Dedicated primarily to gamers, both casual and seasoned, the ASUS ROG range continues to expand, offering a whole range of quality products and accessories. While the most demanding gamers can count on premium peripherals, such as the Azoth Extreme keyboard or the Harpe Ace Extreme mouse, both tested in our columns, the entry-level range has not been forgotten by the manufacturer. Today, we are going to venture into the field of audio with the discovery of the ASUS ROG Pelta gaming headset.
Here again, ASUS is not at its first attempt, as evidenced by our test of the ROG Delta II, the spearhead of the wireless category. The Pelta's goal is therefore simple: to offer consumers a headset that benefits from the same basic technologies and features, while cutting costs without sacrificing build quality. A successful bet?
The ASUS RoG Pelta a newcomer in the featherweight and comfort categories
Before even discussing its performance, the ROG Pelta surprises us right out of the box with its lightness. Weighing in at 309 grams, the latter promises to be a true featherweight that will play a significant role in its daily use. With its listed price of €149, nearly a hundred euros cheaper than its big brother, the headset obviously relies exclusively on plastic materials, thus positively impacting its overall mass and therefore its comfort of use. The headband, made of thick and flexible plastic, seems robust and tolerant to bending, enhanced by a foam lining to guarantee maximum comfort. However, it must be admitted that the plastics used to make the earpieces, as well as their attachments, raise some doubts at first glance as to their robustness and longevity. Beware of falls!
With a sober design, the ROG Pelta also plays the simplicity card regarding its adjustment possibilities, always with an eye to economy. While the earcups are slightly tiltable and pivotable to best fit the shape of your head, their height does not change. This role is assigned to an elastic headband attached to the headband. Adjustable to 2 positions, the latter can also be removed, thus offering 3 positions so that each morphology can find its place.
In use, the elastic headband creates a rather particular “levitation” effect of the whole, but on the other hand offers excellent comfort without any discomfort or feeling of a vice. The foams used on the earcups complete the overall comfort of the ROG Pelta. Thick and flexible, they are covered with a synthetic fabric allowing optimal breathing and thus limiting the risk of perspiration as much as possible. In use, the headset is completely forgotten thanks to its lightness and comfort, ideal for long gaming sessions in absolute comfort. The use of a textile covering, however, brings with it a significant drawback: almost non-existent sound insulation.
Interface, connectivity and sound
On the usage side, the Pelta's left earpiece acts as a control panel thanks to the layout of its interface. Simple, complete and efficient, in line with other ASUS creations, this one has a 3.5mm jack port, a USB-C useful in particular for charging, a switch allowing the headset to be turned on in one click, in Bluetooth or in 2.4GHz (via an ultra-low latency dongle).
A volume control wheel is extended by two buttons, one associated with the call and listening functions (management of the tracks being listened to, but also of calls in progress), and the other used to mute the microphone or turn off the RGB light signature. After a short adaptation period, you quickly get used to using the whole thing, your finger guided by the main landmarks which are the wheel and the power switch. With its multiple connection modes, the ROG Pelta can be used on almost all devices, from PC to Mac, including consoles and of course mobile devices.
A good software suite
When using the Pelta for the first time, it is good to know that it is originally set to be neutral, to best adapt to all media. For use on a computer, it is strongly recommended to use the software to take advantage of the headset's full sound capabilities. Armoury Crate will offer the ability to easily customize the sound output according to your use with modifiable profiles classified by category (Gaming, music, film, communication, etc.).
An equalizer allows you to independently adjust each knob associated with treble, bass, bass, or reverb, thus effectively overcoming the sound insulation problem of the cushions mentioned above, while adapting to everyone's expectations. Despite its low price for a wireless device, the headset manages to offer us good sound quality, precise and faithful. Of course, the rendering is not the most impactful on the market, but that is not what we ask or expect from this price range. Designed primarily for gaming, the Pelta fulfills its role perfectly and will satisfy a wide range of players.
An essential element for any online gamer, the removable microphone also benefits from all the adjustments necessary for its proper use. Excellent voice rendering with a compression option, ambient noise and echo reduction, everything is well thought out and extremely complete, so much so that our multiple gaming sessions will have taken place so naturally that we will have forgotten that we are wearing a headset.
Perfect autonomy
The last important point for a wireless device: its autonomy. Here again it is very good for the ROG Pelta with its 90 hours maximum announced by ASUS. This figure obviously depends on several usage criteria, starting with the connection mode used. The peak usage time of 90 hours before recharging is for Bluetooth use with RGB lighting off, compared to 60 hours with the lights on. In 2.4GHz mode, the one we're most interested in for our gaming use, you can expect 70 hours without RGB, compared to 45 hours with RGB on. The differences are certainly significant, but even the announced minimum is particularly satisfactory, especially since a simple 15-minute quick charge will offer up to 3 additional hours of listening.
Technical specifications of the ASUS ROG Pelta
- Price: €149
- Weight: 309 grams
- Connection modes: 2.4GHz, Bluetooth and USB-C
- Battery life: Announced between 45 and 90 hours depending on use
- Speakers: 50mm titanium-plated diaphragms
- Microphone type: Unidirectional detachable boom
- At home: Compatible with PC, Mac, PlayStation 4 and 5, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android
0 Comments