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Astro A50 Gen 5 evaluation: one-minute evaluation
Logitech’s Astro sub-brand has a sizeable lineage, providing competition-grade audio options for years now, and the A50 Gen 5 is ready to simply keep that establishment at a (barely) lower cost level than the Astro A50 X, one of many best wireless gaming headsets we examined final 12 months.
A lot of the Astro A50 Gen 5 is constructed on the identical very spectacular basis. It’s packing graphene drivers, which not solely sound nice but in addition contribute little or no by way of weight, whereas the entire design feels well-built with out ever feeling uncomfortable for longer durations of use.
Audio sounds glorious, with a broad soundstage that packs in loads of bass with out distortion and loads of high-end with out tinniness, and I discovered myself utilizing it for listening to music virtually as a lot as I did for gaming.
Dolby Atmos and Home windows Sonic are included, in addition to the choice to pipe in Bluetooth audio from an exterior supply — perfect for anybody trying to crank up a podcast or playlist whereas grinding of their favourite recreation.
That flexibility is a standard theme with the A50 Gen 5, too, since it may be related to a number of platforms. Whereas its pricier ‘X’ branded sibling can swap HDMI inputs with a button press, the A50 Gen 5 can do the identical for audio.
The identical mic from the A50 X is right here, too, crystal clear in pressurized aggressive moments (or as aggressive as you may get inside my very own ability stage) and simple to fold up in case you’d desire to only use the headset as a pair of very good headphones.
Add to {that a} implausible 24 hours of battery life, plus the comfort of having the ability to relaxation the headset on the docking station so it’s at all times able to go and also you’ve received a compelling package deal — and that’s earlier than relating Logitech’s G Hub software program, which options customized equalizers and Blue voice changes.
It’s nonetheless not precisely reasonably priced, however in case you’re searching for a headset that may work throughout all platforms, it could be cheaper than shopping for a devoted one for every.
Astro A50 Gen 5 evaluation: Worth and availability
- Checklist value: $299.99 / £299.99
- Cheaper than Astro A50 X by round £70/$80
- Obtainable worldwide
For $300 / £300, you get a strong package deal right here. Except for the implausible headset, that base station actually is nifty.
It is nicely constructed, providing a very helpful method to maintain your headset charged, whereas it’s laborious to search out fault with the construct high quality of the A50 Gen 5 headset itself.
It’s extra premium than mid-range headsets that lean on plasticky shells, and equally priced SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro.
That rival arguably feels extra headphone-like in its design, however presents comparable versatility from multi-platform and dual-source output. If you would like one thing that appears rather less like a gaming peripheral, that is perhaps the best way to go.
Astro A50 Gen 5 evaluation: Specs
|
Worth |
$299.99 / £299.99 / AU$439 |
|
Weight |
363g / 12.8oz |
|
Compatibility |
PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Change, Android, iOS |
|
Connection sort |
Wi-fi (2.4GHz, Bluetooth 5.2) |
|
Options |
Audio switching between platforms, flip-up omnidirectional mic, dual-source audio, 24-hour battery life |
|
Software program |
Logitech G Hub |
Astro A50 Gen 5 evaluation: Design and options
- Light-weight headset with fold-down mic
- Graphene drivers are light-weight however supply massive sound
- Material ear cups are comfy and keep away from sweat build-up
Sat subsequent to the pricier A50 X, you’d be hard-pressed to identify the variations, though the pink cables on the Gen 5s versus the black cables on the A50 X are a little bit of a giveaway.
The A50 Gen 5 is available in black or white, with magnetic cushions that may be taken off and swapped in case you really feel they’re attending to the tip of their life (though even after nicely over a 12 months of the premium model, it’s not ever felt that method to me).
The mic is equivalent, too, folding all the way down to mouth stage, whereas the aspect panel on the opposite aspect incorporates all of the inputs. There’s chat and audio mixing on the headset itself, in addition to Bluetooth performance for piping your music by.
It’s comfy for lengthy durations due to being lighter than the previous Logitech Professional X headsets I’ve used prior to now, whereas the ear cups by no means really feel like they get too scorching. In actual fact, I desire them to the colder, extra leather-like alternate options (though you should buy a leatherette conversion equipment from Logitech).
Onto the docking station, then, and whereas there’s no HDMI connectivity on the again, there are 4 USB ports. One is reserved for energy, so the mathematics fanatics will acknowledge that there are three ports left.
The ports are labeled for PC, PS5, and Xbox, that means Change is absent, however you possibly can plug it into any of them.
It’s possible you’ll want to offer your individual USB-C cables, although — Logitech solely supplies one for energy and a single cable to attach up different consoles.
Astro A50 Gen 5 evaluation: Efficiency
- 24-hour battery life plus added comfort of docking station
- 24-bit PC audio, 16-bit on consoles however you’re unlikely to listen to the distinction
- Connects by way of USB-C to docking station, however no HDMI ports
The Astro Gen 5, at the least to my comparatively educated ears as a musician, sounds the identical as its premium sibling.
Footsteps from enemies in Call of Duty: Warzone and Black Ops 6 are crisp and simple to position, whereas the path of gunfire is discernible even with brief bursts.
Overwatch Hero callouts sound crisp, whereas extra cinematic titles like Assassin’s Creed Shadows really feel notably spectacular, notably when rain is falling on rooftops.
It’s price noting that there’s no Energetic Noise Cancellation (ANC), however regardless of having a comparatively giant head, I felt the seal round my ears was tight sufficient the place that by no means felt like a serious concern. Your mileage could range, although.
Maybe most impressively, the A50 Gen 5s are implausible for non-gaming audio, too. If you wish to chill with music, the balanced soundstage pairs with the comfy headset to make every part really feel good and recent.
I discovered listening to rock epics was an awesome expertise, with piano and percussion dancing round one another properly, whereas there’s loads of bass when the scenario requires it, however with out the distortion it’s possible you’ll get from cheaper headsets.
You possibly can mess around with a mixer within the Logitech G app, too, whereas the aforementioned earcup controls are perfect for adjusting chat and recreation audio.
Nonetheless, audio output is just one-half of the coin, and whereas I’ve tended to maintain mics folded up in favor of a desktop possibility with older setups, the mic right here is crystal clear always.
The Logitech G app on PC can faucet into the corporate’s Blue mic filtering to regulate to get you sounding candy as a whistle, however even proper out of the field, it feels as if you may be standing proper subsequent to a teammate as you’re employed on methods.
Must you purchase the Astro A50 Gen 5?
Purchase it if…
Do not buy it if…
Additionally take into account…
Nonetheless not bought on the Astro A50 Gen 5? Right here’s the way it compares to 2 comparable merchandise.
| Row 0 – Cell 0 |
Astro A50 Gen 5 |
Astro A50 X |
Razer BlackShark V2 Professional |
|
Worth |
$299.99 / £299.99 / AU$439 |
$399.99 / £359.99 / AU$649 |
$199.99 / £199.99 / AU$299 |
|
Weight |
363g / 12.8oz |
363g / 12.8oz |
320g / 11.28oz |
|
Compatibility |
PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Change, Android, iOS |
PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Change, Android, iOS |
PC, Mac, Android, iOS |
|
Connection sort |
Wi-fi (2.4GHz, Bluetooth 5.2) |
Wi-fi (2.4GHz, Bluetooth 5.2) |
Wi-fi (2.4GHz, Bluetooth 5.2) |
|
Options |
Audio switching between platforms, flip-up omnidirectional mic, dual-source audio, 24-hour battery life |
Audio and HDMI switching between platforms, flip-up omnidirectional mic, dual-source audio, 24-hour battery life |
Loud quantity, unidirectional mic, 70 hours of battery |
|
Software program |
Logitech G Hub |
Logitech G Hub |
Razer Synapse |
How I examined the Astro A50 Gen 5
- Examined over a number of weeks
- Used on a gaming PC with an RTX 4070 Ti, PS5 Professional, and Xbox Sequence X
- Get together chat throughout a number of video games used to check the mic, in addition to Discord on PC
I spent my time utilizing the Astro A50 Gen 5 throughout PC and console, switching between Name of Obligation Warzone and Black Ops 6, indie multiplayer title The Headliners, and EA FC 25.
For testing the mic, I performed some heated video games of Overwatch 2, Marvel Rivals, and Future 2 to make sure comms have been clear.
First reviewed April 2025