Today, we are focusing on a wired gaming headphone from the famous brand, known as the ROG Delta S Animate. This headphone resides at the high-end of the consumer gaming headset market and has enough unique features to make it a great offering over even wireless headphones in the same price range.
Design & Build Quality
On the surface, the design of the headphone seems pretty simple if not flashy, with an all-black finish and sloped design that houses a special AniMe Matrix display. This display has a bunch of mini-LEDs that can be customized to display different images and messages. The headband has solid bits of plastic that are wrapped around a soft cushiony leather band. The band is connected to adjustable overhangs that hold the D-shaped ear cups at an angle.
The D-shape is meant to match the shape of your ears, while the slope should theoretically provide better comfort for long-term use. It also has the dual benefit of tilting the drivers at a 12° angle, which helps improve sound quality by channelling audio directly into the ear canal.
The ear cushions also come in a similar D-shape, with the option of getting regular fast-cooling Protein leather, or a special ROG Hybrid cushion that has both fast-cooling protein leather and fabric mesh. The special shape is meant to reduce the pressure points on your ear as well as to make them more wearable.
Sound & Connectivity
You can connect the headphones to almost any device through a USB-C to USB-A connector. The headphones are compatible with everything from PCs to Macs, and even PlayStation 5 and the Nintendo Switch. You can Armoury Crate app to control all the settings with ease, including the EQ as well as light customizations.
It’s not like you will need a lot of tweaking though, as the headset comes pretty well configured from the factory for optimal audio performance. You get the high-quality ASUS Essence drivers that feature a Neodymium magnet and sturdy metal housing. There is also a hi-fi ESS 9281 Quad DAC, that is supported by a built-in MQA renderer.
All of this is carefully crafted using special ROG Hyper-Grounding technology that uses a multi-layer printed circuit board and a special layout to prevent electromagnetic interference. This means not only do you get pitch-perfect sound with incredible bass and 7.1 surround sound output but also a high signal-to-noise ratio of up to 130dB.
While the initial few benefits are easy to understand, the last one especially works well in FPS games, as a high SNR allows you to precisely pinpoint the origin of enemy footsteps and bullets fired, whether in a game or even an action movie. Thus ensuring that you always get the best audio experience possible no matter what sort of media you are consuming.
You even get a special AI-supported noise-cancelling mic that works in tandem with the drivers and a special processor to filter out all sorts of background noise. From ambient sounds relative to the surroundings to specific gaming-related noises like keyboard clatter and mouse clicks. This means you can immerse yourself properly within the game without getting distracted at vital moments.
Conclusion
As you can see, with each step the company has tried to ensure that you get the most value out of your investment, and with a sticker price that easily crossed the $300 mark, this is expected as well. In the end, though, it depends on your personal experience to justify the cost of investing so much in a gaming accessory. If you can, then this easily makes a great option to pick.
