Asus ROG Cetra Open Wireless Gaming Earbuds Review

Chunky Design however Oh-so Comfortable

The Asus ROG Cetra buds really feel good however they do not look good. The chunky cylinder on the again is ugly and the case feels low cost and ponderous. They’re thick sufficient that it is a ache to hold in my pocket, and I would not advocate them as on a regular basis earbuds for commuting.

But that is advantageous with me in the event that they shine the place they’re wanted: gaming. Those ugly cylinders hold the buds steady and safe in your ear. They by no means waggled or shifted place, even after I pressed the sturdy management buttons on both sides. Out of pure curiosity I used them on a half-hour run and even then they would not budge.

I favor earbuds over headsets as a result of I discover the straps uncomfortable, however eartips in your ear canal can typically be annoying too. The Asus ROG Cetra avoids that by sitting simply exterior your, and I might put on all of them day with out taking breaks.

These are genuinely probably the most snug gaming earbuds I’ve ever worn, partly as a result of the versatile loop design bends to match my ear, and partly due to the inherent consolation of open buds. Once, I really walked round the home searching for them – forgetting they have been on my ears.

That design sacrifices some sound precision – as I’ll clarify in a bit – however means you’ll be able to hear what is going on on round you. They do not let in fairly as a lot noise as I’d hoped as a result of the precise buds are thick and canopy a portion of your ear canal, however they’re miles higher than any transparency mode on any earbuds. As lengthy as I turned the amount down beneath 50% (these buds are loud, in order that’s greater than sufficient for gaming), I might hold one ear on my environment.

I might comfortably preserve conversations whereas enjoying Crimson Desert, and I by no means needed to fear about lacking the doorbell throughout a busy day of deliveries. That makes them really feel distinctive amongst gaming buds, and superb for any person like me.

Naturally, it will not impress individuals who favor to be as targeted as potential after they play, and the buds’ model of noise cancelling, known as immersion mode, barely lowers the background noise. Instead, you simply have to show the amount up. They’re loud sufficient to drown out most ambient sounds however some will inevitably slip via, particularly should you play in a loud atmosphere.

Rapid, Reliable Connection and Sound That’s Merely Solid

So they’re nice for letting in ambient noise, if that is what you need. But how do they really sound?

Pretty good, actually. With open earbuds you at all times lose some precision, element, and immediacy, merely due to the house between the bud and your ear canal. Imagine the distinction between listening to any person speak in your ear versus listening to them throughout the room and you will not be far off. Similar sounds might be more durable to differentiate and quieter noises more durable to listen to.

They sounded merely advantageous when listening to music, however I hoped for extra, given the big price ticket. Their lack of precision exhibits in complicated tracks like The Verve’s Bitter Sweet Symphony, which sounded extra tinny than I’m used to. Its weak bass exhibits in Hip Hop songs and a “phantom bass” booster makes punchy tracks like Kendrick Lamar’s m.A.A.d metropolis sound distorted. High-end in-ear earbuds will sound lots livelier.

But I nonetheless loved enjoying video games with them. The separation of various sounds is sweet sufficient that, in Marathon, I might nonetheless hear particular person footsteps clearly, even when explosions lacked oomph. I might additionally inform the place my enemies have been round me, and roughly how far-off. The quad mic is evident and cancels out some background noise – after I had music quietly enjoying from a speaker in the identical room, my teammates could not hear it however they may hear me.

I significantly loved enjoying Crimson Desert, the place audio element is much less vital than the general soundscape. The combination of ambient music and environmental noises – swirling winds, a bonfire’s crackle – was wealthy and welcoming. Turning on “virtual surround” washed out the audio however the “reverb” possibility added the correct amount of depth to every part.

These buds paired persistently with my cellphone over Bluetooth and, for gaming, with my laptop computer, Steam Deck, and PS5 by way of the low-latency 2.4GHz wi-fi dongle. The dongle is comparatively slim, sturdy, and linked immediately each time, and I could not really feel any lag between my display and my ears. In my weeks of testing the connection solely dipped twice and got here again after a second, which is fairly good going.

Unlike many 2.4GHz dongles, this one has an exterior USB-C port for “pass-through charging” so you’ll be able to cost your system with the dongle plugged in. That’s particularly helpful for top-ups of handhelds just like the Switch or Steam Deck: my growing older Deck leaks battery like a sieve, so it was particularly helpful.

Solid Battery Life however Confusing Customization App

As for the battery on the buds themselves, Asus claims you’ll be able to squeeze a full 16 hours out of them – however that is in Bluetooth mode with the mic muted, no RGB lighting, and each setting toggled off.

In observe, they lasted between 8 and 10 hours for me with the USB dongle, relying on what number of audio results I used. That’s wonderful for gaming earbuds: they will not final fairly as lengthy in a single session because the best-in-class Sony Inzone Buds, however they will come shut.

To toggle on these varied settings, you will want to make use of Asus’ Gear Link app. It’s downloadable in your cellphone however browser-only in your PC, which I favor as a result of it retains my arduous drive clear.

It homes an honest choice of options together with a totally customisable EQ, a noise gate in your microphone, and all of the settings I’ve already talked about corresponding to phantom bass and reverb.

Unfortunately, the app does not actually clarify what every function does. Should I exploit the compressor, or not, and at which degree? Why is there a setting for “voice clarity”, and should not my voice at all times be clear? What does the “perfect voice” change do?

Toggling between preset profiles adjustments all these settings robotically, simplifying issues, however the profiles themselves are complicated. Why does the “gaming” preset have extra compression than “RPG”? You can work these items out if what the phrases imply, however a brief description explaining every one would’ve helped.

You do, at the least, get in-depth RGB lightning customization. I discovered it straightforward to make use of, and it is one thing few gaming earbuds supply.