Build Quality & Comfort

The minute I noticed the Cerberus V2's dual-headband design and massive ear cups, I knew these were going to be comfortable to wear. As it turns out, I was right. The ear pads completely surround the ears and press against the sides of your head with satisfyingly soft, pleather-covered cushions. The clamping force has been carefully adjusted, which has the headset never feel too tight or move when it shouldn't; when you're angrily waving your arms around and cursing at your monitor because the enemy keeps outplaying you on the virtual battlefield, for example.

The dual-headband design isn't anything new or revolutionary. It's quite commonly used on hi-fi headphones and larger headsets. There's a good reason for that - it works.


The first headband is the one that sits on top of your head. In the Cerberus V2's case, it's made of flexible plastic and covered with memory foam and pleather. The clearly visible, colored stitching looks nice, as does the engraved "Cerberus" logo positioned on the outer side of the headband. Due to its flexibility and the ability to stretch as far as necessary - all the way up to the second, outer headband - the inner headband basically carries most of the weight of the devic, and it does so without you ever noticing. I had a couple five-hour gaming sessions while testing the Cerberus V2, and not once did I feel like there was something pressing against the top of my head while wearing it or after taking it off.


The second, outer headband is made of stainless steel and connects the outer sides of the left and right ear cups. According to Asus, it's 70% stronger than it was on the first Cerberus (let's call it the Cerberus V1 for simplicity's sake) while being 60% lighter and 50% thinner. Although its sturdiness is impressive, I must point out that it also transfers some ringing noise into the ear cups. You'll hear it right after you put the headset on, until you place your hand on the top of the outer headband to stop the metal from resonating. You'll also hear it while walking, at least when there's nothing playing - every footstep will result in an audible, metallic thump.

The solution is to simply never take the Cerberus V2 outside of your home even though Asus would like you to. With the aforementioned thumping and the fact that it's a rather bulky headset, you won't have much fun with it on the go, and you will look weird, like you misunderstood the whole concept of mobile headphones.


The ear cups are made out of a combination of matte and glossy black plastic. The glossy portion attracts fingerprints and dust like crazy, so you're in line for some vigorous wiping if you want your Cerberus V2 to always look nice. I would have been happier with a matte black design everywhere instead.


For added comfort and adjustability to various head shapes and sizes, the ear cups have been attached to a plastic joint that gives them a certain level of freedom to be tilted in all directions.

Overall, the Cerberus V2 is a comfortable and well-made headset with a couple minor quirks. I don't consider it suitable for outdoor use, but it has no trouble fitting inside anyone's game room. During longer gaming sessions, my ears got a bit warm, which suggests that the Cerberus V2 won't be particularly pleasant to use during the summer months, especially if your home isn't air conditioned. On the other hand, not many conventional closed-back gaming headsets will.