The other day, as my 12 year old daughter's tennis lesson was about to start, the tennis pro was approached by a parent who had borrowed a racket. The conversation was open and as the parent received an answer as to the price of the racket, my daughter wondered aloud, "Who would pay $160 for a...

Professional grade headset; Superior sound, mic, and ergonomics

Quality comes at a price

Often referred to as the king of the console offerings, how does Astro's high-end A40 compare with the best that the PC market has to offer?

If you frequent LAN parties, or an ill-tempered roommate / significant other/ downstairs neighbor disapproves of muzzle fire thundering from your speakers at 4 AM, you might want to give the A40 Audio System a listen.

Comfort, for multiple head and hair sizes; Clear voice quality is a plus for smack-talking; Connectivity options to complement most setups

PC gamers won't mind, but wireless La-Z-Boy warriors probably don't want to be tethered to their audio system; Add every component up and you've got an expensive setup on your hands

Astro Gaming's A40 Audio System is largely pitched at the "pro gaming" market, a headset and amplifier combo that offers a private audio experience and the necessary options for voice chat while playing others. The A40 Audio System is comprised of Astro's A40 Headset and A40 MixAmp.

Astro Studios is famous among console gamers even if you don't know why. It designed the XBOX 360, but can a bunch of design gurus put together a team to build a gaming headset that is worth $250? We have learned that looking cool and sounding great are two different things in our past reviews.

Astro Gaming has really put out a nice product with A40 Audio System. The headset does not sacrifice form for function, as it is easily one of the best sounding gaming headsets we've come across.

The A40s are a well-performing, solid headset with a dizzying array of connectivity options.

Kitguru says: If you want a quality setup and have the cash to spare, these come highly recommended.

Fantastic audio quality; Sleek and modern design; Well designed and thought out package; The microphone can be moved to either ear cup; Comfortable for hours of gaming; Mixamp Game/Voice volume control

No bundled software; Microphone didn't replicate voice accurately; Expensive

TVs are getting thinner and thinner every year, which is great news for design buffs, but less so for audiophiles, as the sheer lack of space means less room for a big, beefy speaker system.

Professional gamers swear by the Astro A40 Audio System, and it's not hard to see why. The MixAmp drives crisp, clear, surround sound audio through to the headset and gives you on-the-fly control over in-game chat volume.

Surround sound through two-speaker headset; High sound quality for gaming; Excellent build quality

Headset not quite as good as cheaper alternatives