In today’s comparison review, we will be taking a look at two mesmerizing gaming headsets, the Turtle Beach Recon 70 vs Astro A10. Now, they have been around in the market for a few years.
We cannot call them new devices. But they have managed to make some noise in the budget gaming headset segment. The budget headset market is already overcrowded. Can these two units cement their places?
Let us find out by reading the given review. Besides, we will also find who the winner is among these two exceptional headsets. The Turtle Beach Recon 70 headset comes with outstanding features infused in them.
The fitting is good as the earpads are nicely padded. We also found that the microphone comes with a decent recording quality. The audio performance was acceptable. We did not see any issues wearing them for lengthy hours.
Sadly, the build quality was not very good, and the noise did get inside your ears most often than not. This ruined our gaming sessions. Yes, they come under the $100 price range, but overall, the design and background noise seeping make it a little annoying to use.
But when you do not want to break your bank, then this model is most suitable. Likewise, the Astro A10 is another gaming headset that comes with knightly features embedded in it. The earcups are medium in shape, and they are incredibly comfortable to wear for long hours.
Unlike the Recon 70, you feel a punch wearing them on your ears. The microphone quality was exceptional. We did not hear any background noise either for the price range. Both the headsets had similar compatibility functions.
As they are wired, you cannot use them on Bluetooth and any software. This was slightly disappointing. But given the price tag of sub-$100, you cannot get more from them. Both the units are a delight to use for gaming, listening to music, and watching videos.
Let us now read their features in detail and learn more about them.
 |  |
|---|---|
| TURTLE BEACH RECON 70 | ASTRO A10 |
| PROS | PROS |
| The durability of the headset is exceptional as it comes made from polycarbonate. It is comfortable as the ear cushions keep you fresh for prolonged hours. The microphone is functional as it comes with flip-up mute and in-line volume control. The gaming headset is available in 8 attractive colors. The headset is low-priced less than $50. | It is light and portable for excessive use. The ear cushions are incredibly comfortable and come with intense audio quality. The microphone comes with outstanding features. It is designed to work on several platforms. This is priced cheaply, under $45. |
| CONS | CONS |
| The wired connection limits the functionality of the headset. | It can get uncomfortable after prolonged use. |
DESIGN & COMFORT
The Turtle Beach Recon 70 is a beautifully designed unit. They are very comfortable as the earcups are large in design. The material used to produce the earpads are comfortable. You notice that the coating that comes with pleather material is not that nice, though.
It feels a bit rough on the skin. The headband is not padded sufficiently but is comfortable on your head. It gives adequate grip too. The weight is evenly distributed on your head. However, the model is quite similar to other Beach Recon models.
The yokes are slightly different from what is typically found in the other units. Not to mention, size adjustment has pleather and not fabric material. The color accents also blend with the variants found in the headset.
The gaming headset comes with 8 colors tones on it. On the other hand, the Astro A10 headset has a similar design as A50 Gen 3 Wireless. Our tester felt that the model came with good weight, unlike sub-$100 models that appear quite cheap due to the plastic design.
The moment he put it on his head, he felt light and pleasant, knowing that something was on his head. Besides, he was able to wear it for few hours in gaming without having discomfort. However, we found that those with large ears may not find it very comforting if you wear it longer.
You may want to look elsewhere if your ears are large. Due to the boom microphone, you can instantly notice that it is a gaming unit. Sadly, you cannot detach the microphone, meaning they cannot transition for outdoor activity.
The micro-fiber earpads also enable you to give more vibe than other models found in the market. We may want to mention that the earcups are padded nicely and feel good. They are slightly tight on the head than similar models from the brand.
BUILD QUALITY
You cannot expect too much from a budget gaming headset. These two models did a stunning job with the build quality. The Turtle Beach Recon 70 has a control panel that doesn’t come with decent functionality.
However, they are simple to use as you can find a volume wheel on the left side. The microphone is infused with a flip mode and no playback controls. Our tester thought that they are not very breathable due to the pleather material embedded in them.
You might not find them a good option for sports usage as the heat is trapped inside the earcups as they get heated quickly. They do not fold and are not portable. You may not use them due to the width of the design, and they are challenging to slide them inside a bag.
Coming to the Astro A10, they are similar in build quality to the A50 wireless unit. However, they come durable, and the plastic material on them seems quite sturdy. We also saw that the headband is extremely durable.
The cable comes thick, and you can remove them if you want. We also noticed that the unit is very stable. They can remain on your ears during prolonged gaming sessions. Gamers can wear them for casual gaming without feeling discomfort.
We found that the controls on the unit were disappointing. You can find a limited button layout giving you less control over the volume. Gamers can flip the microphone to mute it. But the volume slider does not come with the ability for those wanting a consistent volume setting.
Our tester felt that the A10 was nice and breathable for those lengthy gaming sessions. The earpads are very porous and beautifully designed. But your ears can get a bit warm if you have them on for several hours.
AUDIO PERFORMANCE
Can you expect decent audio quality from budget gaming headsets? We do not know about other models, but these two units came with a solid sound profile. Let us read more on them. The Turtle Beach Recon 70 comes with robust audio quality.
You can find a slight dip in the low-bass range, and that might take away some of the punch from the audio. Gamers like to hear the punch when they play games and listen to music. Most of the other times, the treble is crisp, and you can listen to dialogues well.
It comes with an inadequate frequency response and delivering sound consistently. That is because it needs to fit properly on your ears; otherwise, the audio delivery will be poor. Those of you who are wearing glasses and have long hair might face difficulties.
The mid-range was exceptional, and you could hear all the lead instruments and vocals very clearly. The treble accuracy is fantastic, and high notes can be heard exceptionally well. Though everybody cannot hear everything clearly, it can vary depending on the fit.
The Astro A10 comes with a heavy bass that enables you to hear the accurate audio quality. The sound profile gets unbalanced sometimes. You can notice some extra boom in the range of the bass getting you action-packed scenes.
Its frequency response consistency is not that good. This makes it quite hard for you to be able to listen to the same thing. You may have to adjust the unit often to get the right kind of sound. The mid-accuracy is alright.
Most of the audio quality in the unit sounds perfect. We felt that it comes with average treble accuracy—the dip of the treble does not allow you to hear instruments clearly as they should. Users can notice a slight bump in the treble that makes the sounds nicely.
MICROPHONE PERFORMANCE
Typically, gaming headsets priced less than $50 do not come with great microphones. However, the Recon 70 and the A10 stunned us with their performance. The Turtle Beach Recon 70 unit comes with a flip microphone.
Now, this feature is typically found on the top-end models. You do not see them in a sub-$100 gaming headset. The microphone works fantastic. The microphone comes with high sensitivity, picking up voices loud and clear.
The boom microphone has a good recording quality, and the noise isolation was good. Users may, at times, find it hard to understand the speech from the noise happening in the room. Likewise, the Astro A10 comes with a decent microphone.
The recording quality was good, and you can hear your voice nicely at the other end. It came with excellent detail. It is exceptional in nose handling for the price range. Your voice is transmitted adequately, even when seated in a noisy room.
COMPATIBILITY
The compatibility of the Turtle Beach Recon 70 is top-notch and exceptional when compared to most of the units in the same price range. It comes with multi-platform compatibility where it works sublimely with and works great with PC, PS5, PS4 Pro, Nintendo Switch, and your smartphones.
That is possible due to the 3.5-millimeter jack. It is not compatible with Bluetooth, and when you want a Turtle gaming headset that comes with Bluetooth, you may have to choose expensive models like the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Wireless.
Besides, it is a wired unit and does not support wireless connections. The main advantage of using the Recon 70 is that it works just fine on the PS5 gaming console. Those of you who dig in the PS5 may want to consider choosing this gaming headset over the A10.
The Astro A10 gaming headset works just fine with your PC, laptop, PS4, PS5, and Xbox One. It would help if you plugged in the 3.5mm jack. Unfortunately, the unit cannot be used with Bluetooth. They are wired.
It also comes with a wired 1/8″ TRRS connection and in-line volume control. For sound profile and microphone functionality, you can use the PS4 and your PC. Yes, it does the same along with your Xbox One too.
They do not come with a dock and not compatible with the Astro Command Center. On the whole, the gaming headsets are pretty similar in the compatibility and functions. You won’t be left disappointed using them.
PRICE
These are budget models, and naturally, there is no need for any excitement because they are quite affordable. The Turtle Beach Recon 70 is priced less than $50. We felt that the pricing was done smartly, considering the specifications that it came with.
The Astro A10 is priced less than $45. As we said, the price of the budget models is almost on the same price tag. We do not feel that the $5 difference should make consumers sway to the other model instantly.
That is because both units come with splendid features embedded in them with cause for any worry. At the end of the day, it comes down to two things: the brand you prefer and the features you are tucked into.
VERDICT
This is the end of our comparison review on Turtle Beach Recon 70 vs Astro A10. Hope you found it helpful. Both are top-notch gaming headsets and come with exceptional features. It was quite challenging for us to pick out a winner.
The Turtle Beach Recon 70 is a good, wired unit because of the comfortable fitting and the microphone. We felt that they did feel cheap at times due to the plastic body frame that is not very nicely designed.
Besides, the background noise was easily heard, and we could not concentrate on our gaming or music session. However, they are suitable to wear for an average office. Unfortunately, they also come with a large design that may not be ideal for travel.
We do want to mention the 40mm speakers coming with high-quality and leather cushions. On the whole, you are getting a product for the quoted price, nothing else. On the other hand, the Astro A10 is a brand for a value product. The headset comes with huge earcups, and there is a gaming-oriented design.
We thought that if the microphone could be removed, then it could have been much better. Sadly, that was not the case. But the background noise was filtered quite well. The headset comes with a bass audio quality, and there is also ample punch in it.
You will be taken aback by the recording quality in the unit. Besides, the A10 was designed such that it can easily withstand plenty of falls or drops. The sturdy material and the lightweight design are something that took us aback.
Our winner in the Turtle Beach Recon 70 vs Astro A10 review would be the Astro A10, without a doubt. The gaming headset comes with exceptional features embedded in it and better built and looks durable.
The Recon 70 is a good choice, too, as it comes with immense comfort and a good sound profile.
James Smith has always been intrigued by electronic products since his childhood. After his post graduation in electronics from a popular university, he decided to pursue a career in the electronics sector. But his calling for writing about these marvellous pieces of work got the better of him. That is how UBG was started. With a writing career spanning more than 12 years, James has worked on several hundred product reviews. During his free time, he like to spend time with his pet dog and relax in the swimming pool.