E3 2014 brings update to beta hardware
Update: The Astro A38 headphones are out of beta and due to be on heads by August, so we tested them before the delayed release date.
Slipping the small, but powerful Astro A38 headphones over my ears made the 48,900 people who attended E3 2014 disappear in an instant.
It's not magic, unless of course you consider fitting active noise-canceling technology into such a lightweight headset the source of wizardry.
Even without music, these compact headphones almost drown out the busy convention show floor and, when the bass-heavy Flo Rida started streaming from a nearby iPad Air, it all disappeared.
This E3 escape couldn't have been simpler. The Bluetooth-enabled A38s have no wires or cumbersome pairing configurations, making it Astro's first truly mobile headset solution.
A38 compatibility
The most important factor to consider before your eyes fall in love with these headphones is whether or not your ears will be able to hear anything out of them.
The A38 compatibility list is rather limited compared to Astro's gaming-focused headphones. It's meant for laptops, tablets and smartphones, not consoles PS4 and Xbox One.
As Astro explained to us, Sony's new system locks out Bluetooth audio from all products but its own. Its wired A30 and A40 or wireless full-sized Astro A50 headphones do a better job here.
Mobile gaming and entertainment isn't a problem, though. It's been tested with the iPad Air, PS Vita, iPhone 5S and flagship Android phones and tablets without incident.
A38 design and specs
The wireless Astro A38 headset has been designed to be nearly as lightweight as its closest wired counterpart, the tried-and-true A30 headphones that dropped four years ago.
At 220 grams, these new cans for 2014 won't keep you from bobbing your head to music on the go. Astro comfortably balances soft synthetic leather earpad cushions with just the right amount of headband pressure on the skull.
That makes the A38s different from Astro's other gaming headsets. These two tiny pillows pumped beats into my ears, but didn't actually envelope them with foam earcups. Instead, these supra-aural earpads rested on top of my ears.
The active noise canceling microphone that's built into the left earcup is therefore all the more important. Without it, sound can seep in. This mic pulls double duty when used for phone calls.
The left headphone has a quick mute button near this microphone as well as multi-function controls, a power switch and a pairing button. The right side has a volume rocker and micro USB port.
On the inside is Bluetooth 3.0, NFC for faster pairing and AAC and aptX low-latency. On the outside, Astro's magnetic speaker tags are compatible with the A38s to give the "pearlescent white" and "soft touch grey" color options some customization.
Astro A38 beta changes
There's been an Astro A38 beta ever since the headphones were announced at CES 2014, and the five months of testing has lead to several important changes.
Astro wisely switched its tiny USB port from mini USB to micro USB based on feedback. It follows the trend that mobile phones have made in the last year and a half.
Although its wireless A50 headphones still use mini USB, Astro representatives let it slip that A38's bigger brother is in for a similar change down the line.
The beta also forced the company to pump up the volume in two ways. Bluetooth has been extended to 50 feet, while the volume has increased by six decibels without distortion.
Battery life
Even though Astro went with Bluetooth 3.0 instead of the newer low-energy Bluetooth 4.0 tech that has become popular in new smartphones and wearables, the headphones still post impressive battery life.
The Astro A38 headphones are expected to provide more than 20 hours of music playback, 15 hours of microphone use and 2 hours between charges.
Astro said that this made Bluetooth 3.0 an appropriate choice and was a decision that came from its audio engineers. It was "right in the wheelhouse of what we're working with."
Of course, Astro is known for refining its headphones over time. Bluetooth 4.0 could be made part of a future iteration, and though the charge-only micro USB port doesn't carry sound, we were told that the company has been looking into making that work in future models.
Release date, price
The Astro A38 release date is the one thing about these headphones that hasn't been turned up to 11. It's more like the summer-bound cans are coming out at the 11th hour.
The vague window is currently late July or early August, not June as originally planned. The price hasn't fluctuated, though. You'll still pay a premium $229 (about £135, AU$244) for the Bluetooth headphones.
On the plus side, it'll be the first Astro headset to come with a case instead of forcing you to buy one as a separately accessory. Be warned: it's more of a headphone-saving hard case than a space-saving pack for them.
CES 2014 hands on preview
Update: Astro delayed the A38 headphones release date to "by August," so we can them an updated test at E3 2014 on Page 1. Below is our PAX East 2014 hands-on.
Astro Gaming might be synonymous with serious pro-gaming headsets, but more and more the company is branching out into the personal audio space. The Astro A38 represents the gaming audiophile company's biggest departure yet as a Bluetooth headset you won't want to hookup with your PC rig or gaming consoles. Instead the A38 is a completely wireless, Bluetooth-connected headset for the PlayStation Vita and iPhone as well as iPad Air, or other mobile devices.
On the PAX East show floor we got a chance to try out a pair of A38s. Without a single audio connector or a microphone jack, the A38s are fairly plain and simple compared to Astro's past headsets. If anything the A38 headphones look like a miniaturized version of Astro's A30s as they both share the same offset design with the ear cup angled behind the headband.
Soft muffs
The A38s also features a soft, synthetic leather material that sits on the ear like a cushion. Despite the soft touch of the headphone's cups, they still clung tight because the material conformed to our ears like memory foam. The top of the headset is also lined with the same cushioning, which could come in handy for long listening or mobile gaming sessions.
The similarities between the two headsets end here. Since there are no wires, there also isn't any mixamp to plug into. Instead, the headphones pair the device to an iPhone or tablet as a regular Bluetooth device after pressing the power button on the headphone's left side.
While these Astro headphones can also pair with the Bluetooth on a PC or laptop, an Astro representative explained that any games which require voice chat would turn the A38s into a pair of mono headphones. This, however, is due to a limitation of Bluetooth rather than the headphones.
Below the power button there's also a multifunction button, which pauses playback when pressed once, tracks forward when hit twice, and jumps a track back when simply held for a second.
This same multifunction button is also used to answer calls when connected to a smartphone. While there might not be any visible microphone, there's a small gap near the bottom of the ear cups. This isn't a flaw in the headphones but a space that hides the A38's noise canceling microphone. We didn't get a chance to test out the voice quality of the microphone due to network issues on the PAX East show floor.
Noise (partially) canceling
Speaking of drowning out outside noise, on the PAX East floor, the A38s drowned out most of the drumming beat from the convention, but we were still able to hold a conversation with the Astro representative as she told us about the product.
These are not headphones that will completely block out outside background noise. Users looking for complete auditory isolation should consider the Bose QuietComfort headphones. The A38s are also not very noise isolating as they've been designed as open-ear (or on-ear) headphones, where the ear cups does not cover your ears completely.
That said, the audio quality on the Astro A38 is staggeringly amazing. The Astro A38's produce a wonderfully clear full tonal range of highs and lows for music. Meanwhile, there's also bit of punchy base that mobile gamers and movie watchers can enjoy.
Early verdict
The Astro A38 headphones are an extremely luxurious pair of headphones for its $229 (about £ 136/AU$ 243) price. However, for the most part, the price tag is well worth. The A38s have an extremely comfortable fit and topnotch audio quality. It might not have the best noise canceling and isolating qualities, but that's to be expected with the open-ear design.
From afar, people will still almost immediately recognize the A38s as a pair of Astro headphones and that's part of the appeal. The gaming audio giant has taken its years of experience and made a great pair of regular headphones, but we'll have to wait until we can put some serious listening hours in before we can deliver our final judgment on the Astro A38.
James Potter