Review: Asus ROG Kithara Offers an Alternative Take On the High-End Gaming Headset
Asus has unveiled the ROG Kithara, a premium gaming headset priced at £284/$248 that champions audio quality over convenience in the high-end gaming headset category. The device features massive 100mm planar magnetic drivers and an open-back acoustic design, reflecting an explicitly audiophile-oriented approach to gaming audio equipment.
The Kithara represents a fundamentally different design philosophy from competitors like the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Omni. While the SteelSeries prioritizes wireless connectivity, lightweight construction, and multi-console compatibility, the Asus headset eschews wireless functionality entirely, instead offering a wired-only connection optimized for single-machine use. This divergence illustrates competing visions within the gaming headset market: mainstream accessibility versus specialized audio performance.
By incorporating planar magnetic drivers and an open-back design—both favored in professional audio applications—the Kithara targets users who prioritize sound fidelity and acoustic principles over the versatility and convenience features that typically define consumer gaming headsets. The design choice reflects Asus’s bet that gaming audiences exist who value the listening experience itself as much as the technological bells and whistles, positioning the Kithara as a niche offering within the premium gaming audio segment.