Astro A40 headset with Mix Amp $199.99 @ Dell

I just bought one of these back in January, kinda wish I waited for this deal, but its well worth even the $250 price tag.
 
[quote name='greeble']I just bought one of these back in January, kinda wish I waited for this deal, but its well worth even the $250 price tag.[/QUOTE]

This is a good deal, but I'll second that they're worth full price. Great product!
 
Thanks OP I was buying a pair this coming weekend anyways. Anyone know how long deals like this last on dell? What is the target discount? How can I get that?
 
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Only 3% Bing cashback, not enough to cover tax, but I bit. And to think earlier tonight I was too cheap to spend $70 on four premium game tees from MeatBun...

These headphones are part of a 72-hour gaming sale on the site, so I doubt there's a better discount if I ordered through my work's Dell discount.

Was planning on seeing what's up with the new Trittons coming this/next month, but these seemed like a more premium item for just a little bit more money. I wish the duo-tone white/black models were on sale too.
 
[quote name='dafunkk12']Only 3% Bing cashback, not enough to cover tax, but I bit. And to think earlier tonight I was too cheap to spend $70 on four premium game tees from MeatBun...

These headphones are part of a 72-hour gaming sale on the site, so I doubt there's a better discount if I ordered through my work's Dell discount.

Was planning on seeing what's up with the new Trittons coming this/next month, but these seemed like a more premium item for just a little bit more money. I wish the duo-tone white/black models were on sale too.[/QUOTE]

Thanks! Didn't know about the 3% bing. Do you know when the 72 hour sale started? Was it just a few hours ago at midnight?
 
[quote name='leglez']Thanks! Didn't know about the 3% bing. Do you know when the 72 hour sale started? Was it just a few hours ago at midnight?[/QUOTE]
I was trying to figure that out, but didn't see any dates anywhere obvious. Did the sale start Saturday? Sunday? Monday? Tuesday? I dunno...
 
I was talking about these with a friend last night, and he looked them up online. Dell is pretty much the only big online retailer that carries them. They are also available through the Astro website.

Anyway, they weren't on sale Monday evening, so the 72 hours should be through Thursday evening at least.
 
Anyone know if this is the new 2010 mixamp, or an old 2009 that wouldn't work on PS3? I'm super close to pulling the trigger, and if it's cross compatible, I'm sold.
 
[quote name='Banky']Anyone know if this is the new 2010 mixamp, or an old 2009 that wouldn't work on PS3? I'm super close to pulling the trigger, and if it's cross compatible, I'm sold.[/QUOTE]

I got one from dell about 2 weeks ago and it was the 2010 mixamp.
 
[quote name='AlwaysAngryGuy']I got one from dell about 2 weeks ago and it was the 2010 mixamp.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the clarification, how are you enjoying yours?
 
This is a great deal relative to the what it cost. Basically, Astro has strong price control on this headset/mixamp combo since no-one, but Dell and Astro sell em.

I considered these, but wtf is up with only 5.1 sound when 7.1 is out on the mixamp. Just keep in mind that you get 5.1 surround over stereo dolby pro-logic sound. Basically, they use to use this on VHS tapes to get surround sound out of stereo speakers.

The Tritton's has actually Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound out of the correct number of speakers. Wether you can hear it is a completely different question.

Anyone have these can comment on it?

I got the Tritton AX 360 with DD 5.1 on sale at amazon.com for around $55, but frankly can't tell where the sound is coming from in these headsets.
 
[quote name='leesiulung']I considered these, but wtf is up with only 5.1 sound when 7.1 is out on the mixamp. Just keep in mind that you get 5.1 surround over stereo dolby pro-logic sound. Basically, they use to use this on VHS tapes to get surround sound out of stereo speakers.

The Tritton's has actually Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound out of the correct number of speakers. Wether you can hear it is a completely different question.
[/QUOTE]

As far as I know the A40 is delivering Dolby Headphone decoding to drive stereo headphones.

Dolby Headphone is compatible with native 5.1-channel content. When combined with Dolby Pro Logic II technology, Dolby Headphone can transform content from a two-channel source into a surround sound listening experience.

When reproducing a source that incorporates Dolby Pro Logic IIz preprocessing, Dolby Headphone provides a 7.1-channel surround sound experience.
Click to expand...

More here:
http://www.dolby.com/professional/technology/pc/dolby-headphone.html

Which Tritton are you referring to? The AX Pro? Reviews seem to be very mixed.
 
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That guy saying you only get 5.1 through Dolby pro logic 2 is wrong, you only get Dolby pro logic 2 if you are using analog method of hooking it up, if you use a digital toslink cable then it does full Dolby digital, you have to buy a digital toslink cable though because the astros don't come with one, just goto monoprice.com and get a long one for like 6 bucks or so and you are set. I love my astros
 
[quote name='gantt']As far as I know the A40 is deliveriing Dolby Headphone decoding to drive stereo headphones.



More here:
http://www.dolby.com/professional/technology/pc/dolby-headphone.html

Which Tritton are you referring to? The AX Pro? Reviews seem to be very mixed.[/QUOTE]

I got a discontinued model 2-3 weeks ago, the Tritton AX 360. You can find it at amazon.com here.

Tritton must have recently removed the information from their website.

[quote name='Qweets']That guy saying you only get 5.1 through Dolby pro logic 2 is wrong, you only get Dolby pro logic 2 if you are using analog method of hooking it up, if you use a digital toslink cable then it does full Dolby digital, you have to buy a digital toslink cable though because the astros don't come with one, just goto monoprice.com and get a long one for like 6 bucks or so and you are set. I love my astros[/QUOTE]

Now, I might be wrong, but the headset itself is stereo. No matter what you feed the amp, it is limited by the speakers in your headphone. Your Dolby Digital 5.1 signal is converted to Dolby Pro Logic to feed your stereo headset.
 
[quote name='Qweets']That guy saying you only get 5.1 through Dolby pro logic 2 is wrong...[/QUOTE]

Yes, Pro Logic II delivers 5 channels from a stereo source.
This (the A40, via Dolby Headphone) is actually doing the opposite: it takes a 5.1 source (if you use the digital connection to the source) and simulates it using stereo headphones.

From Dolby:
Dolby Headphone electronically imparts the sonic signature of a corresponding speaker properly placed in a carefully defined acoustic environment to each audio channel (two on stereo programs, and up to five on surround programs). The subwoofer signal (the “.1” Low-Frequency Effects [LFE] channel) is mixed into the Left and Right channels in equal proportion.
All of this information is combined by the Dolby Headphone processor into two encoded channels that deliver the spatial properties of the original audio, with more natural sounds that actually seem to be "out-of-head."
Click to expand...
 
[quote name='Revolution']Good deal, but also try out the Sharkoons if anyone is interested. Great headset as well.[/QUOTE]

The Sharkoon X-Tatic is another 4 speaker per ear solution, like the Tritton AX Pro and AX 360. Looks interesting, but from their website zay are very German/euro; I can't even find a US-based retailer that sells them. All else being equal, I'd rather deal with a San Francisco company.

Do you own them? Where did you get them?
 
The "surround headsets" that use multiple speakers per ear are a worthless gimmick, and they over inferior sound quality to boot. What you want is a high quality stereo headset and a Dolby Headphone decoder, such as the mixamp, to send simulated surround sound to it. When you put multiple speakers in each ear of the headphone, you ensure that each speaker is of relatively low quality without providing a genuine surround sound experience.
 
[quote name='SpoDaddy']The "surround headsets" that use multiple speakers per ear are a worthless gimmick, and they over inferior sound quality to boot. What you want is a high quality stereo headset and a Dolby Headphone decoder, such as the mixamp, to send simulated surround sound to it. When you put multiple speakers in each ear of the headphone, you ensure that each speaker is of relatively low quality without providing a genuine surround sound experience.[/QUOTE]

while this may be true...I think these would be worthwhile because they offer an integrated/compatible headset with voice chat for Xbox Live and PSN. the setup above does not. so, even if the audio quality is compromised, you get an all-in-one solution for a decent price.

i tried out my bro's last night ('09 mixamp) on Xbox Live with toslink digital and they sound nice. very comfortable. i'm not an audiophile...but I was relatively impressed.
 
[quote name='Jonsoncao']this or turtle beach X41?
which one better?[/QUOTE]

Astro's are known for their superior sound quality versus any gaming headset out there today. They also have own-voice feedback and some other really nice features. The main differences between these and the turtle beach X41s are that the ASTRO's will be fully functional on the PS3 and 360, while the X41s chat will not work on the PS3. The X41s are RF wireless, while the ASTRO's are wired.

If wireless is important and you only need them for xbox 360, then the X41s are for you. If wireless isn't an issue, and/or you have a PS3 then I would go with the Astros.

I personally own the Tritton AX 720's and LOVE them.
 
I wouldn't buy the X41s even if you did care about it being wireless. The X41s are pure garbage and I had nothing but trouble even after replacing them twice. Deal with the wires and get the much better Astro A40s.
 
I have an old Sennheiser HD600 and an old onkyo amp for CD(only has 2 channels no surround sound, does have coaxial and optical tho), also a tube headphone amp for classical music, which are really nice combo already

I just wonder if in the actual gameplay, the 5.1 surround sound can be really replicated or simulated by such a small headset; is there gonna be any major improvement over my HD600?

I only hooked up xbox with those amps, since I am using HDMI for ps3 and my amps are all pretty old they dont have any HDMI port
 
[quote name='KansasFF']
I personally own the Tritton AX 720's and LOVE them.[/QUOTE]

I think the Tritton AX720's are great !
 
[quote name='Jonsoncao']I have an old Sennheiser HD600 and an old onkyo amp for CD(only has 2 channels no surround sound, does have coaxial and optical tho), also a tube headphone amp for classical music, which are really nice combo already

I just wonder if in the actual gameplay, the 5.1 surround sound can be really replicated or simulated by such a small headset; is there gonna be any major improvement over my HD600?

I only hooked up xbox with those amps, since I am using HDMI for ps3 and my amps are all pretty old they dont have any HDMI port[/QUOTE]

You can feel the surround sound (at least with my Tritton ax 720's being simulated).
 
[quote name='Jonsoncao']
I only hooked up xbox with those amps, since I am using HDMI for ps3 and my amps are all pretty old they dont have any HDMI port[/QUOTE]

Why does that matter? PS3 supports outputting video to HDMI *and* audio via toslink/digital out. I'm using it myself since my receiver doesn't support HDMI, either.
 
[quote name='sk3tchcom'][quote name='SpoDaddy']The "surround headsets" that use multiple speakers per ear are a worthless gimmick, and they over inferior sound quality to boot. What you want is a high quality stereo headset and a Dolby Headphone decoder, such as the mixamp, to send simulated surround sound to it. When you put multiple speakers in each ear of the headphone, you ensure that each speaker is of relatively low quality without providing a genuine surround sound experience.[/QUOTE]while this may be true...I think these would be worthwhile because they offer an integrated/compatible headset with voice chat for Xbox Live and PSN. the setup above does not. so, even if the audio quality is compromised, you get an all-in-one solution for a decent price.
[/QUOTE]

I think SpoDaddy was actually advocating a setup like this (the A40).

The A40 system is a stereo headset (one speaker per ear) connected to a Dolby Headphone decoder, while the AX Pro and X-Tatic have headsets with multiple speakers per ear that receive the discrete Dolby Digital channels (with center and LF split between left and right sides).

Both the discrete surround speakers and stereo speakers headsets (e.g. AX Pro and A40) have integrated voice chat.
 
If you dont have a ps3, I would go with the X41. I use them for my pc and 360 with fantastic success. They were $179 at amazon.... last I checked. Read the reviews over there.
 
I have both the Tritton 720's and X41's and both are ok. My only complaint with the X41's is the interference with my existing wireless network. Like if someone is printing something from the networked wireless printer the headsets go crazy with loud popping and cracking.
:bouncy:
I am tempted to get the A40's, or at least the mixamp. I want to see how it stacks up to the Trittons dolby digital box. I recently did some experiments with the Tritton box by switching out the standard Tritton headphones, with some Sennheiser ones and got some great results.
 
[quote name='gantt']I think SpoDaddy was actually advocating a setup like this (the A40).

The A40 system is a stereo headset (one speaker per ear) connected to a Dolby Headphone decoder, while the AX Pro and X-Tatic have headsets with multiple speakers per ear that receive the discrete Dolby Digital channels (with center and LF split between left and right sides).

Both the discrete surround speakers and stereo speakers headsets (e.g. AX Pro and A40) have integrated voice chat.[/QUOTE]

Ahh...OK.

Should I go for the A40 or is there a better solution that can A) work with my surround receiver (all my systems report to it in toslink/digital) and B) give me a mic for voice chat?

I look at the A40 as a great all-in-one solution to the problem. My system is great but if I just use my headset (which is nice, but has no mic) - I'm limited in range. Plus my Sony headset won't integrate with the official BT headset on PS3 or the standard Xbox 360 headset.

I have a baby on the way so I need something for Midnight gaming sessions. :)
 
[quote name='gantt']The Sharkoon X-Tatic is another 4 speaker per ear solution, like the Tritton AX Pro and AX 360. Looks interesting, but from their website zay are very German/euro; I can't even find a US-based retailer that sells them. All else being equal, I'd rather deal with a San Francisco company.

Do you own them? Where did you get them?[/QUOTE]

My gf got them from me from Amazon but there was only one at the time. I saw some on ebay as well. It comes with all the adapters for every region of the world. Has only one power cord as opposed to 2 in other brands and has good quality sound, from what I can tell. The version I'm talkin about is the Xtatic.
 
[quote name='Jonsoncao']I have an old Sennheiser HD600 and an old onkyo amp for CD(only has 2 channels no surround sound, does have coaxial and optical tho), also a tube headphone amp for classical music, which are really nice combo already

I just wonder if in the actual gameplay, the 5.1 surround sound can be really replicated or simulated by such a small headset; is there gonna be any major improvement over my HD600?

I only hooked up xbox with those amps, since I am using HDMI for ps3 and my amps are all pretty old they dont have any HDMI port[/QUOTE]

Your Sennheiser HD600 will sound far better than any gaming headset. You could plug your HD600 into the Astro Mixamp for optimal sound quality, you'd just have to velcro a mic to the earcup for chat.
 
[quote name='gantt']I think SpoDaddy was actually advocating a setup like this (the A40).

The A40 system is a stereo headset (one speaker per ear) connected to a Dolby Headphone decoder, while the AX Pro and X-Tatic have headsets with multiple speakers per ear that receive the discrete Dolby Digital channels (with center and LF split between left and right sides).
[/QUOTE]

Exactly. You want a stereo headset plugged into something like the mixamp for optimal surround sound quality. If you have stereo headphones, plug them into your computer and do a search for dolby headphone demos. You can listen to some awesome surround sound with your existing headphones and see how these things work. The multiple speaker per earcup sets are worthless.
 
Crap I am torn between the X41's and the A40's. Question about the A40's do i need batteries to power the headset? or is the USB that comes off the MixAmp all I need?
 
[quote name='GeorgeCostanza']Crap I am torn between the X41's and the A40's. Question about the A40's do i need batteries to power the headset? or is the USB that comes off the MixAmp all I need?[/QUOTE]

You don't need batteries. If you guys got questions I've owned them for almost a year now.
 
After researching everything all day I think I am going with the Sennheiser PC 350 and the Astro Mixamp. Will cost about $270 but should be superior to the A40 system.
 
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