Customer Ratings & Reviews

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.

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.

The ASUS ROG Cetra open wireless headphones have bridged the gap between traditional earbuds and over the ear headphones. As a musician and fan of over the ear headphones, I have always wanted to find a smaller, lighter, and more travel friendly way to interact with all of my devices. I have never been a fan of earbuds, as they seem to cause instant fatigue by the simple fact that they go INSIDE your ears. Over the ear headphones sound great and are very comfortable, but they are simply too big for some situations. The ROG Cetra headphones are a compact, lightweight, comfortable, great sounding pair of headphones that are also very versatile. They have effectively “bridged the gap” for me. Since the technical specifications are covered so well online, I want to focus on how I have been using these and how they work for me. Being ROG headphones, these are designed with gamers in mind first. ASUS have provided a USB-C 2.4 GHz dongle for use, where extreme precision and latency are crucial for intense fast paced gaming. The dongle also has an offset USB-C passthrough port for charging your device while gaming. These headphones are also Bluetooth, so you are covered for both casual gaming and everyday listening as well. These headphones come with a handy charging case that houses both the dongle and each headphone in its own spot. I have seen this become a trend lately for small items ranging from headphones, to microphones, and I appreciate the companies that are adopting this as standard. Setup was a breeze. As always, I first charged the case with everything inside. Once charged, which was pretty quick, I placed them over my ears, hit the Bluetooth pairing button, and was up and running in less than a minute. The first thing I noticed was the comfort. These are lightweight and very easy to put on and take off for storage in the charging case. ASUS have also provided a braided rigid neck cable that holds each headphone securely. The cable sits behind your neck, so you can take the headphones off and let them rest, or hang, around your neck if you need a break. While it isn’t necessary to use the cable, it is nice to have if you are doing intense exercise, hiking, or wherever you don’t want to lose one of them accidentally. Another bonus is the fact that I wear thick rimmed glasses, and while the top portion of the headphones goes over the top of your ear, I find that they do not interfere with my glasses, which is one thing I was initially concerned about in this type of design. Awesome! None of this matters if the sound isn’t on point and I am happy to report that this musician, who relies on sound quality daily, is very impressed. While they aren’t the same as wearing large woofer over ear headphones, they produce a rich full sound that is nothing short of incredible, for a design of this type. Well done ASUS! The stereo spread is there. The details in both the lows and highs are again, quite astonishing for this type of design. If you want to let more of the environment in, or add more bass and full sound, you can simply push them in towards your ear canal, or pull them away. Other noteworthy mentions would have to include the overall design and aesthetic of these is very modern. The RGB lighting on the sides of the headphones looks pretty cool IMO. They are just the right size for me and are again, very lightweight, reducing long use fatigue. If you want to use only one of the two headphones, for calls, zoom meetings, or simply to be connected while being alert with your surroundings, you can do that as well. PROS At home for both intense gaming and casual listening Excellent for workouts and traveling Very comfortable and lightweight Great design and aesthetic Great sound quality for this type of design Charging case 2.4GHz dongle included No in ear fatigue CONS None

The Asus ROG Open Wireless SpeedNova Open-Ear Gaming Earbuds are unlike anything I’ve used before. I’ve tried the bone induction style headphone as well as plenty if headphones and earbuds that either cup your ear or sit inside your ear. Never have I tried one that wraps around your ear and is so perfectly placed to deliver sound. Yes, I’m sure I’ve tried something that worked the same way, but I’m positive I’ve never tried something similar that delivered such quality sound. Bold statement? Maybe. But I’ll stand by it. Let me set the scene for you, so I know why I decided to get these. I wanted gaming headphones for my daughter. Something quality, but not something that will lead to a misshapen head like some kids get. Not that she plays enough to do that, but i also hate how kids completely tune out and are unreachable even in a household setting. That’s not acceptable to me. So we tried the ROG Open Wireless earbuds and she liked them for the sound. She liked how loud they got and how clear the sound was. Crystal clear even. She liked how they were able to keep nowhere pace of her gaming and she could hear the fine details in the sound which she described as being important in gaming. They were an instant hit and I’m grateful for at least having an alternative to what she was using. So interestingly enough, my wife asked if she could try them. My wife does telehealth and is online constantly. She sees patients for hours, daily and doing so is hard in your ears. It completely isolates you from everything around you. While it’s great for the patients to have her undivided attention, it’s hard on her to be in that isolated world. I think many of us have done online meetings, but she just has to do it on a constant basis. She gets tired of the over the ear headphones and she has two really expensive brands. One you won’t find at most electronic stores. She tried these ROG Open Wireless earbuds and instantly fell in love. The first love was the complete absence of pressure on any part of her ear or head. This is a big thing for her as long there is a potential for long term hearing issues for any device you were for an extended period of time. She feels like this will help minimize her exposure. She likes the battery life and how in a pinch she can charge one and still use one earbud to do work or at least listen. So stats wise, there are some things that truly make these earbuds superior to others. The first for me is the stability of the connection and sound. So you can connect via Bluetooth like normal and to be honest this worked perfectly for us. This is typically what we used and there was zero reason to use the second option. But if you want that unbreakable link, use the 2.4Ghz low latency SoeedNova connection. You just plug a small connector to your MUSB-C port and connect the earbuds. It’s supposed to be almost bulletproof. We didn’t have the need, the Bluetooth was awesome. I imagine for gaming this would maximize your experience where precision is needed. The second thing we loved was the comfort. The loop over your ears and the speaker rests naturally over your ear’s opening. Simple, effective and extremely comfortable. I really love this feature and I never expects to like it so much. Of course last but not least is the sound. I can quote stats out of the manual, but that is not going to tell you anything. I’m no audiophile for sure, let me start with that. But truth be told the sound is amazing. The speakers are impossibly small and the highs are crisp, bass hits and the mids are crystal clear. Spoken voice to highly technical beats all sound phenomenal. At the end of the day, would I recommend these? 100%. I’ll go even further and admit the fact that now I need buy a second pair for my wife as my daughter is not going to give them up! Which is you read the first part of my review you will know that’s a big deal to me. Thanks for reading.

I just picked up the latest ROG Centra earbuds from ASUS, these differ from the last version as these are the open type with an ear hook instead of going into your ear canal. This has its positives and negatives. In my experience they are super comfortable to wear for an extended period. Given their open ear design, they are not well suited for noise isolation or cancelling, others nearby may also hear the sound emanating from them. As for how they sound, with music and gaming they provide a clean sounding experience. Highs and mid-range, including vocals or voices are very clear. Low end response is a bit of a disappointment but sufficient (and helped with the toggling on of the Phantom Bass function), again that is because of the open style design. There is also less ability to custom fit these to your ears, for instance I noticed if the bud moves slightly over my ear canal, the sound is louder, with a bit more low-end response. My ears are on the bigger side (they say your ears never stop growing) so your experience in this area may vary based on your ear size. The ROG Cetra Open Wireless gaming earbuds come with a rather sizable charging case, since these are gamer targeted, they include the option to connect them via 2.4ghz wireless for lower latency situations via a supplied dongle. Part of the reason for the larger charging case is it is designed to accommodate both the ear hook design and the USB-C dongle (the dongle would need an adapter to plug into a USB-A port), the dongle is a bit larger as it also has a USB-C output (not pass through connectivity) for charging purposes. I do appreciate that the case has a place to store the dongle and that the dongle is designed differently than most USB-A style dongles (you don’t know how often I mix up different similar looking wireless adapter dongles for mice, headphones and USB storage). The case of course provides charging capabilities with an additional 48 hours of battery life which goes along with the 16 hours rated capacity of earbuds themselves. From a full charge, these only went down to 90% battery capacity at a large volume via the 2.4ghz dongle, so the 16-hour rating seems somewhat accurate, although Bluetooth connectivity requires less power and the rating is based on that. Also, since these have the usual ROG line of RGB lighting, that has an impact as well as use of different audio modes. I did not notice much difference in range or distance I could travel from my playback device when using Bluetooth or 2.4ghz connectivity. Since you can use these in hybrid multipoint mode (connecting two devices via Bluetooth or one via Bluetooth and 2.4ghz) I am sure that it may have additional impacts of battery life. The earbuds can also be controlled and configured via the ASUS Gear Link mobile app (not the Armory Crate mobile app) with a plethora of configuration settings and sound modes. You can also access the ASUS Gear link web site to perform some of the same settings as the mobile app. This also includes updating the firmware for the earbuds/case. For some reason there seemed to be a disconnect between the mobile app and the web site in detecting an available firmware update. The website had me download a utility to install on my PC to use to update the earbuds, the process took about fifteen minutes. Overall, I like the open design, connectivity options and performance of these earbuds, the inclusion of the 2.4ghz dongle certainly eliminates any latency, as Bluetooth inherently has some. Eliminating latency when using the 2.4ghz dongle is especially important for sound based queues in some games, or audio track syncing when editing video. >>> Pros >> clean sounding >> inclusion of a 2.4ghz wireless dongle for reduced latency use cases >> open air design, comfortable to wear for hours >> long battery life >> RGB ASUS Aura lighting effects >> configuration options via the ASUS Gear link mobile app or web site <<< Cons << open air design reduces bass, does not isolate ambient noise (that can also be a Pro), others may hear sound when you are wearing these << people with larger ears may have problems aligning the speakers on your ear << pricy

## Design The ROG Cetra Open Wireless gaming earbuds are lightweight and comfortable to wear. They sort of wrap around the back of your ear for stability and then rest just outside your ear canal. Each earbud has ASUS's ROG logo that is backlit with a multicolor LED with 4 built-in lighting patterns that you can adjust in the app. The charging case holds both earbuds as well as the USB-C adapter. I've found the earbuds to be very flexible and comfortable, even after multiple rounds of Fortnite. ## Sound Performance of the ROG Cetra Open Wireless Earbuds One of the things I don't like about traditional over-the-ear gaming headphones is that they make me feel like I'm underwater. I can't tell how loud I'm talking, and my head starts to feel stuffy. The ROG Cetra Open Wireless earbuds solve that issue as they don't cover or go into your ear canal. They sit comfortably just outside your ears and still allow you to hear what is going on around you. So if someone comes into the room and starts talking to me, I don't have to remove them. I can also more naturally gauge how loud I'm talking while playing Fortnite. I've been looking for an AirPods-like experience for gaming for a while now, and I'm glad ASUS is delivering an open-ear solution with these earbuds. Typically, most open ear earbuds like these are lacking in bass since they don't go in your ear. However, the bass on the ROG Cetra Open Wireless earbuds sounds very good (a feature ASUS calls Phantom Bass) whether you're listening to the rumble of an explosion or the in-game music. The earbuds feature multi-point connections so you can pair them to your phone for enjoying music, which also sounds great on these earbuds. ## Microphone Performance of the ROG Cetra Open Wireless Earbuds Microphone performance is also really good, considering there is no microphone arm near your mouth. After multiple rounds of Fortnite, my teammate said he could hear me just fine while using these earbuds. I've also performed some test recordings with these on my MacBook, and they did a great job capturing my voice. ASUS states that these earbuds have a quad-mic array with AI Noise Cancellation technology for those microphones. It works best at filtering out low-frequency "hums" like a fan and is less effective for filtering out someone else's voice who is close to you. It's important to note that this noise cancellation only affects how others hear you through the mic; by design, these earbuds do not apply noise cancellation to your ears. ## Additional Features The ROG Cetra Open Wireless earbuds include a wireless USB-C dongle that provides a low-latency 2.4GHz connection to your device, like a Nintendo Switch or Steam Deck. Therefore, if your device doesn't support Bluetooth, or, in the case of the Nintendo Switch, supports Bluetooth for listening only (no mic), then you can simply plug in the USB-C dongle and have an instant wireless connection. The USB-C dongle works great on my MacBook and Switch 1, but I did run into an interesting issue on my Switch 2 where the earbuds' volume would randomly decrease by one bar every 5-15 minutes (the Switch 2's audio UI would pop up and show the decrease). Since the dongle works fine on my other devices, it might just be an issue limited to my specific Switch 2 that I will troubleshoot further. ## Battery Life The earbuds can last up to 16 hours per charge, assuming the LED lighting and bass-boosting features are off. The charging case provides an additional 3 charges. ## Summary If you're sick of feeling like you're underwater when talking while gaming, ASUS' ROG Cetra Open Wireless gaming earbuds are a great solution. The sound quality is great, and there is a surprising amount of bass for open-ear earbuds. The LED lights are cool, and the battery life is ample for long gaming sessions.

Asus ROG is meant to be for the gamers. It's interesting to have them come forth with something that checks not just the boxes to be a great open ear headset but also be very useful for everyday use outside of gaming sessions. It is comfortable being that it is open ear. They wrap around your ear and sit comfortably over your ear opening. You can adjust it to your liking slightly to get it just right. They are light enough where I did not encounter any fatigue or discomfort after long periods of use. They look cool with their customizable RGB lighting on the logo. If you want to be more incognito, you can completely turn off the lighting feature. Which would be useful to not only save some battery life but for those professional use cases, in office perhaps. I like the features in the app Gear Link. You can of course customize the single physical button on each earbud and pick the lighting options. The audio settings that you can define to your music tastes or communication style is neat. The only thing I wish they would work on a little bit more is the immersion mode, their noise cancellation which by their words means it reduces background noise for a more focused and immersive listening experience. It is finicky at times where I get a certain amount of feedback in just one earbud when certain sounds hit the quad mics. It is almost like it needs to equalize the feedback it intercepts to both rather than just to the one where it hears the most background noise. The microphone itself works really well, you can speak clearly. It is AI controlled which makes it useful to really stay with future updates. Now for gaming, I think it does a decent job with picking up sounds in FPS games. Music is also good given it's bass options. You can also setup your own pre built or custom equalizer settings. Look into this if you really want a good all around well rounded over the ear experience. Great battery life, great physical dongle, and physical buttons.

Honest and up front. These might not be the absolute best sounding earbuds you can buy. Where these ROG Cetra SpeedNova's excel is in a shared space where you might still need to hear others or your environment and/or you prefer comfort. These are the buds you may wear most, because they sound really good and have far more practicality for hours long gamming sessions than many of the other options at any price. I have some of the best earphones and buds and they sound great when ANC is used to block out the world, but have time limitations due to heat and comfort on/in ears. Asus Cetra SpeedNova gives long time comfort and really good sound for gaming or just listening to other entertainment choices like movies and music. Pros: Great sound Excellent day long comfort Excellent battery life No need for fake transperancy mode Glasses compatible Can be shared without ear grime worries Cons: Some fidelity loss as these sit outside the ear Others can hear your game/music if room is quiet Feedback squeal occasionally when putting them on Did not know "Gear Link" was the app for mobile from paperwork, add QR please No Qi wireless charging Sound: The Cetra SpeedNova earbuds sound far better than I expected. They are not quite as good sounding as some in ear or over ear options with ANC. That is in part to the design and is not a negative. These are meant for getting into the audio of your activity and not being totally isolated from what might be happening around you. In a quiet room, you will not notice any audio issues. Highs and lows are good, bass is decent. Audio still is very clean and easily able to sort out directional audio. I played a few zombie games, FPS titles and even messed around with movies and music. On TV, PC, PS5 and phone. I had zero perceptible lag or sync issues with Bluetooth or the dongle. Note the dongle is the easiest to use, plug it in and use the buds, no pairing. Everything sounds very good, but if the room got louder from others or additional audio sources. You will hear that noise unless you go beyond 40% audio level. Higher level audio still sounds good, but I would caution long term use at higher levels. Microphone quality is not as high on my list of needs as I do not play quite as often in groups as I used to. I did test it a little and there is no complaints. No as good as a boom mic or Ai magic from some brands, but it gets the job done and nobody complained in testing. You may still want to limit background noise, as it will be heard. Comfort: This is the real selling point for these earbuds. The buds disappear while wearing if playing games or moving around the house. The included neck cord might help for on the street use or running, but I did not need or try that scenario use. (Note about the cable: It pressure fits to the end of the tube on the buds and seems to be a stiff plastic like cable.) I found the buds far more comfortable to use once you get them on and in place. My ears are normal'ish size and shape and they line up well. I can put glasses on or off without issue of moving the buds or needing to reposition. Typical ear canal buds often make my ears itch after a couple hours and occasionally many hours after. And over ear headphones make my ears a bit sweaty and require a cool down. The Cetra buds have none of that nonsense. Put them on and literally play the whole day if you turn the RGB off. App: There is an app, "Gear Link" on android store, and it will do the basics and has a decent layout. It won't be needed too often once you set the lighting and the button clicks for track/volume options or occasional updates, no update at launch. I like the presets audio quality more than usual, but still did tweak the equalizer to my preferences for a bit more bass in shooters. Button clicks, not taps: For years we have gotten use to taps to advance/previous tracks, change volume or take calls. Cetra has a tiny button on each bud. It is a bit clicky and not too hard to get used to. At least the clicks are very customizable in the app. Default four clicks for volume is a bit much if you want/need to change the volume level frequently. There seems to be no touch surfaces on the buds, just a button. Final thoughts: Usually new buds have enough juice out of the box to try them out. These did not and BT sync and dongle use had me thinking there was a problem pre-charge. Ultimately, just juice them to full before first use and all will be good. For me, these are my go to buds now. I can play games or browse media in the living room while my wife watches a different program or vice versa. It keeps me in my content, yet not so far removed that I can not hear or talk to her that other earphones or buds would prevent. May not be for all, but it should be considered if you play more than 3+ hours at a time.

Eventually my wife is going to put a stop to my headphone addiction, but until that day arrives I’ll keep trying to find the perfect pair for every occasion. That’s why I picked up the ASUS ROG Cetra Open Wireless SpeedNova open‑ear earbuds to review, and it turns out I may have found the ideal headset for the “pro‑casual” gamer. Before we get into it, here’s what I mean by pro‑casual. I used to be a pretty hardcore gamer, but age has nudged me into the casual lane. Even so, I still enjoy good accessories and don’t like to cheap out on the things that actually matter. That’s the pro‑casual mindset in a nutshell. Alright, let’s get into the review because these earbuds have a lot going for them. Sound Quality and Microphone The Cetras deliver excellent sound for an open‑ear design. The drivers are strong enough to give you rich, full audio, and while the bass will never match sealed earbuds or over‑ears, it’s better than you’d expect. Positional audio came through cleanly during my gaming sessions and these outperform other open‑ear sets I’ve tried, which they should at this price. You can tweak the sound through the Gear Link web or phone app. There’s also an “immersive mode” that claims some noise‑cancelling benefits, but these are open‑ear so don’t expect miracles. If I’m nitpicking, the default tuning boosts bass and treble a bit too much, leaving the mids flatter than I’d like. You can fix that with EQ, and most people will be perfectly happy with the default profile. The microphone is noise‑cancelling, but it still sounds a little tinny to people on the other end. Not bad, just not a boom mic. No one complained, but when I compared it to my larger headsets the difference was obvious. Still not a dealbreaker. Comfort This is where the Cetras shine, especially for more casual gamers. My days of wearing giant ear‑saunas for hours are over. Big headsets make my ears sweat, give me headaches, and generally feel like a chore. These are nothing like that. I forgot I was wearing them within minutes. My wife even had to remind me to take them off before leaving the house. That’s how comfortable they are. I can’t speak for glasses‑wearers, but I imagine they’ll still be comfortable. This level of comfort is something I’ve come to enjoy as I get older and wiser, and I think that will appeal to a lot of older gamers. Features The Cetras come with plenty of extras. You get a large carrying case that holds the earbuds and the 2.4 GHz SpeedNova dongle, a strap you can use to link the earbuds around your neck, and a USB‑C charging cable. The missing feature is wireless charging. For a headset at this price, with a case big enough to double as a bookend, that’s disappointing. On the positive side, you get modern Bluetooth multipoint support. You can pair several devices, though you can only stream from either the dongle or Bluetooth at one time. The real star is the SpeedNova dongle. Plug it into almost anything with USB‑C and you’re good to go. I used it on my PS5 Pro and the audio was flawless. No crackles or pops, none of the usual wireless nonsense. The dongle even has USB‑C passthrough so you can charge your phone while using the earbuds. There’s also RGB lighting, which you’ll never see because it’s on your ears. Turn it off and save the battery. Oh, you might want to know that there is a firmware update for these already, but that’s only available via the Gear Link on the web and not on the app, which is a bummer. I’m hoping the ability to do firmware updates on the phone app is coming in the future. Battery Life Asus advertises 16 hours on Bluetooth. You’ll probably get less when using the low‑latency dongle since it draws more power. The case adds another 50 hours or so, making this a pretty respectable figure. You’ll probably forget the last time you charged them. Charging takes a few hours, like with any of these charging cases. Overall I really like the Asus Cetras. They’re incredibly comfortable, sound great, keep you aware of your surroundings, and the dongle performance is better than almost any wireless headset I’ve used. You don’t get wireless charging, you don’t get real noise cancelling, and the mic could be better. But the comfort and versatility make up for almost all of that. What you get is a lightweight, everyday‑friendly headset that works for everything from Stardew Valley to Valorant, and one you can wear to work for music or audiobooks without getting strange looks. Just remember to turn off the RGB.

Compared to other open wireless earbuds I find these incredibly comfortable, which is saying a lot because if you’re gaming, you will have them more for a very long time. I don’t remember seeing a left side or right side in the box or on the earbuds so initially I would always put them on the wrong ear the first time. But after using them a handful of times it became automatic and they were up and running in no time. Also, when you think of open ear, ideally you think less sound protection, but these are actually really good considering how they lay on your ear. I was also surprised at the amount of base they delivered and the directional sound is interesting. I had me looking in certain directions in the combat games. The dual wireless modes are a positive as well. You can use Bluetooth or wired and get faster responses. Over all I’m surprised as they sound quality for over ear buds but don’t expect complete immersion because you will get surround outside noise but not enough to break your attention unless it needs to.

A large part of picking the right headphones is personal preference. Yes, there are some things that are necessities, regardless of what you like, like, obviously, audio...but preference plays a large role in people's choices. Some, like earbuds. Some don't like objects in their ear. Others like over the head headphones. For others...there's the Rog Cetra Open Wireless. I spent more tinem than I'd like to admit trying to get these to fit as closely to my ear as possible. After accepting that I can't jam them in my ears, a few shakes of my head, and I realized, this is what it's going to be with these., and they won't fall. For those with fears of them falling off, they come with a cord to connect the set wrapping around the back of your head. I questioned how exactly they could possibly perform feeling as loose as they did. Then I actually started gaming. Originally, I just though these were "Ok." Absolute major key...you HAVE TO go to the GEAR LInk website, download the necessary download from the companion page. I've never had a pair of headphones where adjusting audio settings have made more of a difference than these. After doing so, and tweaking settings, the sound on these are night and day. Playing music on the gaming profile, doesn't sound right...switch to the music profile? They're phenomanl. Gaming on the music profile doesn;t sound right...switch to one of the gaming profiles. The huge differnce in the profiles has increased my interest in actually trying to customize the audio settings myself (Later...they sound too good now and I don't want to mess that up.) The "Phantom Bass" is a little extra when listening to music, I may have to tweak that. As far as the feeling of the headphones....? Comfortable. It only takes so long to not notice the earhooks. Not actually being in your ears adds to the comfortabilkity, which, originally I thought I woudn't be a fan of. As good as these headphones sound, it still comes down to preference. In my room gaming, listening to music around the house? No brainer, great. Maybe I wouldn't want to wear these to work listening to the music I listen to. I haven't tested that as I'd like to keep my job. Still, I d' strongly recommend these to anyone in the market for a new gaming headset. Those not interested in the open style may find themselves as suprised as I am.

These headphones are bad to the bone. Wow... I am totally impressed. So I have an Asus ROG PC so connecting using the armoury crate and gear link was just great. We will get to that later. So setup. Setup was pretty easy... Charge it up. Put the transmitter in and we have lift off. So you need to setup and download the update and gear link and utility link packets. Doing this gets the headphones up to date with firmware etc. this took some time. About 30 mins. So I am lucky that I have an Asus and the Armoury Crate comes with my PC. Not sure if you can get that on another PC. This helps with a lot of the customizations that I am going into talk about below. So after getting this setup and options to customize like lighting, spatial sounds, reverb, it just amazing. Now using these puppies is pretty nice. Over the ear loops plus over the ear is nice and easy to keep on for long gaming. Then comes the sound. Absolutely nicely done. Spatial sound is just superb during game play. I have not gotten this excited about earbuds in a while. Highly recommend this product for gaming and just general use.

As a gamer, I really like the idea of not having to wear large over the ear headphones all the time, so I was excited to try the ASUS ROG Open Wireless earbuds. Right away, they feel lightweight and comfortable, which makes a big difference during longer gaming sessions. I also like that they don’t sit directly in your ear, so it feels less intrusive and more natural to wear for extended periods. Setup was quick and easy. They connected to my Xbox without any issues, and I was also able to pair them with my phone for things like audiobooks. The charging case is well made, and everything charges pretty quickly. The instructions were clear, so getting started was straightforward. That said, the sound quality is where these fall a bit short for me. It’s not as strong or immersive as I expected, especially for gaming. I’ve noticed some cracking in the audio even at lower volumes, and the overall volume doesn’t get very loud. For something marketed toward gaming, that part was a little disappointing. Overall, I like the concept and the comfort a lot, especially if you don’t want something bulky or sitting inside your ear. But for me, the sound quality holds it back from being a top choice, especially if audio performance is a priority.

Pros: - comfortable design - decent battery life - sound is solid, bass is obviously a bit lacking due to open ear designs Cons: - Price: could honestly be $50 cheaper for that they are - RGB: I know these are “gamer” focused but like… come on, you’re sacrificing battery life for colorful ears…

These are excellent! Truly impressed by the sound, and greatly improved connectivity from the previous versions that were in-ear and Bluetooth only

Súper confortable. The mic is not the greatest but it’s ok for this kind of earphones.

These open earbuds are very good for gaming and exceptionally comfortable. They work out great with the surround sound and the FPS/Gaming mode really help with footsteps. The sound profile is great for being in discord with friends and playing games. My major issue with these is music sounds awful, there’s almost no bass and the phantom bass works but cannot compensate enough. I’m no audiophile but I know my air pod pros sound eons better. They are good for listening to audio books and gaming but I would not count on these for audio quality for music anyways.

I have been using the ASUS ROG Cetra Open Wireless SpeedNova Open-Ear Gaming Earbuds for about a week, and they have been excellent. The setup was very easy, and I was able to connect them and get them ready to use without any trouble. The sound quality is very crisp, with clear detail and deep, dynamic bass that makes gaming, music, and videos sound impressive. The 14.2 mm Diamond-Like Carbon drivers really help deliver a rich and immersive listening experience. One of the things I really like about these earbuds is the open-ear design, which feels very comfortable for long periods of use. The skin-friendly ear hooks keep them secure without putting pressure on my ears, making them great for marathon gaming sessions or for wearing throughout the day. I also like the flexibility of the dual-mode wireless connectivity, which lets me switch between Bluetooth and the ultra-low-latency ROG SpeedNova 2.4 GHz mode depending on what I am doing. The quad microphones with AI noise cancellation make my voice come through clearly, and the customization options through the Gear Link apps are a great bonus. I am getting about 2-3 days of battery life. These earbuds come with great sound quality, excellent connection, long battery life, and fast charging. They are a fantastic choice for anyone seeking comfort, performance, and versatility.

I was curious about these. I've been enjoying ROG products for about 12 years now, starting with the first gaming desktop I got bundled with the original Oculus Rift. That system is still running well 10 years later, after I gave it and the Oculus system to my nephew so his kids could play on it after I upgraded my Oculus to the newer one. I also have an Asus ROG Strix 18" gaming laptop with an i9 with an Nvidia 4080 in it, and it's been rock solid for the last 16 or so months. I even use their motherboards in my media center PC. So I've got a comfort level and an expectation of quality with this brand. Out of box experience was straightforward. Everything was packed well and easy to get out. I was immediately happy that there was actual paperwork inside. I really dislike places that only give you the option to scan a QR code to get their instructions. Everything ought to at least have a quick start guide physically in the box. I got it charging first thing. And unlike so many other items, I loved the charging LED indicator. not some tiny little pinprick of light somewhere you have to find. This has a nice bar across the front, easy to see. I'm generally NOT a fan of earbuds and such. I usually find them uncomfortable. I've got various pairs I've tried over the years and never really found anything that I would wear. Charging didn't seem to take long at all, and I opened the case for the first time. I like that the dongle they have that you can use in lieu of Bluetooth has a passthrough USB C port on it as well. Very thoughtful. I decided to take the dongle for a drive, and plugged it into my iPhone 16 Pro Max. Prompted me to add the headphones and came up instantly. Figured I'd see what happens with music first since this is my phone. I had Fall Out Boy's "Immortals" sitting on top of the most recent play list, so fired it up. And wow, absolutely NOT like normal earbuds. The sound was wide and spatial, and the bass was much better than I would have expected, especially with an open ear design, that doesn't seal against the ear canal. Clarity - great so far with the music I'm testing. Comfort level - outstanding. Barely even know they're on because of how they sit over the ears. No pressure anywhere. And shaking my head like a dog trying to dry, they stay in place. And while I won't need the detachable reflective neck strap, it's a nice addition. Left and right separation is outstanding. Touch controls - this is where I'm not as thrilled. But I understand the need to have multiple controls on a single button to keep the complexity down in the manufacturing process. But tap once, tap twice, tap three times, tap four times... For my use, excessive, but since I won't be using this to make phone calls and such, I'm not going to lose sleep over it. One thing I liked is that tapping four times on the LEFT side is volume down, and tapping four times on the RIGHT side is volume up. But they missed the boat for next track - tap twice is next track on both, they should have extended this "one side is one direction the other side is the other direction" concept for moving track to track as well, and had the left go to the PREVIOUS track. And the instructions are "tap once / twice / etc" so I assumed at first they were simply touch enabled, and tapping did nothing. But then I realized it's a button that has to be actually PRESSED. But I like this because I've had other things that had touch sensors and simply getting them on and off or readjusting them if they moved would initiate actions I didn't want. This prevents inadvertent clicks. And while the "CLICK" of the button is noticeable, it's not PAINFUL like some I've had in the past where pressing it was so loud it was almost piercing to the eardrum. But since these aren't INSIDE the ear canal, it's not a negative. So I spent a little time going through random things in my music collection. Rock, pop, some Hamilton, Mozart - everything sounded amazing considering the size and comfort of these things. Online I saw the mention of "Gear Link" and downloaded it, but it only works when connected via Bluetooth, which I was not. So I had to flip modes. And here I saw the option to customize those tap gestures. Excellent. And in here, my earlier thought that the double tap on the left side should be PREVIOUS track was already the default for customizing. Great minds think alike. The app shows battery levels, and despite my case showing blue after a short charge, the case itself is only at 33% and the buds were in the 70's on one side and 80's on the other. And that's when I noted that I was wrong on the battery level indicator - red is low, 33% or less I think (no numbers in the included instructions), blue is only around 50% charge. It goes OFF when they're fully charged. So this app is handy. As is usual with higher end ROG products, this one also has lighting effects and you can control that from the app as well. Static, breathing, strobing, color cycle. You can select colors and brightness and even enter HEX or RGB numbers. Or disable it completely. Impressive. App also has a firmware update option - these came updated to the current version. The app also gives you control over equalization. It has the normal profiles you'd expect as well as the gaming specific options. I wondered what would happen to my custom settings once I left Bluetooth and went back to the USB dongle or moved to my Alienware gaming desktop I just got a few weeks ago. And I found there's a web based version as well that can connect when you're on your PC and will see the device through the dongle. Which meant it's time to get to the gaming. Destiny 2, a few of the ones from the Halo Master Chief Collection, Horizon, AC Odyssey, everything worked well. Good situational awareness. And hitting the Asus website to control the earbuds worked fine. One annoyance for me is that because of how they sit, when I'd yawn or something and they would move slightly against the outer surface of my ear canal, it was the same feeling you get when earbuds start slipping out. So it took me a bit to get to the point where I could ignore it and stop beginning to raise my hand up to push things back in place. But that is the worst thing I find that I can say about these. I've got a lot of gaming headsets, some very expensive ones, but I rarely use any now that the person I used to game with isn't gaming anymore, so I just use my soundbar and subwoofer on the gaming desktop. Microphone worked well for my testing, but unfortunately I was only able to test that on the phone since as I mentioned before, my gaming is solo for now. But anyone I spoke with said they heard me clearly. I have to say, I'd put these up there with any of my devices for sound quality and comfort. And absolutely the best earbuds I've ever worn.

I am an ASUS fan, and I have been since I built my first PC using an ASUS motherboard back 30-ish years ago. And I've continued to utilize ASUS hardware every chance that I get, whether that is monitors, motherboards, monitors, and now these earbuds. My favorite build that I did was my ASUS Maximus Hero IX motherboard, I7-6700K, 980 Ti (before upgrading to dual 1080 Tis not long after). It was amazing. So when I upgraded I stuck with ASUS in my newest build to go along with my two ASUS 4K monitors (one is the XG27UCDMG while the other is the XG27UCSR; the XG27UCDMG is absoultely amazing). I knew the ASUS ROG Cetra Open Wireless SpeedNova Open-Ear Gaming Earbuds would be more of the same! First Impressions Unboxing my new ASUS gaming earbuds I immediately noticed how the earbuds themselves felt premium and looked premium too, and the case looked rather large compared to what I'm used to using every day but they still fit in my pockets nicely. I don't know if that would be the same for a woman because like I said the charging case is rather large. Rating: 5/5 Fit The earbuds fit nicely. I have times where even my previous everyday earbuds would sometimes get to where they hurt my ears. So I've used bone induction earbuds, open ear earbuds, and even just normal over the ear headphones. In my entire time of testing these ASUS earbuds I did not experience any ear fatigue at all. They fit amazingly well, and I absolutely love them. Rating: 5/5 Gaming Speaker & Microphone Sound Quality The earbuds shine at gaming for me. I was able to play everything from simple card games, to shooting games, to racing games, etc. and all sounded amazing-whether it was on PC, Switch, iPhone it didn't matter because they sounded great and were amazing for me! When gaming with my friends whether using the in-game or Discord, they said I sounded much more clear, and that they were able to understand me with no issues whatsoever. That includes my buddy who has an auditory processing disorder and who is super sensitive to changes such as a new microphone of someone he is gaming with or of the earbuds/headphones he is using. So that is a major plus for us! While gaming I had noise cancelling enabled and it made me feel absolutely immersed in the game. It was great! Rating: 5/5 Music, Work, and Phone Calls I am lumping this all into one because to me it all really ties together since they are speech based. Whether it was a work call, a work meeting, a personal call, or listening to various music (rap, hip hop, R&B, country, rock, pop, and everything else under the sun) it all sounded great. And the callers all thought I sounded clear & just great. I even had a few calls recorded so that I could listen to them after the fact and hear what the other person heard. And I too thought the microphone did wonderfully during these tasks. I believe I have found my new every day earbuds! I was working 10+ hour days and the earbuds did splendid. I would charge them during my lunch break, and then would get back to it for the final 5 hours or so. I did charge the case every single night so I don't know exactly how long the case would keep the earbuds charged if I went all the way until both the case and the buds were completely dead while timing it all but I believe ASUS is accurate with their timing of how long the battery will last. For this I had noise-cancelling off because I want to be aware of my surroundings when performing those activities. Rating: 5/5 Closing In conclusion the ASUS ROG Cetra Open Wireless SpeedNova Open-Ear Gaming Earbuds are my current favorites to wear at work, at home, while gaming, while out and about running errands, while shopping, everything. They sound great, the microphone is great, and the battery life is great too. I am going to be purchasing sets for my kids & significant other, these earbuds are truly that great! And you should get a pair too! Rating: 20/20