The aural experience is increasingly an important component for gamers. Sound technology has improved over the years, making its use in gaming more noticeable – for some games it is a key part of enjoyment. ASUS has three headsets on the market, the Cerberus, Orion and Vulcan all seek to give you that impressive audio action. We will be reviewing all three for you, so you can compare and decide which model best suits your needs. Starting up, the baby of the bunch: Cerberus.
Look and Feel
Yes, a headset is primarily about sound, but the fact of the matter is that it will be sitting on your head for hours at a time – if it isn’t comfortable, you won’t notice the sound anyway. The Cerberus boasts 100mm leather-feel ear cups that cushion and help isolate external noise. I found that the ear cups fit my ears comfortably, fitting snugly just outside my ears. The self-adjusting headband meant that the 266 grams of headset (including cable weight) rested comfortably on my skull. It was easy to put this headset on and forget about it, enjoying the sounds it offered without feeling weighed down or squeezed. The cable for the headset is a bit short on its own, only offering 1.2 meters (3.9 feet) of mobility. However, it does come with a splitter cable that adds an additional 1.3 meters (4.2 feet). 2.5 meters is enough for most PC gamers, the intended audience for the Cerberus. That said, I wished that it came with that length without requiring the splitters.
The headset has two mic options, an in-line mic for on-the-go chat and a detachable boom mic for gaming. I suppose this is for those who want to use the headset with their smart devices instead, but I found the detachable nature of the mic a bit strange – once attached I couldn’t imagine most people detaching the boom. The mic adjusts easily, staying where it’s positioned to ensure no heavy breathing or cheek banging sounds interrupt your discussions.
Pump up the volume
Now to the main reason people pick up a headset, the noise. When testing the Cerberus, I found the sound quality to be relatively good. When gaming, I could clearly hear directional cues and found the experience to be clear. The specs indicate a frequency response of 20 Hz – 20 KHz, however in my own tests I found it to be more like 10 Hz – 15 KHz. The dynamic range is impressive, with audio easily reaching 52 dBFS (decibels below full scale).
As a general rule, the sound quality was good and distortion-free even at higher volumes. However, I did find that the sound quality wasn’t always as crisp and clear as I might have hoped. It wasn’t that noticeable when gaming, but when listening to music or videos it became apparent. The 60mm neodymium-magnet drivers give plenty of punch and immersion of noise, but they simply don’t have the clarity and crispness when listening to music offering a variety of sounds at once.
It’s important to note that the Cerberus isn’t a surround sound headset. Sure, it can give you channel cues for left and right and certainly feels like an immersive experience. However, for the audiophiles among you, it simply doesn’t give even a simulated surround sound experience.
Specifications
- Connectors: 3.5 mm 4-pole analog connector; 3.5mm audio/mic splitter
- Frequency response: 20Hz – 20KHz
- Impedance: 32 Ohm
- Drivers: 2 x 60mm neodymium magnets
- Cable: Braided, max 2.5 meters
- Weight: 266 grams (with cable)
- RRP: R883 / $75.50
Verdict
If all you’re looking for is a way to blast your music or play your games without disturbing the people around you, the Cerberus gives plenty of value for money. It’s affordable, comfortable and offers distortion-free, quality sound. As an entry-level headset, you could do far worse than the Cerberus. Of course, we will need to compare with the other, higher-end headsets during the week. However, if you want to spend under R1000 for a gaming headset, the Cerberus is an obvious choice.
[button color= “red” link=”https://www.criticalhit.net/review/asus-orion-headset-review-taking-you-to-the-stars/” window=”true”]Here’s what we thought of the Asus Orion[/button] [button color= “red” link=”https://www.criticalhit.net/review/asus-vulcan-pro-headset-review-can-it-live-long-and-prosper/” window=”true”]Here’s what we thought of the Asus Vulcan[/button]
Last Updated: May 19, 2014
Dutch Matrix
May 19, 2014 at 15:35
Cerberus?????? Is this Illusive Man approved?
Hammersteyn
May 19, 2014 at 15:37
Buy now and they’ll include a carton of your favourite cigarettes courtesy of Michael Sheen
Dutch Matrix
May 19, 2014 at 15:51
Bugger cigarettes. I want delivery to be done by Yvonne Strahovski…
RinceofFuturePast
May 19, 2014 at 15:53
Step back, she’s mine!
Dutch Matrix
May 19, 2014 at 15:54
Oh you wish, Ginger!
Alien Emperor Trevor
May 19, 2014 at 15:58
Fighting over an Aussie, what’s the world coming to?
Hammersteyn
May 19, 2014 at 15:54
*Experiences mass effect
RinceofFuturePast
May 19, 2014 at 15:54
*Little to no effect* Fixed *RUNS
Hammersteyn
May 19, 2014 at 15:55
hahahaha
Dutch Matrix
May 19, 2014 at 15:59
“Are you hiding a krogan in your pants or are you just happy to see me?”
Alien Emperor Trevor
May 19, 2014 at 16:00
Margaret Thatcher naked in the shower! Instant genophage.
Hammersteyn
May 19, 2014 at 16:06
There was a time…
Dutch Matrix
May 19, 2014 at 16:09
Traynor in a hot tub. Genophage cured!
derp
May 19, 2014 at 15:45
Depends on whether you have been experimented on …
Alien Emperor Trevor
May 19, 2014 at 15:38
Eish 100mm ear cups?
Hammersteyn
May 19, 2014 at 15:43
Well, you know…..
https://i.chzbgr.com/maxW500/4306250240/h4DEE8F0A/
Alien Emperor Trevor
May 19, 2014 at 15:45
Is that Justin Bieber?
Matewis Jubilai
May 19, 2014 at 16:09
Has anyone ever called you an upvote genie?
Hammersteyn
May 19, 2014 at 16:13
Hehehe, no you’re the first. But I try to give as much upvotes as I get.
Matewis Jubilai
May 19, 2014 at 16:14
Then you must get a lot of upvotes 😉
Hammersteyn
May 19, 2014 at 16:21
Crossed the 10 000 mark the other day. Didn’t even notice 🙁
Getting close to 10 000 comments though
Matewis Jubilai
May 19, 2014 at 16:29
Wow, you’re not even kidding!
Hammersteyn
May 19, 2014 at 16:41
Hehehe Rince almost has 20000 while Admiral closes in one 25000
Matewis Jubilai
May 19, 2014 at 16:53
I’ll get there someday
Hammersteyn
May 19, 2014 at 17:11
It places three times as much emphasis on your commitment?
CaptainNemo42
May 19, 2014 at 17:10
You must to wearing out the left click on your mouse.. 😛
Hammersteyn
May 19, 2014 at 17:47
Might be a OCD thing.
RinceofFuturePast
May 19, 2014 at 15:43
nice review Zoe. OVG needs a pair of these…
Alien Emperor Trevor
May 19, 2014 at 15:44
Are you sure he doesn’t need this? trollol
RinceofFuturePast
May 19, 2014 at 15:45
BWAHAHAHAHAHA! YES!
Matewis Jubilai
May 19, 2014 at 15:49
Does anyone else get a mild headache and 5% nausea from playing with headphones for an extended interval? Perhaps I need higher quality earphones 😛
Gavin Mannion
May 19, 2014 at 15:59
That’s a new one… never heard of that
Matewis Jubilai
May 19, 2014 at 16:04
It’s sort of like that feeling you get from sleeping in waaay too late on a weekend (eg 12 hours) and you wake up with your head feeling very, well, thick. I always get that with earphones after a while, but then again it might be coupled with the type of game I’m playing. Doesn’t happen with neverwinter nights but it does happen with an FPS or third person game.
Admiral Chief in Space
May 19, 2014 at 16:05
Turn down the bass level, might be inner ear issues
Matewis Jubilai
May 19, 2014 at 16:05
I’ll try that thanks 🙂
Admiral Chief in Space
May 19, 2014 at 16:08
Experiment with different EQ settings
RinceofFuturePast
May 19, 2014 at 16:13
Make sure there is a light on behind you, if I play without another source of light my head gets messed up.
Matewis Jubilai
May 19, 2014 at 16:13
Oh yes I’ve noticed that – I always try to have a soft light on.
Hammersteyn
May 19, 2014 at 16:14
I did too, but I then I put my earphones in my ears. To drown out the ex.
Matewis Jubilai
May 19, 2014 at 16:14
hehe
RinceofFuturePast
May 19, 2014 at 15:50
After getting a pretty decent pair I’ve never been able to play with speakers. Love my headset.
VampyreSquirrel
May 19, 2014 at 16:03
When it works… but the pizza conversation I overheard between you and OVG was funny as hell… must say that mic is pretty good.
RinceofFuturePast
May 19, 2014 at 16:06
Lol. It always works, it’s OVG and I that are always broken and that was hysterical!
Matewis Jubilai
May 19, 2014 at 16:05
Speakers can be pretty awesome if you have a decent surround sound setup and you don’t have to worry about noise levels (or you’re a sociopath)
CaptainNemo42
May 19, 2014 at 17:16
I feel exactly the same. I have three sets of “gaming” headsets. One connected to my PS3 via the Optical sound, one stationed where I put my laptop at home that connects via USB and one where I put my laptop at work, also a USB headset.
I’ve become a little bit obsessed when it comes to headsets. Always looking for quality at a decent price.
Lothy
May 20, 2014 at 07:13
After my Vulcan headset ear pad stitching started to come undone and Asus telling me that this isn’t covered, I doubt ill buy another Asus headset again… The irony is that my mate had the exact same issue and I read online that this is a common problem.
Matthew Holliday
May 20, 2014 at 10:18
how is it compared to its competitors?
siberia v2, razer krakens etc?