ASUS - ROG Cetra Open Wireless SpeedNova Open-Ear Gaming Earbuds for PC, iOS, Android, Switch - Black

Overall these are quite good. The biggest selling points are: 1. Connectivity and 2. Comfort I think this product is good partially because there is so limited competition or comparable products with these specific features. I have a wide variety of earbuds and headphones and like these for a few specific reasons. I've tried other gaming earbuds like the Steel Series gaming buds and also have the ASUS Rog Cetra (non-open back). The Steel Series was awful. The original Rog Cetra are good at the right price point, but they hurt my ears if I wear them longer than 45 minutes. The USB-C dongle is one of the biggest selling points for me because bluetooth remains so unstable for so many devices. Apple wants to only connect to Apple devices and Windows Bluetooth is a nightmare. The USB-C dongle is Not only for gaming & low latency, but simply for ease-of-use if you need to use your headphones on multiple devices. The Bluetooth 6.0 on these makes connectivity better than some other earbuds. I was able to connect easily to a variety of devices, including my iphone, Macbook Pro, my alienware PC, galaxy z fold (work phone), and Apple TV. Most other headphones struggle with hopping beyond just 1 phone and 1 other device. And then you have the USB-C dongle in case there is any issue. The "multipoint" feature - where you can "connect multiple devices at once" - is something that can be confusing. In some premium headphones, you can play both music from your phone AND play music from your PC at the same time. They call that feature "simultaneous playback" apparently, where this "multipoint" can only play 1 audio source at once, but it is just connected to both devices for "rapid switching." The simultaneous playback feature is awesome, but I've only found it on headphones like the Steel Series Elite and Razer Kraken v4 Pro --- I haven't found earbuds that do this. I also wanted these "open" style headphones because they are more comfortable for longer usage. I never thought that "open" style headphones would be something that I wanted, but after I tried the Bose Open Earbuds I completely changed my mind. However, those don't have the connectivity with the USB-C dongle and were exceptionally bad with Windows Bluetooth connectivity. Regardless, these open-back headphones are quite comfortable as well. Also, I'm trying to protect my ears and I always find myself getting ear fatigue with any noise-canceling earbuds both because of volume but also because they are jammed in my ear canals. I can wear these for very long periods of time and they are very comfortable. I also sometimes wear glasses and it's not a problem. For sound quality, I definitely had to tweak the sound settings via the Gear Link app to adjust the EQ to get it to sound right for me. I believe it will be the same for most people as the default sound settings were incredibly dull and I was initially nervous I got a dud. However, after tweaking the EQ settings I found the sound quality good. I also change the EQ sound settings if I'm gaming versus listening to music because there is a big difference for me. It's simply impossible for open ear style buds like this to pump a lot of base in comparison to like the Technics 100. But also that is damaging to your ears and a lot less comfortable. If you listen to podcasts, these sound the exact same in quality. If your use-case is "gaming only" the big advantage is obviously latency but also the mic is built-in as well. But if your primary or only use-case is gaming, and the sound quality is your highest priority, I would do a wired headset like the Asus ROG Kithara. I bought those and they are incredible for gaming. But they are also something I just use at my desk. If you're looking for the highest audio quality on a single phone or computer, then I would look at Technics 100, Airpods Pro or Bowers & Wilkins P8. But overall, I'm pleased with these and think people will either immediately love them or there will be some that feel like they miss the traditional "in-ear" buds that most people are used to.

I enjoy the sound quality from these over earbuds, while still being aware of what’s going on around me. This includes listening to audiobooks, music, or while playing games on a PC. Using Bluetooth for connection to my phone and dongle for the pc for near instant and seamless transition. For gaming I can not notice any latency and for phone calls people say my voice is clear and very little background noise can be heard.

I love this open earbuds i use daily on my pc and ipad for game play design also good love it

best sound for gaming warzone any game you want to play

The ROG Cetra Open Wireless really impress. They sound good in gaming and music and are all-day comfortable with battery life to match. Unboxing: The box contains the earbuds, a 2.4 GHz USB-C dongle, the charging case, and a USB-C to USB-A cable for charging. There is also a handy wire neck strap with a reflective covering. It is unobtrusive, holds the earbuds securely, and it adds a layer of confidence that I won’t inadvertently lose one during activity. The charging case is nearly double the size of other earbuds I possess. The increased size is necessary to accommodate the larger form factor of the behind-ear design and the included USB-C dongle. The earbuds rest horizontally in the case, and my first thought was, if these were vertical, they’d take up a lot less space. Then I returned the earbuds to the case and immediately recognized why the horizontal orientation was chosen: Just drop them in their respective side. A magnet guides each earbud into position and ensures positive contact with the charging connection. No fiddling to get things “just right.” The earbud case construction and plastic material are simply good enough. The hinge functions fine but opens almost too easily. I prefer a little resistance and a detent upon reaching the open position. The plastic used is thin and lightweight; nice for carrying in a bag, but it feels a little cheap. Also, I have my doubts about the durability of the matte finish on the plastic. I am afraid that over time it will show every scratch, scrape, or ding. Charging and battery life: Fresh out of the box, it took two hours to fully charge the case and earbuds. After about two hours of testing with games, podcasts, and different music genres at various volumes, charge had dropped from 100% to 80%. It’s an unscientific test, but it suggests a run time of at least 10 hours. Documentation states up to 16 hours of playback with an additional 48 hours to be had from the charging case. Connection: I first tested the USB-C dongle. When plugged into an available port on my PC, the wireless connection is automatic and immediate. On PC, I was prompted to open the Gear Link web app. It opens in your browser and provides easy access to all settings including Audio/EQ, lighting (they’re full RGB!), and hybrid multipoint to manage connections among devices, e.g., PC and phone, and dongle/Bluetooth connections. Connectivity is very versatile. The Gear Link web app is where I was told a firmware update was available; installation was painless. Just download and run the executable. It only took a few minutes to upload to the earbuds. Easy. Bluetooth connection was just as straightforward and seemed slightly louder than the dongle volume at the same setting. Audio quality was indistinguishable from the USB-C dongle connection. One interesting observation: with the dongle connected to my Android phone, Spotify identifies the headphones connection as wired. I could use “Lossless” audio, but the improvement would be lost on this open design. Like I said, just an observation. My phone is in a case, and the dongle fits without issue. The USB-C connector has sufficient length to plug in unobstructed. Multipoint connection: This is outstanding. The ROG Cetra Open Wireless Earbuds support multipoint connection. They are currently connected to my PC via USB-C dongle and Android phone via Bluetooth. This is the most consistent, reliable multipoint I’ve ever used. After a couple of days, I have stopped checking to confirm each connection and now trust the connection has been made. Controls: Each earbud has a physical button located right where my index finger expects it to be. Controls are straightforward and programmable via the app. Also, controls vary by connection. For example, Bluetooth connection allows you to set access to your voice assistant, whereas dongle connection does not. The app is very easy to navigate and gives easy access to everything needed to completely personalize your experience. Comfort: The ROG Cetra Open Wireless Earbuds are extremely comfortable. The earbuds are flexible silicone and wrap over/behind the ear. I wear glasses, and the behind-ear design does not interfere at all. I am extremely impressed. These are my first open-air earbuds, so there was a very brief period of recognizing no earbud tip extends into the ear canal. The open form factor in combination with the lightweight, pliable silicone construction make for a set of earbuds I might forget I’m wearing. Sound Quality: As mentioned, this is my first time using open earbuds. When I started the audio, I initially thought I was hearing it from my PC speakers. My first realization that I was listening to the ROG Cetra open earbuds was that my notebook’s speakers never sounded this good. The sound is immersive and the bass is surprisingly strong; granted, it’s nowhere near as powerful as sealed in-ear designs, but it is more than adequate for the purpose. I experienced some distortion during testing with very low-frequency bass at volume too high to be comfortable. At a normal volume, music of all types is clear, detailed, and very satisfying to listen to. I can verify that gaming performance is excellent. In-game sounds are lively and directionality is outstanding. Having owned everything from budget earbuds to high end over ear headphones, I am impressed by how well the ROG Cetra compare. Given the open design, I was concerned about sound leakage. Sitting in the same room, my wife says she cannot hear them. That’s good enough for me. Microphones: Voice quality in game and in phone calls is very good. Immersion Mode: This is ROG’s attempt at noise cancellation in an open earbud design. I believe one chooses an open earbud design because they want to maintain awareness of the world around them. The ROG Cetra open earbuds do a good job of reducing the low-frequency noise around the listener; the sound of a nearby air purifier all but vanished. The fact that I can still engage with the world around me is a huge plus. I can effortlessly carry on a conversation without removing either earbud. Immersion Mode just reduces the din. I like the implementation. Overall Impression: I find it very easy to recommend the ROG Cetra Open Wireless Earbuds. - Sound quality is impressive when keeping in mind the open design. - Noise cancelling (Immersion Mode) is acceptable; just don’t expect an isolation booth. - They remain comfortable after hours of continuous wear. - Connection, whether dongle or Bluetooth, is rock-solid. No interference or dropouts experienced.