ASUS ROG Theta Electret Gaming Headset Review – When Clarity is Key
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Appearance - 8/10
8/10
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Features - 6/10
6/10
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Materials - 8/10
8/10
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Performance - 7/10
7/10
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Portability - 4/10
4/10
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User Experience - 6/10
6/10
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Value - 6.5/10
6.5/10
Summary
While it is promoted as a Hi-Fi grade gaming headset, the ASUS ROG Theta Electret works far better for gaming than it does for movies and music.
Overall
6.5/10Pros
+ Crystal clear and well-defined mids and highs
+ Doesn’t easily get warm
+ Comes with extra fabric ear cups which have better cooling
+ Solid build quality
+ Good noise isolation
+ Can be used with a variety of devices
+ Decent microphone quality
+ Detachable microphone
Cons
– Great lack of bass
– Not foldable / travel-friendly
– You can feel the weight on your head
– Headset cable itself is not detachable
– No volume rocker
– No RGB lighting
– Pricey
Unboxing the ASUS ROG Theta Electret
Inside the box of the ASUS ROG Theta Electret gaming headset, you are expected to have the following items:
- User guide
- Warranty card
- Audio splitter
- Detachable microphone
- Spare ear cushions
- The ASUS ROG Theta Electret gaming headset itself
Appearance
The ASUS ROG Theta Electret gaming headset looks identical to the Theta 7.1 with the exception of the glowing ROG logo in glorious RGB lighting. In fact, the logo is in metallic silver. The ear cups are more oval shaped than round. You also have the aluminium alloy frame which connects the ear cups to the headband.
As for cushioning on the ear cups, the ASUS ROG Theta Electret uses the ROG Hybrid ear cushions. However, it comes with two different types; protein-leather and fabric. The former features thin, yet soft breathable fabric mesh whereas the latter features a thicker but fast-cooling fabric designed for longer use.
Moving to the headband, there is a plush fabric cushion along with a plastic plates indicating the left and right orientation. You can adjust the headband to fit your head, which will reveal a metallic support band with ROG’s signature design language. You also have a the Republic of Gamers branding on the top which blends in with the headband.
While plenty of gaming headsets would have the microphone attached to it, this one does not. The ASUS ROG Theta Electret utilizes a detachable uni-directional microphone. This brings longevity to the headset as it’s far easier to fix with just a replacement. The headset cable itself is not detachable, and is connected to both the left and right ear cups. While you don’t have a volume rocker, you do have a mic mute switch on the back of the left ear cup.
The ASUS ROG Theta Electret is a premium-looking gaming headset and is one of the better ones out there aesthetically. It lacks the bling from an RGB lighting but it’s not necessarily a bad thing. It ultimately boils down to preference here.
Specifications
| Drivers | 45mm Neodymium magnet 120mm Electret |
| Frequency Response | 20Hz ~ 40,000Hz |
| Impedance | 32 Ohm |
| Headphone Type | Circumaural, closed back |
| Connector | 3.5mm audio cable (1.5m) 3.5mm audio / mic splitter cable (1.2m) |
| Microphone | Pick-up Pattern: Uni-directional Frequency Response: 100 ~10,000 Hz Sensitivity: -40 dB |
| Noise-cancelling | No |
| Weight | 555 g |
| Colour | Black with Silver accents |
| Compatibility | PC, Mac, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Smartphone |
User Experience
The ASUS ROG Theta Electret is an analog gaming headset. This means that it connects to devices via a 3.5mm audio jack. This doesn’t necessarily mean that it will give inferior audio quality compared to the USB-C connector on the regular Theta 7.1 as there are a lot of factors for it.
It’s worth noting that it only needs a single 3.5mm jack for both headphone and microphone. It does however come with an audio splitter for devices that require separate plugs for it. One thing’s for sure, it does give it versatility as you can connect to a wide variety of devices easily.
The audio experience is quite intriguing as it’s not like most gaming headsets nowadays. Whether it’s movies or music, the mids and highs are crystal clear and well-defined but the bass is just bad. If you considered Sony’s Xtra Bass headphones as too much, this is the complete opposite.
This isn’t necessarily a bad thing because when it comes to gaming, it’s actually great from a functional perspective. I can hear and identify footsteps, bullets, and fights better with this. Given that this is a gaming headset first and it excels in gaming, I have to give major props for this. Unlike its RGB brethren, this one doesn’t have 7.1 surround sound.
As for comfort, the ASUS ROG Theta Electret is a bit of a mixed bag. The cushions are comfortable and it doesn’t get warm easily which makes them great for marathon gaming. There’s also the option of the Fabric cushions for better cooling. However, it’s a rather heavy gaming headset.
While it clamps to the head nicely without excessive force, the weight is something that can bring fatigue after long hours. It’s so noticeable that after taking it off, I feel like Goku taking off his weighted clothes when he’s about to get serious in Dragon Ball. I also dislike the idea of having wires on both ear cups as it makes me feel a little smothered.
One thing is that great here is the noise isolation. I used this in the office often with music playing at medium volume and I can’t hear my colleagues at all. In fact, my boss once had to stand up and go over to me to get my attention (sorry, boss). Even without sound playing, it isolates external noise pretty well. Just keep in mind this isn’t a noise-cancelling headset.
It’s worth noting that the ASUS ROG Theta Electret isn’t travel-friendly. It can’t be folded nor twisted so you will have to carry it as is. The most you can do is what you see in the picture above. Furthermore, the size makes it a bit troublesome to bring around so you’re most likely going to be using this only at home.
As for the microphone, the ASUS ROG Theta Electret can give decent voice quality. It will work great for Discord / Skype / voice chat but don’t expect to use this for voiceovers as it lacks the fidelity / depth. It does a great at isolating room noise so it focuses on capturing only your voice. It surprisingly sounds better than the microphone on the Theta 7.1.
It’s also worth noting that you can use it with your smartphone. In fact, it will detect the microphone and allow you to use it for calls / audio recordings. Just make sure your smartphone uses a USB-C port. I cannot confirm if it can work with an iPhone using a Lightning to USB-C adapter as I don’t have an iPhone on hand.
ASUS ROG Theta Electret Verdict
While it is promoted as a Hi-Fi grade gaming headset, the ASUS ROG Theta Electret works far better for gaming than it does for movies and music. It is also comfortable and it doesn’t get warm fast while wearing them, which makes them great for marathon gaming sessions. Moreover, the 3.5mm audio connector gives it the versatility to be used on a variety of devices.
There are also a number of drawbacks that you need to consider. It has a great lack of bass, it is heavy enough that you can feel it on your head, it’s not travel-friendly, and it lacks the RGB bling that the 7.1 variant has. If you can look past that and want a listening experience geared towards clarity, then this will serve you well.
With that, I award the ASUS ROG Theta Electret gaming headset with our Bronze Pokdeward.
Big thanks to ASUS Malaysia for loaning us this headset for the purposes of this review.
