The ROG Cetra earbuds are great for gaming, but they require you to install Armoury Crate on your phone.
The Cetra earbuds come with touch controls that allow you to access nearly all of the important settings for these reliable headphones. A touch or long press can access the various active noise cancelling (ANC) levels, gaming mode, pause, play, skip, etc. The only things you actually need the app for are extras like Bass Boost, Virtual Surround Sound, and sound EQ and optimization settings. Which is fortunate because none of that is readily available when connected to the Steam Deck via Bluetooth 5.0.
Asus ROG Cetra review: Design
The ROG Cetra true wireless earphones have a sleek, understated design that doesn’t immediately shout “gamer.” When you open the case, you can immediately tell they have a simple design with ROG DNA. With a satin matte finish, careful details, and a majority of plastic for the case and stems, these look and feel premium. Though significantly larger than what we often see from other earphones, the charging case still has a wonderful appearance. The clamshell casing has smooth, curved edges that fit well in the palm. ..
The ROG Strix Wireless Gaming Headset is a sleek, gaming-centric set of earbuds that come with a built-in 7.1 virtual surround sound system and an intuitive control panel. The earbuds have a sleek, gaming-centric design with a built-in 7.1 virtual surround sound system and an intuitive control panel. The earbuds have a sleek, gaming-centric design with a built-in 7.1 virtual surround sound system and an intuitive control panel. The earbuds have a sleek, gaming-centric design with a built-in 7.1 virtual surround sound system and an intuitive control panel. The ROG Strix Wireless Gaming Headset is designed for gamers who want the best audio experience possible while they’re playing their favorite games. With its powerful audio capabilities and intuitive control panel, the headset makes it easy to adjust the volume, change the music track, or take calls without ever having to take your hands off of the controller or keyboard. The ROG Strix Wireless Gaming Headset comes with an integrated 7.1 virtual surround sound system that provides immersive audio for all your games, including those played on your PC or console. The headset also has an intuitive control panel that lets you easily adjust the volume, change the music track, or take calls without ever having to take your hands off of the game controller or keyboard ..
The earbuds are designed with a heavy ROG branding on the buds, satin matte finish, and capacitive touch controls. The earbuds are good at absorbing oils from fingers and can quickly become smudged. The earbuds have noise cancellation capabilities and can turn off the earbuds to save battery life. The controls are supposed to be simple to use but they occasionally become difficult to use due to mistaken inputs.
The ear buds fit well and are cozy, making them comfortable for extended gaming or listening sessions. In order to passively isolate noise, the large buds offer a tight seal around the ears. They won’t be suitable for everyone, though. These most likely aren’t for you if you don’t like the squeezing sensation of in-ear buds.
Comfort
The AirPods are designed with a “bud and stem” design that enhances call comfort and clarity. They are placed in the ear canal securely and have a microphone located right at the base of each stem for better pick-up.
These headphones are good overall, but they have some issues with AI noise cancellation. The buds that I had in my ears for the majority of the day were a little painful, but there is no specific aspect of the buds that is causing this mild discomfort. If you have sensitive ears and don’t like most earbuds, then you should probably not buy these.
Asus ROG Cetra review: Connectivity
ASUS ROG Cetra True Wireless earbuds are easy to connect to any source. After a few simple steps, they will sync with your device and provide an accurate listening experience. It is important to make sure your earbuds are fully charged before using them for the first time. ..
I’ve never had a problem with my earphones notpairing, but I know that if something does happen to one of my earphones, it won’t be because of the lack of power in one or both of my ears. By connecting the charging cord to the charging case, I was able to avoid any problems that could occur because of the lack of power in either one or both of my ears.
Noise cancelling
The earbuds also have active noise cancellation, which helps you concentrate on your music by reducing some background noise. Although it is possible to simply drown out outside noises at the loudness these earbuds can produce, ANC is still a useful feature to have. Both ambient audio mode, which allows you to hear sounds outside, and two different levels of ANC are supported by the earbuds.
The ANC slightly reduces the droning noises at its highest setting, but it is hardly audible when listening to music. Since there is more free frequency when listening to a podcast, it is more obvious. The ambient sound option allows outside sound to in, although it’s a little artificial and sharp and also brings in some wind. We didn’t think it would allow us to actually keep our wits about us when strolling down the street with it enabled, though it might in a conversation in a quiet room.
The speakers in the Asus Armoury Crate Bluetooth headphones have been found to have some issues. We’ve seen a problem where the buds briefly desynchronize, and although it is only a minor inconvenience, it should be taken into consideration if you intend to listen in an area with a lot of radio interference. The Armoury Crate app from Asus offers some EQ and bass boost customization, but not much else, and it requests far too many unnecessary permissions to be useful. The low-latency Gaming Mode is useless for gamers looking for a competitive edge. Whether in Gaming Mode or not, the sound that comes from these buds clearly lags behind the game’s actions. ..
Asus ROG Cetra review: Audio performance
The ROG Cetra true wireless are excellent for general media use, as they produce clear sound with sharp texture and details. ..
The ROG Cetra true wireless headphones retain a lot of detail, whether you’re listening to the synth-fueled lo-fi grooves of Tame Impala, fuzzy grunge rock from The White Stripes, or an ethereal orchestral soundtrack. They can accurately reproduce the vocal characteristics of singers while preserving the subtle dynamics of a track and paying attention to silences. They also have a wide frequency response that allows you to hear all the details in any music. ..
The Beats by Dr. Dre Solo2 headphones are not perfect, but they offer a good value for the price. The sound quality is average, but it can be improved with an increased bass level. The Beats by Dr. Dre Solo2 headphones have a good soundstage and are effective for the price range.
The earbuds sound dull when first put into use right out of the package. However, the related Armoury Crate app allows you to modify volume, tweak EQ, switch to game mode, and check the battery life of the earbuds, so you can customise it to your preferences. Overall, the app has few capabilities, letting you change simple settings but skipping important necessities like the option to change noise cancelling modes.
Battery and charging
Asus has designed its ROG earbuds and headphones with an emphasis on battery life. The manufacturer claims that with ANC on (which you’ll want to do the most of the time), you can get 4.8 hours of usage from the earbuds themselves and an additional 17 hours from the charging case. This is allegedly extendable to 5.5 hours and 21.5 hours, respectively, if it is turned off. ..
These earbuds have quick-charge technology built into the case, however it is unclear how soon the earbuds can be fully charged again. When we removed them from the case, they were almost always at 100%.
Price and Availability
The Asus ROG Cetra True Wireless earbuds are currently available in both retail and online outlets in the UAE. They are priced similarly to mid-range wireless earbuds from brands like Razer, JBL, Sony, and Jabra. Even though they all have average specs, the ROG Cetra stands out in the crowded mid range market thanks to its versatile sound and long battery life.
Conclusion
The Asus ROG Cetra True Wireless headphones are a great option for those looking for an excellent audio experience and good battery life. They are perfect for short bursts of mobile gaming, but they don’t have the battery life or additional features that a wireless headset costing £100 would have.
