ROG Delta

One of the best headset’s Asus has ever produced.

Asusis not the first brand I think of when it comes to high-end gaming audio. The company’s been releasing some strong game headsets for years, but it’s never been able to overcome a fondness for overaggressive design and some complex, almost gimmicky hardware solutions. But the ROG Delta cans are a massive step forward. In fact, they make a case for being one of the more versatile set of gaming headphones we’ve seen in a long while.

The big draw card is not one but four DACs, each dedicated to a separate frequency range, which delivers a remarkable 127dB signal-to-noise ratio. Matched with a 20-40kHz frequency response, the Deltas offer some of the clearest and sharpest audio we’ve ever heard from a pair of gaming headphones. Now, you’re only getting stereo here, and in some games you are going to feel the loss of either real or virtual 5.1 sound, especially games where tracking footsteps and gunshots – like most battle royale titles and other shooters. But on the other hand the quality of what you’re hearing is amazing; gunshots are punchy and sharp, explosions rumble effectively, and you can still pick out a dozen other nuances in in-game audio.

The ROG Deltas are great for other media as well, and whether you’re listening to music or watching a film, they will not disappoint.

And they’re easy to use anywhere, too, thanks to a clever hybrid USB cable. The main cable is a USB Type-C connector, so will work handily with phones and many other modern devices like tablets and even Nintendo’s Switch. If you’re PC isn’t modern enough to have a Type C port, there’s also a cable with a USB A adaptor. In fact, if you like long cables for your headphones, this could be your default setup regardless.

Of course there’s also the usual RGB lighting, because that’s just what we do in 2018 now, but there’s a handy switch to turn it off – which I personally would recommend, as it does leave the Deltas a little warm. You can fit either foam and leather-like earcups, or replace them with cloth ones, and the cups themselves are very comfortable, sitting entirely over your ear. Sound isolation is excellent, too, and the build quality similarly solid. The headphones feel like they can take a hammering, and I’d have no issues throwing the ROG Deltas into my luggage and hauling them around the world. They could take it.

Apart from the slightly too warm RGBs, the only other niggle we have is that when hung around your neck, and the earcups sitting flit, they do tend to rather snugly grip your neck. In fact on my rather thicker than standard neck they feel like they’re just a bit too… snug. Your mileage may vary, but I’ll definitely be setting them aside rather than letting a set of headphones slowly choke me out.

What a way to go?

Sound isolation is excellent, too, and the build quality similarly solid.