[nextpage title=”Introducing the ROG Kithara”]Asus isn’t the first manufacturer to attempt to bridge the gap between the gaming and audiophile worlds. But with the ROG Kithara, it has joined forces with one of the biggest names in consumer audiophiles: Hifiman. On paper, pooling Hifiman’s audio expertise with Asus’s gaming experience has everything going for it. We have every right to expect a remarkable product. But what about in practice?
Asus ROG Kithara: the promise
By teaming up with Hifiman, a brand renowned for its magnetic planar transducers, Asus promises to integrate this technology at the highest level. Orthodynamic headphones (magnetic planar), which Hifiman has made its specialty, are distinct from dynamic headphones, which are in the majority in the gaming world .
Dynamic headphones are based on a membrane attached to a moving coil. This membrane is set in motion by a magnetic field, itself generated by a current flowing through the coil. In planar headphones, the much thinner diaphragm is placed between magnets. Theoretically, they enable more uniform loading of the diaphragm, and a faster, more precise response over a wide frequency range.
In practice, we expect the following from this type of headphone:
- Drier bass, easy incursions into the sub-bass
- Highly detailed midrange, excellent for vocals
- Precise, but sometimes flat highs
- Wide soundstage, especially for open models (like the Kithara)
- Delicate power supply: low impedance, but very low sensitivity. The choice of source is often of the utmost importance
- High weight
- High price
There are many exceptions to these general rules, especially in the high-end and very high-end domains.
ROG Kithara specifications
The Kithara is characterized by :
- 16-ohm impedance, making it theoretically easy to drive (but bear in mind the nuances outlined above)
- Frequency response 8 Hz – 55 kHz, in line with Hifiman’s average frequency range.
- Open format
- Weight 420 g
- Price €320
- ROG-optimized” 100 mm Stealth Magnet planar transducers
It’s not clear from our research whether these transducers have been developed specifically for the Kithara, or are derived from an existing Hifiman model. The two brands communicate little on the subject. There are several models with similar dimensions( oblong 130 x 100 mmdrivers ), notably the Ananda Stealth Magnet, which boasts the same impedance and frequency response. In any case, they all benefit from Hifiman’s recent Stealth Magnet technology. This type of magnet, whose shape limits disturbances to the sound wave, has proved its worth and is used in top-of-the-range models.
For once, this ROG product doesn’t seem excessively expensive on the market. Indeed, the Hifiman Ananda Stealth Magnet can be found for €260, but with a much less complete bundle , fewer connection options, and no microphone.
Asus ROG Kithara : bundle
The ROG Kithara is delivered in a cardboard box that follows the usual aesthetic codes of the range. On unpacking, the bundle impresses and immediately asserts the product’s audiophile ambitions. Beneath a sheet presenting the headset’s frequency response, we find a foam protector housing the accessories:
- 6.35 mm unbalanced plug
- 4.4 mm balanced plug
- 3.5 mm unbalanced plug
- Common balanced cable with interchangeable tip
- Cable with microphone and integrated controls 1.8 m
- USB-C adapter
- Velvet cushions (in addition to the imitation leathers installed on the headset)
- Instructions and certificates
Rarely have we seen such a comprehensive range of equipment, even on much more expensive models. Note, however, the absence of a carrying case.
[nextpage title=”Connection and comfort”]
How to connect the ROG Kithara
Faced with the multiple solutions on offer, let’s detail and prioritize the connection options. Let’s not forget that this headset doesn’t offer a wireless connection. What’s more, even with USB, no software is required.
The most common: 3.5 mm
This is the most common “jack” connection. It’s found on the vast majority of PCs, consoles and other devices. So it has the advantage of near-universality. On the other hand, these sockets sometimes conceal power supplies that are not optimized for audio. On PCs, for example, it all depends on the quality of the integrated sound card.
DAC or external amplifier: 6.35 or 4.4 mm
For this type of headphone, even with low impedance, this is the recommended option. A good digital-to-analog converter (DAC) with a comfortable power reserve, or even a dedicated amplifier, will enable you to make the most of the Kithara’s full potential. The connector should be adapted to the DAC. If the DAC has a 4.4 mm balanced output, this should be preferred. In addition to greater power, we’ll benefit from a better signal-to-noise ratio and better channel separation. Planar headphones generally benefit from these advantages.
Asus USB-C adapter
An excellent plug & play option on paper. This USB-C to dual 3.5 mm jack adapter, included in the bundle, is nothing less than a DAC and ADC(Audio to Digital Converter). As such, it enables headphones to be powered without the need to purchase additional hardware, and also allows the microphone to be connected (few audiophile DACs support a microphone). Practical, provided quality and power are up to scratch. It’s small, but models like the AudioQuest Dragonfly have proved that it’s possible to get good results with a compact footprint.
And the microphone?
The microphone is installed on a dedicated cable, with volume controls. These are in fact two cables for separating audio and microphone signals, a very good point. There are three options for connecting them:
- Directly to the PC’s audio and microphone outputs. Here we find the advantages and disadvantages seen above
- Via the USB-C dongle , the simplest and most efficient solution
- Audio on the external DAC and microphone on the PC, very impractical, especially as the cable is not long (1.8 m).
Asus ROG Kithara: comfort
The ROG Kithara adopts the headband and headband system found on much of the Hifiman range. A fixed metal headband supports a mobile leatherette headband. This arrangement is effective in distributing our helmet’s 420g. The weight is not noticeable. However, the adjustment of the headband lacks firmness and tends to slip out of place when the helmet is put on or taken off. The unique headband of previous Hifiman generations seemed more effective and just as comfortable.
On the head, the helmet is extremely comfortable. It applies no unpleasant pressure around the ears or on the top of the skull. Long gaming or listening sessions won’t be a problem. Two types of ear pads are supplied (leatherette and fabric). The choice will depend on individual tastes, as both are equally comfortable. Eyeglass wearers will probably prefer fabric. We tend to choose leatherette models, because of their impact on the sound signature. We’ll discuss this point in more detail below.
The Kithara does not offer a wireless connection. The choice of cable is therefore important. The good news is that both the twisted Hifi cable and the braided gaming cable are well made and, above all, do not cause any unwanted noise when in contact with the desk or clothing. However, the microphone cable could have been longer. Depending on the layout of the setup, it may be difficult to connect it to the PC’s microphone port. For hi-fi use, it’s perfectly feasible to replace the original cable with another model. The double 3.5 mm jack connector on the headphone side is a widespread standard. However, to take advantage of the microphone, you’ll need to use the cable supplied by Asus.
[nextpage title=”Music listening”]The Asus ROG headset aims to play both sides of the game: Hifi music listening and competitive gaming . So we tested it for these two distinct uses. We also compared it to a panel of headphones from both worlds.
Asus ROG Kithara: Hifi listening
For music listening, we adopted the following setup :
- Locally hosted Roon server
- All tracks used are in lossless format, generally FLAC or ALAC.
- ifi ZEN DAC connected via USB to the test PC
- ROG Kithara Hifi cable with 4.4 mm tip connected to Zen DAC balanced output
- No equalizer applied
Our test playlist incorporates tracks from different musical genres to cover a wide range of frequencies and headphone demands:
- Kae Tempest – Europe is lost
- TimeKops – Tears in the rain
- Triplego – Carbon black
- Metallica – Atlas, rise!
- Matt Elliott – C.F. Bundy
- Nigel Kennedy and the Kroke Band – Adje Jano
- Philip Glass – Metamorphosis : One
- Orange Blossom – Ya Sidi
- Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – The mercy seat (live from KCRW)
- The Dave Brubeck Quartet – Take five
- Calvin Russel – Crossroad
Finally, we compare the ROG Kithara with :
- Hifiman Edition XS
- Hifiman He-R9
- Audeze Penrose
- Sennheiser HD598
The bass
The ROG Kithara delivers excellent bass. They are precise and remarkably dense for planar headphones in this price range. Even on a demanding track in this frequency range, such as Triplego’s “Noir Carbone”, they never spill over into the mids or stifle them. Still, there’s a desire to flatter or impress, with a slightly exaggerated emphasis on the lower end of the spectrum. Far from the surgical representation of a Sennheiser HD598, the Kithara asserts its identity, but does so with sufficient precision. It doesn’t fall into the caricature too often encountered in the field, and takes advantage of its magnetic transducers to deliver impactful bass, without being intrusive. And it does so without being too power-hungry. We use between 20% and 30% power on the Zen DAC.
Connected directly to our PC’s 3.5 mm output, it manages, but we note a clear loss of coherence and impact. Listening remains pleasant, but a dedicated source is almost indispensable. This is particularly obvious on Metallica’s “Atlas, rise! The same applies to powering via the USB-C dongle supplied.
Midrange
In this complex area, including the majority of vocal performances, the Kithara once again shines. There’s nothing to reproach it for here. All string instruments are distinct and intelligible. Male and female vocals are well defined and emerge seamlessly from the mix. Kae Tempest’s “Europe is lost” is a good example of the consistency of our headphones. Listening to “Metamorphosis: One” and “C.F. Bundy” confirms its versatility. And Nick Cave’s live track finishes the job. This track allows us to fully appreciate the width of the soundstage offered by the open headphones and planar transducers. We’ve seen better in the genre, but in much higher price brackets.
We sensed it during the low-frequency analysis, and now confirm it: the fabric earpads have a slight tendency to muffle the soundstage. Compared to the leatherette earpads, the overall impression loses dimension and even clarity. Nothing prohibitive, but the difference is audible. This finding is highly dependent on individual physiognomy, and should therefore be treated with caution. For our part, we’ll be using the leatherette pads for the rest of the test. They seem more comfortable to us. The fabric models can heat up during long sessions.
Treble
Once again, the Kithara takes a firm stand. It shows a clear personality in the treble. On certain tracks, especially when vocals are present, it’s a success. The strong emphasis of certain high frequencies works wonders and contributes to overall coherence. However, the Kithara is sometimes exhausting, especially in jazz tones. Having perceived this weakness when listening to “Take Five”, we listened to the entire Dave Brubeck album. It was a pleasant listen, but a trying one at the end. The perceived aggressiveness towards the top of the range forced us to lower the overall volume slightly, to the detriment of the subtleties of the mix. It’s possible that a “warmer” source (tube amplifier) could correct this tendency. By comparison, a less demanding (more linear) track such as “Crossroad” passes through the Kithara prism wonderfully. Vocals and guitar are reproduced with precision and a hint of non-cartoonish energy.
On the majority of tracks, the Kithara delivers a superb performance, far better than gaming headsets in general.
General comments
The Asus ROG Kithara is a versatile headset for music listening. It delivers the level of performance expected of a planar model at this price, with a real personality. The tuning choices won’t win unanimous approval, but will satisfy the majority of users. The remarks made above can be quite easily corrected with a well-tuned equalizer. We strongly recommend the use of a dedicated source. It will give good results with a direct 3.5 mm connection, but will not deliver its full potential. There’s no need for a very high-end source or an overpowered amplifier: a simple dedicated sound card (if possible with a balanced output) will do the trick.
The Kithara is an open headphone. It therefore offers no sound insulation. You hear the outside world, and the outside world hears you. So it’s not for noisy or shared environments.
Subjective comparisons
We compared the Kithara to a number of other headphones.
Hifiman He-R9
The Hifiman He-R9 is no match for the Kithara. It’s beaten to the punch in every respect. As a closed helmet, its only asset is the extra sound insulation it offers. For the rest, it suffers from a soundstage that seems minimalist compared to that of the ROG headset. Its very pronounced bass sounds vulgar compared with the precision of its competitor. In short, there’s no match.
Sennheiser HD598
Here, the picture is more nuanced. Generally speaking, the Kithara dominates, even impresses. The HD598 struggles to offer the same depth as its opponent, while being much more demanding in terms of power. But if there’s one trump card that can’t be taken away, it’s the surgical precision of its reproduction. Sennheiser doesn’t try to flatter the listener, nor artificially boost a bad recording. It reproduces. Period. In this sense, it is better suited to certain uses or users. For example, the fatigue we felt when listening to “Take Five” on the Kithara is not felt with the HD598.
Audeze Penrose
The Penrose is a closed, wireless headset. Like the Kithara, it features planar transducers and a microphone. It too takes a different approach to reconciling gaming and hi-fi. True to the Audeze signature, the Penrose makes no claim to neutrality. It impresses as much as it tires. And it’s not very comfortable either. The earpieces exert considerable pressure on the skull, and the weight is noticeable. It does, however, offer wireless connectivity via a USB dongle or Bluetooth. A different approach and a few annoying flaws, the Penrose loses the game overall.
Hifiman Edition XS
As expected, the ROG Kithara’s main competition comes from within Hifiman’s own range. Our venerable Edition XS has no reason to be ashamed of the newcomer. It offers a slightly different signature, less flattering, more analytical, that will appeal to a wide audience. Opinion absolutely subjective, we prefer the wearing comfort of its unique headband. There’s no clear winner between these two headphones, but rather a matter of taste and personal preference. Ours goes to the Edition XS, decidedly timeless and versatile… but it doesn’t have a microphone. More on that later.
[nextpage title=”Gaming and micro”]
Asus ROG Kithara : gaming
The ROG Kithara intends to do justice to the Asus gaming family and shine in gaming. The brand’s communication seems to be aimed at competitive gaming. Its rapid response and precision will enable it to offer a precise perception of the sound stage. To verify this assertion, we tested it on a panel of competitive and single-player games:
- Call of Duty: Warzone
- Valorant
- Subnautica
- Cyberpunk 2077
- Death Stranding
- Metro 2033
For gaming tests, the headset is connected to the PC via USB-C using the Asus dongle . Few external DACs have a microphone output. This setup therefore corresponds to the most plausible scenario for taking advantage of the microphone.
Competitive gaming
In this type of game, spatialization and the ability of a headset to accurately reproduce certain sounds, such as footsteps, make all the difference. Spatial distribution is perfect. The Kithara is never at fault, and stands out favorably from general gaming headsets.
On the other hand, the promise of dominance through the precision of footsteps and other characteristic sounds seems somewhat exaggerated. The ROG headset has nothing to be ashamed of and delivers a respectable performance, but doesn’t really stand out from much less expensive headsets. Above all, its open design and Hifi orientation do it a disservice. Models dedicated to gaming and tuned to shine in this specific use will dethrone it without difficulty.
Solo gaming
Rediscovering Subnautica with headphones of this stature is a real pleasure. The sense of immersion is perfect. On Death Stranding, it shines even brighter. The game benefits from a polished soundtrack and probably offers the ideal playground for the ROG Kithara, giving it the freedom to exploit its dual identity to the full.
The same applies to the other solo games tested. In all cases, the experience is pleasant. However, the temptation to reconnect the headset to the external DAC when the game is not using the microphone is strong. The Asus USB-C DAC definitely limits the Kithara’s performance.
The microphone
The built-in microphone is one of the Kithara’s main assets when it comes to competing with standard Hifi headphones. Here, we’ve compared it with an entry/mid-range USB microphone, the Sennheiser Profile.
ROG KITHARA microphone standardized test
It’s not brilliant, but it doesn’t fall short of the mark either, coming in at the good average for built-in gaming headset microphones. It does even better overall than the Sennheiser Profile, with less pronounced hiss and better attenuation of ambient noise.
Standardized microphone test SENNHEISER PROFILE
It’s worth noting that audio and microphone signals pass through separate cables to the headset, a very good point.
[nextpage title=”Verdict”]
Asus ROG Kithara: verdict
The Asus ROG Kithara headset attempts an impossible great leap between the worlds of hi-fi and gaming. Two worlds with sometimes radically opposed needs and expectations. And it has some serious trump cards up its sleeve to achieve this.
With the exception of its sometimes forced highs, musical listening is always pleasant and representative of what planar headphones in its category have to offer. It can be powered by a simple 3.5 mm jack (laptop, console, etc.), but is much more powerful with a dedicated source.
Solo games are also a real pleasure, thanks to its wide soundstage. It shines less brightly in competitive games, a category in which it is nevertheless able to use the built-in microphone, a real plus for gamers.
The overall result is therefore very good, but raises a question: who is the Kithara intended for?
Who’s it for?
The partnership between Asus and Hifiman, however pertinent, places the Kithara in direct competition with its partner’s models. The Ananda Stealth Magnet, with very similar performance, is available for €259. The Hifiman Edition XS costs €219. How can we justify the €319 price tag for the Asus model?
In gaming, the promised supremacy of competitive gaming will remain a marketing argument, but we’ll be remembering superb immersion for single-player games. Here again, the Hifiman models mentioned above offer the same thing.
The ROG Kithara has one major argument left: it does everything. Out of the box, it offers a multitude of connectors, accessories, a good-quality microphone and a USB-C DAC. It could therefore be the ideal choice for those wishing to invest in their audio setup , but don’t yet own any components. In this respect, it’s less expensive. Indeed, the purchase of a sound card, USB microphone and planar headphones will exceed the €319 budget. It’s also an excellent entry into the world of Hifi for curious gamers.
Competitive gamers will skip it, and concentrate on models dedicated to the demands of their gameplay. Likewise, Hifi enthusiasts already equipped with high-performance external sources will prefer a less expensive Hifiman model, with settings that are often less flattering, but more analytical.
Those for whom a wireless connection is essential might consider the Audeze Maxwell, the second version of which has just been announced. It too attempts to position itself as the missing Hifi/gaming link. It is generally much more expensive than the ROG Kithara.
Conclusion
Asus and Hifiman sign a successful collaboration. The ROG Kithara allows gamers to take their first step into the world of Hifi, and does so in all seriousness. Unfortunately for it, its main competition comes directly from other Hifiman models. It remains to be seen whether it will find its audience, first-time buyers of this type of model looking for a plug & play solution and not yet owning a dedicated audio setup.
For more information, see the Asus product sheet.