The two devices are visually almost identical, with the new product only distinguishing itself with the addition of an Action button to its left
earcup which is used for activating Google's artificial intelligence companion.
There's a volume wheel on
the earcup which allows for easy volume changes on the fly.
Unlike leather
earcups which might cause you to have sweaty ears after a few hours, these material ones provide a close fit and surprising comfort all day long which make them a joy to wear.
This allows you to hear your own voice through
the earcups which is handy if you have a habit of turning your listening volumes up high or getting so immersed you can't hear yourself think.
Also present in the design is the same AirWeave material
earcups which we found pleasantly comfortable even after hours and hours of gaming.
Not exact matches
They're made even more portable with their swiveling
earcups,
which help the headphones fit nice and snugly in the included carry bag.
Hidden away in the left
earcup like some sort of skulking assassin waiting to slay the ears of others with your hideous voice is the retractable microphone
which features an annoyingly bright red light on the tip that turns on when the mic is muted.
The headset sports a relatively clean, black look with a few molded lines that break up the flow and a chunky design philosophy when it comes to the
earcups,
which look a bit like they're actually some form of breaching charge intended for blasting through human skulls.
The mic is housed within the left
earcup and to use it you simply need to reach upwards and pull it down,
which unmutes it in the process.
On the right
earcup you'll find a volume control wheel
which spins a shade over 180 - degrees
which is preferable to the in - line remote we often see that leaves you scrabbling madly to turn down the sound.
The right
earcup houses an audio cable connection for the included 3.5 mm headphone cables — one of
which includes an inline three - button remote control.
Additionally, there is a mention of a Google Assistant button on a left
earcup,
which suggests these the headphones are wireless over-ears and not earbuds.
We tested one headset with multiple drivers in each
earcup, plus a number of USB headsets with built - in Dolby, DTS, or Creative surround technologies (
which create a surround - like experience using only two drivers, through a combination of delay and other audio processing).
If you want some extra bass kick and a better microphone, we recommend upgrading to the Cloud Revolver,
which might be a little heavier than the Alpha, but still manages to be more comfy (especially for larger noggins) due to its self - adjusting suspension headband and roomier
earcups.
These headphones also offer useful touch controls on the right
earcup,
which are complemented with other nice features like voice prompts.
The leather and aluminum materials continue to the
earcups,
which feature a faux - grill that makes the MW50 look like open - back headphones but, don't be fooled, they're actually closed back.
Gone are the posts of the MH40 that mated the
earcups to the headband,
which looked awkward.
Down below the buttons you'll find an auxiliary jack,
which is mirrored on the other
earcup by a microUSB port that's used to charge the headphones.
This is a unique design we've not seen elsewhere,
which allows you to adjust the fit of the
earcups to create a small channel in the cushioning to account for the arms of your spectacles and reduce the pressure on your head as you game.
The bulk of the weight is localized around the
earcups,
which house the onboard battery, wireless receiver, and playback controls.
I was surprised to see that the company didn't mark the
earcups to distinguish
which side is left and
which is right.
By building the onboard electronics into the
earcups, Astro ditched its signature magnetic speaker tag system,
which would allows users to swap out and personalize the outside panels.
Enhancing the clarity and sound separation is the
earcups» tilt driver design,
which essentially minimizes resonance between the
earcups and your ears.
The
earcups are also not replaceable, does not support RGB backlight, G programming buttons on the headset unit from the 3 + 1 into a one,
which will be introduced later.
A set of specially developed 45 mm drivers are in each
earcup, each with a quad - core voice coil, to
which a digital signal is sent using its Pure Digital Drive technology,
which does away with a digital - to - analog converter.
The left
earcup holds the flip - down microphone,
which is on a flexible rubber arm.
The
earcups are attached by a small aluminium pole,
which means that no matter the shape of your ears, they'll rest well on your head.
The cable splits toward the top, and terminates with two tiny gold - plated plugs
which lock into place at the bottom of each
earcup.
The ATH - MSR7NC's miniature microphones at the top of each
earcup feed signals into the headphones» sophisticated noise - cancellation circuitry,
which creates a signal 180 - degrees out of phase to effectively cancel ambient noise.
It's available in black, green, or white versions, each of
which has a circular
earcup design with a wide ring of metal speaker grille - like material surrounding a flat circle bearing the Razer logo.
Credit: Mark Spoonauer / Tom's GuideThe bottom of the right
earcup houses two chunky, protruding volume buttons and a center pause button that's recessed,
which makes sense because you don't want to accidentally stop the music.
The headphone frame collapses at hinges just above each
earcup,
which can swivel outward, a bit like DJ - style headphones do.
Players will also be able to change the position of the
earcups independently,
which are cushioned in Asahi Spandex fabric atop shape memory foam.
The
earcups» exterior are made of matte silver aircraft - grade aluminum,
which is both durable and stylish.
Another familiar V - Moda trait is the
earcups» ported shields along the exterior,
which can be swapped out for a rainbow of V - Moda's 3D printed options, with themes and textures to cater to your style.
The middle plate on the
earcups features the company's three - headed snake logo,
which contrasts nicely with the surrounding black speaker grille.