They say actions speak louder than words… What about a statement, the Theta is that statement… A headset like no other.
What’s in the box:
- 1 x Detachable microphone
- 1 x User guide
- 1 x ROG Hybrid ear cushion
- 1 x USB-C to USB 2.0 (Type-A) adapter
Features
- 7.1 surround sound with eight ASUS Essence drivers and virtual subwoofers
- AI noise-cancelling microphone
- Four ESS 9601 headphone drivers and exclusively customized ROG home-theatre-grade 7.1 DAC
- USB-C connector for compatibility with PC, Mac, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and smart devices
- ROG Hybrid Ear Cushions with specialized fast-cooling fabric and eyewear-friendly design provides uncompromised comfort
- Armoury II software
Specifications
Cable
- USB-C cable: 1.2M
- USB 2.0 cable: 1M
Driver:
- Driver diameter: Front: 40 mm, Centre: 30 mm, Side: 30 mm, Rear: 30 mm
- Driver material: Neodymium magnet
Headphones:
- Impedance:32 Ohm
- Connector: USB / USB-C
- Frequency Response (headphones):20 ~ 40000 Hz
Microphone boom:
- Uni-directional
- 100 ~ 12000 Hz frequency response
- Sensitivity: -40 dB ± 3 dB
- Noise Cancellation: AI Noise Cancellation
Platform: PC, MAC, Mobile Device, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch
Warranty: 2 Years
Aesthetics:
The earcups have a matt black finish to them and I must admit, I’m totally in love with them. The colour just fits and blends perfectly with the entire headset.
For the RGB lovers, the Theta does come with complete RGB at your fingertips and can be totally customized using the Armoury Crate app.
This headset rivals the top headsets with its looks and has a beastly aura about it. You will feel important with these on your ears.
Comfort:
The ear cups are large, in a sense they might be too large for some for those that prefer a more comfortable fit over the ears, these are perfect.
The ear cups are also connected via joints on the headband that can be tightened via screws. This allows for total customization to get that perfect fit for yourself.
The headband also extends so regardless of your head size you will get the perfect fit here. The adjustment range is around 3.5 centimetres on each side. These are then divided into eleven grid points giving you a wide range of adjustable options.
The bottom of the headbands has memory foam, adding that extra comfort.
The earcups can also be folded down if necessary. The Theta is a big one and she weights quite a bit too. She will not be everyone’s first choice due to size.
However, since she is completely adjustable, she is still comfortable to wear for prolonged hours.
As I briefly mentioned the ear cups are large, sitting at roughly 8 by 6 centimetres, allowing even larger ears to wear them with comfort.
The ear cups are also made of protein leather that sits on the edges with breathable fabric on the inside. This keeps heating to a minimum, especially since the ventilation slots at the top and bottom contribute to keeping the heat and sweat at bay.
Some discomfort can be experienced from the cables that are attached to the earcups. Given that they are so thick, there isn’t much allowance for movement since they press against your neck.
Durability:
The headband is made of plastic and metal, offering both comfort and durability.
She’s a big girl where headsets come in. Regardless of which angle you look at the Theta, she was built with complete durability in mind. It is easy to see that the metal rail is reinforced.
The cable itself seems to be very sturdy and judging by its thickness it’s not something that will break or damage easily.
The cable also is also divided into two sections with the upper section being rubberized and the lower sporting a textile sheath.
User Friendly & Functionality:
You’re about to experience sound like never before…
The headband does come with the option to somewhat disassemble it for cleaning. However, I have found this to be rather tricky and care should be taken when disassembling.
On the left side of the headset, we have our controls. The mini-jack for the microphone, the volume control, and mute button for the mic.
There is also a button to turn off the RGB lightning and then a button to switch between stereo and 7.1.
The cable is attached to both ear cups and meets each other at about 25 centimetres. The total length of the cable is 1.5 metres.
The Theta has one USB-C port; however, they included a USB-C to USB-A – A adapter. This makes using it on different devices much easier.
Making use of the Armoury Crate app you can completely customize your audio experience. With the Theta’s Hi-Res audio certification, you can change both the bit rate and sampling rate in the ranges of 16 bit/44.1 kHz to 24 bit/96kHz
The mix features a length of 15 cemti8and is both discord and team speak certified. It can easily be adjusted according to your needs and has a frequency response of 100 Hz to 12 kHz and last but least a unidirectional polar pattern (cardioid).
The AI-controlled noise cancelling was trained well. With over 50 million types of background sounds and noises, it filters out junk audio very well while retaining useful sounds. Those click sounds of our mechanical keyboards being heard on Discord is a thing of the past. They simply fade into the background now.
It also does an excellent job of preserving our own voice ensuring we have crystal clear communication.
(Test for audio jumps and distortion)
The Essence, so named by ASUS is the 4 four neodymium magnet drivers per side on the headset.
The front driver features a size of 40 millimetres whilst the remaining three have 30 millimetres. The remaining three are responsible for the middle, side, and rear signals.
To further enhance this ASUS also provided a virtual base driver that lags slightly behind to avoid the low frequencies being reproduced by the miss and highs. This here is a work of art.
The bass in a sense performs perfectly. It’s just there, not overbearing, it’s clear and precise and it reaches so low that instruments can be heard clearly. At higher volumes it does build up pressure, however, this is to be expected.
Featuring four drivers on each side of the earcups. 7.1 DAC, an AI-controlled microphone, and a Hi-Rea Audio Certification.
MGR Gaming’s Conclusions:
To say that I was impressed with this one would be a great understatement. It blew me away in every aspect that it had to offer.
There is also an extra pair of earcups included in the box so that does that to the overall value.
Something I was totally in awe of was the AI-controlled noise cancelling. It really was something else and performed flawlessly.
In a sense, I can positively say that the Theta 7.1 almost has audiophile qualities. Details are brought out so clearly and the clarity is totally dominating and this for a Gaming Headset is amazing.
Adding to the clarity that it offers. There are so many noises lost with most headsets. Branches crackling here, precise movements of allies or enemies.
However, the Theta is not one of them it provides the perfect audio feedback and you literally hear much more than what other headsets have to offer. This goes for gaming, listening to music, or watching a movie.
The Theta will change your life.
This can all be attributed to its four Sabre ESS 9601 amplifiers feeding the drivers.
ASUS really creates something special here. The use of multiple drivers really sets this one apart from other headsets. It does a perfect job of creating that three-dimensional space over our heads.
The only issue I have is that the volume wheel on the ear cups feels a tad too sensitive or weak.
As far as gaming headsets go there isn’t a headset that matches this one. It ticks all the boxes with little to no issues.
If you are keen on owning a pair of these, follow this link.
