ASUS ROG Cathara Review: Planar Magnetic Sound With a Few Caveats

Introduction

The ASUS ROG Cathara is a gaming headset that stands out for one major reason: it uses planar magnetic drivers, the same technology found in high-end audiophile headphones. This is a collaboration with a well-known audio company, and it shows in the tuning and the included accessories. At $299 US, it sits on the higher end for a gaming headset, but it is priced more like a mid-tier audiophile headphone.

The Cathara uses 100mm planar magnetic drivers with a membrane sandwiched between magnets. This design typically offers lower distortion, a wide soundstage, and deeper, faster bass response. The trade-offs are that planar magnetic drivers are more fragile than traditional dynamic drivers, and they can be power-hungry to sound their best. That power requirement turns out to be a key consideration for this headset.

Who This Product Is For

The Cathara is an open-back headset, which means it lets a lot of outside sound in and also lets your audio leak out. It is essentially two small speakers on your ears that play as loudly outside the headset as they do inside. This makes it best suited to a quiet environment where you do not need to block out background noise.

It is also a wired headset, not wireless. The box includes a flexible braided cable with a microphone and inline controls, terminating in dual 3.5mm plugs for audio and mic. There is also a dual 3.5mm to USB-C adapter, which acts as a DAC. Because of this design, you cannot use the mic with a single 3.5mm input on a controller. The open-back design means the cable setup is intended to reduce cross talk, so other players do not hear your game audio through your mic.

Compatibility is broad: the headset works fully with PC, PlayStation, and anything that uses USB-C, such as Switch or mobile devices. You can still get audio from anything with a 3.5mm aux jack, but there is no mic support on Xbox.

Design and Build

The design of the Cathara looks similar to the audio company’s existing lineup. It has large egg-shaped ear cups and a metal frame with a wide extended headband made of leatherette, breathable mesh, and memory foam. At 430g with the mic attached, it is a heavier headset, but the frame is designed to minimize the feel of the weight.

One issue that stood out immediately is the tensioning on the floating headband. It is very weak, and the ear cups tend to slide down the face due to gravity. There are tiny screws on each side that can be tightened, but this needs to be done carefully to avoid stripping or breaking them. This mostly corrected the issue, but there are still times when the headset moves to the next adjustment with very little force. ASUS is aware of this and states that adjustments have been made for the mass-produced version.

The headset comes with two pad options, both of which are enormous. The leatherette and mesh pads are installed by default. They are a little more breathable and supposedly a little brighter in sound. The openings are 45x80mm and angled, with 20mm depth at the front and 28mm at the rear. A set of velour pads is also included. These are softer and intended to have a warmer sound, with openings of 50x85mm and the same angled depth. The pads use plastic clips around the edges, so swapping them requires care to avoid snapping or deforming the clips.

Overall, the headset feels durable because there is not a lot to the frame design. The frame appears to be all metal, with plastic only on the outside of the ear cups. Once dialed in, the headset is comfortable, with plenty of pivot on the cups and a full 90-degree swivel. That said, it may not suit people with very small heads, given the size of the ear cups and the low clamping force.

Sound Quality and Gaming Performance

The Cathara measures exceptionally well in left-to-right channel matching, which translates to great directional performance in gaming. The tuning is very flat, with light bass compared to the Harman curve where most people prefer their bass. With the velour pads, the sound is smoother, with less of a dip at 1.5kHz and less of a bump at 3kHz. The velour pads are the preferred option for a more natural presentation.

For music listening, the bass is fine for most genres that are not bass-heavy, but there is no sub-bass. Rap and EDM tracks can feel lackluster. However, like other planar magnetic headphones, the Cathara responds extremely well to EQ. You can load up an EQ tool and bring in plenty of bass when needed.

For gaming, particularly competitive play, the stock tuning is solid. Directional cues are great, the soundstage is wide, and detail retrieval is impressive. Distortion is low across the board. There is a slight metallic timbre when listening to music, which is not uncommon for planar magnetic drivers, but the overall presentation is very enjoyable.

Microphone Performance

The microphone sounds decent when used through the USB-C DAC. Tones are fairly natural, with basically no noise floor, but there is some compression artifacting and it sounds a bit nasal. The signal is cleaner than a wireless mic would be, but it is still clearly a gaming headset mic.

One notable issue is that the mic is very sensitive, and it does not play well with certain DAC amps that lack mic gain adjustment. On a DAC amp with fixed gain, the mic can clip and distort even at low system volumes. This limits the options for amplification if you want to use the mic.

Amplification and Volume Considerations

The Cathara is power-hungry. On a PC motherboard’s 3.5mm jacks, the volume is not nearly enough. There is plenty of volume from a MacBook Pro’s 3.5mm jack, but on a Windows 11 PC using the included USB-C DAC, volume is hit or miss depending on the game or app. Some games have more than enough volume, while others are borderline at max. Music apps benefit from turning off volume normalization between tracks.

On iPhone, the USB-C dongle works well with no need to adjust normalization. On Android devices, turning off normalization is recommended to avoid listening at max volume. On PlayStation, volume is nearly maxed on most games, and the Xbox controller does a little better.

For many people, there simply will not be enough volume without a dedicated DAC amp. If you only need audio and not a mic, there are plenty of amp options starting around $99. But if you want to use the mic, the options are limited to DAC amps with mic input and adjustable gain. This adds cost and complexity for those who need more volume.

Buying Advice

The ASUS ROG Cathara is essentially a more affordable version of a premium planar magnetic gaming headset. At $299, it offers audiophile-tier sound with excellent detail, a wide soundstage, and strong EQ flexibility. The included balanced cable and swappable plugs are a nod to the audiophile space.

However, the value proposition depends heavily on how loud you normally listen. If you can get by primarily with the included USB-C DAC, you have a flexible system with an acceptable mic and a headphone that sounds really good. If you listen at high volumes, need a DAC amp, or do not need the mic, the value erodes quickly. In that case, a separate audiophile headphone with a USB-C mic might offer more flexibility.

Conclusion

The ASUS ROG Cathara is an exciting collaboration that brings planar magnetic sound to a gaming headset. It sounds great, responds well to EQ, and includes thoughtful accessories. The main drawbacks are the power requirements, the sensitive mic, and the weak headband tensioning on early units. If you have a quiet space and a suitable source, this is a compelling option. If you need more volume or simpler amplification, it may be worth looking elsewhere.