Republic of Gamers (ROG) has released the ROG Cetra True Wireless earbuds. Featuring Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation and Gaming Mode, the Cetra True Wireless is designed for mobile gamers on the go.
Specifications
| Driver Type | 10mm neodymium magnet driver |
| Headphones Impedance | 32 ohms |
| Headphones Frequency Response | 20 Hz – 20 KHz |
| Microphone Pick-up Pattern | Omnidirectional |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Supported Platforms | PC MAC PlayStation® 4 PlayStation® 5 Nintendo Switch iPad iOS Android Bluetooth device |
| Active Noise Cancellation | Yes |
| Battery | 4.5 + 17 hours (ANC On) 5.5+ 21.5 hours (ANC Off) |
| Weight | Headphone (each side) 5g Charging case 42 g Total 52g |
What’s In The Box?
- ROG Cetra True Wireless
- Charging case
- USB-C charging cable
- Spare earbuds
- User guide
- Warranty guide
Design
The ROG Cetra True Wireless has an aggressive angular design, with LED accents in a perforated grille on each earbud. We have the white version for review, but there is also a black colour option. At the bottom lies an etched ROG word mark, while the monotone logo is placed at the top where you will find the touch sensors. The speaker itself is angled towards the ear canal, sealed off with silicone ear tips.
The charging case is rather diminutive, weighing at only 42g. It too shares the earbuds’ two tone clamshell design, and features both wireless and USB-C charging. Upon opening, you are greeted by the ROG logo in full RGB.
Comfort
The Cetra True Wireless comes with 3 different sized ear tips and should fit most ear canal sizes. Using the mediums, I managed to wear it snugly without it falling off. Despite the angular design, it does not get very deep into my ear canals, making it comfortable to wear during long hours.
User Experience
Using the Cetra True Wireless is largely a plug and play experience. Like other earbuds, I only needed to pair it with my device, and it is good to go. There is the Armoury Crate app that allows users to update the device firmware, check battery levels and adjust the sound profiles. You can also turn on Gaming Mode to reduce the latency via the app or by holding the right earbud.
The earbuds support varying levels of Hybrid ANC, which are Heavy ANC, Light ANC, Ambient Mode, and ANC Off. I find the Light ANC mode to be sufficient for daily commutes in public transport, while the Heavy ANC mode is great in noisy gym settings where you would usually expect loud music.
I do appreciate the angular design towards the top of the earbuds, as those are where the touch controls are placed at. I could easily find the spot, tap it and perform actions such as adjusting ANC levels, pause/ skip tracks, and more.
It also has IPX4 water resistance, so users can wear it to the gym with a peace of mind. Lastly, the battery life is great as well, I was able to get about 4 hours of battery life, and about 20 hours total with the charging case at moderate volumes and with Light ANC turned on.
Audio Quality
In short, the audio quality is excellent. Using the stock “Flat” sound profile, the bass and mids are balanced, and highs are pronounced. It sounds toward the warm side slightly, making it a popular tuning for most users. Turning the bass boost on makes the Cetra True Wireless sound muddy, so I would not recommend that.
While the Cetra is designed for gaming, it is also great as a daily driver for commutes and gym sessions. I tried listening to different music genres and it performed well with decent soundstage.
On the gaming front, it excels too. Soundstage reproduction is excellent, and with the Gaming Mode turned on, latency is barely noticeable.
In terms of supported Bluetooth codecs, you only get SBC and AAC, which is kind of disappointing especially considering aptX codecs are becoming more mainstream even on entry level devices.
Call Quality
The call quality of the Cetra True Wireless does not disappoint. Vocals are clear during calls, meetings and Discord voice chat as well. However, it does pick up some background noise like my cats meowing in the hallway.
Conclusion
Retailing at RM599, it may be hard to justify spending this much for a pair of Bluetooth earbuds. However, once you look at all bells and whistles of the Cetra True Wireless, such as good Active Noise Cancellation, balanced audio, low latency and a wireless charging case, it should at least be in your shortlist.
To learn more about the Cetra True Wireless, check out ROG’s official website here.
