The ROG Strix Go Core, is an upcoming budget-oriented gaming headset by ASUS ROG which aims to provide superior quality while gaming without breaking the bank. With plenty of headsets available in the market today that fit everyone’s requirements and at different price ranges, the Go Core is the ideal choice for gamers looking for an affordable gaming headset if superior audio quality isn’t your primary focus.
Specifications
| Connectivity: | 3.5mm jack connector* |
| Drivers: | 40mm ASUS Essence drivers |
| Drivers Material: | Neodymium magnets |
| Frequency Response: | 20Hz – 40KHz |
| Impedance: | 32 ohms |
| Weight: | 252g |
| Microphone Type: | Detachable |
| Frequency Response: | 100Hz – 10KHz |
| Sensitivity: | -45 dB |
| Pick-up Pattern: | Unidirectional |
Packaging
The package includes:
- ROG Strix Go Core gaming headset
- 3.5mm mic/audio splitter cable
- Detachable boom microphone
- Quick-start guide
Since on-the-go entertainment and portability is one of its intended features, we were expecting a carry case for the headset to be included, but such a thing is absent.
Design & Build
One of the very first things that catches the eye is the headset’s sleek and minimalistic design. The Go Core ditches the excessive and rugged stereotypical “gamer headset” design and instead opts for a more premium look and feel. However, the lack of RGB lighting may be a turn-off for some people.
The headset is compact and the build quality is solid. The leather covering the earcups and at the head region are great and comfortable. The weight being just 250g doesn’t mean that they have compromised on the quality and this becomes very evident once you start using it.
This design is practical for everyday use and saves you from the trouble of buying a secondary device to use as your daily driver as it looks appropriate in all situations.
Comfort
Since I have a pretty wide jaw, I usually have a hard time finding a headset that fits my head correctly and don’t cause any discomfort during prolonged usage; the Go Core has nailed the fit that I had been looking for years.
The flexible and light weight nature of the headset, along with the comfortable fit helped complete a three-hour long play session without hampering my head’s blood circulation, which most headsets tend to do because of how tight they fit me. On the other hand, when we had someone with a more regular-sized head test it out, they felt that the fit was too loose and hence reported that they wouldn’t prefer it. Although how comfortable the fit is can be subjective, it’s agreeable across the board that the earcups are very comfortable.
The detachable microphone is a boon as it’s more convenient and gives the user the choice to decide when they want to use it, and break the bulk in scenarios when they only want to listen. The volume slider placed outside the left earcup is a nice touch and comes in handy when switching across various different kinds of audio, although I wish that they had also added in a dedicated pause/play button too. The microphone can be turned on or off as per your convenience.
Audio Quality
In contrast to the well-made the build of the headset, the audio quality was average. For starters, the audio volume is feeble. No matter on what device we tested it with, we usually had to increase the volume close to the maximum level to be able to hear a normal audio-level.
The next issue we encountered is that although we were able to hear a good amount of detail in the background, the vocals always appear muffled with the instrumentals always overpowering it. This was the case whether we were playing a game like God of War on the PS4 or when listening to music on Spotify or watching Netflix.
And lastly, the headset does not block out any noise at all, which spoils any level of immersion a game tries to achieve. Surprisingly, during comparison tests I noticed that my daily driver, Beats EP performed far superior even though its cost is half of that of the Go Core and isn’t even a gaming headset to begin with. It doesn’t seem to be well-optimized for devices other than the PC and this is a deal-breaker.
The boom microphone on the other hand works really well. The audio is crisp and clear and the background interference is almost negligible, therefore, its optimal for calls and video conferences, as well as communicating during online multi-player sessions.
Verdict
The ROG Strix Go Core offers solid build quality with its lightweight and compact design makes it comfortable and practical for everyday use. However, the average audio quality stops it from becoming anything remarkable. For more on ASUS ROG, click here.
