ASUS ROG Cetra Open Review: Open-Ear Gaming Done Right

THE SCORECARD

How the ASUS ROG Cetra Open scored

• Comfort

  8/10

  The thin hook wire works well with glasses, but the chunky driver caused very mild discomfort on my right ear.

• Security of the fit

  9.5/10

  The classic hook-style fit stayed secure, and the included reflective neckband adds peace of mind.

• IP Rating

  9/10

  The IPX5 water-resistant rating is suitable for exercise, although there is no dust resistance and the buds are not waterproof.

• Case and battery life

  8/10

  Battery life is rated at 16 hours on the buds and 64 hours total, but those advertised figures use Phantom Bass off.

• Controls

  9.5/10

  Tactile controls support single through quad taps with full left- and right-side customization, plus a rare mute-mic option.

• Connectivity

  10/10

  Bluetooth 6.0, multipoint takeover, mono playback and the USB-C dongle make this a very strong connectivity package.

• Call quality

  7.5/10

  Calls were great in a quiet room and with simulated crowd noise, while the windy-city test was usable rather than outstanding.

• App customization and extra features

  9/10

  The app offers a 10-band EQ, profiles, Phantom Bass, lighting controls, device management and desktop software for Mac or PC via the dongle.

• Sound quality below 60% volume

  8/10

  With Phantom Bass on and my EQ adjustment, I got rich bass for open earbuds, clear vocals and detailed treble.

• Sound quality above 60% volume

  8.25/10

  At louder relative listening levels, the sound became richer and more immersive, although the bass remained slightly boomy.

The Pros and Cons

How comfortable is the ASUS ROG Cetra Open?

I scored comfort at 8 out of 10. The hook wire is nice and thin, so it should work well for people who wear glasses. The driver is chunky, though, and I noticed very mild discomfort where it rested at the top of my right ear.

These are not the open earbuds I would choose for side sleeping. The driver can push into your pillow, although you may still be able to find a decent position. Security is much better: I gave the hook-style fit 9.5 out of 10, and the reflective neckband means the buds have somewhere secure to go if one comes off.

Battery life, case size and controls

ASUS quotes 16 hours on the earbuds and 64 hours in total with the case. I tested at 50% volume with the lights and Phantom Bass switched on, because Phantom Bass is essential if you want proper bass from these buds. The case is chunky, but it also stores the USB-C dongle, which is a fair trade-off to me.

Controls earned 9.5 out of 10. There are tactile buttons with single, double, triple and quad taps, and I could customize them freely for each earbud in the app. The long hold is locked to pairing mode, but the triple-tap mute-mic option is rare for an open earbud.

Does the USB-C dongle reduce gaming latency?

Yes. The USB-C dongle is the reason these make sense as gaming earbuds. It connected within about 5 seconds and was plug-and-play on the OPPO Reno 14 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro, Nintendo Switch 2 and 16-inch MacBook Pro M1. Pass-through charging also worked on every device I tested.

Bluetooth latency varied significantly by device. The OPPO phone was particularly poor over Bluetooth, which was not the earbuds' fault, but the dongle fixed the problem. The MacBook Pro M1 was surprisingly close over Bluetooth, but I would still use the dongle if I wanted the lowest latency.

Call quality and app features

I gave call quality 7.5 out of 10. The microphones worked great in a quiet room and with simulated crowd noise. In my windy-city test, they were okay and definitely usable.

The app and extra features scored 9 out of 10. On Bluetooth, the app works on iOS and Android. With the USB-C dongle, Android is supported, while the iPhone app is not. ASUS also provides a desktop app for Mac or PC when using the dongle. It includes a 10-band EQ, saved profiles, Phantom Bass, light controls, battery information and connected-device management.

ASUS ROG Cetra Open sound quality

Below 60% volume, I scored sound quality at 8 out of 10. Leave Phantom Bass on, otherwise there is barely any bass. With the stock tuning, I found the bass a little muddy and heard subtle distortion on bass-heavy tracks. My preferred EQ brings the bass down and slightly boosts the mids, upper mids and treble.

After that adjustment, the bass is rich for open earbuds, the mid-bass is full without becoming too bloated, and vocals come through incredibly clear. There is not much sub-bass, which is normal for most open earbuds, but the detailed treble and strong instrument separation work nicely for footsteps, gunshots, movies and music.

At higher relative listening levels, I gave sound quality 8.25 out of 10. The sound became richer and more immersive in both bass and treble. The bass is still slightly boomy, but not distractingly muddy. These are some of the loudest open earbuds I have tested, although the lowest volume setting is also quite loud if you want to listen quietly.

ASUS ROG Cetra Open details discussed in this review