Review Verdict: The ASUS ROG Cetra True Wireless earbuds, in our review in the Philippines, has a quirky helmet-like case with some cool RGB lighting inside. Thankfully, these aren’t a one-trick pony and actually have the sound and accompanying features to be a considerable option.
Pros
- Case has an interesting design with RGB lights
- Sound is balanced, and can adjust to your preferences via the ARMOURY CRATE app
- ANC is noticeable and configurable
- Lightweight, comfortable with IPX4 certification
Cons
- Buds don’t light up outside of the case
- Touchpads do not extend to stems and are inside the user’s ear
There is a common belief in the audio world that pieces made for the mainstream are made to possess that “cool” factor rather than sound impressive. Will the newly-released ASUS ROG Cetra True Wireless break that mold or be doomed to the same fate?
Design
We’ll take a look around the case first while the buds are nestled inside.
The first thing we noticed is the unusual shape of the case. It stands out in a sea of pill-shaped or box-shaped TWS cases, especially since it seems like every company now has its own version to sell. If we were to describe its overall aesthetic, it’s like an attractive minimalistic pebble. That gives it a futuristic vibe that adds points to its premium feel, despite the fact that it can’t sit up by itself.
It is still made out of plastic which keeps it light. At the front is a ROG logo which isn’t really noticeable unless a light source is pointed at it. On the rear, meanwhile, is the USB Type C port, and you’ll find a LED strip underneath. We soon learned that it intelligently glows in various colors depending on the current battery life of the case.
The hatch opens much like that of a spaceship or a motorcycle helmet, depending on who you ask. The first thing that grabs your attention is the glowing ROG logo, pulsating in a variety of hues. It makes getting your buds feel like a momentous occasion. The buds have strips on them that light up as well.
The buds’ design isn’t anything special. It is the same Apple AirPods style we’ve seen done so much before, but this time with the ROG logo and text imprinted on its face and stem, respectively.
User Interface and Fit
Pairing the ASUS ROG Cetra True Wireless earbuds was fairly simple. Holding either the right or left earbud for two seconds toggled pairing mode, which cooperated immediately with our chosen device. We didn’t experience any random disconnects or issues after that.
Coming from other stemmed devices such as the Moondrop Nekocake, we expected the touch panels to extend from the bud until a portion of the stem. Unfortunately, only the bud is receptive to touches, which means putting your finger into your ear to reach the panel. We won’t deny that it takes some getting used to.
Once we grew accustomed to the controls, it took no time to master them. The pad is extremely responsive to touch, even correctly registering double and triple taps even if they were rapidly performed. We could now easily switch between songs, play/pause, and ANC settings with ease. One thing we could’ve appreciated here is control over the volume settings via the touchpad, but this is something often overlooked with other options as well.
Fit-wise, these are extremely comfortable. They fit me like a glove right out of the box, although two other pairs of rubber eartips come inside if the size isn’t to your liking. We can verify that even brisk walking or light jogging with these on required no readjustments whatsoever, even after an hour or two. These are also breathtakingly easy to wear for long durations. No complaints here!
Audio Quality and Battery Life
This is where the ASUS ROG Cetra True Wireless earbuds might surprise you in our review, as an option in the Philippines. We came in expecting muddy bass and overly emphasized lows but were greeted by the furthest thing from that in their default setting.
Simply put, the sound is warm but balanced. It won’t blow you away with its clarity, but the tuning here is impressive and was obviously done by someone who knows their stuff. Detail retrieval, mids, and highs are all passable. The soundstage isn’t the widest but we still sensed some semblance of instrument separation while listening to certain songs, so it’s certainly not bad.
It’s like they took the 10mm Neodymium drivers and squeezed out their potential to resemble what they believe their customer base will perceive as “good sound.” Even when listening to auditorily busy rock tracks where other buds succumb to the power, this still delivers both the instruments and vocals with relative ease.
The only nitpick we have is when listening to rap, EDM, or other bass-heavy tracks. At high volumes, it seems that the buds run out of breath a bit – leading to weaker bass response. Luckily this doesn’t distort the sound in any way, but having a warm sound signature and a lack of bass at the limits can be a bit jarring and take some life out of the track.
Keep reading though.
Don’t dismiss these after seeing that. All of these flaws are immediately dispelled by installing the ROG Armoury Crate application on your Android or iOS device. This software allowed us to play with the buds to get the exact sound we wanted out of them – making this a terrifyingly versatile pair of buds. With the bass boost on and a little bit of tuning, we can retract all the statements we made regarding this device’s weaknesses.
With regards to the Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), these blocked out all the constant whirring of machinery in a coffee shop. ANC technology as a whole hasn’t yet reached the point that it can completely negate inconsistent sounds like the clicking and clacking of glassware or tunes played over the loudspeaker, but crowd conversations were mostly muffled. With music playing through the buds, we were sufficiently satisfied with the ANC performance.
Something we’re happy about here that ASUS can definitely boast about is the diverse settings list of the ANC. It comes in four levels, which is more than most within the price range. Low ANC still maintains a bit of surrounding noise, High ANC attempts to shut you out from the world, Ambient Mode uses external microphones to bring more sound in (to keep you aware of your surroundings), and ANC off is self-explanatory. Companies often choose one or the other between the last two, but there are times when we don’t want ANC but the amplified outside sound of Ambient Mode annoys us greatly. Sometimes, it’s the other way around.
ASUS advertises 4.8 hours on a single charge with ANC on, and 5.5 with it off. Total battery life spans from the case are stated to be 17and 21.5 hours respectively.
Wrap Up and Conclusions
The ASUS ROG Cetra True Wireless earbuds in our review in the Philippines performed well above our expectations. We initially tempered our expectations as ASUS ROG is a gaming brand first and foremost, but we knew we had to take the kid gloves off when we heard it.
It is undeniably a looker with the case carrying that cool factor. Despite this, the sound remains impressive out of the box and should knock the socks off any casual listener. For those who know their exact listening preferences, the Armoury Crate app is ideal for more intricate adjustments. The ANC and IPX4 rating also translate to an expansive set of real-world use cases, which makes it a perfect everyday pair of TWS buds.
These retail for PHP 4,490. Buy them here. Still on the fence? You can also check the official spec list here so you can make some technical comparisons.
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