In this post, I’m going to compare the Astro A10 gaming headset vs. the Steelseries Arctis 3 gaming headset.
So, if you are on the market to purchase the best gaming headset under $100, you have come to the right place.
I have been using these headsets for quite some time and have passed them down to my children as their gaming headsets.
So, in this post, I am going to share:
- What I like (and don’t like) about them
- Key comparison features
- And lots other stuff in-between
In short, I’m going to let you know which one is better for you to spend your money on.
Let’s get started.
Table of Contents
Astro A10 vs. Steelseries Arctis 3
Now let us talk about these two gaming headsets.
Astro A10 is a gaming headset that you can already tell from a first glance, created explicitly for gaming.
It came with 6 colors combination plus currently running a Call of Duty special edition.
So if you are into that RGB aesthetics, the available color can match your overall vibes easily.
It first came to the market around 2017. It has received updates and refreshment ever since to improve its performance and comfort.
Next, let us talk about the other competitor. The Steelseries Arctis 3.
The Arctis 3, in my opinion, is a sleek and beautiful headset that does not look like a gaming headset.
If you look at it quickly and from a distance, it does not have that gaming vibes.
Not until you see the Steelseries brandings on the headset that you know this is a headset for gaming.
So clearly, this is not for you that into all things RGB.
It comes in only two color combination, a black version, and a white version.
Introduced back in 2018, the Arctis 3 has received several updates from Steelseries in terms of its comfort and sound quality.
If you have more budget for your headset, check out our post about SteelSeries Arctis Pro vs. SteelSeries Arctis 7
Which Headset Has the Best Audio Quality?
Of course, when we purchase a gaming headset, we expect to hear sound through it.
And from a $70 headset, we expect to hear good sound from it.
Let me tell you how the Astro A10 and the Steelseries Arctis 3 differ from each other from my experience testing them on my PC and various other consoles.
Firstly, both of Astro A10 and Steelseries Arctis 3 comes with 40mm drivers, large enough so you can hear sounds loud and clear with these headsets.
However, the same driver size will not necessarily mean they will have the same sound.
Right out of the box, I liked the sound quality on the Astro 10 better.
The Astro 10 produce good sounds.
It has deep enough bass and clarity allowing me to enjoy an immersive gaming experience.
It is designed to offer details, no matter the frequency or volume you are enjoying it with.
With the Steelseries Arctis 3, however, I did not like the sound it produce that much.
At least when I first used it right out of the box.
The headset fell a bit flat to my taste without that heavy bass and clarity needed to immerse myself in the game.
To get the sound quality that I wanted, I need to tweak the equalizer for the headset first.
Steelseries used to give the Arctis 3 support through its Engine Software (it is a software that allows you to tweak the EQ of your headset) but has decided to drawback supports for the Arctis back in 2019.
To get the kind of sound that I prefer, I need to use 3rd party apps and software to tweak it a bit.
So, if you want to have the best sound right out of the box, go with the Astro 10.
But, if you know your way around equalizer and settings alike, you can tune your Steelseries Arctis 3 to get more bass and clarity.
Both gaming headsets gave me enough noise cancellation that allowed me to concentrate on my game quite well.
And I don’t see too much difference between the two.
Although, if you have the budget, opt for a serious, active noise cancellation headset.
It will make your gaming experience much more immersive and enjoyable.
Now let us talk about the audio input quality of these two gaming headsets.
Suppose you play multiplayer games like Fortnite or League of Legends with others. In that case, you might want to communicate either with your teammate or trash talk your opponent.
So a microphone is an essential feature for a gaming headset these days to communicate with others within a game.
It has to deliver excellent and clear sound so others can hear what you said.
Luckily these two headsets feature a microphone. And I can say both are good at delivering crystal clear voice to my teammates when I am playing CS: GO.
The Steelseries Arctis 3 microphone has incorporated a bi-directional design, same with the airline industry’s microphone design that promises your voice can be heard clearly.
And the Astro A10 comes with a uni-directional microphone that picks up sound only from one direction.
For gaming headsets, I will recommend people to choose a gaming headset with a uni-directional microphone.
Why?
The uni-directional microphone is better at capturing and isolating the sound coming out from your mouth because it is placed directly in front of your mouth.
With a bi-directional microphone, the mic can pick up sound not only from the front but also the sound from its surrounding.
Have you ever talking with someone on the game, and you can hear the sound of their keyboard click or their mouse-clicking while talking?
Most likely, the person you are talking with is using a microphone with a bi-directional design.
However, based on my experience communicating with my children on CS: GO or other multiplayer games using the Steelseries Arctis 3, it has done a pretty good job in isolating nearby sound even though it claims that they are using a bi-directional design microphone.
Check out this youtube video by the steelseries to get a glimpse how good the microphone is.
As with Astro A10, since its product uses a uni-directional microphone design, you do not have to worry about other noises as it only picks up sound from your mouth.
I can say that they have good microphones for both of the gaming headsets.
So you can choose whichever one you like and still get a good and clear microphone.
Also read: What is a great gaming laptop in 2020?
Which Headset Has the Best Comfort?
Next, let us talk about comfort.
Since you will be using the gaming headset for a long time during your gaming session, you want to find a gaming headset that is comfortable for your ear.
You want to choose one that can be worn for an extended period of gaming session without getting uncomfortable on your ear.
To begin with, we need to look at the material used to make the earpads. The earpads will come in contact directly with our and skin.
You need something that is breathable and does not keep or encourage moisture build-up.
The Astro A10 earpads are made with a cloth cushion that is soft to the skin. The Steelseries Arctis 3 earpads come with an AirWeave ear cushion that promises to keep your ear dry and cool.
I prefer the earpads on the Steelseries Arctis 3 more than the one on Astro A10, mainly because it is cooler and softer to my skin.
Plus, Arctis 3 earpads do not push against my ear too much, so I prefer it more.
Besides the earpads, the weight of the gaming headset plays a vital role in your gaming experience.
I would call them “headset fatigue.” It is when you play for a long time, and your neck starts to hurt because your headset is too heavy.
Obviously, you want a lightweight gaming headset so you can enjoy a more extended gaming session without experiencing the “headset fatigue.”
Let us compare the two.
The Astro A10 gaming headset claims that the product is made with flexible and lightweight materials to allow its users to enjoy longer gaming periods.
The Astro 10 comes weighing at only 12.3 ounces, making it one of the lightest gaming headset on the market.
I played on this gaming headset for 4+ hours and did not experience any “headset fatigue.”
Coming with a lightweight construction as well, the Steelseries Arctis 3 promises it users can stay comfortable over the longest gaming sessions.
The Steelseries Arctis 3 weighs even lighter than the Astro 10 at only 10.4 ounces making it even more comfortable to be worn for longer gaming sessions.
To sum it up, although you will not directly feel the 2 ounces difference between the two gaming headsets, overall, I can conclude that the Steelseries Arctis 3 delivers a more comfortable experience than the Astro A10.
Which Headset Has the Best Features?
To be honest with you, sometimes I purchase a gaming headset not merely because of the sound quality but because of its little features that I find interesting.
Both headsets come with one or two features that I feel need to be addressed to help us conclude which gaming headset is the best.
Let me talk about the Steelseries Arctis 3 features first.
First, I like the retractable microphone feature that comes with the headset.
The retractable microphone allows you to hide the mic when you do not need to use it.
Together with the gaming headset’s overall design, the retractable microphone makes the headset looks like just a regular headset on the outside.
I can bring the headset with me out in the public when I am playing with my switch or phone without attracting attention.
Personally, I like the plain-looking headset more. Maybe just because I am old now. Lol.
Another feature that I like from this headset is a feature they called Ski Google Suspension Band.
Basically, it is just a piece of a band in the headset that helps distribute the headset’s weight and match your head shape better when using the headset.
I find this feature helps me get more comfortable when wearing the headset.
Unfortunately, Astro 10 does not come with too many features.
The only feature that I use on my Astro 10 is the flip-to-mute microphone.
Because it comes with a uni-directional microphone, you can quickly mute or block sound by just lifting your microphone away from your mouth.
This feature is critical if you care so much about your privacy on the internet.
Which Headset Has the Best Value?
Now, it is time to answer the most crucial question of this whole review.
Which gaming headset will give you the best bang of your buck?
First of all, both gaming headsets come with great value as an entry-level gaming headset.
They both come at below $100 price point, making it accessible and affordable for new gamers.
Let’s see each of their prices.
At the time of writing, the Astro 10 retails at $69.99 on their official website, and the Steelseries Arctis 3 comes at $79.99.
At the first look, you might think that the Steelseries Arctis is more expensive compared to the Astro 10.
However, if you look closely, you can get the Steelseries Arctis 3 for $69.99 on amazon. Same price with the Astro 10.
On the other hand, the Astro 10 gaming headset is not available on Amazon.
I do not know why, but all Astro 10 gaming headset that I found on Amazon are refurbished or renewed.
I would not recommend you to buy a refurbished or renewed gaming headset at this price point because there are no benefits to it.
I have to say though, since I use Amazon for my shopping a lot and I am an Amazon Prime member, I will appreciate it if the product can be back on it again.
Back to price again, since the Steelseries Arctis 3 and the Astro A10 can be bought with the same price at $69.99, I would give them both a draw in terms of value.
P.S. look out for discounts on holiday sales as these products get discounted a lot during the black friday or the cyber monday sales.
Astro A10 vs. Steelseries Arctis 3: The Winner of The Best Entry-Level Gaming Headset
I have personally used both of the gaming headsets for quite some time.
I even purchase additional pairs for my children to use because they give me excellent quality for gaming headsets under $100.
To come up with the best gaming headset out of the two, we have looked at how these two headsets deliver:
- Audio quality
- Comfort
- Features
- Value
Both of the gaming headsets deliver satisfying performance in all 4 factors.
If I have to choose, I will give a slight edge to the Steelseries Arctis 3.
The comfort and features of the Steelseries Arctis 3 slightly outperform the Astro 10.
It gave me a more enjoyable time and gaming experience while I am using the gaming headset.
Plus, I can bring the Arctis 3 outside to enjoy the headset paired with my Nintendo Switch without attracting too much attention due to its sleek design.
Although the audio quality is not as good as the Astro 10 right out of the box, you can tune it thru an equalizer or other 3rd party software.
But honestly, I can’t think you can go wrong with both headsets.
If you want something simple right out of the box and plan to use the headset to match your RGB aesthetics, then go for the Astro 10.
Final Thoughts
So there you have it – My round-up review of both of the gaming headset.
Now, do you like the look of the Astro 10?
Or do you prefer the more muted design of the Steelseries Arctis?
Which one are you going to buy? Let me know by leaving a comment below.
