Astro has long been known for its great-sounding gaming headphones, led by the flagship A50 headset. Now, Astro has introduced its first new headset under the Logitech G brand, the aptly named Logitech G Astro A30 Wireless gaming headset. Featuring a sleek design and modern features such as simultaneous audio playback, the A30 Wireless is a good headset option, though it doesn’t do much to stand out amongst its competition.
Astro A30 – Design and Features
The A30 Wireless features a similar design to the original A30 headset, but includes updated controls and connectivity options. The largely plastic build makes it lightweight to wear, but lacks the premium feel you’d expect out of a headset priced greater than $200.
The marquee feature of the A30 Wireless is simultaneous audio playback. As with many gaming headphones released in the past year, the A30 Wireless supports Bluetooth playback, as well as wireless audio over the included 2.4GHz USB transmitter. This means you could game with your friends on different platforms while chatting through a Discord call on your phone, effectively making platform-specific party chats a non-issue. Additionally, you could game on console while listening to a podcast or your favorite playlist on your phone.
The A30 Wireless is compatible with just about every modern platform including PC, Mac, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and mobile devices. The included USB transmitter allows seamless plug-and-play support for most devices, while Bluetooth takes care of the rest. It even features a 3.5mm auxiliary port for a hardwired connection, if you desire.
On the outside of the right earcup are your media controls, which include a small power button, Bluetooth pairing button, and a small joystick-like nub to adjust audio volume, audio mix, and control playback for Bluetooth devices. It features 4-way directional control, as well as can be pressed in as an actual button. It’s definitely a unique way to manage audio settings, but I found that quickly adjusting volume on the fly isn’t nearly as simple as rotating a dial.
These multipurpose headphones feature a 27-hour battery life – nearly double that of the Astro A20 and A50 headphones – making them perfect for long gaming sessions or as a standard pair of multimedia headphones when you’re out. The bottom of the right earcup features a USB-C connector to quickly recharge the headphones when not in use.
The left earcup includes a small mute toggle as well as the 3.5mm auxiliary port for hardwiring your connection to preserve battery life. Additionally, there’s a port to connect the detachable boom mic for multiplayer gaming. When the boom mic isn’t in use, there’s a small built-in microphone on the front of the left earcup intended for those on-the-go situations where you don’t want a large microphone blocking your face.
Both earcups feature pleather-wrapped memory foam padding, which is also included in the headband for added comfort. The outside of the earcups can be customized with Astro’s Speaker Tags – small, interchangeable plates that feature unique artwork to make the headphones your own. Aside from the all-white or all-navy colorway, this is really the only way to make the headphones pop a bit as they are pretty nondescript otherwise. When the headphones are not in use, you can fold the earcups flat for easy storage in the included hardshell zippered case.
Astro A30 – Software
Traditionally, Astro headphones could be customized via the Astro Command Center software on PC, Mac, and Xbox, but the A30 Wireless is the first set of headphones to utilize the new Logi G mobile app for customization. This allows you to make on-the-fly adjustments right from your phone when connected via Bluetooth. It’s a great universal solution since it supports so many platforms, but not having an optional PC app is a bit annoying.
The app offers very straightforward customization options that include creating custom profiles that you can easily swap between for different platforms, custom EQ settings, as well as adjusting the noise gate and sidetone settings for both the built-in microphone and boom mic. You can also update the A30 Wireless firmware from within the app. Utilizing the app is definitely not crucial to your experience with the headphones as there’s not really much to tinker with, but it’s a nice option.
Astro A30 – Gaming
Much like the other headphones in the Astro lineup, the A30 Wireless features great audio drivers that deliver deep base and crisp highs. During my time with the headphones, I was pleased with the immersive spatial audio. I spent a good amount of time planet-hopping in Destiny, raiding with teammates, and conquering Grandmaster nightfalls. All the while, the audio was crisp, music sounded great, and I could easily hear my teammates’ callouts above all the gunfire and space magic explosions.
Adjusting volume and fine-tuning the audio mix using the joystick on the side of the headset took a bit of getting used to. I’d still much rather have a traditional volume dial as clicking it up and down got a bit tedious during chaotic moments, but it worked nicely for quickly changing music tracks over Bluetooth, and holding it down allowed me to quickly access the voice assistant on my phone – a nice touch.
The dual microphones also work well. When I was playing games, I opted for the boom mic as it did a much better job filtering out background noise in my office, allowing my voice to come through more clearly. However, the built-in microphone on the headset isn’t that bad. I tested both with my teammates and, while they much preferred the audio quality of the boom mic, they said the built-in mic was definitely serviceable.
One of my pain points with the headset, though, is that these headphones are not the most comfortable – especially for long sessions. The memory foam earcups aren’t very breathable and trap heat easily, and the overall fit is very tight. As a glasses-wearer, I very quickly got a headache since the earcups were pressed against the side of my head so tightly.