We review the ASUS Strix DSP!

A few weeks ago we unboxed ASUS’ Strix DSP headphones, and since then we’ve been using them regularly with various games. Today we’ll be reviewing these massive gaming cans, and while they’re not exactly the coolest pair of cans aesthetically, they’re possibly the best pair of audio gaming gear you can buy under 6K.

The owl eye design is definitely not for everyone

If you haven’t noticed, the Strix DSP uses a rather unique design for its earcups. Folding both earcups up and looking at it straight on, you’ll see that the shape of the earcups as well as the drivers that are visible through the transparent cover resembles an owl looking straight at you. It’s definitely a unique design, and like most designs, it’s not for everyone.

Fortunately, whether or not you like the design you can’t deny that the build quality of the Strix DSP is outstanding. The frame of the headphones, as well as the plastic shell that houses the massive 60mm neodymium-magnet drivers is solid and well built. There’s a leather headband on the top in lieu of the typical adjustment bands on the headphones. On the left side you’ll see a jack for the detachable microphone.

Comes with an audio station that does most of the legwork

The Strix DSP comes with a USB audio station that does most of the magic for the headset. You see, the Strix DSP is advertised as being able to process 7.1-channel surround-sound audio to virtual 7.1 surround sound. The great thing about the audio station is that it doesn’t require software to be used – you just plug it in your PC, plug in the headphones to that and you’re good to go.

The audio station serves as the command center of headphones as it holds att the relevant controls. The large knob located on top controls the volume control and can be pressed for mute. There are two 3.5mm jacks on the audio station – one for the headphones and one for an external speaker that you can switch to. One nice feature that we liked is that you can control the mic volume directly from the audio station, via a small knob on the bottom that also controls the sound “spectrum”. In reality the sound spectrum is basically premade audio settings that have been optimized for different types of game genres – racing, RPG/action games and FPS shooters.

Excellent audio quality, considering it’s a gaming headset

As far as audio quality goes, the Strix DSP is a very good performer, especially when you consider it’s a headset built for gaming. Used with music we were surprised to see the amount of detail and clarity that it managed to deliver. It’s even more amazing with games – we played Dying Light, Red Orchestra 2, ARMA 3 and a whole host of FPS games where positional audio is important and we’ve got to say, the Strix DSP delivers. You can really distinctly hear where sounds are coming from thanks to the surround sound feature of the Strix DSP.

Aside from just plugging in a microphone for the Strix DSP, ASUS also included noise cancellation in the mix. There’s a built-in microphone in the audio station of the Strix DSP that picks up ambient noise and cancells them out when you speak. The results are in-game comms that are loud and clear, even if you have a fan pointed straight at your face.

Verdict: sweet gaming headphones that’s well worth the money

Some of you may think that the ASUS Strix DSP looks, well, ridiculous, and we’d agree: the owl design is a bit over the top for most sensibilities. But don’t let that fool you – it’s a ridiculously good pair of gaming headphones, and while it’s a bit more expensive than other gaming headphones in the market, priced at Php 5800, it’s definitely gaming gear that you’d want to invest in if you’re serious about gaming.