No Strings Attached – ASTRO MixAmp 5.8 Review

The fellas at ASTRO Gaming have put themselves in somewhat of a precarious position.  You see, in their brief company history, every single piece of audio equipment that they’ve put on the market has received incredibly high marks and is held in the highest regard by the vast majority of gamers.  So, while feeling pressure to constantly innovate and evolve, they must also make sure that their new products meet the nearly impeccable standard that they’ve set for themselves.  It’s certainly not the worst situation to be in, but it’s the main reason that they haven’t released a flurry of new items — they simply won’t put something out until they can do it right.

As accredited as ASTRO’s gear is, there’s one feature that gamers and audiophiles alike have been clamoring for — wireless connectivity.  The cluster of wires accompanying the original MixAmp setup was hands-down, unanimously the most oft complained about feature of the device.  While it would have been simple to rush a wireless version of the award-winning MixAmp to market, they were hesitant to do so, lest it not live up to the ASTRO standard and be the black sheep of the product line.  Fortunately, the developers took the safe route, bid their time, and released a near bullet-proof Wireless MixAmp that is as revolutionary as it is evolutionary.

The MixAmp 5.8 is actually composed of two different units, a transmitter (pictured on the left) and a receiver (pictured on the right).  The transmitter is the stationary piece that most users will place near their TV and console.  It’s relatively small and definitely unobtrusive enough that it’ll blend in perfectly next to all your tech gear in your home entertainment system, regardless of what your setup is.  The top of the transmitter only features two different buttons — the power button, and a button to turn on Dolby Surround Sound.  The back of the transmitter features Optical In and Out ports, two USB ports, and an Auxiliary input.  Additionally, the transmitter is powered by an A/C adapter. The remote nature of the device allows all the cords to be contained very near to the console.

The second half of the MixAmp 5.8 is made up of the receiver.  This is the piece that users will become intimately familiar with.  Hosting all the same frontal features as ASTRO’s original MixAmp, the receiver bears a striking resemblance to it, but manages to be about one-third the size.  Characterized primarily by a master volume control, and a game/voice balance dial, the MixAmp equation is still undoubtedly simple, but surely incredibly effective.  The near side of the receiver features a headphone jack, an Xbox chat cable jack, and a mini-USB port.  The unit requires three AAA batteries to operate.  It would probably be a wise investment to purchase some rechargeables, or else you’ll most likely find yourself flying through batteries.

One of the most brilliant features of the MixAmp 5.8 is that it will work with any set of headphones that you currently have.  However, they need to have a 3.5 mm cable with a voice channel, but that’s covered by most gaming headsets on the market.  But really, if you’re going to splurge for a high caliber MixAmp, you might as well compliment it with a pair of A30s or A40s — the Ferraris of gaming headsets.

Now that all the tech specs are out of the way, let’s focus on the MixAmp 5.8′s performance.  To put it bluntly, the MixAmp 5.8 performs breath-takingly well.  When dealing with wireless products, the obvious issue is usually avoiding interference.  Because of the fact that it operates at a different frequency than most standard wireless objects, the MixAmp 5.8 stays free from any static or loss in signal.  In fact, after several nights of online gaming, we have yet to hear any discernible difference between the original MixAmp and the MixAmp 5.8.  All communication is just as crystal clear, and all enemies are just as easy to pinpoint as they’ve always been.

The special niche where the MixAmp 5.8 will really resonate is with fanatics of the rhythm genre.  Like to hear your music through your headphones, but also like to stand and play?  This is your solution.  The MixAmp 5.8 ships with a clip that attaches to your waist, and the receiver neatly slides right into.  Now you can be completely mobile, free to jump and dance around your living room while still getting the high-quality audio that you’re accustomed to.  It also works remarkably well for drummers who’ve experienced problems with their cord being too short to reach the ground.  With the receiver conveniently on your side, you’re unrestricted and can go all “AN-I-MAL!” on those pads.  It may seem like a small difference, but it can make an exponentially large impact on the immersion of the experience.

The MixAmp 5.8 is just the most recent example of why ASTRO Gaming is at the forefront of the gaming audio industry.  Their innovative spirit and dedication to quality over quantity has again manifested an incredibly well-put together product that leap-frogs it’s way to the top of the gaming accessories food-chain.  And when it eventually gets supplanted, chances are it’ll be by ASTRO, themselves.

A review sample of the MixAmp 5.8 was provided by ASTRO Gaming.