One of the biggest problem with wireless headphones is latency. Every gamer demands for near-zero lag under any circumstances, so in most cases, gamers continue to use wired headphones for serious gaming sessions. A known solution is always available: using dedicated wireless connection instead of Bluetooth. That is what ASUS has done for its newest true wireless earbuds, announced during CES 2024. They have updated the ROG Cetra with SpeedNova wireless technology. ASUS sent over a unit for my preview. It is available sale in Singapore for a recommended retail price of S$349.
The package includes a USB-C transmitter using 2.4GHz, a USB Type-A adapter, three sizes of eartips, USB-C charging cable. True to the gaming spirit, the earbuds and charging case feature LED lighting that illuminates the ROG logo.
The casing design is meticulous with curvy silhouette in normal matt plastic, resulting in a larger-than-average size. It would be good if ASUS can include a protective bag so users can throw it in the backpack, as this kind of plastic is susceptible to abrasive marks. With a single charge, the earbuds get up to 10 hours (ANC and RGB off), or 6.5 hours (ANC and RGB on). With the charging case, the battery life goes up to 22.5 hours.
The earbuds are IPX4 water resistant, the casing supports wireless charging. Through the Armoury Crate smartphone app, user can apply adjustments to audio, lighting and check battery power of the earbuds and case. The lighting effects can be customised with one of the following modes: static, breathing, colour cycle, and strobing. Only one colour can be selected, while colour cycle offers no option since it cycles throughout all colour spectrum.
The earbuds support hybrid multi-point, but essentially, you can connect to two devices simultaneously. either two Bluetooth devices or 2.4GHz dongle + Bluetooth.
When using the dongle, there is no need for pairing. Just plug it to either the USB-C port or USB-A port via the adapter, making it hassle-free to get it work with any computer or smartphone. The audio is also transmitted at high-resolution 24-bit 96KHz.
Audio Settings and Quality
From the app, it is possible to apply EQ settings, turn on Dirac Opteo audio. You can also save the combination in one of the presets. Without Dirac, the overall audio is less bright-sounding, less transparent, with bias towards the mid-bass. Overall sound stage is wide and allows the heavy bass to sound less cluttered and giving the other frequencies some space to reach the ears. When Dirac is enabled, the sound staging is even wider, spreading the percussion sizzles, elevating their clarity and impact. The lower bass also increases in punch, while midrange is less bloomy.
The Cetra SpeedNova is designed for gaming, and so their tuning is not for sonic accuracy but for impact. For that, the default tuning of strong bass plays in their favour, supported by 10mm neodymium drivers. The treble remains sufficiently clear to experience the detail, and the sound staging lets you immerse in the audio, but as a whole, the instrumental details may not be as clinically precise as music earbuds like Creative Aurvana Ace 2. The earbuds are still capable of producing details, and listeners who prefer a warmer sound should like the sound of Cetra True Wireless.
In Bluetooth mode, the earbuds only support SBC and AAC, but the audio sounds free from compression artifacts. In 2.4GHz mode, the earbuds use LC3+ to transmit, but since it does not use Bluetooth LE Audio, the transmitter cannot be used to connect to LC3+headphones.
ANC and Ambient Sound
The ANC on the Cetra SpeedNova is efficient to remove low frequencies, while the upper frequencies are passively reduced. As long as audio is played at audible levels, it should overpower the general sounds. If you commute on trains, the noisier tracks will still be audible. The earbuds supports adaptive ANC, which theoretically adjusts the intensity based on environments. From the app, it is possible to disable the hybrid ANC and fix to one of the three ANC levels. I was not able to test the effectiveness of the auto ANC.
For Ambient Sound, there is no option to adjust level, but the environment noise is natural and does not over-amplify nor sound artificial.
Call Quality
I use the Cetra True Wireless SpeedNova for work, plugging it to the computer and making calls via MS TEAMS. The other party can hear me loud and clear, with warm midrange tone. At the same time, the earbuds is connected to my work phone, so when an incoming call is ringing, I can hear the ringtone on the earbuds. The earbuds will switch to either device based on detected audio activity, with the 2.4GHz taking precedence. I like that I can adjust ANC and Ambient Sound during a call, giving me the needed flexibility.
Verdict
Gaming products are usually designed for higher performance demands. The Cetra True Wireless SpeedNova might not offer the most accurate audio reproduction, but it delivers good sound with above average user experience for a true wireless earbuds. Its ANC and Ambient Sound are respectable, the call quality is good, the dongle makes connectivity hassle-free and achieves ultra low-latency high-resolution audio transmission. The RGB lighting is a nice feature to personalise the earbuds.
The ROG Cetra SpeedNova is available in Singapore at a retail price of S$349.
