To go along with the new Asus ROG Phone 6 and ROG Phone 6 Pro smartphones, Asus has a new pair of wireless headphones made especially for gaming. Except they’re not only wireless, as inside the box is a cable that attaches to the earbuds and adds a quad DAC, giving you the option of how to listen. Called the Asus ROG Cetra True Wireless Pro earbuds, they’re designed to appeal to anyone who wants gaming prowess, convenience, and audiophile quality.
Audiophile quality, from wireless earbuds? Yes. The ROG Cetra uses a pair of 10mm drivers and supports Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Sound platform with AptX Lossless for 24-bit, 96kHz CD-quality audio, making it one of the first to arrive with this combination, alongside the NuraTrue Pro headphones. Not enough for you? That’s where the cable comes in. Switch from the Bluetooth connection to the included USB Type-C cable, and it adds an ESS 9280 Quad DAC, which Asus also uses in its ROG Fusion II 300 USB headset, ready to deliver great audio without any lag.
On the subject of lag, Asus claims if you pair the ROG Cetra with the ROG Phone 6 or ROG Phone 6 Pro the latency is reduced to 45ms, making them ideal for gaming. In wired mode, there’s a noise-canceling microphone designed to isolate your voice even in windy conditions, plus there’s Active Noise Cancelation (ANC) when connected with Bluetooth. Asus has added several special modes including one that copes better with wind noise. Other features include touch controls and access to your phone’s voice assistant, plus an IPX4 splash-resistant rating so they can be used in the rain and will resist sweat.
Asus states the battery will last for seven hours or a total of 21 hours without ANC, or four-and-a-half hours or 13 hours with the ANC switched on. The case has a 10-minute fast charge feature that adds one-and-a-half hours of headphone use.
The Republic of Gamers branding leaves no doubt the ROG Cetra have been designed with the gamer in mind, but the audio tech inside means they could also appeal to anyone with a preference for great sounding audio too. They join several other gaming-focused accessories made to enhance the ROG Phone 6, including the Nintendo Switch Joy-Con-like Kunai 3 controller.
Asus has announced the ROG Cetra True Wireless Pro but it has not provided a final price at the time of writing or given an exact release date. Instead, it says the headphones will be released around September or October this year.