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The ASUS ROG Kithara doesn’t look like any other gaming headset I’ve tried in the past, and is essentially an audiophile-style open-back set of headphones that happen to also ship with a boom mic and a pile of cables so you can use it for gaming. The vented design reminded me straight away of the rear of the Xbox Ally X, which is pretty neat.
Going into this review, I was pretty sceptical, it looks awkward on my head for one, and is also very expensive at $299.99 for something that is wired only. That said, after using it for a few weeks now, it’s grown on me immensely, and its unique style only adds to the character for me. Despite my initial qualms on it being so different from my usual choices, I’ve ended up loving it.
This review was made possible thanks to a review sample provided by ASUS. The company had no input nor saw the contents of this review prior to publication.
ASUS ROG Kithara Headset: Specs and pricing
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The main selling point here is the 100mm planar magnetic drivers, developed in partnership with HiFiMan. These are much larger and more expensive to make than the dynamic drivers used in most gaming headsets.
ASUS ROG Kithara Headset specs
Price: $299.99 at Best Buy
Drivers: 100mm HIFIMAN planar magnetic
Frequency response: 8Hz to 55kHz
Connectivity: Wired, 4.4mm balanced plug included, plus 3.5mm and 6.3mm single-ended plugs, and a USB-C adapter
Microphone: MEMS Boom mic with wide 20Hz–20kHz response and high SNR
Cord length: 6ft
Sound isolating: Yes
Noise cancelling: No
Detachable cord: Yes
Build: Soft fabric headband with metal frame and hinges
Weight: 420g
Compatibility: PC, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android. Compatible with Xbox consoles via 3.5mm connection to gamepad.
It’s a fully wired, dual-entry design headset, which in normal talk means a cable for each side. The unboxing itself is a bit of a cable fest with all the optional accessories and attachments. It was a bit like when I unboxed my wireless vacuum and all its heads for different floor types. You get a boom mic cable (with volume/mute toggles), a standard headphone cable, and every connector you could possibly need, and some I didn’t even know still existed (3.5mm, 6.3mm, 4.4mm, and USB-C). You can hook it up to basically anything that fits the connectors so PC, console, or DAC, without having to mess around with any software. It’s not advertised as Xbox-compatible, but it will work if you plug the 3.5mm jack into your controller.
It isn’t cheap, though $299.99 puts this squarely in the premium bracket. For a wired headset, you’re paying a serious markup. It’s clearly aimed at competing with “real” studio headphones rather than the usual gaming stuff you see from this brand.
ASUS ROG Kithara Headset: Comfort and build quality
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Build quality was impressive straight out the box. The frame feels solid and the hinges feel like they could take a few beatings at the bottom of my backpack (not that I’m putting that to the test). The headset feels closer to studio headphones than your average plastic gaming headsets.. In fact, my son, who likes to record audio for his music and acting project, is looking to swipe these away from me as they fit into his microphone perfectly with the generous bundle of attachments.
Although the Kithara is pretty damn big and weighs around 420 grams, I was surprised by how comfortable it actually is. I expected it to feel heavy and awkward, especially given how it looks on my head (see in slideshow above), but in practice it feels very well balanced and much lighter than I anticipated. I had no issues wearing it for long sessions, even if it did look comically large compared to my normal headsets.
The headband doesn’t dig in at all, and since it’s an open-back design, my ears stayed way cooler than they do in standard closed-back sets. I normally wear the LucidSound LS50X, but I have to admit my ears usually get pretty stuffy in those after a while.
My only real gripe is that the earcups tend to slide down if I move around too much during a frantic game. I’m constantly nudging them back up, though that might just be a “me” problem. The men in my family tried them on and didn’t have any issues. It probably just comes down to how massive these things are relative to my head!
My only real gripe is that the earcups tend to slide down if I move around too much during a frantic game.
Two sets of ear pads are included in the box, including velour pads which feel cooler and softer over time, but they slightly reduce isolation and bass compared to the stock pads.
Overall, the Kithara is very well built and, despite my initial scepticism about its size and appearance, it turned out to be far more comfortable than I expected.
ASUS ROG Kithara Headset: Mic and audio quality
The detachable MEMS boom microphone is solid but I wouldn’t say it is outstanding. As in, it is perfectly fine for gaming but if you stream or podcast you will want to stick with something entirely seperate. But yeah, this is a gaming headset remember.
Voice clarity is good, background noise is handled well, and it works perfectly fine for gaming chat, Discord and my work calls on Microsoft Teams. And its always fun to have something a bit different on when we are asked to turn our cameras on. People will still be able to tell that you are using a headset microphone when you talk through this but it is cleaner than what you usually get from most gaming headsets.
One concern with open-back headsets is whether game audio leaks back into the microphone. In my testing, this was not an issue and I did not experience any obvious audio bleed being picked up by the mic.
The audio performance is where the ROG Kithara clearly separates itself from normal gaming headsets. Before getting into sound quality, it is important to be clear about one thing. The Kithara does not offer virtual surround sound or any form of spatial audio processing. It is a purely passive stereo headset.
I had to go back to school for this review just to figure out what “open-back” actually meant. Basically, since the earcups are vented rather than sealed shut, the sound breathes (supposedly). Audiophiles love to rave about the “spacious soundstage” of open-back headsets. What this does mean, though, is you get zero privacy. I’m hearing everything happening in my house, and worse, everyone else can hear my music too. There’s no way I’m winning any cool points for my indie taste when everyone in the room can clearly hear I’m just blasting Taylor Swift again. Definitely don’t be that person who wears these on a bus.
This is a selling point if you play in a quiet room and care about natural presentation and spatial depth. It won’t be for you if you game in noisy environments or shared spaces around family. Personally, while I’m normally gaming around other people I do actually want to be able to hear my family so this doesn’t bother me at all. If you prefer to drown out the sound of petulant children, you may want to look elsewhere.
In use with actual games, the open back and flouncy-sounding “airy soundstage” actually makes a bit more sense. So environmental sounds, gunshots etc are easy to separate. Positioning is generally easy to follow in shooters, and there’s no echoey effect from the cups.
Sound-wise, I noticed this headset was substantially less ‘bass-heavy’ than other gaming headsets, and it’s up to your preference whether you like that.
Volume was also dependent on my connection. Bear in mind, I’m writing this as a millennial who spent most of their teens destroying their eardrums with the highest possible iPod volume. Plugged directly into my PC, the headset gets reasonably loud but can feel slightly limited at the top end. For some reason, using the included USB-C adapter makes it noticeably louder, as it did when I plugged it into my phone. No amount of finicking around with Windows 11 audio settings seemed to change this. So your experience may vary depending on what you plug it into.
ASUS ROG Kithara Headset: Should you buy it?
The ROG Kithara is a niche headset that puts sound quality ahead of features. It makes sense for a very specific type of user.
✅ You should buy this if…
- you mainly play in a quiet room and do not need isolation
- you care more about sound quality and separation than surround sound features
- you want one headset that works well for gaming, music and general listening
❌ You should not buy this if…
- you want wireless, noise cancelling, RGB lighting or software features
- you rely heavily on virtual surround or spatial audio modes
- you play in noisy or shared environments
The ASUS ROG Kithara feels less like a gaming headset and more like a pair of high-end studio headphones that just happened to have a mic slapped on at the end. I was pretty skeptical at first, that price tag is hard to ignore, especially for something with a wire. But once I actually put it on, it was way more comfortable and easy to deal with than the size suggests.
It’s not trying to win a feature war with brands like SteelSeries or Turtle Beach. You aren’t getting a million buttons or gimmicks here; you’re paying for the sound quality and that open-back feel. If you’re hunting for that specific “audiophile” sound but don’t want the hassle of a separate desktop mic and headphone setup, the Kithara is basically in a league of its own.
ASUS ROG
Kithara Gaming Open-Back Wired Headphones
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