In the world of wireless earbuds, it can seem like there are Apple AirPods and… everything else. Many companies try — and many do a great job, even at budget prices — but it’s hard to get some of the limelight. However, Asus is giving it a try with the ROG Cetra True Wireless earbuds, which bring a gaming tilt to the earbud space.
The ROG Cetra True Wireless earbuds cost just $99, which isn’t that cheap for true wireless earbuds, but starts to feel like a bargain when you factor in the earbuds’ hybrid active noise cancellation, long battery life, surprisingly solid audio. chops and wireless charging case. And Asus even tops it off with a little splash of lighting effects.
All in all, it’s a nice little package that’s worth its price. It also carries Asus’ Republic of Gamers badge, though, and its low-latency gaming mode is one area where it fell short, with noticeable lag between on-screen action and sound effects on both PC and Asus’ own ROG Phone 6 pro . This may not be a problem for those looking for a great pair of non-gaming earbuds, but it’s not a great sign for… the gamers Asus is aiming for.
Specifications for the Asus ROG Cetra True Wireless
| Driver type: | 10mm . Custom Neodymium Drivers |
| Impedance | 32 Ohm |
| Frequency Response | 20 – 20,000 Hz |
| design style | True wireless earbuds |
| Water resistance: | IPX4, “splash-proof” |
| Microphone Type: | Omnidirectional |
| Connectivity Options | Bluetooth 5.0 |
| cord length | N/A |
| Weight | 0.18 ounces (5 g) per bud; 1.48 ounces (42g) charging case |
| Relief | Yes |
| Codecs | SBC, AAC |
| Software | Weapon box |
| Battery life | Up to 5.5 hours (buttons) + up to 21.5 hours (box) |
| Price | $100 |
Design and comfort of the Asus ROG Cetra True Wireless
The Asus ROG Cetra True Wireless buttons provide style points. The case is a sleek little pearl with smooth edges that slid nicely in and out of my pockets. The design is hard to open with one hand, but it’s also hard to accidentally flip open and the buttons spill out. The back of the case has a USB-C charging port, while the base allows for wireless charging. The front of the case has a light bar that glows blue or red to indicate charge levels (albeit not very precise).
Inside the case are snug-fitting slots to hold the earbuds in place for charging and a small dot-matrix ROG logo that briefly lights up in different colors. The stems of the earbuds also have a small light bar along their stem that lights up when they are in the slot or removed from the case. It’s flashy and unnecessary, but it’s a style that fans of Asus’ ROG line have come to expect and have come to expect.
The earbuds are the classic in-ear style with a long stem that brings the microphones just a little closer to the mouth. The design is all black, except for “ROG” and a ROG logo in silver on the buttons.
The Cetra True Wireless earbuds come with a set of earbuds in three different sizes. Firmly pressed, they do a good job of blocking out some outside noise, and they stay in place well even during a bit of headbanging. Each earbud has a touch control point that responds to individual taps, multiple taps and long presses.
While the buds aren’t terribly uncomfortable, the hard plastic in my ear makes them a little soft for most of the work day. However, there is no specific element of the buttons that causes this minor inconvenience, so your mileage may vary. If you have sensitive ears that most earplugs don’t like, these won’t fix that, but if you’re generally comfortable with earplugs, these should be fine for you.
Audio performance of the Asus ROG Cetra True Wireless
When it comes to audio performance, the Asus ROG Cetra True Wireless earbuds surprise. Their sound isn’t bulletproof, but they are contenders when you consider what they already deliver for $100 before they hit the sound quality. The soundstage is compact, making the sound feel rather close, but the knobs do an impressive job of mimicking the sound range.
Whether it’s the spatial sounds of Daft Punk’s “Random Access Memories”, the funky and chaotic vibes of Of Montreal’s “False Priest”, or the energetic action of Overwatch, the Cetra True Wireless earbuds put on a little show. Bass notes in False Priest’s opening track have their delightful slink and a touch of oomph to back them up, and the thump of drums roaring through Daft Punk’s “Contact” has a touch of life.
The earbuds perform better in the center where they can really produce a lot of sound even at only 50% volume. The knobs struggle a bit to deliver a ton of sound at the same time, get a bit crunchy and see the lowest thump of bass melt away when trying to push through the busiest sections of music or the most frenetic moments in a team fight, especially when there’s a lot of bass is needed.
The earbuds also have active noise cancellation to eliminate background noise when you’re trying to focus on your music. At the volumes these earbuds can call at, it’s possible to simply drown out external noises, but ANC is still a handy option to have. The earbuds support two different ANC levels and an ambient audio mode that lets you hear outside sounds.
At the highest level, the ANC reduces booming noises a bit, but is virtually unnoticeable when listening to music. It is clearer while listening to a podcast, where there is more unoccupied frequency.
The Ambient Sound feature lets in external noise, but it’s a tad sharp and unnatural and also attracts a bit of wind. It may work in a quiet room conversation, but I didn’t feel like I would really like walking down the street with it turned on.
While the speaker drivers perform well, the Bluetooth hardware struggled a bit. I occasionally noticed an issue with the buttons briefly desynchronizing. It’s a minor distraction that doesn’t end up ruining the listening experience, but it’s worth noting if you plan on listening in an environment with a lot of radio interference.
Asus’ Armory Crate app does some tuning of EQ and bass boost, but little else – and the app asks for way too many irrelevant permissions to be worth it.
Gamers looking for an edge with these tops that use the low-latency gaming mode are out of luck. The sound coming out of these buttons is clearly lagging behind in-game actions, whether in game mode or not.
Microphones on the Asus ROG Cetra True Wireless
While many earbuds use some beamforming on their microphones to better pick up a user’s voice and eliminate background noise, the Cetra True Wireless earbuds have omnidirectional microphones that pick up sound in all directions. The result is surprisingly clear compared to other earbuds, but it comes with the healthy – or unhealthy – dose of background noise.
In a recording with a fan and air conditioner 3 meters away, the microphone presented my voice clearly with only the subtlest hints of sounding like I was speaking through a digital tunnel. However, when I started typing on my keyboard (a quieter diaphragm, no less), the microphones picked that up a bit too. Worse, when I threw a YouTube video onto a pair of desktop speakers, the video’s story came through almost as well as my own voice.
If you’re in a quiet room, you’ll get a good result from the microphones on these earbuds, but that’s where the positives of the experience end.
One drawback that is almost universal for Bluetooth devices is that many of their positive qualities disappear out the window when you try to use them for input and output at the same time. The sound quality coming through the speakers just drops to horrible levels when the microphones are turned on. So using the buttons for gaming and voice communication or Zoom meetings will negate their benefits.
Battery life of the Asus ROG Cetra True Wireless
These buds are no slouch when it comes to marathon listening. Asus advertises a runtime of 4.8 hours with ANC on or 5.5 hours with ANC off, and the case can add another 17 or 21.5 hours, respectively. I put the tunes on, occasionally switching between ANC modes, but mostly stuck to the strongest ANC level, and it took 4 hours and 20 minutes for the buttons to give out. They can also charge quickly in the case. Just 10 minutes back in the case after my battery test dropped the battery reading to 50%. While my test fell slightly short of Asus’ estimates, they probably tested at a more conservative volume and ANC level, which makes the buds last even longer.
Bottom Line
The Asus ROG Cetra True Wireless is a pretty good price, delivering solid audio performance and features like active noise cancellation and a wireless charging case — which you won’t find in most $99 earbuds. Unfortunately, they’re just not reliable enough for gaming, and that’s is what the ROG line is all about. If you’re looking for a decent pair of true wireless earbuds, these are worth checking out, but if you’re a gamer, you’ll find more reliable, low-latency options on our list of the best gaming headsets.
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