Internet first review of ASUS ROG Delta S Animate gaming headset

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ASUS ROG Delta S Animate gaming headset is a top-of-the-line model. It is a USB-C headset that can be used on a wide range of platforms, including Windows, Mac, PlayStation, Switch, Android, and iOS devices.

image credits: IGN

The Delta S Animate has a unique feature: a series of LEDs on the sides that may be used to display animated text and graphics. ASUS’ Armoury Crate software is compatible with the headset, allowing you to modify the LEDs and integrate features like as artificial intelligence (AI) noise suppression for the microphone. Additionally, MQA rendering and Hi-Res Audio certification are handled by ESS’s 9281 Quad DAC with MQA certification.

Take a look at how well this headset does in our music, speech, and gaming testing.

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Design

The Delta S Animate’s all-black design, considering the headset’s size, is remarkably basic. Although the matte black plastic does look beautiful, smudges may clearly be seen on the surface.

The LEDs are visible via holes on the outside of the earcups, which have a triangle shape. The yoke allows the earcups to be rotated as well as swivelled to store the headphones in an upright position. There are tactile, auditory clicks, and visible indications to help you keep track of where you are in the length modification process.

The bottom of the headband is padded with a leather-like substance. Even the biggest of heads may be comfortably accommodated by this garment’s ability to expand and contract.

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The volume and LED control buttons are located on the left ear cup. When hit, the volume rocker will mute the microphone and may be adjusted up or down. In addition to off, on, and microphone, the LED switch has two further functions: (more on this later). There’s no flimsiness to any of these switches whatsoever.

The cable enters the left ear cup as well. Unfortunately, the wire is permanently attached to the headset’s side and cannot be removed or replaced if broken. Just a regular braided USB-C cable that could have been simply removed from the device is all it takes. Braided cables irritate me, thus I’d want a thinner, more flexible USB cable in its stead.

That being said, the ROG Delta S Animate headset is a tremendously well-built and attractive headset. Even high-end headphones seldom have construction this outstanding. It would be nice if that cable could be removed.

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Comfort

The ROG Delta S Animate may be a cosy headset. Because of the pads you’re using, this might be the case.

The headset comes with two sets of pads, a 100% protein leather set and a fabric mesh set with protein leather on the inside. If you’re not in a very chilly area, even though ASUS calls this a fast-cooling protein leather, the inside becomes really toasty. In the summer, I couldn’t stand to have them on for more than a few minutes without getting my ears all toasty.

They don’t totally cure the problem, but hybrid pads are a substantial improvement. In spite of its rough and unpleasant texture, mesh doesn’t become as hot on your skin.

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Because both pads have protein leather on the inside, it’s a positive thing. This implies that the sound won’t alter if you switch pads since they both form a comparable seal around your ears.

In addition, the pads’ interiors aren’t as broad as I’d want them to be, regardless of which one you choose. Even though they’re rather deep, my comparatively little ears were nevertheless able to touch the rim of the cushions.

But if you find the perfect set of cushions, the Delta S Animate should be comfortable enough to wear for extended periods of time.

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Matrix of AniMe

The Delta S Animate’s AniMe Matrix is the most intriguing feature. The exterior of each ear cup includes 245 white LEDs that may be programmed to show whatever pattern you like. A variety of pre-set animations are available in the Armoury Crate app, as well as the option to add your own text or photos to the side of the screen.

The LEDs may also be animated to the sound of your voice if you set the side switch to microphone mode.

Even in broad daylight or brightly lit environments, the LEDs are clearly visible. The movements are smooth and most text and patterns may be seen well, however photos should usually be avoided due to the LEDs’ poor resolution making them difficult to pick out.

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It’s possible to get a great effect out of the headset, but once you put it on, you can’t see the lights. If you are a streamer or an esports player who plays in public, this could be of use to you. But if you’re playing alone at home, the programme is a waste of time.

Software

The ASUS Armoury Crate application and the Delta S Animate. Even though the app is only accessible on Windows, you’ll be expected to use the headset as-is if you don’t want to download it.

Many of the parts in the Armory Crate don’t relate to the Delta S Animate since it is a generic programme that ASUS employs across a variety of its devices. The AniMe Matrix and the Sound Adjustment section are the only two portions that are important.

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EQ, bass boost, compressor, voice clarity, reverb, and virtual surround sound are all available on the audio tab. Using the app’s presets, you may set each of these options to a specified value. The EQ has a 10-band visual equaliser in addition to its own settings.

As for the microphone, you may choose between noise gate, Perfect Voice mode, or AI Noise-Cancellation in this software. The final one is on by default, and it’s the only one that’s worth your time.

To create a custom pattern, go to the AniMe Matrix page and choose from one of the pre-programmed options. Either one or both ear cups might be affected by this impact. You can also use the LEDs to show a spectrum analyzer or track information for any music playing on your PC.

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We can’t recommend the Armoury Crate app. As a PC user, you know precisely what I’m talking about here. You can’t accomplish anything with it since it’s clumsy and unreliable. Furthermore, the headset is only compatible with Windows, so if you’re using it on any other platform, you won’t be able to use any of the above capabilities.

As a result, you may customise the headset to your liking and then uninstall the software whenever you’re ready.

Performance

Quality of sound

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Neodymium magnets and dynamic drivers with a 20-40000Hz frequency range are used in the ROG Delta S Animate. USB is used to connect to the source, and the ESS 9281 Pro DAC/amp provides power to the drivers. The 24-bit, 96kHz 24-bit stereo headset appears on the screen. MQA, PCM and DSD decoding are natively supported (renderer-only).

Compared to other gaming headsets, the ROG Delta S Animate is a little out of the ordinary. For the most part, gaming headphones are bass cannons with nothing in the way of realism, fine detail, or even nuance. The Delta S Animate, on the other hand, completely surprised me.

With its mid-forward sound profile, the Animate leans closer toward the neutral side of the spectrum. The Animate’s bass is a little disappointing, to say the least. As a result, the midbass has a considerable amount of power and slam, but is never boomy or overbearing. However, the headset’s sub-bass delivery is almost nonexistent, as the bottom merely drops off below a specific frequency range.

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The lack of rumbling and thud in the music causes the sound to be much thinner and lifeless than it should be. Deeper bass notes have minimal effect and even a tiniest touch of distortion, no matter how loud the music is.

The treble also doesn’t sound very well, which is a little disappointing. Despite having less air and brightness than it should, the treble never becomes shouty or sibilant even on subpar records because to the treble being pulled back.

Because it comes through so clearly, the midrange was definitely the main emphasis of this mix. All instruments and noises that fall within the range of the vocals are prominently included in the mix, with vocals taking centre stage.

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Delta S Animate, on the other hand, has a hard time with image and soundstage. Either way, the soundstage is small and confined to your mind’s ear canal.

Because gaming is the major use-case for this headset, there are serious consequences to this. Object positioning and spacing are poor, but detail recall and auditory uniqueness are excellent.

Using the Delta S Animate to view video material was my favourite application for it, because of its significant voice performance. I also found it annoying that there wasn’t enough bass in music, even when it did play. It was a disappointing experience when it came to games. A competent musician would not be impacted by this, and a novice would profit more from practise than a high-priced headset. Available are better gaming headphones out there, such as the HiFiMan HE400se or the Sennheiser HD560S, assuming you don’t require a microphone.

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The Armoury Crate’s audio capabilities are of little to no use, since none of them improved the sound in any substantial way. Only adding extra distortion with the bass boost option does nothing to enhance the sub-bass problem. To avoid any possible compression artefacts, I elected to close the app while testing.

Furthermore, the software comes with a strange EQ profile pre-installed on the headphones. Because the headset retains its profiles on its memory and these profiles may be transferred to other devices via this app, I would suggest downloading the app to stop this feature. The programme cannot be installed on a Mac or Linux computer, though.

Microphone

The left ear cup of the ROG Delta S Animate has a microphone that may be removed and used with the headset. LEDs indicate when the microphone is muted, and the microphone may be aimed in any direction.

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There is a lot to like about the Animate microphone. Voices have a genuine timbre and complete body even when no software elements are active. If you’re in a quiet setting, you may dispense with the AI upgrades entirely and simply utilise the mic.

This function comes in useful since most of us don’t live in an anechoic room. At its default Mid level, it does a good job of removing much of the background hum and keyboard noise, and the voice still sounds rather realistic. It wasn’t obvious whether the Armoury Crate app was malfunctioning or if the other two microphone options were ineffective.

Connectivity

Platforms supported by Delta S Animate include Windows, Mac, PS5, PS4, Switch, and mobile platforms such as Android and iOS (Apple’s mobile operating system) (audio only, no mic). Windows 10, macOS Catalina, PS4, and Android 12 were all good candidates for testing the headgear on.

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Armoury Crate’s app for changing headset features is only accessible for Windows 10 and 11 devices. The audio and microphone functions functioned well on all tested systems.

Conclusion

As of this writing, the ASUS ROG Delta S Animate is selling for INR 23,999, or around $319. As a result, it’s a high-end item, even by gaming headset standards.

This headset is well worth the price tag in more ways than one. In terms of quality, the headset is built to a high standard. Despite the fact that the AniMe Matrix effect is mostly invisible to the user, it is really amazing to see in action. In addition, the microphone’s quality is excellent.

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As it is, the Animate’s audio is lacking. However, although I’m happy to see an alternative to the usual bass-heavy design from ASUS, I’m also disappointed by the lack of bass and the sound’s one-dimensionality.

Finally, the ROG Delta S Animate is a great product for streamers because of its excellent microphone performance and stylish illumination, but if you like to play alone, you’d be better off with a cheaper set of headphones with a separate microphone.

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