These $130 Asus Gaming Headphones Get Almost Everything Right
Asus ROG Pelta $130 at Amazon Pros Sound great
Comfortable
Customizable sound
Affordable
Three connection modes Cons No noise cancellation
No Xbox support
Minimal headband adjustment
Asus ROG Pelta
$130 at Amazon
After reviewing the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 headset last year, I was impressed by just how much a good headset can improve the gaming experience. While headsets like the Stealth 700s are great, they're also expensive. The ROG Pelta headphones from Asus, on the other hand, nail the basics while being more affordable.
I've been testing the Pelta's for several weeks now and I'm quite impressed. They get just about everything right and only cost $130. That's still a fair amount of money, but much of what you get with the Pelta is often only found on headsets that cost twice as much.
What I like about the Asus ROG Pelta
CNET/Jason Cockerham
For starters, the 50mm titanium-plated drivers sound great. No matter what game I played, I heard everything clearly. Both music and movies sounded fantastic, almost as good as my $300 Sony XM3 headphones.
The best part is that with the Asus Armory Crate app you can customize the sound profile in detail. Asus gives you lots of options for tuning the headphones precisely to your liking, which is a welcome touch at this price. There are some custom profiles as well for those who just want to pick one and leave it. To be honest, I never felt the need to switch from the default settings during my entire time with the Peltas.
They're also comfortable to wear. The earcups fit well over my ears, and the cushions are comfortable -- more so than the Stealth 700s. They're made of soft mesh material that gives them greater breathability than others I've used. They're also very lightweight. There's no carrying case, which is disappointing.
CNET/Jason Cockerham
Microphone quality is also solid. I never had any teammates complain about not being able to hear me, and I even took a few video calls with them and didn't have any issues. The mic is also removable, which is convenient, so it doesn't get in the way when you're not using it.
The 70-hour battery life (90 on Bluetooth) is quite decent, and you can get 3 hours of usage with 15 minutes of charging.
The Pelta's can connect to PC, Mac, PlayStation, Switch and mobile devices via Bluetooth or a 2.4GHz USB-C dongle. There's also an included USB-C cable with an adapter if you want to go the wired route. The odd part is that there's no Xbox support.
What I didn't like about the Asus ROG Pelta
CNET/Jason Cockerham
The only real downside is that the headband is not telescoping, which means there are only three predetermined positions for adjusting the headset. This may not be a problem for most, but I have a small, weirdly shaped head and the Pelta never quite fit as snugly as I would have liked. I always felt like they would slip off at any moment. They never did, but it always felt like they were about to.
There's also no 3.5mm headphone jack. I get that this is becoming more common these days, but it's still annoying. There are still those of us who want a good analog connection from time to time.
Noise cancellation also doesn't make an appearance, but that's not uncommon on gaming headphones, especially at this price.
Should you buy the Asus ROG Pelta?
Overall, for $130, there's really not much to dislike about the ROG Pelta headphones. They work with almost any device, sound great, have good battery life and are quite comfortable. If you're looking for a good gaming headset that won't have your wallet complaining, and you don't have an Xbox, the Pelta's should be high on the list.
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