Technologies

These $130 Asus Gaming Headphones Get Almost Everything Right

The Asus ROG Pelta is a pair of fantastic gaming headphones at a great price.

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Asus ROG Pelta

$130 at Amazon

Pros

Sound great
Comfortable
Customizable sound
Affordable
Three connection modes

Cons

No noise cancellation
No Xbox support
Minimal headband adjustment

After reviewing the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 headset last year, I was impressed by just how much a good headset can improve the gaming experience. While headsets like the Stealth 700s are great, they’re also expensive. The ROG Pelta headphones from Asus, on the other hand, nail the basics while being more affordable.

I’ve been testing the Pelta’s for several weeks now and I’m quite impressed. They get just about everything right and only cost $130. That’s still a fair amount of money, but much of what you get with the Pelta is often only found on headsets that cost twice as much.

What I like about the Asus ROG Pelta

For starters, the 50mm titanium-plated drivers sound great. No matter what game I played, I heard everything clearly. Both music and movies sounded fantastic, almost as good as my $300 Sony XM3 headphones.

The best part is that with the Asus Armory Crate app you can customize the sound profile in detail. Asus gives you lots of options for tuning the headphones precisely to your liking, which is a welcome touch at this price. There are some custom profiles as well for those who just want to pick one and leave it. To be honest, I never felt the need to switch from the default settings during my entire time with the Peltas.

They’re also comfortable to wear. The earcups fit well over my ears, and the cushions are comfortable — more so than the Stealth 700s. They’re made of soft mesh material that gives them greater breathability than others I’ve used. They’re also very lightweight. There’s no carrying case, which is disappointing.

Microphone quality is also solid. I never had any teammates complain about not being able to hear me, and I even took a few video calls with them and didn’t have any issues. The mic is also removable, which is convenient, so it doesn’t get in the way when you’re not using it.

The 70-hour battery life (90 on Bluetooth) is quite decent, and you can get 3 hours of usage with 15 minutes of charging.

The Pelta’s can connect to PC, Mac, PlayStation, Switch and mobile devices via Bluetooth or a 2.4GHz USB-C dongle. There’s also an included USB-C cable with an adapter if you want to go the wired route. The odd part is that there’s no Xbox support.

What I didn’t like about the Asus ROG Pelta

The only real downside is that the headband is not telescoping, which means there are only three predetermined positions for adjusting the headset. This may not be a problem for most, but I have a small, weirdly shaped head and the Pelta never quite fit as snugly as I would have liked. I always felt like they would slip off at any moment. They never did, but it always felt like they were about to.

There’s also no 3.5mm headphone jack. I get that this is becoming more common these days, but it’s still annoying. There are still those of us who want a good analog connection from time to time.

Noise cancellation also doesn’t make an appearance, but that’s not uncommon on gaming headphones, especially at this price.

Should you buy the Asus ROG Pelta?

Overall, for $130, there’s really not much to dislike about the ROG Pelta headphones. They work with almost any device, sound great, have good battery life and are quite comfortable. If you’re looking for a good gaming headset that won’t have your wallet complaining, and you don’t have an Xbox, the Pelta’s should be high on the list.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for July 27, #307

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for July 27, No. 307.

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

I cleaned up on the purple category for today’s Connections: Sports Edition. Sports buffs who are also film fans should have the same experience. Read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is out of beta now, making its debut on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 9. That’s a sign that the game has earned enough loyal players that The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times, will continue to publish it. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but now appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can continue to play it free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Time-related.

Green group hint: Drive to survive.

Blue group hint: Retired and revered.

Purple group hint: Yo, Adrian.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Interval.

Green group: F1 Grand Prix locations.

Blue group: 2025 Baseball Hall of Fame class.

Purple group: Starts of boxing movies.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is interval. The four answers are period, spell, stint and stretch.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is F1 Grand Prix locations. The four answers are Abu Dhabi, Baku, Monaco and Monza.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is 2025 Baseball Hall of Fame class. The four answers are Allen, Parker, Sabathia and Suzuki.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is starts of boxing movies. The four answers are Cinderella, Million, Raging and Rocky.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Sunday, July 27

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for July 27.

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.

I set a new personal speed record for the Mini Crossword today. I was also delighted to learn a new word: psithurism. Can’t wait to drop that in casual conversation! Need a little help with today’s Mini Crossword? Read on. 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.