Overall and Final Verdict
So let’s take a step back and take everything in now. When it came to comfort the Strix 7.1 was good for normal periods of time but during extended gaming the large size of the headset started to weigh on me. The pressure wasn’t too bad but got a little uncomfortable over time. Beyond that I had issues with our sample creaking and making sounds when moving around and when the suspension headband moved at all.
Audio performance is very dependent on what you plan on using the Strix 7.1 for. Audio performance was lacking but in game performance made up for it. The true 7.1 speakers make it impossible to get the best music performance but is also what sets the in game performance apart. The directionality is great and the different in game audio modes that Asus included really helped footsteps and gunshots stand out. Because of that I can really only recommend the Strix 7.1 if you are only planning on using the headset for gaming. I know for me I use my headset more for voice communications and play most of my music and game sounds through my actual speakers. Not being able to kick an earcup off makes doing this hard.
The base that the Strix 7.1 comes with is what really sets the headset apart for me. Having direct control of every aspect of the headset without having to run any software is awesome. In addition to that having quick access to a volume knob right on your desk and to be able to push down on the knob and mute everything quickly is much better than having to fight with audio controls while in game. I’m sure I’m not the only person who has had a game in full screen mode and had it flip out after alt-tabbing out to change my headset or microphone setting. Then of course I can’t ignore the lighting in the earcups as well, orange is clearly the way to my heart, so going orange for the lighting is always a plus on my part.
Currently finding the Strix 7.1 for sale anywhere is really hard to come by. If you look on Amazon you can find it for a crazy price of just over $400. If you look harder you can find it available on the UK Amazon website as well. Through that, paying for international shipping you can get the headset to your door for about $246 USD. Officially Asus says they will be listed for $199 here In the states once we start to see them available. That said even at the MSRP price I think it is priced out of range of its performance. At that price range you can find similarly priced gaming headsets that are also wireless. With that in mind I wouldn’t really put the Strix 7.1 on my list of headsets that I would recommend. This might actually be the first time I have ever felt like Asus missed the mark on a product, but knowing them they will take the feedback and come back soon enough with something even better. They aren’t exactly known for leaving things alone.
Amazon Link: HERE
