The Consumer Electronics Show ended on Sunday, but we saw so many interesting things we're still working on writing it all up. Among those things is the Astro A40 audio system, a headphone and mixer / amplifier combination that you'll surely appreciate — though perhaps not afford — if you're a hardcore gamer. We played Gears of War using the A40; here are our first impressions.

The A40 system consists of two components: over-the-ear headphones with a detachable microphone, and a separate mixer amp. Multiple amps can be connected to one another to provide a local, ultra-high-quality voice communication channel if so you can communicate with teammates in epic LAN parties with hundreds of people in the room. This channel is distinct from the online voice communication (like you'd have over Xbox Live), so you can confer locally without tipping off online competitors, too. Using these, we were able to carry on a conversation in a very crowded and loud room with no problems.

As neat as the voice features are, you'll really want to pick these headphones up for the Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound. In our experience, surround sound headphones have been chronically lacking in the lower registers; they just don't have that bass boom we want in our video game explosions. The A40 uses different technology than most headphones though. Instead of using an array of small speakers for true surround sound at the cost of sound quality, it uses Dolby's virtual digital technology.

It sounded like real surround sound to us, and the booms were as epic as you could ask for. We'll also note that the A40 comes with adapters for every connector imaginable, so it will work on your Xbox 360, your PS3, your PC, and even your iPod. Just be ready to cough up the hardcore dollar amount of $250. Worth it if you've got it and if this is your thing, not so much otherwise.