ASUS ROG Pelta review: full-size gaming headset with three connection modes

At the end of August, ASUS presented new gaming peripherals from the Republic of Gamers line. We recently reviewed the ASUS ROG Falchion Ace HFX keyboard with magnetic switches. And today, we’re going to take a look at the new ASUS ROG Pelta full-size gaming headset, which features 50mm dynamic drivers, works with the vast majority of modern platforms, and supports three types of connectivity.

ASUS ROG Pelta specifications

Package contents

ASUS ROG Pelta is packed in a large box with a typical ROG lineup of bright colors, a picture of the headset, and all the basic information about features and capabilities.

In addition to the headphones, the package includes a detachable microphone with a flexible foot, a 2.4 GHz wireless adapter with a USB Type-C connector, a USB Type-C to USB Type-A adapter, a 1.8 m USB Type-C to Type-A cable for charging, and documentation.

Design and usability

ASUS ROG Pelta is a fairly large full-size headphone with a dual headband design. The outer one is rigid and serves as a frame. And the inner one is elastic, thanks to which the headphones are directly held on the head. This design is quite convenient at home, as there is usually no need to adjust the headphones.

But in the case of ASUS ROG Pelta, things get even more interesting: the elastic headband can be adjusted in height depending on the size of the head, and there are corresponding clips for this. Or you can remove it altogether. Given the soft insert on the outer headband, this is indeed a possibility. But, to be honest, it’s hard for me to imagine the appropriate head size.

The headphones are made entirely of three types of plastic. The outer part of the cups is black. It has a coating that resembles Soft-Touch and also collects fingerprints a bit. The inside of the cups and the design of their attachment to the headband has a slightly different, matte dark gray finish.

The cups are large and can accommodate auricles of any size. The outer part has a peculiar diagonal striped step, as well as the ROG logo with RGB backlighting. All the controls of ASUS ROG Pelta are located on the left earbud. We will return to them a little later.

The ear cushions have a very soft filler that takes the desired shape well. The outside is a mesh fabric with a hexagonal pattern. It is very pleasant, soft and breathable. Therefore, even in summer, your ears will not sweat during long gaming sessions.

The outer headband is also plastic, made of black matte plastic. There is an inscription Republic of Gamers on the outside, and a soft insert with a similar mesh fabric on the inside.

The ASUS ROG Pelta earbuds can be rotated 90° when the headphones are not in use.

The microphone is detachable and has a flexible leg that allows you to conveniently place it at the desired distance. The microphone has a foam windscreen and a red LED indicator that lights up when the microphone is turned off.

ASUS ROG Pelta weighs 309 grams, so it doesn’t weigh you down during long gaming sessions. The ear cushions are also very comfortable. But it’s hard to say how durable the mesh fabric is after a week of use. The headset also supports work with smartphones, so theoretically it can be used outdoors. But, given its large size, I’m not sure it will be convenient.

Management

ASUS ROG Pelta uses only mechanical controls, no sensors. This is a completely logical and convenient solution for full-size headphones and headsets. All of them are located on the back of the left earbud.

There are more of them than we are used to seeing in gaming headsets. The top button is responsible for muting the microphone. Or turn off the RGB backlight with a long press. Below is the volume control wheel. It is quite tight and has clear cutoffs, so it will be difficult to scroll it by accident.

Immediately below it is the so-called multifunctional button, which will be useful primarily when used with a smartphone. It is responsible for music playback: one press pauses/playback, double and triple presses move to the next or previous track, respectively. You can also answer a call with a single press. Double-click to reject the call. Media control also works on a PC.

Below is a three-position switch for connection modes. The Type-C connector for charging or wired connection is located clearly at the bottom of the headphone. And a little in front is a 3.5 mm microphone jack. ASUS ROG Pelta does not support passive connection.

Connectivity and functionality

ASUS ROG Pelta is a universal headset that is compatible with almost all current platforms, not just gaming. The headphones can be connected to PCs, laptops, game consoles, PlayStation 5 and 4, Nintendo Switch, Android smartphones, as well as Macs and iOS devices. Only Xbox consoles are not among the compatible devices. The headset was tested with a PC, PlayStation 5, and a smartphone. Everything works perfectly, no additional manipulations were required.

For connection, you can use the 2.4 GHz radio channel with the included USB transmitter. It supports the proprietary SpeedNova technology, which is supposed to provide low latency and a stable signal. Within a small apartment with maximum obstacles in the form of two walls, the headset works stably without interruptions. It also supports Bluetooth and wired connection.

The general Armory Crate application is not yet able to work with ASUS ROG Pelta. Most likely, support will appear with the start of sales. But for now, you can use a simplified version of Armory Crate Gear, which has only headset settings. The interface is similar to the usual Armory Crate version, but there are no functions not related to ASUS ROG Pelta. In the first tab, you can customize the sound: there are ready-made settings for different scenarios, an equalizer, bass boost, compressor, and more.

In the microphone section, there is a Noise Gate function, which we decided to translate literally, so it turned out to be “Noise Gate”. It is responsible for attenuating ambient noise below a certain threshold. And the Perfect Voice enhancer.

The next section duplicates some of the Windows sound settings: headphone and microphone volume and quality. You can also select the language of voice prompts and the function of eliminating background noise.

RGB backlighting has several effects and color settings (with static backlighting):

Next is the tab responsible for powering the headset. There is an indication of the current charge level, settings for low battery alerts, and the time to go to sleep.

The last tab is responsible for updating the firmware:

Sound and microphone quality

ASUS ROG Pelta is equipped with 50 mm titanium-coated dynamic drivers. The manufacturer promises balanced sound, clear highs, and powerful lows. It is worth noting that on the stock settings, without any additional settings, the headphones sound very “smooth” and neutral, perhaps too much so. And some users may think that there is not enough bass.

But in fact, just by selecting a ready-made setting (for example, Music), the sound changes very significantly and it becomes clear that there are enough low frequencies, and you can get even more if you want. They are massive, resilient and have a good amount of sub-bass. The speed and control of bass are not at the best level. But we are not dealing with headphones for music lovers.

There are quite a few high frequencies and they are well detailed. Perhaps on the stock settings, some may find it a little too much, but this is easily corrected. On the other hand, clear highs during the game will help you hear your surroundings better. For example, footsteps, reloading weapons, etc. The weakest point of the headphones is the midrange: there are enough frequencies, but the detail is not the best. That’s why live instruments in music don’t sound the best. But this is a problem not only with gaming models, but also with inexpensive ordinary headphones.

In general, the sound of ASUS ROG Pelta for games and movies is excellent, sound effects are felt perfectly. The positioning of sound sources is also at a good level. From a musical point of view, electronics, hip-hop and other popular styles sound good, live music sounds a little worse.

ASUS ROG Pelta does not have an active noise reduction system. And the mesh fabric of the ear cushions does not contribute to good passive noise isolation. But this is not a problem at all when used at home. Given the format of the headphones, this is the main scenario of their use. On the street, of course, you won’t be able to block out the ambient noise. And people around you will be able to hear your music.

The headset is equipped with a unidirectional microphone with wind protection made of foam. It is claimed that it transmits voice perfectly and is capable of recording sound with a frequency of 100 Hz to 10 kHz. The voice is quite realistic, there is no closed barrel effect, but it’s hard to call the quality excellent. And the microphone picks up even rather quiet ambient sounds quite actively. For online games, the quality is more than enough. For streaming, however, it’s worth looking at individual microphones. Voice without effects:

Noise Gate 50%:

The “Perfect Voice” effect is 50%:

Battery life

ASUS ROG Pelta is equipped with a 900 mAh battery. It is claimed that in 2.4 GHz mode, the headset operates for up to 70 hours with RGB backlight off and up to 45 hours with it on. Over Bluetooth, ASUS ROG Pelta can operate for up to 90 hours without RGB backlighting and 60 hours with it.

The headset was used primarily with a 2.4 GHz radio connection with RGB backlighting at 50% brightness. In general, the real battery life is quite consistent with the declared one. It comes out to about 40-50 hours. In an hour, the headset loses about 2-3% of its charge. Fast charging is supported: they promise 3 hours of operation after 15 minutes of charging.