Asus ROG Cetra True Wireless review

Lately, there’s been a fast rise within the variety of corporations making true wi-fi earbuds. Lots of the newcomers are telephone makers trying to department out, whereas different manufacturers beforehand specialised in different audio merchandise. 

Given the significance of nice sound whereas gaming, it’s no shock to see Asus’ ROG model be a part of the occasion. Each common and Professional fashions have been launched, but it surely’s the previous that’s our focus right here. 

At beneath $100/£100, do the ROG Cetra buds hit the candy spot for most individuals? I spent a couple of weeks testing them to search out out. 

Design & Construct

The ROG model is often related to eye-catching designs, however that’s not the case right here. I used to be shocked by the Cetra buds’ extra muted aesthetic, with simply minimalist branding on the case and buds themselves. 

Black is the end I’d often select for wi-fi earbuds, but it surely’d be good to see options for individuals who need one thing extra vibrant. The official itemizing says they’re additionally out there in ‘Moonlight White’, which takes on extra of a gray aesthetic, however I couldn’t discover anyplace promoting them. 

Consequently, the one possible way of expressing your self is by way of the RGB lighting, however the buds and case solely mild up once they’re attempting to let you know one thing. Having a transparent system in place to know once they’re in pairing mode, charging or low on battery is nice, but it surely’d be good to see extra customisation choices right here. 

Consequently, the Cetra buds really feel way more of a mainstream product than I used to be anticipating. They seem like simply one other pair of wi-fi earbuds. Whereas that makes standing out from the competitors harder, it additionally means you’re extra seemingly to make use of them as your primary pair. 

A plastic exterior means every bud weighs simply 5g, however they nonetheless really feel impressively sturdy and strong. Being this mild means you possibly can quickly neglect about them being in your ears, offered the match is true.

Asus contains three sizes of ideas within the field – when you get the proper one, the buds are impressively comfy. I had no drawback sporting them for a number of hours at a time. 

As you possibly can see from the photographs, the Cetra buds have a comparatively lengthy stem. It’s clearly seen while you’re sporting them, which means they appear extra like common AirPods than AirPods Professional. Choosing black means they’re extra discreet than Apple’s buds, however you would possibly choose one thing extra compact. 

In concept, the Cetra buds provide a easy vary of contact controls, however I discovered them extra irritating than purposeful. A double faucet of the left earbud toggles energetic noise cancellation (ANC) modes, but it surely frequently took a number of tries for this to register.  

Lengthy press can be utilized to set off voice assistant (one second), pairing mode (three seconds) and energy off (5 seconds), however to make use of them you’ll find yourself pushing the earbud uncomfortably additional into your ear canal.  

It’s the same story on the proper bud, which can be utilized to decide on totally different modes and management songs and calls. Play/pause was the one perform I might persistently get to work and never grow to be uncomfortable. 

Consequently, I ended up utilizing my telephone to regulate issues excess of I hoped to, however in terms of ANC modes, there’s no various. 

When you’re achieved utilizing them, every bud securely drops into the charging case utilizing magnets. The ROG brand between them is joined by a small mild strip on the surface, permitting you to shortly monitor their battery and pairing standing with out opening the case. 

The case additionally has a plastic exterior, but it surely feels premium and does a great job of limiting fingerprint smudges. At 52g even with the buds inside, it’s straightforward to take them anyplace with you.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

It’s additionally price noting the presence of an IPX4 ranking, which means the buds and case can survive splashes of water from any path. Nonetheless, it is best to nonetheless be extraordinarily cautious round any water or mud. 

Sound High quality & Options

The ROG model isn’t primarily identified for its audio merchandise, however Asus has loads of expertise making gaming-focused headphones and earbuds. Nonetheless, these are the primary true wi-fi buds within the ROG household. 

Going fully cable-free is commonly related to a drop-off in sound high quality, however the ROG Cetra have some spectacular credentials. 10mm drivers in every bud can emit audio between 20Hz and 20KHz – that matches what the typical individual can hear. 

So as to successfully check the sound they produce, I performed a collection of songs from Amazon Music’s ‘Better of Extremely HD’ playlist. Amazon says the standard of tracks right here is up 10 occasions greater than common streamed music, however the Cetra can solely play music utilizing the SBC and AAC wi-fi audio codecs. The previous is normal Bluetooth and the latter is for iPhones particularly. This implies even in the event you use a excessive definition (HD) or high-resolution (hi-res) audio service, these buds won’t be able to stream in that high quality.

The truth is, not many buds are able to hi-res or CD high quality sound within the first place – that’s nonetheless primarily discovered within the realm of wired audio.

Again to what the Cetra can do, then. The primary tune I examined was ‘Late Night time Speaking’ by Harry Kinds, which the buds dealt with nicely. The sound was well-balanced however nonetheless detailed – it was straightforward to pick particular person devices within the backing monitor.  

That monitor doesn’t rely closely on bass, but it surely’s essential to Lizzo’s ‘About Rattling Time’. I used to be impressed with the best way the buds coped, though issues did sound barely muddy at occasions.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

‘Warmth Waves’ by Glass Animals was an actual spotlight, with the buds creating an immersive listening expertise that captured the emotion of the tune very nicely. Equally, ‘Oh My God’ sounded implausible, with Adele’s booming vocals sounding nice.

Nonetheless, it’s not fairly as spectacular on slower tracks with much less manufacturing. Billie Eilish’s ‘Happier Than Ever’ was barely bland and washed out, missing a few of its common impression. The straightforward backing monitor on ‘Photo voltaic Energy’ by Lorde fared barely higher, however these sorts of songs aren’t the buds’ energy. 

Nonetheless, the songs on this playlist had been nearly completely trendy tracks, so I attempted some older classics too.  

Queen’s ‘Don’t Cease Me Now’ was remastered in 2011, and it reveals. Freddie Mercury’s voice has all its common impression, particularly when mixed with Brian Might’s guitar solos. However ‘Tune 2’ by Blur feels underwhelming by comparability, the place a busy backing monitor means the vocals get misplaced at occasions. 

The identical may be stated for ‘Completely satisfied Birthday’ by Stevie Surprise, but it surely’s extra spectacular on ‘I Acquired You’, the place James Brown’s singing takes centre stage. 

These buds are additionally a sensible choice in the event you’re a fan of classical music. Vivaldi’s ‘4 Seasons’ sounds nice, as do extra up-tempo tracks from the likes of the London Philharmonic Orchestra. 

The Cetra buds are additionally adept in terms of voice-based content material. I completely loved listening to podcasts utilizing them, with clear, crisp vocals and nearly no distortion – even at excessive volumes. 

It’s nice to see ANC on a pair of earbuds at this worth, and I used to be impressed with the way it carried out. The ‘heavy’ setting blocks out a big quantity of background noise, even when there’s no audio enjoying.  

I loved having the choice of ‘mild’ ANC, plus an ‘ambient sound’ mode that’s nice for speaking to somebody with out taking out the buds. When you get used to the fiddly methodology of switching between them, there’s a powerful vary of performance right here. 

If the audio you’re getting isn’t fairly to your liking, this may be tweaked by way of Asus’ Armoury Crate companion app. Right here, you possibly can select one in every of 5 preset sound profiles – flat, FPS, film, racing and RPG – or dream up one thing fully distinctive.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

The equalizer constructed into the app additionally has presets for numerous sorts of music, plus the choice to customize particular person frequencies to your liking. If you realize what you’re doing, it’s doable to realize some nice outcomes.  

Elsewhere, you may as well set the depth of a strong bass increase mode, activate digital encompass sound or activate a devoted ‘gaming mode’. Every choice has a transparent function and doesn’t really feel like a gimmick. 

It’s nice to see all these choices out there for earbuds which are so cheap, however I want Asus had put extra effort into the design of the app. In comparison with most rivals, it’s clunky and tough to navigate. When initially testing the buds, I missed some helpful performance because it wasn’t made apparent. That is one thing that would simply be mounted, however its present standing shouldn’t be a dealbreaker. 

Battery Life & Charging

Asus hasn’t had to consider battery life on its wired ROG earbuds and headphones, but it surely’s essential right here.  

With ANC turned on (which you’ll need to do more often than not), the corporate says you will get 4.8 hours of utilization from the buds themselves, plus an additional 17 hours from the charging case. If it’s turned off, this may supposedly be prolonged to five.5 hours and 21.5 hours respectively. 

Loads of buds promote extra lately, however I used to be nonetheless impressed with the battery life on provide. With a few hours of music, podcasts or calls every day, the Cetra buds can comfortably final a full week on a single cost. 

That’s helped by what Asus calls ‘quick-charge’ expertise throughout the case, though it doesn’t say how shortly the buds can return to full cost. In my expertise, they had been nearly at all times at 100% after I took them out of the case. 

Nonetheless, I did discover that the battery within the left bud depleted considerably faster. At occasions with ANC turned on, the distinction was greater than 10%. 

A single USB-C port is the primary charging methodology, with a USB-C to USB-A cable included within the field. That is quick sufficient and dependable, and it’s nice having the ability to use the identical cable to cost my buds and telephone. Nonetheless, the ROG Cetra additionally assist wi-fi charging by way of any Qi-enabled charger. It’s a lot slower than wired charging, however nice for comfort. 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Value & Availability

You possibly can simply choose up a strong pair of wi-fi earbuds for beneath $100/£100 lately, and the ROG Cetra buds are additional proof of this.  

They’ll presently set you again simply $99.99/£89.99. For such a well-rounded pair of buds with premium options, that’s glorious worth for cash. 

However competitors amongst price range wi-fi earbuds is fierce, with a number of choices in our chart additionally providing energetic noise cancellation. Commerce-offs in some areas are inevitable, however the Enacfire A9 or Anker Soundcore Life A2 NC would possibly present every little thing you’re searching for. 

When you can’t resolve between wired and wi-fi earbuds, it’s additionally price contemplating the ROG Cetra True Wi-fi Professional – they can be utilized both approach.

Verdict

Asus is a relative newcomer to the world of true wi-fi earbuds, however you wouldn’t realize it. Whereas the Cetra buds are a part of the corporate’s ROG vary of gaming merchandise, they’re an awesome inexpensive choice for anybody.  

Sound high quality is best than you’d count on, producing wealthy, detailed audio and thumping bass. Each energetic noise cancellation modes are efficient at blocking out exterior noise, but it surely’s nice to even have the choice to amplify what’s occurring round you. 

Nonetheless, the fiddly contact controls used to maneuver between these modes are frustating, whereas a lot of the spectacular app performance is buried beneath an unintuitive design.  

However in the event you can look past the somewhat purposeful design, that’s about the place the shortcomings finish. With nice battery life and a really comfy match, these are price range buds which are price contemplating.

Specs

• Wi-fi earbuds 
• Twin 10mm drivers
• 20-20,000Hz vary
• Lively noise cancellation
• Omnidirectional mic
• Contact controls
• Bluetooth
• Charging case with USB-C and wi-fi charging 
• Earbud: 4.8-5.5hr battery / Charging case: 17-21.5 hour battery
• Every bud: 5g / Charging case: 42g
• Black end