When I was a kid in the ‘90s, audio capability was something you added to your PC with a sound card, not something built-in to the motherboard. My father refused to buy a sound card for the family PC, contending that he already had a stereo and had zero interest in gaming. So until I saved up for one and installed it myself, I gamed to the soundtrack of whatever bips and boops the PC could conjure out of its tinny internal speaker. Fast forward to today, and it’s hard to imagine gaming without high-quality audio. In my mind, I can’t separate the unsettling ambient soundscape from Amnesia: The Dark Descent’s building horror, the heavy-metal soundtrack from DOOM’s adrenaline-fueled demon-slaying thrill ride, or the rich voice acting from Baldur’s Gate III’s enthralling drama.
Flip over to my other lifelong hobby, and there’s a complementary yet very different story when it comes to audio. As a teenager learning to play electric guitar, I only wanted to play loud. I saved up for a Marshall amp and a cab with four 12-inch speakers, and I loved every opportunity I had to crank its volume up to 11. That thing could move some air. I’d go so far as to say that if you’ve never felt every fiber of your body vibrating in time with the unrestrained roar of an electric guitar played through an opened-up tube amp, you’re missing out.
Sadly, my opportunities to play with that kind of volume were few and far between. Jamming that loud in my high school bedroom would have broken a window. Even playing with that much volume in my school’s gymnasium was a questionable decision — not that I have any regrets. In the dorm rooms or apartments of my early 20s? Someone would have called the cops. Even as a homeowner living in the countryside, my opportunities for cranking up the amp have been limited: rule number one in the survival guide for new parents is “don’t wake a sleeping baby.”
Fast forward to today, and my guitar setup has completely changed. I’m no longer trying to see how much volume I can get away with. I don’t even play through an amplifier anymore. I’m all-in on an ampless setup that not only lets me bring in the versatile capabilities of my PC into my audio chain, but lets me play as loud as I like — in the private space created by my headphones.
And that’s where my two passions converge. Or at least, that’s where they converge now, thanks to the emergence of audiophile gaming headsets. In the years since I took the plunge into an ampless guitar setup, I’ve had to split my headphone budget between studio-oriented cans and mic-equipped headsets that made it possible for me to coordinate with my squad. I had plenty of options for both of my hobbies, but never a single solution that played well in both worlds. Given budget constraints, that meant settling for less on both fronts.
Today, that’s all changed. Now, I have one headset for gaming and music and guitar practice: the ROG Kithara. Combining a high-quality microphone, audiophile-grade planar magnetic drivers, a versatile collection of cables and adapters, and a super-comfy design that I can use for hours, the Kithara lets me upgrade my guitar practice, gaming, and music-listening with pristine audio, all in one headset. Here are my impressions from my first few weeks of use.
The foundation: planar magnetic drivers and an open-back design
What makes the difference between the ROG Kithara and the older headsets that now live in my closet? That would be planar magnetic drivers and the open-back design.
Designed in collaboration with the experts at HIFIMAN, the Kithara’s planar magnetic drivers deliver standout audio. Unlike standard dynamic drivers, which use a voice coil attached to a cone diaphragm, planar magnetic drivers have a thin, flat diaphragm with conductive traces suspended between strong magnetic fields. This arrangement provides minimized distortion, highly accurate sound reproduction, sharper transients, crisp separation, and a wide frequency response.
The planar magnetic drivers work in conjunction with the open-back design. Typically, gaming headsets are closed-back, meaning that the cups fully enclose your ear. That’s not a bad thing, considering that it isolates you from noise in the room around you and typically offers a bit more kick to the bass. But open-back audiophile gaming headsets have their advantages, too. They use earcups with grilles that let air and sound flow more freely, providing a huge advantage in sound quality.
In particular, an open-back headset like the Kithara can greatly boost what’s called the “soundstage,” your perception of the spatial width and depth of the audio. When I put on the Kithara, that’s honestly the first thing I notice. It widens the stereo mix of whatever I’m listening to, providing greater spatial definition for each component. I’ve found myself developing a newfound appreciation even for very familiar songs, as each sound has a more distinct presence.
The wider soundstage is yielding dividends for my guitar practice, as well. I recently reworked my pedalboard and audio interface for stereo output, and the higher-quality headset allows me to more carefully fine-tune the sound of each stereo effect.
These qualities make the ROG Kithara a standout for gaming, too. It makes an immediate difference the moment I fire up a competitive shooter. And listen — I’m not comparing the Kithara here to some kind of bargain-bin dollar store headset. I haven’t gone as far down the audiophile rabbit-hole as some enthusiasts, but I haven’t exactly ignored audio quality either. I have some good sets in my desk drawer. But the Kithara is my first open-back option, and it’s immediately taken over as my new go-to for any game that relies heavily on positional audio. When I hear a footstep or a gunshot in Counter-Strike 2, I know exactly what direction it’s coming from.
A premium kit for connecting the Kithara to all my hardware
As a guy with long-running hobbies in gaming, music, and guitar playing, I’ve developed quite a collection of cables and adapters. I don’t run into too many scenarios where I have to put in a rush order on Amazon just to connect a new piece of kit.
But even I was impressed with what comes in the box with the Kithara. For convenience, the Kithara ships with two cables. The first was destined for my gaming setup, since the cable integrates a full-band MEMS boom microphone. Two jacks on one end connect the cable to the cans while positioning the mic to pick up my voice. An in-line control puts me in charge of volume. At the other end, standard 3.5mm jacks await connection to devices, though I can also insert those into an included adapter to connect the Kithara via a USB port instead. The USB-C adapter has also proved useful in spots when a device gives me insufficient power output from its audio jacks. Running through the adapter gives me all the volume I need and more.
The second cable is better suited for my guitar practice setup. It’s a balanced cable with a flexible plug design that lets me pick between 6.3mm, 4.4mm balanced, and 3.5mm jacks. My USB audio interface requires a 6.3mm (¼”, for the Imperial-lovers out there) jack for the monitor output, and I appreciated having everything I needed right in the box.
I love how convenient it is to have two cables, one for my gaming setup and one for my music setup. I leave the cables plugged in at either setup, quickly plugging in the Kithara to whichever setup I’m using at the moment.
All-day comfort
One aspect of the ROG Kithara that I do want to be up-front about: they’re heavier than the other options in my collection. The planar magnetic drivers need to be protected, so the grilles on the earcups are constructed of reassuringly hefty metal. All told, the Kithara headset weighs 420g. If a lighter design is a priority for your setup, you might prefer the ROG Pelta, which checks in at a more svelte 309g.
As for me, I’m not concerned about the raw weight of the Kithara because I find that the headset carries its weight well. The earcup angle and earpads are balanced to apply pressure evenly, minimizing pressure against my jaw. The three-layer design of the wide headband distributes the weight nicely so that I’m not distracted by a single pressure point. I also appreciate the eight adjustment levels for the metal frame. I have a bit of a large noggin, so I’ve suffered with too many headsets that felt uncomfortable even after I opened them all the way. The Kithara has room to spare.
A standout headset for gaming and music production alike
There are a few spots in my life where I still rely on other audio hardware. The ROG Kithara does many things well, but it won’t replace the in-ear monitors that I use on stage, the earbuds I wear while jogging, or the closed-back headphones that I grab when for recording anything through a microphone — open-back headsets do leak a bit of sound into the nearby environment, and I can’t have a mic picking it up when I’m recording my acoustic guitar.
But even with those caveats, the ROG Kithara is more versatile and offers better sound than anything else in my headset and earbud collection. Nothing I currently own comes close to providing the audio quality that it does. Putting it on for the first time gave me one of those “headlights coming on” moments. I impulsively and immediately tried it out in every scenario I could think of, and I was rewarded every time. The Kithara made music feel fresh and new, even tracks that I’ve been listening to for years. This headset provided better clarity for my guitar practice, taking my ampless setup to the next level and helping me hear my instrument more clearly as I practiced alongside recorded tracks.
On top of all that, the Kithara boasts impressive gaming chops. The improved perception of positional audio almost feels like a cheat code when I play competitive FPS titles. This headset elevates high-quality voice acting with incredible realism, putting the timbre and nuance of the human voice on full display. And when I load a game with a thumping soundtrack — Loop Hero doesn’t get enough credit for its boss-battle music, and I will die on this hill — I find it easier than ever to get lost in the game.
In many ways, the ROG Kithara is the first headset I’ve ever encountered that truly feels like it was made for me. Usually, audio hardware feels like it’s designed for one silo of users or another, as if audiophiles and gamers couldn’t handle shopping in the same aisle without throwing hands. But I know that I’m far from the only gamer out there who’s just as passionate about music. Now, I have one headset that’s equally ready for both worlds.
If you’re like me, you might hear the word “audiophile” and assume that the product in question requires you to drop a grand or two. The ROG Kithara actually checks in at $299.99 (USD). Considering what you’d spend to get comparable sound quality by purchasing a gaming headset and an audiophile-grade headset separately, the Kithara offers plenty of value. So whether you’re looking to upgrade your enjoyment of music and podcasts, your music practice setup, your gaming battlestation, or — like me — all three worlds at the same time, the ROG Kithara is the upgrade that you’re looking for. Follow the links below to find your own set.
| US | |
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| ROG Kithara | ASUS Amazon Best Buy Micro Center |