I love this Asus headset despite its annoying ear pads

Best Prices Today: Asus ROG Delta II

$209.99

Asus offered the ROG Delta II below its ROG gaming model at Computex 2024. The premium gaming headset follows on visually from its predecessors, the ROG Delta and ROG Delta S, however comes with considerably higher sound and new capabilities. I used to be in a position to take a better take a look at the system.

Asus ROG Delta II: Design, workmanship, consolation

• Medium weight
• Fit extra for big heads
• Strange attachment of the ear pads

If you’ve seen a ROG headset earlier than, you received’t be shocked by the Delta II. The headset is available in black with anthracite-colored connectors. The shells have a typical ROG triangular form and aren’t spherical or oval like most different headsets. The headband is roofed with black fake leather-based, which is comparatively discreetly embossed with the “Republic of Gamers” lettering.

Of course, the ROG Delta II has RGB lighting, which can also be fairly discreet, solely the sting of the triangle on the ear cups and the ROG emblem on it are illuminated. If you’re searching for Christmas lights in your head, you’ll must look elsewhere.

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The controls on the headset are good and clear. On the left-hand facet is the wheel for adjusting the quantity of the wi-fi connection, which additionally serves as a button for muting the microphone. Below there’s a operate button for wi-fi mode and beneath that is the on/off change for wi-fi or 2.4 GHz mode, which you should utilize to modify the headset on and off when it’s not related to a different system by way of Bluetooth.

This is adopted by a USB-C port, which is just meant for charging and firmware updates, and the slot for the microphone, which is in fact removable. The remainder of the controls are positioned on the right-hand facet, the place you’ll discover a second wheel for the quantity management of the Bluetooth connection (however and not using a button operate), the corresponding operate button for the Bluetooth connection, and a 3.5 millimeter jack socket for the wired connection.

As quickly as you unpack the ROG Delta II, you discover how mild it feels in your arms, though it weighs simply 318 grams, which places it solidly within the midrange class of wi-fi gaming headsets. The clamping stress can also be nice, however with out being too free that the headset would fall off the top.

The match is unusually giant. I’m not blessed with a petite cranium and subsequently intuitively set the scarf dimension a couple of steps larger, solely to cut back it to a minimal afterwards, utterly baffled. The ROG Delta II is unquestionably not for small heads, perhaps simply sufficient for voluminous hairstyles.

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The headset is mainly fabricated from plastic, though a steel clip is used within the headband. Nevertheless, it feels fairly high-quality general, not low-cost. My greatest criticism is the “mechanism” with which the ear pads are connected to the headset. You must fumble the rubber lip on the cushion into the corresponding hole on the headset. Other producers use magnets or a rotating mechanism for this.

Asus ROG Delta II: Range of capabilities

• 2.4 GHz, Bluetooth and jack
• Wireless and Bluetooth concurrently
• Lighting synchronized with different ROG {hardware}

The vary of capabilities leaves little to be desired. The ROG Delta II can hook up with your gadgets in three other ways: latency-free by way of radio (2.4 GHz, ROG Speednova) because of the provided dongle, by way of Bluetooth, or by way of a 3.5 millimeter jack cable. Although the headset has a USB-C port, it can’t be used as a USB system. As talked about above, the connection is just used for charging and firmware updates.

The particular factor in regards to the ROG Delta II is that it could possibly play two audio sources concurrently. This means you’ll be able to join it to your PC or PlayStation for gaming and to your cell phone on the identical time. If somebody calls, for instance, you should utilize it to make a cellphone name with out interrupting the sport sound.

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The capabilities of the 2 wi-fi connections are separated in an exemplary method. The controls for the wi-fi connection are positioned on the left earpiece whereas these for Bluetooth are on the suitable. Switching to pairing mode alone is considerably unintuitive. Usually it’s important to press and maintain the Bluetooth button, however with the ROG Delta II, it’s important to press the operate button on either side concurrently. An extended press on the Bluetooth button on the right-hand facet solely switches the Bluetooth operate on or off.

As befits a correct gaming headset, there’s in fact software program in which you’ll configure many capabilities and replace the firmware. In addition to an equalizer, you’ll be able to in fact configure the RGB lighting right down to the final element or, for those who personal different ROG {hardware}, synchronize it immediately.

The software program is on the market in two variations, as an entire model of Armoury Crate, by which it’s also possible to configure all different ROG gadgets and as a stand-alone module (Armoury Crate Gear), which is really useful for those who don’t have some other ROG gadgets or elements apart from ROG Delta II. I discover this resolution fairly elegant, as you don’t have to tug the remainder of the bead onto the PC for those who solely use the headset.

You may change further capabilities on and off within the app. Of these, digital encompass sound is totally negligible, because it sounds such as you’re gaming within the rest room and reverb is a matter of style. More attention-grabbing are the controls for Bass Boost, Voice Clarity, and Compressor. These assist you to additional customise the sound.

Thanks to the big selection of connection choices, the ROG Delta II is suitable with every kind of gadgets so long as they help Bluetooth or the USB dongle or have a 3.5 millimeter jack connection. The PS5 is supported natively whereas the Xbox requires the 3.5 millimeter jack on the controller. The headset may also be related to smartphones, however the headset can’t be configured within the Armoury Crate smartphone app.

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Asus ROG Delta II: Sound high quality

• Weak bass at low quantity
• Ideal sound for speech
• 8-band equalizer and different customization choices

The 50 millimeter titanium drivers do a unbelievable job with the sound. In reality, it’s pretty much as good as a higher-priced gaming headset. By default, the combo is designed extra for speech, which is noticeable at low and medium volumes, the place the highs and mids are very current, however the lows are nearly non-existent. The different facet of the coin is that music sounds very flat, nearly tinny, at low volumes.

If you flip the quantity as much as the higher third, the bass comes by higher and music is rather more satisfying. If you don’t just like the sound on the manufacturing unit settings, you’ll be able to alter it within the Armoury Crate software program with an equalizer and compensate for the shortage of bass. However, this additionally makes it rather more current at larger volumes. If the ROG Delta II have been multimedia headphones, I might criticize this, however for a gaming headset, this compromise is totally acceptable for my style.

On the opposite hand, there’s completely nothing to criticize in regards to the microphone. The speech is crystal clear, doesn’t scratch, and even has a pleasantly heat bass.

Asus ROG Delta II: Battery life

Asus guarantees as much as 110 hours of battery life, however solely when the backlight is switched off. The excellent news is that the ROG Delta II additionally achieves this at 50 p.c quantity. With RGB lighting, nonetheless, the battery life drops to 1 / 4. That’s proper, not a quarter, however a quarter. On common, the ROG Delta II lasts between 25 and 30 hours on a single cost.

So for those who play for an hour or two within the night after work, you’ll have to cost it each fortnight. If you’re a full-time gamer, you’ll have to cost it three to 4 occasions per week. To be sincere, that is completely affordable in on a regular basis life, because the headset can merely be charged in a single day. The backside line is RGB lighting consumes an unimaginable quantity of energy and for those who’re not streaming with a webcam, you’ll be able to safely change it off as you’ll be able to’t see it your self anyway.

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Asus ROG Delta II: Price, availability

The Asus ROG Delta II is on the market at numerous retailers together with Amazon, Best Buy, and Newegg. Amazon currently lists the headset for $209.99, which is 9 p.c off of the unique worth. It contains the headset itself, the microphone, two pairs of ear pads–one lined with synthetic leather-based, the opposite with cloth–the wi-fi receiver with USB-C connection, an acceptable adapter to USB-A, a USB-A to USB-C cable for charging, and a generously dimensioned jack-to-jack cable (2 meters). That’s undoubtedly one thing to be pleased with.