Asus Kithara 2026 - Black

Fantastic sounding open back wired gaming headset that is a steal for the price. It is styled and tuned by ASUS RoG but the underlying hardware was designed by HiFiMAN, developer of some of the best headphones for gaming currently available. I really enjoyed using this, but I'm downsizing and consolidating my collection of headphones.

In terms of audio, this is a big step up over your typical "gamer brand" headset and is closer to an entry level "mid-fi"/ audiophile model like a HiFiMAN Ananda. In my opinion the audio quality was superior to any gaming headset I've used, including the Audeze Maxwell 2, and it is also much lighter and more comfortable. It's also packed with cool cables and accessories for gaming, including different pads, multiple cables endings (4.4 mm is balanced as well as unbalanced 3.5 mm and 6.35 mm), and a MEMS boom mic.

I've kept this in excellent condition. Ideally you'd probably want to use it with a small DAC/ amp, although it's sensitive enough to still be powered by a controller. I've used this with a Schiit Gunner DAC/amp with a PS5 Pro and Switch 2 and with PC, and all sounded great. I've read support is unfortunately limited to just plugging it into the controller with Xbox for whatever reason, which is not ideal, but I don't have an Xbox to test that out.

I'll note that the headband is larger and looser than your typical headband, which I found to be very comfortable, but if you have a tiny head and/ or have small ears, it may not fit the same for you. I have a large noggin and ears, and it was a great fit on my head and ears.