Is the ASTRO Gaming A50 Gen 5 worth the upgrade from the Sony WH-1000XM6?
Verdict
Downgrade
The ASTRO Gaming A50 Gen 5 actually scores 8.7 points below the Sony WH-1000XM6, so on aggregate review consensus this is a step backwards. It loses ground on battery (8.1 to 7.1) and sound (9.0 to 8.2). On paper: full charge time 210 min to 180 min, wireless range 10 m to 12 m and driver size 30 mm to 40 mm. Worth checking: battery life goes 40 h to 24 h and active noise cancelling goes Yes to No. It is at least $138 cheaper, so the lower score comes with a saving. Only worth it if a specific feature above matters more to you than overall quality does.
What actually changes
Sub-scores both products have, on the same 0-10 scale. Bars extend right for a gain, left for a loss.
- Sound9.08.2
- Battery8.17.1
- Calls9.69.2
- Value8.27.4
Spec differences
Only where the two genuinely differ - everything they share is omitted.
| Spec | WH-1000XM6 | A50 Gen 5 | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery life | 40 h | 24 h | |
| Active noise cancelling | Yes | No | |
| Codecs | SBC, AAC, LC3, LDAC | SBC | |
| Weight | 254 g | 363 g | |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 | 5.2 | |
| Full charge time | 210 min | 180 min | |
| Wireless range | 10 m | 12 m | |
| Driver size | 30 mm | 40 mm | |
| Microphones | 12 | 1 | |
| Wireless charging | No | Yes | |
| Transparency mode | Yes | No | |
| Wear detection | Yes | No | |
| ANC type | adaptive | none | |
| Quick charge | 3 min → 3 h | 10 min → 2 h | |
| Driver | 30 mm dynamic | 40 mm dynamic | |
| Frequency response | 4 Hz - 40 kHz | 20 Hz - 20 kHz |
About this verdict
Direction matters here: this page answers "WH-1000XM6 to A50 Gen 5". The other direction is a separate question with a different answer. Scores blend published review verdicts across over-ear and shift as new reviews land, so a marginal call today may not be one next quarter.