
ASTRO Gaming A50 (Gen 3) vs Skullcandy Grom® Wireless: which should you buy?
On aggregated review scores the ASTRO Gaming A50 (Gen 3) comes out ahead with an HearWiki score of 82. The full breakdown - sub-scores, specs and what reviewers actually said - is below.
Score breakdown
Each axis is a 0–10 blend of what reviewers scored, not a lab measurement.
Specifications
| Spec | ASTRO Gaming A50 (Gen 3) | Skullcandy Grom® Wireless |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Over-Ear | Over-Ear |
| Price (USD) | $60 | $35 |
| HearWiki score | 82 / 100 · Great | 62 / 100 · Average |
| Released | 2017 | - |
| Audio | ||
| Driver | dynamic | dynamic |
| Driver size | 40 mm | 30 mm |
| Drivers per side | 2 | 2 |
| Frequency response | 20Hz - 20,000Hz | 20Hz-20kHz |
| Impedance | 48 Ω | 32 Ω |
| Sensitivity | - | 113 dB/mW |
| Wireless | ||
| Bluetooth | - | 5.2 |
| Bluetooth version | none | 5.2 |
| Codecs | SBC | AAC, SBC |
| Multipoint pairing | No | No |
| Wireless range | 9.1 m | - |
| Battery | ||
| Battery life | 15 h | 45 h |
| Quick charge | - | 10 min = 4 h |
| Wireless charging | No | No |
| Features | ||
| Active noise cancelling | No | No |
| ANC type | - | none |
| Transparency mode | - | No |
| Companion app | - | No |
| Custom EQ | - | No |
| Wear detection | - | No |
| Controls | - | both |
| Voice assistant | - | Google Assistant |
| Design | ||
| Weight | 380 g | 168.8 g |
| Water resistance | none | none |
| USB-C | - | Yes |
| Calls | ||
| Microphones | 1 | 1 |
What reviewers said
ASTRO Gaming A50 (Gen 3)
The ASTRO Gaming A50 (Gen 3) is a premium wireless headset designed for immersive gaming, delivering crisp virtual surround sound and a comfortable over-ear fit. Its standout feature is the convenient charging base, which also acts as a hub for connectivity, though the detachable microphone and software experience are less impressive than the hardware itself.
- Pro:Immersive virtual 7.1 surround sound
- Pro:Comfortable for long gaming sessions
- Pro:Convenient charging base and dock
- Con:Microphone quality is only average
- Con:Companion software is clunky
- Con:No Bluetooth or multipoint support
Skullcandy Grom® Wireless
The Skullcandy Grom Wireless are budget-friendly over-ear headphones aimed at younger listeners, offering a comfortable fit, a volume-limiting design for ear safety, and a long 45-hour battery with quick charging. They deliver decent sound with punchy bass for the price, plus practical touches like a wired share port and earcup controls, though the volume limiter can be bypassed and they lack advanced features like ANC or app support.
- Pro:Long 45-hour battery life with quick charge
- Pro:Comfortable fit and kid-friendly design
- Pro:Good bass response for the price
- Con:Volume limit is easy for kids to override
- Con:No active noise cancellation or transparency mode
- Con:Basic codec support only (AAC, SBC)
Summaries are AI-condensed and paraphrased from published reviews and specs - not original hands-on testing. More on our method.
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