The SteelSeries Arctis Pro and the Astro A50 gaming headsets are two of the best units in the market. They are widely acclaimed by professional gamers worldwide. The Pro is able to make heads turn with its dazzling design; the A50 comes with intense comfort and aggressive design.
The Arctis Pro comes produced by the reputed manufacture SteelSeries. This is a top-end gaming headset. It has a modern and aggressive design. There is also dual wireless technology and exceptional audio through the DTS Headphone: X v 2.0.
The speaker system is one of a kind having a retractable microphone, very comfortable earpads, and base station for quick charging. When you are in search of a stylish headset, then this unit is apt for you.
It is able to outperform other headphones in its category. The Astro A50 is another top-end unit that you can use conveniently. Using these headsets, gamers experience a comfortable and styled gaming session.
The unit makes use of 5 GHz wireless technology that works opulently for 30 feet. Besides, it is able to support Wi-Fi, having Dolby Atmos 7.1 surround sound ultimately. The battery’s working life can operate for 15 hours.
In this comparison review, we will look at some of the main features in them briefly. That will help us get to know the gaming headsets better. In the end, we will also find out which headset is the better product in the market.
 |  |
|---|---|
| STEELSERIES ARCTIS PRO | ASTRO A50 |
| BUY NOW | BUY NOW |
| PROS | PROS |
| The earpads are made from Airweave material. It has a robust body design. The parts can be replaced at an affordable rate. The unit has 2 swappable batteries letting you charge a battery. A popular ClearCast microphone giving peerless sound clarity. | The surround sound is of outstanding quality. The battery life of the unit is stunning. It offers gamers opulent compatibility. The fit and finish are second to none. It has 5GHz wireless technology. |
| CONS | CONS |
| Sadly, the model lacks bass. | Unfortunately, there are some connection issues in the base station. |
| SPECIFICATIONS | ARCTIS PRO | ASTRO A50 |
|---|---|---|
| Product Name | Arctis Pro Wireless Stereo Gaming Headset | ASTRO A50 + Base Station RF Wireless Over-the-Ear Headphones |
| Brand | SteelSeries | Astro Gaming |
| Sound Mode | Stereo | Stereo |
| Connection Type | Wireless | Wireless |
| Wireless Connectivity | Bluetooth | Radio Frequency (RF) |
| True Wireless | No | No |
| Maximum Wireless Range | 39 feet | 30 feet |
| Built-In Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| Headphone Fit | Over-the-Ear | Over-the-Ear |
| Adjustable Headband | No | No |
| Warranty | 1 year | 1 year |
DESIGN & COMFORT
It is a known fact that SteelSeries manufactures some of the best gaming headsets in the world. These over-the-ear gaming headsets come with stunning capabilities and powers. Besides, they are designed exceptionally well.
The Arctis Pro has a traditional monochrome coming in black and white color. The elastic fabric sublimely fits on your head. Our tester was pleased to try it on for few hours without discomfort.
Your head weight is distributed across the pressure points accurately, making it very ideal for large heads too. The exterior is also well-made with sophisticated materials. It gives a premium look and appearance to the unit.
We liked the aluminum steel material that makes it top-notch for usage. The design also comes with adjustable headphones. The microphone is removable, having matte black plastic. Gamers would be glad to use a wireless station featuring connectivity ports and volume options.
These can be used and are compatible with the PC and laptop. The Astro A50, on the other hand, comes with a contemporary design. The color combinations are catchy and come in niche colors of black with gold and black with grey.
We felt that the Astro A50 had a modern and elegant design to that of the Arctis Pro. Unfortunately, the Astro A50 microphone cannot be removed, but you can fold them when you want.
The base station can be used for charging purposes. The Arctic Pro’s sleek design makes it better looking, comfortable to use, and modern feel. The design of the A50 was good; you had good comfort, but it felt mechanical, and many gamers have pointed it out, rightly so.
BUILD QUALITY
Any user would be inclined towards metal than plastic material. The reason for that is quite apparent because metal is durable than plastic. Apart from that, metal gives the unit an opulent look.
The SteelSeries Arctis Pro comes made from steel and aluminum material that is exceptionally lightweight and nice to look at. We tested it and found that it could easily withstand ample force on the body frame.
The Arctis Pro Wireless is quite a comfortable gaming headphone. The headband comes with a ski-google elastic strap. Gamers can adjust the headband depending on their usage. We found that the unit fits comfortably.
The earcups were round and spacious. They cover your ears exceptionally well. You will be delighted to know that they come made air weave fabric. On the other hand, the Astro A50 comes made of plastic.
You never know how much force it can withstand. But you may not want to drop it even accidentally, or it can get damaged. However, it is very comfortable. We felt that the ear cushions are softer and are breathable.
It can keep your ears cooler even after extended usage. Both the gaming headsets are comfortable and come made of sublime materials. We also liked the fact that they are adjustable headbands.
AUDIO PERFORMANCE
The gaming headphones are notable for their audio performance. So, you can rest assured about the sound quality in the Arctis Pro and the Astro A50 gaming headset. On further scrutiny, you can find slight differences that can be obvious when you use them.
The technical specifications of the Arctis Pro and the Astro A50 are similar. But the Arctis Pro has a frequency response (10-40000 Hertz). In a sense, the audio quality is detailed, and you get to sound very crisp and pleasant.
Both the mids and highs sound bright. You notice a lot of bass on the gaming headset that is essential for garnering boom when playing music loud and the sounds of gunshots. The Pro offers you with a stunning sound that is quite natural.
We also liked the audio controls in the Pro because it comes with ChatMix controls. That can be used to balance the sound you require when gaming. A notable feature in this unit would be the inclusion of 7.1 surround sound.
This immensely impacts your game and gives you with an immersive gaming experience. Gamers would be stunned when you use the headphones for audio performance. Having said that, it also uses DTS Headphone:X version 2.0.
The Astro A50 does well on lows and comes with average highs. You will be glad to know that the unit comes with a higher sensitivity rating than most headsets in the market. The sound is quite loud and clear.
We felt that this unit consumes more power because of higher impedance. The sound profile of the A50 is exceptional and has a slight push at the high end. Though you can hear the high frequencies, it takes the natural sound sometimes from your ears sometimes.
Yes, you can hear your teammates or the person on the other line very well. The A50 headphones make use of the Dolby Atmos that is acceptable, not special. Did you know that during gaming, you can use the A50 two-in-one transmitter?
MICROPHONE PERFORMANCE
The good thing about the Arctis Pro and the Astro A50 is that they both come with microphones. The Pro has a bidirectional microphone, which uses ClearCast noise canceling. The microphone is bidirectional, meaning it is capable of picking your surrounding sound.
But the microphone is removable. That is a good thing from a gamer’s perspective. You can effortlessly use the boom microphone for your gaming and entertainment use. The microphone on the Astro A50 is unidirectional.
That means it does voice isolation extremely well and precisely. But you will want to know that microphone comes with a flip to mute feature. So, there is no need for you to remove the microphone.
This is a convenient option to be included. Our tester felt that it is mediocre at its best. Though we have tested the earlier model of the A40 on the Xbox One, the microphone was opulent. The tester had placed his microphone close to his mouth, and hence the sensitivity was virtually maximized.
The others on the end of the line had some minor issues hearing him. If you want to ensure that your teammates hear you well, please do not have the microphone close to your mouth. Otherwise, you are fine.
COMPATIBILITY
The compatibility of both the SteelSeries Arctis Pro and Astro A50 is pretty good. You can instantly say if the gaming headset comes with exceptional compatibility by the options. The Pro comes with a microphone mute control, power button, volume control, and button control for Bluetooth.
The Arctis Pro has the upper hand with the USB controls and features both base station and USB options. It comes with two batteries that can hold a charge for up to 10 hours. The batteries, when having less charge, can be charged using the base station.
The Steelseries Arctis Pro is compatible with PC, laptop, and PS4. But we found that the Astro A50 offers you more control options. It makes your gaming life a lot better. It also features a base station, and some of the controls include volume control, a mute button, a multi-function button, and audio mode control.
Besides, the A50 battery’s working life stays on charge for a longer time. We found that the charging base station of the A50 is way better than the Arctis Pro. This immensely enables you to use the batteries of the A50 sublimely.
The Astro A50 is exceptionally easy to connect with your gaming console. All you need to do is simply plug the USB cables into your Xbox One, and you are set to go. Of course, you can adjust the console audio setting according to your preference.
Using the Astro A50 headset, you can effortlessly connect with your PC, laptop, PS4, and Xbox One. Please do note that the A50 can work with your Xbox One, but the Arctis Pro cannot. So, this feature makes the A50 slightly better as far as the compatibility goes.
At the end of the day, your requirements will have the final say.
PRICE
In most reviews, we find that the units are in a similar price range. However, there is an incredible difference between the SteelSeries Arctis Pro vs Astro A50. The SteelSeries Arctis Pro is priced under $180, making it relatively affordable when compared to the Astro A50 model.
This wireless gaming headset comes with top-notch features that is justified within the price range. We were convinced with the pricing, and many professional gamers swear by it. The Astro A50 can be termed as expensive as it is priced under $300.
This is a top-end model from ASTRO. As we said at the beginning of the post, this unit is commonly used by professional gamers only. Unless you are particular about getting the audio and sound quality from it, you may want to look elsewhere.
VERDICT
From a comparison review between SteelSeries Arctis Pro vs Astro A50 gaming headset, we can see that the competition was very close. They are exceptional choices for professional gamers looking to seize the opportunity, but they come with their own flaws associated with them.
Which model can satisfy your needs? The Arctis Pro is a sublime model coming with extreme comfort, design and can be worn even for sports activities. We loved the sound isolation and the minimum sound leakage.
The unit also is among the best in sound quality as it brings crisp sound. It is an ideal option for using when you want noise-canceling, and the wireless support in the gaming headset was very convenient to use when gaming and entertainment usage.
On the other hand, the Astro A50 also has exceptional noise-canceling abilities. The unit can provide you with an immersive sound experience. We felt that it is convenient to wear and suitable for fitness enthusiasts.
It is safe to say that the Arctis Pro and the Astro A50 are excellent gaming units. When you still cannot decide, which one to choose, then our pick would be the Arctis Pro. We do not see any reason why you should pay close to $300 when you can get most of the features in the unit.
But, when you are particular about battery working life, then the Astro A50 would be a better option.
Hope you enjoyed reading our comparison review, and it helped in deciding your choice.
James Smith has always been intrigued by electronic products since his childhood. After his post graduation in electronics from a popular university, he decided to pursue a career in the electronics sector. But his calling for writing about these marvellous pieces of work got the better of him. That is how UBG was started. With a writing career spanning more than 12 years, James has worked on several hundred product reviews. During his free time, he like to spend time with his pet dog and relax in the swimming pool.