ASUS ROG DELTA WHITE EDITION
Premium cans with a hi-fi grade DAC and luxurious looks
IF YOU CAN COUNT on one thing from Asus’s headset line, it’s the unexpected. There’s a swashbuckling approach to its gaming cans that’s unlike any of its rivals, characterized by confusing subdivisions of Republic of Gamers (ROG) models and The Ultimate Force (TUF) options, which represent a premium and budget split.
These ROG Deltas feature a totally different design from ROG’s flagship Centurion cans, and differ completely from the TUF Gaming H7s and H5s, too— which are also dramatically different from each other. Perhaps it’s unfair to take from this that Asus is still searching for that one killer headset design, whereas SteelSeries bases all models around the Arctis, and Razer iterates on a couple of basic shapes (the Nari and Kraken).
Whether there’s any truth to that or not, this luxuriously specced Delta White Edition proves just such a killer design. Broadly comparable to Corsair’s VOID shape, the earcups sit nice and tight around your ear, creating a chamber for the bass to resonate within, while very generous memory foam pads in protein leather finish keep the sensation soft and, for want of a better word, “premium.”
The finish is the stuff of $250-plus headsets all over, from its noiseless joints to the slightly pearlescent white finish on the earcups and brackets. The RGB lighting is among the best we’ve ever seen, too—its default pattern is an array of tastefully paired color combinations, which look razor sharp around the outer edge and ROG logos. The headband itself could do with a bit more padding underneath, though, as it can dig in after a while and become uncomfortable— perhaps a broader band would solve it.
In a characteristic twist, this model features not only a native USB-C connection in the name of multiplatform support, but virtual surround, too (thankfully optional and disabled by default), and also an ESS 9218 quad DAC capable of 24-bit, 96kHz audio. In other words, it sounds clear as all heck and you can use it with your smartphone and consoles without swearing at a pile of cable adapters.
Throwing in a hi-fi grade DAC doesn’t guarantee great sound across the board, though, and as is so often the case, the 50mm drivers in this headset have been tuned for a scooped EQ response. And that’s great for picking out high frequencies in games or listening to late ’80s thrash metal, but with warmer-sounding sources, such as singer-songwriters and melancholic indie adventure games, that harshness becomes obvious.
So, the benefits of a great DAC are muted slightly by the EQ tuning and, as ever, it’s not possible to simply load up the Asus Armoury app and tweak it back to a flat response using software sliders—this is a hardwired response, and it can’t be undone at a software level.
Which means—and we really should set up a macro on our keyboard for this— although the headset sounds suitably bombastic and dramatic in games, its scooped EQ means it’s not versatile enough for use as a “one solution” headset with your phone, too. Podcasts and music just don’t have the warmth or sparkle that they ought to—and, indeed, could, given the DAC involved.
Still, this model is a net win for Asus, which has demonstrated beyond a shadow of a doubt it can put together a truly luxurious set of cans that, although pricey, feel much more expensive than they are. Even the mic is surprisingly clear and full-bodied, and Asus’s Armoury has handy boost and clarity functions for even better Discord squabbles. It’s just one iteration from being a real no-brainer in the wired market, but as it stands, the headband discomfort and V-shaped EQ response hold back an otherwise preposterously well-specced package.