For the most part, the ASUS ROG Cetra II Core is a no-frills analog in-ear gaming headset. It's easy to drive, very versatile in terms of connectivity, and exceptionally practical to use on the go. Compared to a regular pair of in-ear headphones with an in-line remote control and a microphone, it boasts above-average build quality and a nice bundle of supplied accessories. These include a nice hard-shell travel case, dual 3.5-mm audio splitter cable you'll need it to connect the ROG Cetra II Core to your PC, three pairs of liquid silicone rubber ear tips, a pair of foam ear tips, and three pairs of liquid silicone rubber ear fins. The ear fins do a great job of keeping the headphones securely in place, making where and how you're using the ROG Cetra II Core completely worry-free.

In terms of sound performance, the ROG Cetra II Core is exceptionally bass-focused and as such primarily attractive to true bass heads. The bass on these is absolutely huge both in terms of depth and sheer magnitude. That makes the ROG Cetra II Core very suitable for modern and bass-heavy music genres, such as rap and EDM. The massive bass is accompanied by a boosted midrange and upper midrange, which was likely done to prevent the bass from ruining the detail retrieval and vocal presence. The higher frequencies don't sound shrill or fatiguing; if anything, they're fairly tame, especially compared to the rest of the frequency spectrum.

All of this results in a fun and engaging, but fairly unbalanced sound signature. If you want your games to sound loud, dramatic, and over the top, the ASUS ROG Cetra II Core will help you achieve exactly that. On the other hand, I can't recommend it for games where accurate spatial positioning is very important, such as multiplayer first-person shooters. The monstrous bass and boosted midrange result in too much chaos and confusion there and get in the way of keeping you properly informed about your in-game surroundings.

To sum it all up, if you're a true bass-head who doesn't play multiplayer shooters on a competitive level and looking for an in-ear gaming headset, the ASUS ROG Cetra II Core is worth considering. If you don't recognize yourself in that description, spend your money elsewhere.