Have you ever worn a headset that damn near destroyed your hearing? Let me introduce you to the Asus ROG Delta S Wireless. These unassuming cans get damn loud, and while they offer excellent audio in games and music, there’s something a little glitchy going on here that’s made me use them rather cautiously.
The ROG Delta S is the first headset from Asus to offer both 2.4 GHz and Bluetooth connectivity, meaning you get a wide range of compatibility and can switch between two devices without re-pairing. However, the range isn’t great with either option: you’ll get interference about 10 to 15 meters away from your PC and lose connection after about 20 meters.
Should you manage to avoid connectivity issues, another glaring hurdle awaits with the Delta: hello hearing loss, my old friend
While the Delta S listening experience is great for the most part – the default audio profile is nice and bassy, with little distortion – even with the headset itself at its lowest volume, I had to set my system volume to just 1% to keep my ears from bleeding . Set it to anything above 20% and the Delta S Wireless will rip your ears like a new one.
Delta S headset specifications
Wired/Wireless: Wireless
Drivers: 50mm Neodymium drivers
Connectivity: USB-C 2.4 GHz dongle, Bluetooth
Frequency Response: 20–20,000 Hz
Functions: AI beamforming microphone, noise reduction, virtual 7.1 surround sound
Weight: 310g
Battery life: 40 hours
Price: $200 (opens in new tab) USD | £160 (opens in new tab) | $290 (opens in new tab) EUR
It’s not necessarily a negative – some people like it – but it’s something to keep in mind if you decide to buy. Forgetting can be bad.
In wireless mode, the Delta S has a battery life of 25 hours. Not bad, and at 85% juice out of the box, I actually got 31.5 hours out of it before it died. If you assume 100%, you’ll probably get closer to 40 hours. That’s significantly more than advertised, even though the volume was set at very low. The Delta S Wireless also charged remarkably quickly, so you shouldn’t be out of action for long when they eventually run out of juice.
Part of that is probably down to a total lack of RGB lighting on the Delta S. Instead of trying to dazzle all onlookers in the immediate vicinity, a more subtle approach is needed with a tasteful black and white color scheme and a non-aggressive appearance. – unlike some products that ROG often produces. We wouldn’t quite describe the headset as unremarkable, but it’s pretty understated.
What is decidedly unremarkable, however, is the microphone arrangement. Completely invisible and hidden in the earcups, the microphone contributes to the minimal aesthetic. It’s an absolute visual plus – I never felt like a hopelessly lost fighter pilot deciding to take Stardew Valley – but it spells bad news for voice performance. The vocal output is muffled, as if you’ve been kidnapped and are recording your audio from a large duffel bag. The Delta S mic features AI-powered beamforming with noise reduction, but I wouldn’t worry about a ROG-affiliated Skynet takeover just yet based on these results.
The Delta S Wireless is built tough too, with a sturdy plastic frame that feels like it could pay a quick visit to your desk after a particularly bad tantrum and still show up smiling. The problem with all that sturdiness is that it makes the Delta S Wireless quite bulky, and you’ll end up looking like an extra who failed the Call of Duty casting auditions… “If only I had brought my skull mask and cloak.”
There’s a decent level of adjustability to extend the fit over even the most bulging of heads, and the earcups swivel about 100 degrees to lie flat. While the padding on the earcups isn’t the softest I’ve ever felt, it’s far from uncomfortable. I had no problem wearing the Delta S Wireless all day and evening, and there’s no pressure build-up even after a long session. I rarely felt that the headset was bathing me in velvety luxury as I whispered sweet nothings in my ear (except, of course, when I was listening to Barry White), but they were certainly comfortable.
In-game, which is arguably its most important use case, the Delta S performs admirably. Gunshots in Cyberpunk 2077 pop and pop with such satisfying intensity that I almost forgot about the game’s myriad flaws. I gained a new appreciation for the cheerful instrumentation of Stardew Valley and the gritty atmosphere of Metro Exodus, something that hundreds of hours with my old SteelSeries Siberia 350 failed to capture.
On the software side, the Delta S uses the Asus Armory Crate app to customize the settings. It’s not our favorite app, but there are plenty of different sound optimization presets, each with a host of dials and sliders. You can associate each sound profile with different programs, but unfortunately these profiles are not automatically activated when the app is running.
But while I can’t say I’ve ever felt the need to create a custom sound profile for WinDirStat, the Delta S does ship with the option. All that customization makes the Delta S Wireless very flexible and performs well with games, music and streaming. The downside is that Armory Crate couldn’t detect my Epic Games, so my library of 400 almost completely unplayed free games unfortunately had to go untested.
it’s hard to find anything really exciting about the Delta S Wireless.
If you plan on connecting via Bluetooth mode, know that the Delta S was frustratingly laggy in games, outputting audio about half a second after on-screen events. After contacting Asus, they recommended using only the 2.4 GHz connection for gaming, while Bluetooth should be used for phone use or to conserve battery life. It’s the same case with many Bluetooth headsets, but it’s not great for even the most casual gamers.
This is a strong headset, although it’s hard to find anything really exciting about the Delta S Wireless. The battery life is strong, but something like the similar price HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless (opens in new tab) stays longer. I appreciate the range of customizations available, but it meant using the often finicky Armory Crate app. The audio is loud, punchy and enjoyable, but lacks the Dolby Atmos support found in the cheaper models Corsair HS80 (opens in new tab).
There’s more to it than accidental hearing loss, of course, but it never quite strays into must-buy territory. The asking price of $200, or £160, is a bit expensive, but these cans will be a great buy if you can get them at a discount then you can use the extra money to combine it with best microphones (opens in new tab).