Asus Strix Pro gaming headset

In ancient Roman mythology, the Strix was a bird that feasted on human flesh and blood. The name now refers to a genus of owls. It also appears to be the inspiration for Asus' latest gaming headset.

The avian influence is unmistakable.

When folded flat, the ear cups of the Asus Strix Pro resemble the eyes of an owl. Its foldable design makes it easy to take to LAN parties, though Asus does not include a carrying case.

The Strix Pro looks huge when worn, due to those large ear cups. The flexible headband adjusts to the shape of your head. However, the leather ear cups start to feel slightly warm and uncomfortable after a few hours of use.

With its plastic frame, the Strix Pro weighs 320g, average for a gaming headset. Its plastic finish, however, feels a bit rough to the touch.

The headset has a control box with a volume dial. At one end, it connects to the headset.

The other end splits into a USB connector, microphone and headphone connectors which you plug into your gaming computer.

If you need to move away from the PC, simply detach the headset from the box, instead of reaching behind the PC. Or you can take off the headset.

Asus bundles two 3.5mm adaptor cables, which lets you use the Strix Pro with mobile devices that have a single audio jack. But given the size of the Strix Pro, you will probably invite some stares when using them on the go with your smartphone.

The bottom of the control box is sticky - you can attach it securely to your desk. It also has a switch that turns on the headset's noise-reduction feature.

This is supposed to reduce ambient noise, such as the sound from typing on the keyboard, by up to 90 per cent. It helps to improve the clarity of your voice when you use the set's detachable microphone.

This microphone plugs into a connector at the left ear cup and is flexible. You can bend it so that it is closer or further from your mouth. When I tested it, it picked up my voice clearly.

This headset comes with 60mm drivers, which is quite unusual - most of its competitors offer 40mm drivers.

On paper, the larger drivers should provide better bass, though designing headphones is more complex than just having better specifications.

Thankfully, the bass on the Strix Pro was not overpowering. In fact, it even felt underwhelming at times.

But more importantly for gamers, the in-game dialogue and audio effects were clear.

A gaming headset that will not break the bank, the Strix Pro delivers with some extras, such as its control box. Audio quality is good, but not outstanding.

TECH SPECS

Price: $189

Impedance: 32 ohms

Frequency response (headphones): 20 - 20,000Hz

Cable: 2.7m

Weight: 320g

RATING

Design 3/5

Performance 4/5

Value for money 4/5

Overall 4/5

This article was first published on Jan 14, 2015.
Get a copy of Digital Life, The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.