Winners of the Red Dot Award 2020 the ASUS ROG Strix Go Core are the new headphone model designed to offer all the sound qualities of the Strix Go 2.4, at a more affordable price for gamers. The final result is a surprising product which, net of some obvious compromise, keeps its promises and manages to become one of the favorites for those looking for a good performance without exceeding a hundred euros of expenditure.
Packaging and equipment
The ASUS ROG Strix Go Cores deliver an extremely basic equipment but, at the same time, complete. In fact, in the package we find, in addition to the headphones:
- A removable microphone with adjustable headband.
- A sponge protection for the transducer.
- One 3.5mm jack splitter.
No case is provided to carry them but, with a list price set at 89 €, we believe that what ASUS offers is still satisfactory.
Specifications
The ASUS ROG Strix Go Cores come with one technical very similar to that seen in the Strix Go 2.4:
- Frequency response: 20 40.000-Hz
- Driver type and size: 40mm neodymium magnet
- Impedance: 32 Ohm
- Type of pavilion: Over-Ear
- Weight: 252 gr
Finally, the microphone of the ASUS ROG Strix Go Core has received certification for Discord and TeamSpeak to indicate the ability to guarantee clear communications without excessive background noise.
Design
The design of the ASUS ROG Strix Go Core takes up that, minimal, of the wireless model with some obvious differences due to the more economic nature of the product. First of all, the headphones are very light and, even after many hours spent in their company, they have never given particular annoyances due to excessive weight. The rough plastics, which make up the pavilions, are solid and pleasant to the touch and return the right sign of robustness that is normally lacking in products of the same price range. In the same way, the flexible metal headband proves to be resistant to the most extreme stresses, which is comfortable once you put on the headphones. On the other hand, we found the faux leather pavilions, slightly reduced in size and unable to comfortably accommodate larger ears. Obviously we are faced with a factor that changes from physiognomy to physiognomy but, if like the writer, you have "generous" ears, take this detail into consideration before purchasing.
Again with regard to the pavilions, we found the controls dedicated to the volume and to the activation of the microphone, located on the side of the left pavilion, functional in their simplicity. Practical and easily accessible, they proved to be much more intuitive and comfortable than those present in other models offered by the competition, as well as the possibility of being rotated, and folded, completely in increase the "portability" factor. As for the removable microphone, the headband is, undoubtedly, very malleable and has managed to maintain most of the inclinations in which we have subjected it. Its malleability, however, leaves us some doubts about its longevity. To the touch it feels very fragile and, even if it has not shown any sign of abating in the past weeks in the company of the ASUS ROG Strix Go Core, we refrain, for the moment, in defining it "indestructible". Finally, the 3.5 mm jack cable is not removable, a small acceptable compromise given the reduced price of the headphones.
Field tests
Intrigued by the wording "PlayStation 5 Support" we decided to test the ASUS ROG Strix Go Core with the new SONY console to understand how they would behave with the new 3D Audio promoted to the Japanese giant. The result, unfortunately, did not impress us and proved to be similar to that experienced with headphones from other manufacturers. So if you are looking for headphones designed for the peculiar function of PlayStation 5, we advise you to evaluate your purchase well. Set aside the brief parenthesis with 3D Audio, however, the ASUS ROG Strix Go Core turned out to be excellent gaming headphones with deep but never exaggerated bass, a surprising balance and a clear and crystalline sound performance, even at very high volumes. The credit is all of exclusive airtight chambers and ASUS drivers Mind that manage not to distort the sound even at high volumes, as well as guarantee truly amazing immersion.
The microphone has always shown itself to be effective, guaranteeing an excellent cleanliness of the voice output and an equalization of the latter always balanced. The background noises, however, will be perceived by your interlocutors as there is no type of technology dedicated to noise cancellation (present, instead in the non-Core model). With regard to the pavilions, the insulation offered is, only, sufficient. With the headphones at a high volume it was still possible to hear some of the ambient noises around us. They are, of course, not headphones for audiophiles and the tests made by listening to music have amply demonstrated this, giving us an excessively medium sound with practically every musical genre. However, it remains a test made more for pleasure than for real necessity as the ASUS ROG Strix Go Core, were not designed for that specific use.
