ASUS STRIX 7.1 Review

👤by Tony Le Bourne Comments 📅05-06-15
Performance Testing

Setup, Design & Observations
The setup of the STRIX 7.1 headset was very easy due to the plug n play audio station, simply requiring 2x 2.0 USB ports from your PC/MAC to power up then a moment for your system to register the proprietary drivers. The functions of the audio station take a little getting used to, so reading the manual is advisable. The front dial controls the 'mode' while the top dial changes the function, so if set to 'main' the top dial alters the master volume, or you can press the top dial to mute the volume. There are functions for each audio channel, microphone, preset audio spectrum profiles and lighting mode. There is also a row of 4 buttons on the audio station that allow on the fly controls, including toggling between 7.1 and stereo modes, activating the headphone amp, muting the microphone, or swapping output source to the speakers which can be setup via the included HDMI - 3.5mm jack cable.

On wearing the STRIX headset the first thing noted was that the clamp strength seemed to be a little strong, though with the leather earpads and headband doing their thing, the comfort was good and didn't us cause any problems, though this could be exacerbated if you are on the larger side.



Multimedia
The downside to using the STRIX 7.1 in stereo mode was that you can no longer control each audio channel, combined with the plug and play drivers there was no real way to change the audio signature (without resorting to using one of the audio presets which are not ideal for music listening). Though by default the audio quality has a deep and rich bass with clear separation in the mids and highs. Some may find the maximum volume a little low without the use of the headphone amp switched on though some may prefer it to be louder still. Overall, listening to various music genres using the stereo mode was enjoyable, though this is not entirely the best means to test a 7.1 surround headset.

Playing a bit of Metro: Last Light, the STRIX 7.1 gave an eerie sense of direction as mutants run around you or picking up distant conversation. There is also a surprising difference between the claustrophobic environments and the open vastness of the surface. Testing it out in various other games, we take a look at the preset spectrum profiles. The gunshot mode certainly added some beef to gunshots by seemingly overpowering the bass, in contrast to the footstep mode which weakens the bass, allowing for better identification of footsteps. These profiles seem to be preset equaliser settings that skew the audio signature enough to sound 'strange', requiring a little getting used to. Though the presets seem to be a necessary addition when you consider that there is no supplied software in which a manual equaliser could be included.

In our testing, the directional/ spatial awareness aspect tended to seem pretty flat compared to the ROCCAT Kave 5.1 XTD and undecidedly better than a good virtual 7.1/ stereo surround solution. Though the separation in audio frequencies due to all those drivers did help with picking out and identifying sounds clearly without the addition of that hazy wash of static that many virtual solutions often tend to add. This again was similar when watching various movies (5.1 source is rendered as 5.1 in the headset), the soundstage seemed fairly limited and didnt give that impressive 'headturning' impression. Though this did not stop the STRIX 7.1 from providing and impressive experience, it does seem a little counter productive towards its selling point as a 'real surround headset'.

Microphone
The microphone was said to sound good and 'natural', however it did pick up a fair bit of background noise. Enabling the ENC on the audio station, there was a sharp reduction in background noises including almost entirely canceling the sound of me running my fingers back and forth over my keyboard as well as muting mouse clicks.


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