If you are part of the streaming platform in any way, either as a viewer or as a performer, the Astro ‘A’ Headset line-up is something you must have heard of.
These gaming-grade headsets come under the labels of A40, A50, and A60. All of these are amazing choices, especially if you want to game on any console yourself. These are compatible on all of the different console devices out right now, PC, PS4 — PS5, XBOX 1 — XBOX S, and XBOX series X.
While Astro is a brand are well known in the industry for its reliability as well as accurate and precise sound quality, the A line-up of headsets has been running into some problems over the years. Like the Astro A40 mic not working.
That in itself is a bad thing, you can sit back and relax knowing that not only can all these problems be fixed easily, but also that the fixes are the same for whichever platform floats your boat.
Astro A40 Mic not working issue is encountered on PC and consoles which is usually fixed by making sure the headset is properly connected to the respective port. On PC, set up the drivers properly. In consoles, you can fix it through microphone settings. Or, the headset itself may be faulty.
We will first go over the fixes for PC, while most of these are also synonyms for consoles, and then talk about ones exclusively that you can use on either your PlayStation or your XBOX.
Table of Contents
Astro A40 Mic not Working: Fixes for PC
Most likely the problem you are facing is that you can hear your teammates or squad clearly while they cannot hear you. There can be a few reasons for why this is happening.
Hardware
Make sure the Headset has been plugged properly in the USB port
In order to fix this issue, we would recommend you start with the easiest fix there is. Which is to make sure you have your headset properly plugged into your PC. This is a common fault that we have seen happening to us and many other users, multiple times.
In our hurried daily routines, it can be easy to look over the obvious. So make sure that the PC port and your Headset do not have any gaps in between. Ideally, the port from the A40 should be completely inside your PC and no rings should be visible to you.
If there is a gap or you can see the rings, gently push the port inside. Once you have done this, try to use the Mic.
Plug the audio device in a different port
Sometimes though, the ports on our computers and laptops get weak. This is because of repeated use as well as slight damage that the ports sustain over time.
This damage can be because of some impact or maybe the port was violently moved around, once a device had been connected. This is another common issue as we are not careful when it comes to either USB or Audio ports on our PCs as well as laptops.
If this is the problem, the fix is to switch the port you were plugging your headset in. Mostly on computers, you get two different audio jacks. One in the front of the casing while the other in the back. On laptops though, you get only one jack. So if this has been damaged, you will need to get it fixed.
Get an External Audio Port for Recording Devices
If your audio jacks have been damaged and you do not have time to get them fixed, you can just bypass the built-in audio ports completely.
Just go on or to any store and get an External Audio Port. These are cheap alternatives that you can get if your audio ports are malfunctioning. These under $10 accessories are connected through your USB ports and on the other end give you external audio jacks.
They come with separate connections for both the microphone and the headphones though. So you will need to make sure you have two connections for both of these on your headset too. If you only have one output for both the microphone device and headset, you will have to get a converter for them too. While that is cheap too, it will make your setup messy as there will be a lot of new cables.
Software
Make sure the Astro A40 Microphone is being used by Windows
Sometimes, Windows does not register the Microphone that is provided by the Astro A-series lineup. Though they do register the headset as a volume output. Because of this, while you do get audio from them, your microphone ends up not working.
In order to make sure your A40 microphone has been selected,
- Open Sound Settings by either searching for them or Right Clicking on the Sound icon in the taskbar and selecting the option from there
- Next, search for the title “Choose your input Device” and click on it
- You should now see options for all the microphones that are available to Windows. If the A40 mic option had not been selected previously, click on it to make sure it gets selected.
You can also do this by clicking on “Manage Sound Devices” in your Sound Settings. This should fix the Astro A40 mic, not functioning. You should also check your audio driver if it still doesn’t work.
Make sure Microphone is Audible and the Default Device
In order to make sure microphone levels are not muted, you need to:
- Open Sound Settings by either searching for them or Right Clicking on the Sound icon in the taskbar and selecting the option from there
- Under the “Input” section you will have the title of “Test your microphone”
- Now, speak into the microphone. You should see the slider moving around. The louder you speak or the closer you have your microphone to your mouth, the higher the slider will go. This indicates the sound volume.
If the slider is not moving when you speak into the microphone, either Windows has not selected the Astro gaming headset A40 mic or the mic is faulty. If it is the former, go through the above-mentioned step under the heading “Make sure the Astro A40 Microphone is being used by Windows”
The Astro Application
One of the benefits of getting headsets from a well-known company like Astro is that they come with perks. One of them being their own application for their headsets. It also makes sure the audio driver is updated for the device.
This is mainly used for equalizing and setting different levels of your headset correctly. At the same time though, this software can be used to do much more. Such as fixing problems with either the volume from the headsets or the microphone.
In order to download the software, head over to astrogaming.com.
Once there, scroll until you see the heading “Astro Command Center”. Under this, you will see the options to download the software for both Mac and PC. Just click on the link for whichever windows you have and the download will start automatically.
Once the download has been completed, click on it and give it permission to run.
You will need to select where you want to install the software. Once you have, just click on “Install”.
It might take a while but once it is done, the application will launch on its own.
Once you connect your device, move to the microphone heading. Over there you will see your microphone levels.
Move the Mic Level slider to the full maximum. This will make sure your microphone picks up even the slightest of sounds. Though in certain cases this might cause a lot of background noise for your teammates, it will make sure that your voice goes through to the other end.
If you are currently playing with your friends, by trying out different options, you can find the optimum level of microphone slider.
Audio Settings and the Recording Tab
Another way through which you can set your microphone levels higher is by using the audio settings built into your PC.
- You can do this by clicking on the sound option in the taskbar.
- After that, click on the “Sounds Option”
- It will take you to the Sound settings of your device.
- Next Click on the heading of “Recording”
- Choose the Astro A40 and click on Properties
- Lastly, click on “Levels”. This is to adjust USB mic level.
- You will then see the same sliders. Take them to an optimum level. Somewhere that is comfortable for your friends.
Update Audio Driver
As we keep using our PCs, it is a common occurrence in which some of the drivers that we use go out of date. This happens because while our Windows keep updating, some of the drivers get skipped out.
In order to update your drivers, you can either do it manually, which is a hassle. So to skip that headache, you can directly get them by using one of the automatic driver update software available on the internet for free. There are a number of them out there but we recommend Driver Booster.
Once you click on the download link, it will start automatically. Once the Driver Booster software has been downloaded successfully, it will save you a lot of time. As of now, you would not have to search for outdated drivers. The software does it automatically for you. All you will need to do is give it permission to download and install the updated drivers.
In order for the Software to scan your computer for outdated drivers, click on Scan Now.
When Driver Booster is done scanning, it will list all the drivers for you.
Just click on Update Now and leave your PC for a while.
Astro A40 Mic not Working: Fixes for PlayStation and XBOX
Make sure the Mix-amp and A40 are connected properly
The same problem, of the microphone not working, has been pointed out by many different users on consoles such as the PlayStation and XBOX.
Though on these consoles, there are only two fixes. If these do not work, you probably have a faulty product.
One of the fixes was pointed out by the Astro Staff / Community Support on Reddit themselves. They told user, “Kazamakarate” to check the connection between their Mix-Amp and their A40 Astro Headset.
This user and many others were having troubles with their microphones not working and with this one tip, all of their problems seemed to vanish.
It is likely that for you, the headset is causing problems because of a faulty connection too. So in order to fix this, just make sure your connections are not interrupted.
Check the Microphone Settings on your Console
Another likely problem that seems to have been faced by many users, and ourselves is that the microphone levels on our consoles are not loud enough.
In order to solve this, open the settings in your PlayStation, and move to Devices and check the microphone properties.
Over there, click on the Audio Devices option and then finally on the “Adjust Microphone Levels”. Slide the slider up until your friends can easily hear you without you having to shout.
Astro A40 Mic not Working: Astro A40 Mic Muffled
Make sure nothing is covering the Microphone
If your friends can hear you, but your voice is not clear enough for them. The fix can be similar to the one as if your microphone was not working at all. Maybe the device has not been connected properly. For this, you will need to reattach your microphone to the port.
If doing this does not make your sound clearer, check to make sure nothing is covering your headset. In the scenario that there is something in front of it such as a cloth or if the microphone is too close to your mouth, your voice might be unintentionally getting muffled.
Reset the Modem
The last resort you have is to reset your modem. Some users have pointed out that by doing so, their voices become clearer to their friends, while nothing else helped them fix this problem.
Conclusion
We have noted down all the possible fixes that there are if in case your Astro Gaming A40’s microphone is not working or if it is getting muffled. In order to fix the Microphone not working, first, try to reattach the headset into the ports. After that, go into the device’s audio settings and turn the microphone volume up.
Though if none of the fixes work for you, there is also a possibility that you got sent a faulty headset. In this case, communicate with the shop that sold you the unit and ask them for a refund.