Fine gradations, however, are difficult to hear. I’m used to better performance from other headsets, such as the Razer Kraken V3 Hypersense, which I recently reviewed.
For listening to music, I find the Astro A10 unsuitable. It’s frankly too unbalanced for that. Songs like «Can You Imagine» degenerate into bass-central, even though the song has several layers to it.
The microphone, on the other hand, is surprisingly good. It doesn’t make me sound (too) tinny, and my speech can easily be understood. I’ve had much worse experiences with other headsets like the Logitech G435. The microphone suppresses background noise well. And when I get loud, the microphone handles that well, too.
Verdict: good budget gaming headset
The Logitech Astro A10 is perfectly suited for playing action games. It’s very bass-heavy, which does sometimes drown out voices and instruments. Its spatial sound image is good, but not amazing. Other headsets do offer more – but also cost more. For the price of the A10, you get a usable headset that comes up with a surprisingly good microphone.
If you’re looking for an affordable, wired headset that’s also comfortable – and don’t mind the aforementioned limitations – I can recommend the A10.
Kevin Hofer
Senior Editor
kevin.hofer@digitecgalaxus.chFrom big data to big brother, Cyborgs to Sci-Fi. All aspects of technology and society fascinate me.
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