As a more casual gamer, I used to just play games with my computer speakers or sound bar, never bothering with gaming headsets. I would grab a cheap Microsoft or similar knockoff when I played with friends, but that was about it. That all changed when I got my first real gaming headset a couple of years ago. Now, my eyes (or ears, technically) have been opened. The better sound, and being able to hear everything around you including footsteps, really is a game-changer. Asus recently released two gaming headsets, the budget-focused ROG Pelta and the higher-end Delta II. I enjoyed my time with the Pelta (review coming soon), but is the Delta II worth the upgrade?

What I like about the Asus Rog Delta II 

The first thing I noticed about the Delta II was how lightweight they were. At only 318g, they almost disappear on your head. That’s quite a welcome change from the hefty Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 3s I reviewed last year, but those are also a far less expensive. Asus gives you two separate ear cushions for the Delta II: a breathable mesh set and a faux leather set. I was worried the leather might get sticky if I got hot or sweaty, but so far it hasn’t been an issue (I live in South Texas, so hot and sweaty is a way of life).

The ear cups are triangular-shaped, but they still fit my ears just fine. My biggest issue is that the headband doesn’t adjust much, so it always felt like the headphones were about to fall off my smallish head. I had to tilt the band closer to my forehead when reclining just to keep them on. I suppose that means my head is smaller than average (not surprised), but it’s still annoying. Also, only the top half of the headband has foam on it, and what’s there is pretty thin. It was never a problem for me, since it didn’t sit fully on my head — but other reviewers have noted it can be uncomfortable.

Aside from the thin foam and large fit, the Delta II feels very well built. There’s no squeaking or anything, as you’d hope for the price. Sadly, they don’t fold up for more portability, but you can at least turn the ear cups to lay flat.

The best part of the hardware is the tri-mode connectivity, which means you can use the included 2.4 GHz wireless dongle (USB-C), Bluetooth or a cable to connect to your devices. Asus’ Dual Flow technology allows you to get audio from two sources simultaneously. So, for example, while you’re gaming on your PC you can still hear notifications coming in from your phone. They work wirelessly with PS5, PC and mobile devices, but unfortunately, the only way to use them with Xbox is with a 3.5mm audio cable.

The detachable microphone sounded just fine for gaming chats, but I wouldn’t recommend it for anything professional. Since it’s a gaming headset, there’s RGB lighting, of course.

Decent audio, as long as you don’t want to customize it

The audio from the Delta II is pretty solid. Games sounded crystal clear and full. I could hear all the footsteps and everything I needed to. If they’re the only headphones you have, they’ll do fine for music, movies, podcasts, and more — just don’t expect mind-blowing quality. If you’re going to use them primarily for gaming, you’ll be perfectly happy.

However, if you’re someone who likes to tweak the audio or play with sound profiles, you might end up pretty frustrated — and that’s purely because the Amoury Crate app is simply bad. First of all, to make any changes to the headphones you have to restart your computer for them to take effect. I also discovered that changing anything — and for some people even just having the app installed — can cause bugs within Windows that make the headphones sound awful. I had to completely uninstall the app to get decent audio again. Now I have a bug where there’s a very noticeable click while gaming.

The app also constantly asks if you want to install a little AI «pet» and other features every time you boot it up. It’s very annoying and honestly, it’s best to just skip the app. The Delta II’s default Flat configuration was fine for me while gaming. If you really want to fine tune your audio experience, I recommend you look elsewhere.

A tad cheaper and it’d be an easy recommendation

There’s a lot to like about the Delta II. They sound great, are pretty comfortable (as long as you don’t have a tiny head) and offer several awesome features. However, the horrible Armoury Crate experience, coupled with the fact that they don’t stay on my head and their $260 list price, makes it hard for me to recommend them. If they were closer to around $200, I could more easily forgive those shortcomings. After all, when you pay this much for a gaming headset, they should at least stay on your head.

Picking up a new pair of wireless headphones is always exciting, especially when you can get them at a great price. We’re huge fans of noise-canceling headphones because they’re great at stopping the outside world from getting in the way of your aural entertainment.

One brand we’re always keen to recommend is JLab, and right now you can pick up the JLab JBuds Lux ANC headphones for just $68 when you enter the discount code J706N4OD003T at checkout. This Fourth of July deal won’t hang around forever, though, so make sure to get your order in while it’s still live.

Four different colors are available for you to choose from, including graphite, cloud white, mauve and sage. Spoiler, you should choose cloud white — they’re gorgeous.

Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money.

These over-ear headphones offer noise cancellation, have 40mm drivers to deliver solid depth and clarity for the price and can deliver up to 70 hours of playback on a single charge. There’s also an awareness mode when you need to be more alert in your surroundings. And with noise-canceling mics, you’ll also be able to use these during calls without background disturbances interrupting you.

Not really what you’re looking for? That’s okay, we have a whole roundup of the top deals on headphones and earbuds that are live right now. Check out our list of the best Fourth of July tech deals for some time-limited discounts, too.

Why this deal matters

A great pair of wireless headphones can really make working in a noisy office more tolerable. The same can be said for commuting on public transit or just walking around a busy city, too. At this discounted price, you can’t go wrong here, especially considering the support for advanced features like ANC.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s Mini Crossword wasn’t too tough, although there are a couple of different ways to go on some of the clues. Need the answers? Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

The Mini Crossword is just one of many games in the Times’ games collection. If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Clean with elbow grease
Answer: SCRUB

6A clue: Fruit to which wrinkly fingers are compared
Answer: PRUNE

7A clue: «Meenie miney» preceder
Answer: EENIE

8th A clue: Light bulb units
Answer: WATTS

9A clue: «Meenie miney» follower
Answer: MOE

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Erupt with force
Answer: SPEW

2D clue: Doughnut filling
Answer: CREAM

3D clue: Total, as expenses
Answer: RUNTO

4D clue: Come together as one
Answer: UNITE

5D clue: They’re often abuzz about coneflowers
Answer: BEES