Wireless headphones definitely have their advantages over wired ones, but they are also not without their disadvantages. So, calmly getting up from the table and going to the kitchen with wired headphones connected to a PC will be problematic, to put it mildly, but there is also a difference in the quality of the resulting sound. In general, everyone will decide for themselves what is more important to them, but today I propose to take a look at the representatives of the world of wireless headphones – ASUS ROG Delta S Wireless.
The headset comes in a cardboard box, inside which, in addition to the headphones themselves, there are a pair of replaceable fabric ear pads, a USB-Type-C to Type-A cable (braided, relatively hard), an adapter from USB Type-C to Type-A, some waste paper and a hidden in the headphones themselves there is a 2.4 GHz “whistle”.
ASUS ROG Delta S Wireless are full-size headphones with over-ear cups and a triangular shape. Leatherette ear pads are installed from the factory, which can be easily replaced with complete fabric ones if your ears sweat from the standard ones (and they will).
The mostly plastic headband has a metal plate for added strength, and most of it is covered in leatherette with a soft insert on the inside. The artificial leather itself on the ear pads and headband has the same feel, soft and pleasant to the touch.
The earcups are made of plastic and can rotate horizontally by 90 degrees for ease of transportation. The headphones cannot fold.
All headphone controls are concentrated on the left earcup. Here the user has access to volume control, which also serves as a microphone mute button, a switch between wireless connection modes and turning off the device, a multifunction key and a USB Type-C connector for charging. Also here you can find a small LED headphone status indicator and a microphone hole.
On the right we get a slot for storing a “whistle” and another hole for a microphone. Two microphones in the headphones are used for AI Beamforming technology, which should pick up the user’s voice and cut off other sounds to improve the quality of voice communication with teammates.
Overall impressions of the design of the headphones are extremely positive. The device is perfectly assembled and fits perfectly on the head. The latter is also facilitated by the low weight of the headphones (320 grams). It is also worth noting that the headband has a lot of room for expansion, which will allow them to fit comfortably on virtually any size head.
ASUS ROG Delta S Wireless can be used both with a PC and with any devices that support Bluetooth, and therefore I tested the headphones not only from my computer, but also from a mobile phone.
The sound in the headphones is provided by 50 mm speakers with a frequency range between 20 and 20,000 Hz. There is no point in paying attention to the upper limit of 20 Kilohertz and comparing it with solutions that can reproduce sounds up to 40 Kilohertz – the average adult does not hear anything beyond 16-17 Kilohertz, and the upper limit, in principle, for all people is just those same 20 Kilohertz.
It’s also worth clarifying that the headphones can only be charged via wire, and therefore you won’t be able to squeeze more sound out of them using a wire and a good sound card. And in any case, the connection would be via USB, and this is a digital signal that would be converted to analog by the built-in DAC.
It is important to remember that ASUS ROG Delta S Wireless is not an audiophile solution, but a gaming solution, but I hasten to inform you that the device does not have any problems typical for gaming headphones. In particular, the headphones do not show a predominance towards low frequencies and in stock are surprisingly neutral in sound character. The headphones have good mids and highs in terms of detail, and the lows are processed at a level sufficient for most users. If the initial neutrality seems flat to the user, then in Armory Crate an equalizer is available for him: a 10-band equalizer with several presets and manual settings, as well as a bass booster, compressor and other functionality for adjusting the sound to suit you. Virtual surround sound is immediately activated, which demonstrates good stereo separation, but no different from standard sound, and nothing more. In general, there is nothing surprising in this; the only truly working software solution for surround sound now is Dolby Atmos, but for it music and games are prepared separately and not emulated on the fly. And in general, it is somewhat strange to demand stage width from 50 mm closed dynamic headphones.
By the way, I suggest you familiarize yourself with the appearance and functionality of the software in the screenshots below.
ASUS ROG Delta S Wireless are wireless headphones, and therefore it is important to discuss their operating time on a single charge. So the manufacturer claims that the built-in 1800 mAh battery gives them 25 hours of operation, but, judging by my measurements, testing was carried out at 100% volume, at which it is somewhat uncomfortable to listen to them (too loud). At the same time, at 50%, with which you are likely to use them, the headphones last about 34 hours. I will also note that I did not notice any difference in the energy consumption of the headphones between 2.4 GHz and Bluetooth, but I will clarify that I managed to completely discharge them only four times during testing.
As for charging, completely discharged headphones charge to 100% in about 4 hours. That is, the user can simply connect the headphones to the PC every couple of days at night and will never encounter the need to use them with a connected wire.
Let’s summarize
ASUS ROG Delta S Wireless are extremely comfortable headphones that you can sit in for hours without any discomfort. At the same time, the device provides good sound quality and good functionality for customizing it to your preferences. Also, Delta S Wireless does not tie the user to a PC and allows them to be used literally anywhere and with anything. In general, I don’t have any complaints about the device, but, as always, everyone will make the decision to purchase for themselves. Let me also remind you that you need to listen to any headphones yourself before purchasing; they may simply not suit you in terms of their sound character, which is often virtually impossible to correct.
