ROG Kithara Gaming Headset (90YH0470-BHAA00)

ASUS RoG Kithara is the best. I also have the Maxwell 2 and have barely used it.

I would recommend using a DAC/ amp, as planar drivers are just physically more difficult to move than dynamic drivers and extra juice really makes planars come alive, although the Kithara is more sensitive than most planars and thus is easier to drive than most. Something cheaper like a Topping DX1 or something similar from Fiio or Fosi would probably do the job just fine. Make sure it is a USB Audio Class 1 (UAC1) device so it is compatible with the PS5. PS5 isn't compatible with UAC2. I can tell you for sure the Schiit Gunnr works with both the PS5 Pro and Switch 2 because that is what I use.

I have both and definitely prefer the Kithara. I use with with my consoles, mostly PS5 Pro and occasionally a Switch 2 powered by a Schiit Gunnr. I have a much more high end setup for my PC, a HE1000se and EF600 and Shure MV7+.

I have the ROG Kithara for headphones but you need a DAC, not sure if you're willing to put up with wires

Buy rog kithara and fosi k7 beat them all have a nice day

I agree and add fosi k7 dac unbeatable

When it comes to gaming headsets I would go with something from a audio brand. There’s the asus kithara which are great, the maxwells are well regarded and Sennheiser has the. Pc38x too. I would not go with any 6x0 series from Sennheiser while they’re great for music they suck for gaming. I’d personally go with the kithara as you get a good all in one solution on which you can build a better setup later on. You have a headset with a mic which comes with a normal cable too if you add a desktop mic somewhere down the line. It comes with either 3.5mm connection for your motherboard or a USBC adapter for your pc so you don’t need a dac/amp. With the headphone cable you have 6.5,4.4 and 3.5 mm connection when you add a dac/amp (which I highly recommend for any headphone) The kithara itself is great for gaming, comes with all the hifiman goodies (nano membrane, stealth magnets) and is upper comfortable.

I 2nd almost everything you recommend for him, I own the kithara and love them, recommend them too. I also agree that 6x0 series headphones do not work well in gaming. But of what use is it for OP to tell him what’s possible outside his budget?

Yeah sure most of the time budget can be stretched a bit but for Arya you definetly need a dac/amp solution and Arya itself is 500-600$ this almost DOUBLES the needed budget which is too much. I’d personally go with the kithara I’d even take then over Aryas for the better comfort tbh.

Personally I’d go with 2 headphones at this budget. For music I run a Modhouse tungsten and for gaming the new asus kithara. In my experience a more expensive headphone does not equal better gaming performance and deminishing returns hits hard beyond ~500-600€. So I’d invest a good portion of the budget in some nice headphones for music paired with a nice dac / amp combo and some solid headphones for gaming. Coming to mind would be the above mentioned kithara, ananda nano or Arya stealth’s. I didn’t try hd 490 but they should be solid too. For music it highly depends on what you want. Warm or bright or even dark headphones? You could go with LCD X for darker headphones with good bass quality, or he1ks for something brighter. Also the tungsten’s are some of the best headphones out there if you can power them.

The Asus kithara b stock should be around your budget. They are a bit heavier as they are planars but the use a head strap suspension which distributes the weight really evenly. They have big cups for your ears and come with 2 cables (one with a mic and one without) and also 2 pairs of EarPads for some minor tuning option. If the kithara is too far above your budget you can go with a pair of 560s or 900 pro x. If you need a mic the pc 38x is also an option

The aryas used to be a >1k pair of headphones, then being sub 600 on the used marked and bstock is really good value. Also they are planars so they can be EQd really well, they have nice deep sub bass rumble, good soundstage and imaging and they are comfy. For this price the Arya stealths are someone the best headphones out there tbh. If you want to safe some money you can also try the new asus kithara (if you don’t mind the gaming look) as those are really close to the Aryas (they only lack the stage and some of the sub bass rumble which could be due to the Kitharas better seal tho)

Not really. I had both Arya and kithara (still have those tho) and they are pretty close. They have the same scoop between 1-2 k (which the ananda hasn’t, tho the kithara does not have that too with velour pads) and the overall treble is more tame on the kithara than on both ananda and Arya which is definetly audible. But all 3 are kinda the same more or less tbh but I like the kithara most for its comfort improvement, better overall package (better cable, multiple connectors, 2 pad options, better build quality)

I mean you could easily build the omega for about 150$ if you own a 3d printer. (If not and you’re located in Europe I could print the parts for you and send them to you). Basically omega are 6x0 with soundstage. They share the same qualities but fix the issues this series has. But I can totally understand the curiosity to try the OGs

Haha yeah tho the Kitharas are great so no need to hurry

Kithara is the most comfortable headset I’ve tried. I struggle with most headphones and can’t wear them for longer than an hour (sometimes even less), but Kithara I can wear for multiple hours. Let me know how you like them, and how do they compare to Maxwell 2 when it comes to comfort.

For what it’s worth, I have the ROG Kitharas, these are definitely not bass-heavy, and yet the clarity of the sound makes bass hit me more than my other headphones. It’s all subjective and depends on your taste.