ROG Kithara Gaming Headset (90YH0470-BHAA00)

I didn't find it to be as close as the OP regarding detail, soundstage, ect., but nevertheless the tuning was very familiar, close enough that I can use my custom music and gaming EQ profiles I created for the HE1000se. A discount version of that for $299 plus some nice accessories definitely impressed me. The Kithara would be an incredible upgrade in sound quality from typical "gamer brand" headsets. A SteelSeries, Astro, or Turtle Beach to a Kithara would be a huge improvement that will shock some people. I think that is more the target audience, but I actually had a use for it as well for my consoles (PS5 Pro and Switch 2). The Kithara, particularly with at least a basic DAC/ amp, is genuinely entry level audiophile, not "gamer brand" headset, sound. I am using the Schiit Gunnr for consoles and EF600 for PC. https://preview.redd.it/cbkqq99d2rjg1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cfdea8e765cea2d2216c08f909448cc252856196

Hey, its good but they are big haha. For example when im wearing my hoodie which is rather loose and oversized. If I turn left or right it will touch my hoodie. Which is for me a slight annoyance. Compared to my Sennheiser HD490 comfort wise, slight edge to the HD490 as they are just smaller and lighter. But the build quality of the Kithara is good, premium feeling. Sound wise, the treble on the Kithara is slightly better, but HD490 is more neutral/balanced. This is on dac/amp Fosi K7. There is no real clear winner, both sound extremely well listening to music (rap/hiphop) and when gaming. Both headsets are really good and comfortable, but like I mentioned the Kithara is a big headset. If you don't have a separate mic I would go for the Kithara. Otherwise the HD490 as they are slightly more comfortable. Can't go wrong with either headset, Kithara more bang for your buck, though some will say 300 bucks aint cheap. I have decided to keep them, as I like the sound signature and its my first planar headset.

Quite funny seeing this thread now - I've had the 490s for a while and recently got the Kitharas to try out, partly because I fancied a change, saw all the praise for the Kitharas, but couldn't find that much direct comparison between them and the 490s (lots of Kithara vs all kinds of other brands and models of Sennheiser, not much vs 490 Pro). I spent a long time trying to gauge them objectively, and came to the same conclusion many do: Neither are outright "better". They have different design philosophies and traits and any areas they're better than each other are marginal - arguably the 490s have the edge on imaging, KItharas have the edge on detail because of those planars, and a few other tit-for-tat things. The Kitharas are certainly a great collab between Asus and Hifiman, it feels like what they came up with was better than the typical sum of their parts, hats off to the two of them for making a great product. However, except for when swapping between the two and immediately listening to exactly the same test, I was hard pressed to see benefit from either (and any other differences I had a preference for sound-wise I could just EQ out) - you almost certainly won't unless you're an esports pro min-maxing stuff, which you're probably not given you also want to listen to music on them :-) I'm ignoring a load of other things, e.g. Kithara has a mic and it's a bit of a fiddle to get a boom mic on the 490s; reputation of the vendors; repairability of the 490s; the weird headband tightness issue on the Kitharas (which is easily fixable); etc. etc. I initially decided to keep the Kitharas, but once I'd used them solidly for a few weeks I ended up returning them because of ergonomics: They are *heavy,* the cups are *big,* and the clamp force is light, which is an unfortunate combination. I have a big head, but if I leant to the side they'd clip my shoulder and shift, if I leant my head forwards or back they'd start sliding off. Don't underestimate the practical comfort of the 490s. The Kitharas also look goofy as all hell, but whatever. What did I end up keeping? The 490s, then I swapped those for some Heddphone D1s. They're an upgrade in sound (for my combo of preferences and use cases, but they really should be at nearly twice the price) and address the remaining niggles I had with the 490s. Endgame, for now :-) What would I recommend? Live with both for a week and put the others away. Sell/return the ones that you get on best with. There is no "better". Wiring: My desk is an Ikea Alex+Karlby combo, so I run a USB extension through the back of one of the taller drawers and keep the DAC (dongle not desktop, so I don't need to press buttons on it much/at all) and cans in there. When I'm using the headphones I grab them from the drawer and have the cable running through the gap at the front. It keeps the audio cable short, and I don't need to plug/unplug anything to get everything back to tidy.

So here is my journey. Beyerdynamic MMX330 Pro - Sounded nice but super uncomfortable ROG Kithara - Definitely very analytical sounding but sounded how a hospital looks. The peaks hurt my ears so badly and it sounded very open and empty. Music was not intimate at all Meze Audio 105 AER - Slightly uncomfortable and my left ear would rub against the driver. Sound was good but slightly still sharp and hurt a bit on peaks. sound was good but not mind blowing, as it still felt pretty open and empty Dan Clark Audio Noire X - Had it for about a week now, I think it is the one. Super comfortable, best sounding ive heard, super detailed but not empty, its a closed back but has better positional audio than many open backs. They have some sort of system inside called AMTS that makes it sound similar to an open back in terms of expansiveness but it has the intimacy of a closed back. Its my end game i think. And the ear cups are super deep in the back where my monkey ears need it. But obviously this is a headphone not a headset so you do need a separate mic.

i think it's subjective when i got my edition xs i was blown away by how much better i could pick out directions of sounds

I am comparing my Maxwell 1s to my new Kitharas and I can say the Kithara is cleaner sounding in games so you can discern footsteps a little better but the Maxwells overcome this with their louder volume so far. This is just in CoD multiplayer so it may vary by title. Both are awesome but if I can't figure out my volume situation with the Kitharas I may return them as the uplift isn't really worth $300 if you already have a good pair of headphones. The Maxwell are also better all around headphones for Music so keep that in mind. I am surprised the Maxwells didn't wow you. They were my first Planar Magentic headphones and I was floored in single player games. Very immersive.

Hey OP, I just got mine and am using it with a Focusrite 2i2. It's just not as loud as the Maxwell 1 for some reason. Wondering if you have any advice or is this just how it is?

If you use the dongle for this headset, you will likely notice a significant boost in sound quality from a typical gamer headset but it lacks volume. I have the Maxwell 1 and can tell the difference between closed back and Open back sound now. I wouldn't say the Kithara are totally better but they do win at surfacing those smaller details. The Maxwell has more bass as many have noted and really good at bringing out detailed sound too. I decided to try plugging in the Kithara’s to my Scarlett 2i2 4th gen and got a volume and slight quality boost (with white noise) but I still would not put it much over the Maxwell 1s all around.  Here’s where things changed; I got a DAC/AMP. I got a FiiO K13 and not only did the volume ceiling get much higher, the sound got cleaner albeit at a price most would probably opt for just going with the Maxwell 2s.  On its own, its an open back Maxwell as far as gamers are concerned. With a DAC it is what I imagine is entry level the the typical Hifiman line up for audiophiles. It makes me curious to hear what an Arya stealth would sound like but I’m also hesitant due to price and apparently poor build quality.

Just got my hands on the ROG Kithara x Hifiman yesterday.. and after some serious hours of music + gaming… I think I really dig this headphone. Especially coming from the recent Audeze Maxwell, this surprised me in many ways. Technical performance is very close to the HIFIMAN HE1000 Stealth, but with better imaging accuracy and MUCH better build quality. I may bravely say… more premium. 😅 All tests are done using the Hybrid pads, paired with FiiO QX13 + Estick + Desktop Mode + PC. Keeping it brief but in-depth: Great experience. Once opened, you’re greeted with a thank you card with the unit frequency measurements. I’ve seen others with different readings, so unit variation is definitely a thing. Take my words with a grain of salt your unit may sound slightly different. Accessories 2 pairs of pads: Pre-installed Hybrid pads (nice cosmetic pleather outer + comfy feel) Velour pads 2 cables: In-line mic cloth-sleeved cable with USB-C DAC adapter 4-braided modular cable (3.5mm, 6.3mm, 4.4mm balanced) Honestly? Nothing more I could ask for… except maybe a carry case or bag. Build Quality By far the best I’ve seen from Hifiman (probably strong input from the ROG team). Full metal construction I believe. Feels sturdy, solid, and premium. The all-black accent looks super clean. The design caught my attention and I ordered it straight away. Comfort Very comfortable. I barely feel the weight after wearing it. Surprisingly, the cups are about 1cm shorter than the usual egg-shaped Hifimans. Good news? No more jaw pressure. Clamping force is low–medium. Don’t lean forward too much or it might slide. 😅 Wore it 4 hours straight this morning with ease. Pads are very soft (not that high rebound memory foam feel). Ear cavities are roomy ears and don’t touch anything inside. Sound Impressions Bass Well extended and clean. Slightly lean — but that might be because I came from Audeze Maxwell recently. Bass quantity feels similar to the HE1000se and just a bit shy of the HE1000 Stealth. The mid-bass bump helps with the body, so it doesn’t sound thin compared to the well bodied Maxwell. Mids It leans slightly bright like most egg-shaped Hifimans, but my unit doesn’t seem to have that 1–2khz dip (based on the measurement card). Vocals are engaging. Clarity is outstanding. For me, the mids are the highlight. Probably why it performs so well in gaming — footsteps are easy to discern and gunshots have great bite. Excellent overall. John Wick 3 sounds so good in the Continental gun fighting scenes. Treble Not sure if it’s the pairing, but treble is never harsh. Very resolving with fine nuances and details, yet never forced. Still has sparkle. Again unit variation exists. Soundstage Coming from the HE1000 Stealth, this isn’t as wide, but depth is better. More 3D presentations. Height is slightly behind, but maybe the game I played didn’t showcase that well. Open to game recommendations that highlight vertical imaging! Imaging Very accurate. Even more precise than the HE1000 Stealth in my opinion. Almost feels like cheat mode in gaming. 😂 Directional cues (far back left/right) are super easy to pick up. Maxwell is harder to discern in comparison. Final Thoughts This headphone honestly changed my perspective on “good headphone + super good price.” And honestly… it also makes current Hifiman pricing feel a bit overpriced in terms of build quality. If they can achieve this with ROG, they should push this level into their future lineups. I know this is a long post already 😅 But at this price? I really think everyone should give it a try. Highly recommended. The build quality alone will blow you away. I’ve added some notes in the photos for more details. PS: The mic is functioning well, tried discord with my son .he said my voice sound exactly like real life. So nothing to complain. Im using the mic further from my mouth. Till then, Enjoy and have a great weekend!