ASTRO Gaming MixAmp Pro TR for PS4 - Black - PlayStation 4

I hate this thing. The day I got the 2016 version of Astro's gamer DAC for my PS4, I wanted to replace it. Ostensibly, it works with any headset. In reality, Astro Mixamps are tuned for Astro headsets, in this case, the A40's. The various headphone/modmic combinations I tried to use with the Mixamp never panned out. Most headsets couldn't deal with the equalization presets, which you can yourself arrange and select, but never completely disable. Some Y adapters flat out wouldn't work. Non-Astro mics I hooked up sounded tinny and often echoed horribly.There are other issues. The analog auxiliary input is on the front of the device, so I had to wrap a cable around the side of my Mixamp to run it to my PC. I don't think there's any RFI shielding in these things either. The auxiliary input picks up an obnoxious amount of noise from my PC. I changed cables three times in four years, bought better UPS/surge protectors, and fixed a potential ground loop. Didn't make a difference.So why am I here with this review now? It's nearly the end of this console generation. The PS5 likely won't have a Toslink digital audio port. The Xbox Series X definitely doesn't. In other words, my 2016 Mixamp's days are numbered and I felt the need to eulogize it.To be clear, it's the single best piece of gaming equipment I used this console generation.The 2016 Mixamp doesn't do audio nearly as well as a "real" DAC, but it does EVERYTHING well enough. No other DAC for sale since 2016 mixes digital audio from a PS4 and analog audio from another source (like a PC) together. I mean it. Not one. And one knob controls that mix. One.Compare that to the Soundblaster G6, which is a far better DAC, but can't mix audio over USB from my PS4 and analog audio from my PC together simultaneously. Connecting one input shuts the other off. It didn't matter that the G6 sounded better. It wasn't as useful as the Mixamp, so it, not the Mixamp, is in a drawer right now.The Mixamp is also the only device I know of that can take digital game audio, PS4 party chat audio, and auxiliary audio from my PC, combine them, and spit out a clean audio stream via an analog audio port. It's absolutely perfect for anyone with a capture card that that handles analog audio (Elgato HD60S+, for example). And this is available right out of the box. No PC app to download, no settings to adjust, no firmware to install.And that's why it's a five-star device I hate. I can't find a replacement for it that does everything it can do. Whenever I looked into other console-compatible DAC's, most were regarded as sounding better, but none checked all the boxes to be actually better.I've said my peace. The Mixamp was a great, well thought out device, the kind that I always hope to see more of in the future but, unfortunately, never do.

I bought this because I wanted the ability to tune the mix between game and chat audio. Incoming audio was good. Everyone kept complaining that my mic was dim as well as cut out too early. When I switched back to my direct (no mixamp) setup, they said my mic was perfect. I also followed suggestions from other forum posts and set the device to Streaming mode instead of Home (which has more aggressive noise canceling. No help.My setup is using a Sennheiser 363D. I used used the included optical audio cable for incoming audio, the USB cable and the Y adapter to be able to plug in my headset.Unfortunately, I'll have to return this.

So purchased this for my PS3, and so far I've had no problems with it. First thing that I recommend doing with this is plugging into a PC and downloading the Astro Command Center software. This allows you to tweak the sound exactly to your liking. I understand some people have a problem with the default EQ. I think it sounds fine,even if it's slightly bass heavy. Using optical audio produces a very clean sound with little noise and plenty of clarity, as well as a little bit better separation. Now to get to work with the Wii U, two things are needed: a 3.5mm audio aux cable and a USB power adapter AKA USB charger. If you try to just plug into the Wii U USB port, it won't get enough power and will produce a buzzing sound. Instead plug the USB Cable for the Mixamp into a USB Power Adapter. Note: iPad chargers may work best as they provide about 10W of power. Then plug the one end of the audio cable into the Wii U Gamepad headphone jack, and plug the other end into AUX port on the Mixamp. Plug in your favorite pair of headphones or a headset, and you're all set. The reason I mention the Wii U is because I know for a fact, that the headphone jack on the Wii U Gamepad outputs at a low volume. With the Mixamp, I can amplify the sound far past its normal limits. I would highly recommend this to anyone with a pair of high quality headphones, or a good headset.