I've often written that input peripherals like keyboards and mice are among the most personal of all technology; reviews can only get you so far because the choice is so subjective. Headphones are like that, too. For instance, it is not just my enemies that say I have a big head; it is objectively true. This means that 'phones that might be comfortable on my petite daughter, might give me the "head in a vise" feeling because of the way that they clamp onto me. So, take this review, and every headset review, with a grain of salt.
This was borne out in my recent evaluation of the generally well regarded Astro A10 headphones. These over the ear, sealed-back sets have a nicely "modern" feel, with interesting angles and not the typical "round-can" design. The boom mike is flexible and has an auto-mute function when in the upright position. I like, by the way, that it neatly locks in the up position with a clearly defined "click" to let you know it is in mute mode. These are wired, stereo headphones. They end in a single jack, so if your PC's sound card requires a separate mike input you'll need to get a splitter adapter. I didn't mind that one was not included in the box, because if you need it you can pick one up inexpensively, but if you don't and it was included it was just more fodder for the landfill. The cord is fairly thick, but not fabric covered as is common in higher end 'phones.
The headband is made of aluminum wrapped in polycarbonate. It is flexible, resilient, and seemingly just about unbreakable under normal use.
Yet, I can't wear these 'phones for more than a few minutes. Why? First, there is a fabric encased cushion at the top of the headband that I felt pressing down on my head no matter how I adjusted them. The band also exerted constant pressure on the side of my head that was very uncomfortable. Finally, I found the fabric material that covered the ear-pads made my ears feel like they were on fire after less than thirty minutes of play. Finally I found the sound quality a bit muddy and bass heavy. I didn't use them for music, but when playing games I found the lack of clarity covered up subtle sound cues and also sometimes made it harder for me to understand voices overs than with my favorite headphones.
I know these are popular, but for a few dollars more, in my opinion, you can find much better headphones.
