NOWADAYS, ITSEEMS headphone features
are more of a selling point than the actual
sound quality. Though extras like ANC,
on-the-go media controls, Bluetooth
connectivity, and lift-to-pause are great,
it’s nice to focus our attention on what
really matters.
Asus’s ROG Strix Go Core gaming
headset sits in the budget range of
headphones, costing just under $80. It
aims to bring comfort, practicality, and
great sound into one unit but, of course,
at this price something has to give and so
it foregoes a few frills you get on other
models. So, in a world of features, how
does this gaming headset stand out?
Straight out of the box, our initial
impression is that these headphones
certainly feel better than their $80 price
tag. The design is a crisp two-tone white
and grey that Asus appropriately calls
Moonlight White. The construction is a
soft-touch plastic that gives it a more
premium feel than expected—there are
no standout RGB or colored logos here.
Asus has taken a less-is-more approach
that gives it a sleek overall look vibe.
Comfort is impressive too, the headset
is light without feeling cheap or flimsy. It
has a soft leatherette padding that cups
your ears securely without too much
pressure, meaning you can keep them on
throughout a decent gaming session with
no real issues. The same goes for the
headband too, which is made of the same
material and padding. There is plenty of
adjustment, too, on the headband and
they can also fold flat for significantly
easier portability.
As we mentioned, these headphones
aren’t packed with features but they
do have the basic controls. On the left
earcup are a mute switch, volume wheel,
and a microphone port. The detachable
microphone is pretty impressive and
can be easily removed when you aren’t
always on a call or in a party chat and just
want to listen to some music. It’s made ofA great-looking budget
headset with few frills
Asus ROG
Strix Go Core
Moonlight White
8VERDICT Asus ROG Strix Go Core
Moonlight White
MOONLIGHT DELIGHT Crisp
subtle design; ultra-light construction;
clear microphone; good mid to high-end
sound.
DARK SIDE OF THE MOON Slight lack of
bass; fixed 3. 5 mm cable.
$79. 99 , http://www.shop.asus.comSPECIFICATIONS
Driver Type 40mm Asus Essence driver
w/ neodymium magnets
Frequency
Response
20Hz-40,000Hz
Impedance 32ohms
Connectivity 3.5mm auxiliary
Design Style Circumaural, Closed back
Weight 0.54lbssturdy unidirectional
metal and comes
with a foam filter tip
in the box too. The
pickup is pretty good and
on playback, voices come
through clearly.
Unlike the microphone, the 3 .5mm
cable is not detachable. It does come
with a cable extender with headphone
and microphone jack splitters, but that's
perhaps less useful than a detachable
cable. The 3 .5mm aux cable is the only
connectivity option for this headset, and
so if the original cable breaks, then the
headphones are useless.FEW BELLS AND WHISTLES
As construction and overall feel go, this
headset ticks a lot of boxes. It doesn’t
have the bells and whistles of some other
models but, at this price, we wouldn't
expect that. But how do these cans
sound? The 4 0mm Asus essence drivers
do a great job at pushing out a well-
balanced crisp sound. The highlights are
found in the high-ends and mids, it has
plenty of clarity for a budget headset and
certainly feels more premium than it is.
Where the sound lacks slightly is in the
low-end bass. It’s not flat by any means, but
it could do with a little more punch at times.
For instance, when playing shooters, it could
do with extra bass for greater immersion in
high-action elements. However, the great
directional audio covers the immersion
lost through the soft bass.
These cans are also pretty decent for
listening to music. Due to the lightweight
design, you can keep them on your head
for ages and listen on-the-go with no
issues. The same sound quality pros and
cons from gaming also apply to music—it
could do with more bass in some genres.
For its price and intended use,
this headset is a well-balanced
peripheral. The only minor spoiler is the
aforementioned slight lack of bass, butwith an equalizer this problem can be
reduced. It isn't packed with features but
is compatible with devices that support
3.5mm connectivity. Comfort is great,
with a lightweight build, yet it doesn’t feel
cheap. The design and ‘Moonlight White’
color scheme make it look pretty sleek,
so it's equally good for using as a gaming
headset and subtle enough for using
out and about for music. Along with the
detachable microphone, it's a great all-
rounder from Asus. – SAM LEWIS