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1 / 4ASUS
ASUS ROG Kithara
Sound
4.1/ 5
SoundMDAQS Overall4.1
1.05.0
At 4.1, its audio quality beats 48% of over-ear headphones we've measured.
Measured on 44 of the 240 we've cataloged.
Key specs
Connection Type
Wired 3.5mmMost commonWired-3.5mm48%Bluetooth44%Wired-usb-c7%Others1%
Wired-3.5mm is the most common — on 48% of the 215 over-ear headphones we've cataloged (of 240).
Weight
420 gAbove average420 g
132 g420 g
above average for over-ear headphones — based on 195 of 240 we've cataloged.
Connectivity
- Connection Type
- Wired 3.5mm
- USB Charging
- No
Design
- Weight
- 420 g
- Color Options
- Black
- Foldable
- No
- Headband Type
- Adjustable over-head
Build
- Material Chassis Primary
- Aluminum with metal plate
Sound
- Acoustic Design
- Open-back
- Driver Size
- 100 mm
- Driver Type
- Planar magnetic
- Frequency Response
- 8-55000 Hz
- Frequency Response High Hz
- 55000 Hz
- Frequency Response Low Hz
- 8 Hz
- Impedance
- 16 Ω
- Max Spl
- 94 dB SPL
Battery
- Battery
- No
Microphone
- Microphone
- Yes
- Noise Reduction Type
- Passive noise isolation
- Type
- Full-band MEMS microphone
Release
- Msrp Usd
- 299 USD
SoundGuys review
Read the full review ›SOUNDGUYS rating
Reviewed byJhaycee CalvezVideo Producer/WriterReviewed February 2026
7.1/ 10
RecommendedComfort & fit8.5
Connectivity6.5
Design8.0
Portability5.0
Value7.5
The verdict
The ROG Kithara is a high-end studio headphone that comes with a removable boom microphone and lots of connectivity options. With an open-back design and planar magnetic drivers, you get excellent sound quality, though it is certainly different than a traditional gaming headset. To those who are curious, this may well be a great upgrade from the bog-standard gaming headsets.
✓What we like
✓Reference-grade sound quality
✓Excellent microphone
✓Swappable cable terminations
✕What could be better
✕Short wire for desk use
✕Not ideal for FPS games
Lab data
How we test ›Objective measurements from the SoundGuys test lab — overlay other models to see how this one compares.
ASUS ROG KitharaSoundGuys Headphone Preference Curve
Measured frequency response (dB) against the SoundGuys house target — the dashed curve. The closer the measured line tracks the target, the more neutral the tuning; peaks ride above the target, dips fall below it.
Frequency response — measurement data
| Frequency (Hz) | Response (dB) |
|---|---|
| 20 | -3.2 |
| 25 | -2.8 |
| 32 | -2.6 |
| 40 | -2.3 |
| 50 | -1.7 |
| 63 | -1.4 |
| 80 | -1.2 |
| 100 | -1.3 |
| 125 | -1.6 |
| 160 | -1.9 |
| 200 | -2.5 |
| 250 | -2.9 |
| 315 | -2.3 |
| 400 | -1.9 |
| 500 | -1.6 |
| 630 | -0.6 |
| 800 | -0.8 |
| 1000 | 0.1 |
| 1250 | 0.1 |
| 1600 | -1.4 |
| 2000 | 1.5 |
| 2500 | 6.0 |
| 3150 | 9.8 |
| 4000 | 8.3 |
| 5000 | 4.8 |
| 6300 | 9.9 |
| 8000 | 6.7 |
| 10000 | 1.5 |
| 12500 | -0.9 |
| 16000 | -4.1 |
| 20000 | -10.9 |
ASUS ROG Kithara
Passive isolation (dB) with ANC off — how much ambient noise the fit blocks on its own. Higher on the chart means more attenuation.
Passive isolation — measurement data
| Frequency (Hz) | Attenuation (dB) |
|---|---|
| 21 | -1.2 |
| 26 | 0.3 |
| 33 | -0.1 |
| 41 | 0.1 |
| 52 | -0.2 |
| 65 | -0.0 |
| 82 | -0.1 |
| 103 | -0.0 |
| 130 | -0.1 |
| 163 | -0.2 |
| 205 | -0.1 |
| 259 | -0.3 |
| 325 | -0.2 |
| 410 | -0.6 |
| 516 | -0.8 |
| 613 | -1.3 |
| 772 | -1.7 |
| 972 | -2.1 |
| 1220 | -0.9 |
| 1540 | 1.6 |
| 1940 | 3.8 |
| 2440 | 4.1 |
| 3070 | -5.0 |
| 3870 | -2.8 |
| 4870 | 4.5 |
| 6130 | 5.1 |
| 7720 | 8.4 |
| 9720 | 8.1 |
| 12200 | 3.0 |
| 15400 | 1.8 |
| 19400 | 9.3 |
ASUS ROG Kithara
4.3
3.6
3.1
4.1
Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Scores (1–5), modeled from the measured response. Higher is better across timbre, distortion, and immersiveness — add other models to see where this one lands.
Related comparisons
Browse all versus ›See how the ASUS ROG Kithara stacks up against the competition.
Features & Opinions
More from the team ›Commentary and deep dives from the SoundGuys editorial team.
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Tom TriggsContributor
Christian ThomasEditor-at-large5 ways headphones are going to change in 2027Here's where things are headed.Christian ThomasEditor-at-largeWired vs wireless headphones: Which should you buy?Wired headphones do not automatically sound better.Tom TriggsContributorMore Over-Ear Headphones
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