If you’ve shopped for a surround sound headset lately, you’ve probably already noticed that most headsets are anything but: they’re stereo headsets with “virtual surround sound” turned on by software. The ASUS ROG Theta 7.1 is the real deal. Built inside its large frame are a whopping 8 speakers, making it one of the few true 7.1 surround sound headsets on the market today. Add to that Hi-Res audio certification, AI-enable noise canceling, and what can only be described as an ultra-premium package for a gaming headset, and you have the recipe for something game-changing. At $299, it comes in at a steep premium over other gaming headsets, but with features the competition simply doesn’t offer, is it worth the cost of entry?
Specifications
- Current Price: $299 (ASUS Site, Amazon)
- Connector: USB-C (C-to-A adapter included)
- Headphones:
- Driver diameter: Front : 40 mm, Center : 30 mm, Side : 30 mm, Rear : 30 mm
- Driver material: Neodymium magnet
- Frequency Response (headphones): 20 ~ 40000 Hz
- Impedance: 32 Ohm
- Microphone:
- Microphone: Uni-directional
- Noise Cancellation: AI Noise Cancellation
- Pick-up Pattern: Uni-directional
- Frequency Response: 100 ~ 12000 Hz
- Sensitivity : -40 dB ± 3 dB
- Cable: USB-C cable: 1.2M; USB 2.0 cable: 1M
- Weight: 650g
- Accessories
- Detachable microphone
- User guide
- ROG Hybrid ear cushion
- USB-C to USB 2.0 (Type-A) adapter
- Note:Support PCs and PS4 via using included USB-C to USB 2.0 adapter, Support 2018 iPad Pro by USB-C connection (Audio Only)
The surround sound gaming headset industry is bigger than ever before. With the rise of competitive eSports and Battle Royales like PUBG, gamers around the world are looking for a competitive advantage. Simply typing the words “gaming headset” into Amazon reveals hundreds of headsets claiming to offer that edge with their own surround sound solutions.
The dirty secret nearly all of them share? They’re stereo headsets. Two speakers, far short of 7.1 or even 5.1 surround sound. Each of these headsets, including virtually all of the biggest gaming headsets sold today, rely on software to emulate surround sound. It’s virtual or, in other words, not real surround sound.
That’s where the ROG Theta 7.1 comes in. Like the ROG Centurion before it, it features four dynamic drivers in each ear to deliver eight separate audio channels. Games and media recognize this array as a full surround sound array and route each channel accordingly. There’s no longer a need for software to emulate positioning, these physically separate the sound into its proper place within the soundstage. As we’ve seen with multi-driver IEMs, physical separation can have a wonderful impact on being better able to hear the different layers within a mix, which is excellent for picking out small details in a wash of noise, like footsteps or gunshots.
The drivers they’ve used are also very good. They’re designed by ESS, who you might know from the famous ESS Sabre DAC, which is beloved by audiophiles around the world. They’re sized accordingly, with the speakers from the front, rear, and sides each measuring 30mm, but the prominent center channel coming in larger at 40mm. They’re specced for an expansive frequency response range of 20-40,000Hz, earning them Hi-Res Audio certification.
Now, you might be asking — what good is such and expansive range if you humans at best can only hear up to 20,000 Hz? That’s a good question and one that just about every budding audiophile asks at some point. The key to great audio is clarity. By extending the range of the speakers outside of human hearing, ASUS virtually ensures that any distortion will occur outside of your hearing range, ensuring that what you do hear will be pristine and distortion-free. That certainly seems to be the case, as I wasn’t able to get them to distort no matter how I pushed them.
As a result of its whopping eight driver array, the headset is downright massive. In the picture above, I’ve compared it to two pairs of large headphones. The first (top) is a pair of Sennheiser HD6XXs. The bottom two pictures are compared against the Sennheiser GSP-600, which is one of the larger gaming mainstream headsets popular right now. The Theta dwarfs both of them.
And here is me wearing the headset, full-on quarantine hair. At 650 grams, it’s also quite heavy. The padding on the top helps with long-term comfort, but you can bet I had a band imprint on those too-long locks.
Size aside, it’s hard to argue that the Theta 7.1 is anything short of an ultra-premium gaming headset. Right from the unboxing experience, it’s clear that ASUS went all out to create an eye-popping impression. The package is the hands-down fanciest I’ve ever seen in a gaming headset: hard cardboard, loaded with cybernetic trim-work that unfolds like a treasure chest to reveal the Thetas on a pedestal. ASUS was not messing around on the first impression here — and good on them for it. A $299 headset should feel like it in every way.
That same attention to detail is found throughout the headset. It comes with two sets of ear cushions to fit your taste. The pre-installed set is leatherette on the outside and fabric where it meets your face. The second is entirely fabric for added breathability. They’re both plush and very comfortable. ASUS also designed these with glasses-wearers in mind. The fabric is soft enough that I was able to game comfortably without taking off my specs.
I was also impressed by how durable they felt. The driver housings are metal, which I wasn’t expecting, as is the band. I also like the attention to detail with the stylish etching hidden on the band. The cable isn’t detachable, but it is quite thick and ends in a USB Type-C head. If you don’t have a lot, the package also includes a USB 2.0 extension. The entire headset just feels solid and made to last.
Because this is 2020 and we’re talking about a flagship headset, it of course features RGB. Each earcup includes an illuminated ROG logo. Inside the ROG Armory software, you can customize it through a handful of presets of sync if with your other ASUS components using Aura Sync. You won’t see it while gaming, but I personally think it looks pretty cool when sat on my headphone stand.
Apart from offering true surround sound, the other hallmark feature of this headset is its microphone. The detachable boom mic features AI noise cancellation, enabled through the Armory software. There also seems to be some environmental noise cancelling built-in, but I wasn’t able to verify that as the marketing materials clearly aim to highlight the AI tech.
Since receiving the headset, ASUS has unveiled a dongle to bring this noise cancelling to other headsets. There is a bit of contention over whether there is actually AI at play here. All I can say is that it works. Compared to normal noise cancelling tech, this is much more effective at filtering out background noise. It also doesn’t impact your FPS in games like RTX Voice, which remains better but literally hurts gaming performance. Have a listen for yourself:
The only downside here is that the overall quality does lag behind some of the competitors out there. The Audio-Technica G1WL costs less and is wireless, yet still offers a much less compressed sound. For chatting with friends, it will work perfectly, but it won’t replace your standalone streaming mic.
Does True Surround Sound Make a Difference?
That’s the question of the day, and the answer is yes. The surround sound here is better on multiple fronts, but takes more setup to make the most of it. Out of the box, I have to admit that I found the sound to be a bit thin. After installing the software, I was greeted with a 10-band equalizer, complete with presets for different types of content. Perhaps due to the added complication of using eight drivers, I found that I had to dial in the sound to really fine-tune it for what I liked.
The software also allows you to adjust a few additional sliders, including: Bass Boost, Compressor, and Voice Clarity. These are good for different types of content, especially the compressor which seemed to tighten my audio across the board and kept my volumes consistent. Voice clarity is good for drawing out singers in a mix, as well as your teammates comms in the middle of a cacophonous match. The most important, though was absolutely Bass Boost, which I found the Theta to need. These are a distinctly flat, even bass light headphone without tuning. Even after, these won’t rattle your brain, but can definitely sound full.
The surround sound quality in games is a clear and noticeable advancement over any of the virtual surround sound solutions I’ve used. The physical positioning of the speakers and the excellent crossover from one speaker to the next as sounds move around you in-game makes it easy to pinpoint the locations without even looking at the screen. In Battlefield V, I could often hear enemies enter my building and search for me, knowing exactly where they were. There was no wash of reverb. No “bouncing” sound as can sometimes happen with DTS’s algorithms. I also never had to worry about mistaking my own footsteps for those of an enemy. Swapping over to Call of Duty: Warzone, this effect was amplified further by the excellent audio engineering.
Positionality is only one piece of how helpful these are. Dismantling the sound into eight separate channels has a big impact on how clearly sounds are layered. Even with explosions, shout-outs, and rapid-fire gunshots, with the Theta 7.1 I could more clearly pick out tiny details in that mix, like the footsteps of the enemy trying to sneak around and flank us. I don’t often say this, but this is a headset that will actually give you a competitive advantage.
My enjoyment of these headphones extended beyond just games, though. They are one of my favorite gaming headsets for music too. The speakers are driven by four ESS amplifiers, so volume and dynamic range are both expansive. Once I had them dialed in, I loved using them when writing to my favorite Chillstep stream.
Final Thoughts
The ASUS ROG Theta 7.1 is a premium headset for a premium price. At $299, they won’t be for everyone, but I feel like they can afford that premium by offering something that’s increasingly rare among gaming headsets: true 7.1 surround sound. It makes a difference. It offers an advantage. If you’re a competitive gamer, this is a headset you’ll have trouble coming back from. I wish the mic quality were better, but it’s hard to argue with the results of its AI noise cancelling. Taken as a whole, ASUS has a real winner with the ROG Theta 7.1.
