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.
