ASUS Unveils ROG Centurion 7.1 Headset with HDMI Input
ASUS showed off its flagship gaming headset, the Republic of Gamers (ROG) Centurion 7.1. This headset lets you have true 7.1-channel audio even when you don't have 8-channel analog jacks, the headset takes input from HDMI ports. Almost all modern graphics cards and motherboard integrated graphics solutions these days come with 7.1-channel digital audio routed through HDMI. This headset lets you plug into those, so you can enjoy some of the DSPs exclusive to those solutions, instead of ASUS having to certify its USB DACs with them. NVIDIA, for example, recently added Dolby Atmos to its GPU-integrated audio through a recent driver update. Both NVIDIA and AMD support top of the line DSPs.
The headset feature 10 independent sound drivers - 40 mm fronts, 40 mm (low-tuned) sub-woofer, 30 mm centers (there have to be one in each ear), 20 mm sides, and 20 mm rears. ASUS guarantees at least 90% environmental noise cancellation, although it didn't mention if it was an active setup (using destructive interference) or just good insulation. The drivers are powered by an ESS 9601 amplifier chip. Don't have an HDMI port to spare? No problems, just use the included DAC pod with a USB connection. You might not get access to the GPU's DSPs, but you still have good quality audio.
The headset feature 10 independent sound drivers - 40 mm fronts, 40 mm (low-tuned) sub-woofer, 30 mm centers (there have to be one in each ear), 20 mm sides, and 20 mm rears. ASUS guarantees at least 90% environmental noise cancellation, although it didn't mention if it was an active setup (using destructive interference) or just good insulation. The drivers are powered by an ESS 9601 amplifier chip. Don't have an HDMI port to spare? No problems, just use the included DAC pod with a USB connection. You might not get access to the GPU's DSPs, but you still have good quality audio.