Gaming headphones are a necessity for many.
Whether it's to minimise noise levels for those around you while you play, or to better immerse yourself in the game world you're playing in, it's obvious why many lay down a lot of money for aural perfection.
The new Logitech Astro A50 X headphones are a prime example.
Retailing at around $800, they're far from cheap, but they do represent one of the pinnacles of gaming headsets - yet they're not without their flaws.
THE GOOD
Firstly, they look sleek and compact. Weighing in at around 363g, these over-the-ear headphones don't feel like a weight crushing down on your head. They're comfortable with a cushioned headband and cushioned ear foam accoutrements to ensure that gaming time isn't a literal pain.
They can sustain lengthy gaming sessions, but after a while the earpieces do get warm, and despite fabric-lined, memory foam ear comforts, they don't really feel breathable enough to stop sweating on the side of your head.
Particularly in the filthy muggy heat Aotearoa is experiencing this summer, there have been times when it's just been too hot to wear them and keep on persevering with the brutality and tension of The Last Of Us Part II Remastered.
The A50 X also has a sturdy mic that makes in-game chat both clear and easy to receive; plus unlike many headsets on the market, it doesn't feel like it will ultimately snap off after a few months of use. With chunky poles on the side that allow the earcups to move up and down, there's a distinct ideology at work here that suggests a product built to endure several years of use - even if you do feel a little like a Cyberman from Doctor Who when they're fully extended.
The audio of the earphones is wonderfully clear with a deep amount of bass noticeable when gaming. But there's only 3D audio for the PlayStation and Dolby Atmos for the Xbox and PC, meaning there's a bit of a disparity in audio options - something which in truth only the true audiophiles will probably notice.
Playing racing games like Hot Wheels 2 Unleashed and Forza Horizon on the Xbox made me feel like I was really on the track, while the sporadic sound in The Last of Us Part II and the crunching of bones in Tekken 8 all felt atmospheric enough.
Bluetooth also allows the headphones to connect to other devices, but this is very much a gaming headset rather than something to replace your Airpods with to make calls or listen to music.
The base set which comes with the headphones is also a minimalist design that's sleek and compact and can sit out of the way. While it does look like an old-school modem in many ways, it easily receives the headphones for charge, which sit in a cradle position very comfortably and feel sturdy within.
THE BAD
However, the base set is also a problem because initial set up is frustrating, especially if you want to take advantage of the one-switch changeover between PlayStation and Xbox that's operated by a single button on the ear cups.
Both consoles will need to be wired up and routed through HDMI and USB ports on the back as well as being fed back into the TV - something which becomes all the more difficult if your TV is wall-mounted and/or both devices are not in the same room. Things get trickier still if you also want to run a PC through the back - Logitech has possibly over-complicated things by adding this functionality in, but if you're serious about gaming, it could well be an inconvenience you'll accept. Casual users may not feel the same though.
There's also no getting away from how high the price point is for these.
In a cost of living crisis, it's hard to justify the $800 price tag - especially when there's no active noise cancellation or built-in surround sound on the set. For some the comfort and the unique ability to switch between gaming systems will be a selling point, but given the market has cheaper options, it is a tough one for others.
THE VERDICT
Despite the steep cost and Logitech's insistence on not providing noise cancelling, this headset does impressively embrace different ways of gaming and offers solutions that should benefit customers more than the company's bottom line.
Newshub was supplied a set of Logitech Astro A50 X Wireless Gaming headphones for this review.
