What is an Astro Mixamp and why do I need it? Serious question.
I would prefer to keep it total about 200-250. Anything less would be an obvious boon, but I understand the investment in nice pieces of ear that are going to get hours and hours of sue every day for hopefully years. If I have to I'm able to go up to 300$
Well it is exactly what the name implies. It is an amplifier for your audio, and supports Dolby surround for your headset. It is also necessary to balance your chat/game audio channels.
The A40 headset/mixamp bundle is $250, right in your price range. I also highly recommend this too because of the availability of parts. I have cats and they have chewed through a couple of cords and I was able to order replacements right away without having to replace the headset.