TheRetroArcade
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Joined: Feb 2026
More of a branding exercise than a realistic option for consumers, the Kithara demonstrates ROG can deliver incredible sound, but it's not kitted out with the refinements you'd expect of a true gaming headset.
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No, the ROG Kithara is not the gaming headset to solve the cost of living crisis. It is a joy to listen to your games and music with, though, and a genuine curiosity in a crowded market. You don't need one, and neither do I, but let's sit awhile anyway and enjoy what ROG and Hifiman have built.
This one's all about the drivers. Vast, 100 mm planar magnetic ones, designed and built in partnership with New York-based audio specialists, Hifiman. Every other element's designed to let those drivers do their thing. An open-backed design that doesn't care one bit about the fact you can hear the tumble drier from your gaming room, or that you're sitting in a quiet coach. A frequency response range broader than a politician's promise. Y'know, audiophile stuff.
It's a wired model, featuring a number of different adapters that make it surprisingly compatible across PC, Xbox and PlayStation 5. You can plug it into a DAC if you like. And who are we kidding, of course you like. You're considering dropping $300 on a pair of headphones in this economy.
I'm inclined to think of the Asus ROG Kithara as a pair of headphones, rather than a gaming headset, because if you detach the super cardioid mic the only concession to the world of gaming is the ROG logo itself. None of the usual comforts of a gaming headset are present here: no physical volume control, no RGB zones, no digital surround. Certainly no chat mix adjustment, goodness no.
Operating principle
Open-back
Connectivity
Wired
Drivers
10 mm Planar magnetic
Frequency response
8Hz - 55,000 Hz
Mic
unidirectional detachable
Pickup
Super cardioid
Battery life
N/A
Weight
420 g | 0.92 lbs
Price
$300 | £285
✅ You can hear insects breathing: Blessed with supernaturally sensitive ears? The absurd 8Hz-55KHz frequency response range captures nuances other headsets simply don't, and for those who care about that nuance it's a fascinating product.
❌ You don't own vast oil reserves: This is a lot of money to be spending on anything right now, especially a headset. Value was never the point, but if you're on a budget don't lose sleep over this one.
No, it's more like the Kithara is visiting us gamers from the Manhattan loft apartment of a wealthy hifi enthusiast to see what all this ‘Counter-Strike' stuff is about. Its visual cues are all reminiscent of Hifiman's headphone inventory, from the trademark elongated ovals of the earcups you'd see on the Ananda to the suspended headband beneath an aluminium frame, like an Arya.
(If you were wondering, ‘Kithara' is the ancient Greek stringed instrument from which we get the word ‘guitar'. Hang around in the games industry long enough and you're bound to pick up a bit of ancient Greek. If Kratos' adventures don't rub off on you, the peripheral market's fondness for an obscure product name inspired by classical mythology surely will.)
The sound is, of course, extraordinary. It's a far flatter response than most gaming headsets are tuned to produce, particularly at the low end, and if your ears have been addled by the bass response of Razer headsets circa 2011 you might initially perceive a lack of ‘oomph'. But that would be incorrect.
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
Instead, the Kithara's drivers give all frequencies the room they need to articulate clearly and distinctly, leading to a far richer sound than you get with a $100 headset that's had its mids scooped like a Metallica album. And if you were in any doubt about that EQ response, there's a bit of paperwork...Read more: Full article on www.pcgamer.com
What do you think about this?
PC Gamer's got your back
Our experienced team dedicates many hours to every review, to really get to the heart of what matters most to you. Find out more about how we evaluate games and hardware.
No, the ROG Kithara is not the gaming headset to solve the cost of living crisis. It is a joy to listen to your games and music with, though, and a genuine curiosity in a crowded market. You don't need one, and neither do I, but let's sit awhile anyway and enjoy what ROG and Hifiman have built.
This one's all about the drivers. Vast, 100 mm planar magnetic ones, designed and built in partnership with New York-based audio specialists, Hifiman. Every other element's designed to let those drivers do their thing. An open-backed design that doesn't care one bit about the fact you can hear the tumble drier from your gaming room, or that you're sitting in a quiet coach. A frequency response range broader than a politician's promise. Y'know, audiophile stuff.
It's a wired model, featuring a number of different adapters that make it surprisingly compatible across PC, Xbox and PlayStation 5. You can plug it into a DAC if you like. And who are we kidding, of course you like. You're considering dropping $300 on a pair of headphones in this economy.
I'm inclined to think of the Asus ROG Kithara as a pair of headphones, rather than a gaming headset, because if you detach the super cardioid mic the only concession to the world of gaming is the ROG logo itself. None of the usual comforts of a gaming headset are present here: no physical volume control, no RGB zones, no digital surround. Certainly no chat mix adjustment, goodness no.
Operating principle
Open-back
Connectivity
Wired
Drivers
10 mm Planar magnetic
Frequency response
8Hz - 55,000 Hz
Mic
unidirectional detachable
Pickup
Super cardioid
Battery life
N/A
Weight
420 g | 0.92 lbs
Price
$300 | £285
✅ You can hear insects breathing: Blessed with supernaturally sensitive ears? The absurd 8Hz-55KHz frequency response range captures nuances other headsets simply don't, and for those who care about that nuance it's a fascinating product.
❌ You don't own vast oil reserves: This is a lot of money to be spending on anything right now, especially a headset. Value was never the point, but if you're on a budget don't lose sleep over this one.
No, it's more like the Kithara is visiting us gamers from the Manhattan loft apartment of a wealthy hifi enthusiast to see what all this ‘Counter-Strike' stuff is about. Its visual cues are all reminiscent of Hifiman's headphone inventory, from the trademark elongated ovals of the earcups you'd see on the Ananda to the suspended headband beneath an aluminium frame, like an Arya.
(If you were wondering, ‘Kithara' is the ancient Greek stringed instrument from which we get the word ‘guitar'. Hang around in the games industry long enough and you're bound to pick up a bit of ancient Greek. If Kratos' adventures don't rub off on you, the peripheral market's fondness for an obscure product name inspired by classical mythology surely will.)
The sound is, of course, extraordinary. It's a far flatter response than most gaming headsets are tuned to produce, particularly at the low end, and if your ears have been addled by the bass response of Razer headsets circa 2011 you might initially perceive a lack of ‘oomph'. But that would be incorrect.
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
Instead, the Kithara's drivers give all frequencies the room they need to articulate clearly and distinctly, leading to a far richer sound than you get with a $100 headset that's had its mids scooped like a Metallica album. And if you were in any doubt about that EQ response, there's a bit of paperwork...Read more: Full article on www.pcgamer.com
What do you think about this?