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It doesn’t quite feel like sounds are coming from behind you or around you, so we wouldn’t say that the 7.1 mode will give you any competitive advantage when playing games, as you won’t be able to pinpoint where footsteps or gunfire are coming from, other than from your left or right. The ROG Fusion II 500 has all the essential attributes that constitute a top-class gaming headset: great audio performance, usable surround-sound, a clever microphone setup that offers really good noise cancellation, comfort, and build quality. As far as those aspects are concerned, it’s good enough to compete with more expensive headsets, which is something of an accolade. Living without its flashing LEDs is a minor imposition, though, given that the ROG Fusion II 500 does the important jobs required of any gaming headset so well. It has plenty of tech under the hood which leads to a great sound: crisp, clear, and precise, yet with plenty of bass and punch. It leans more towards a neutral, realistic sound than some gaming headsets which can over-emphasize the bass in an attempt to sound dynamic. In contrast, the ROG Fusion II 500 just sounds effortlessly dynamic. The drivers themselves offer a wide frequency response of 20-40kHz, which should provide strong bass without washing out details.
The boom microphone is flexible too, and detaches completely should you need it to. The ear cups offer stereo sound with noise-isolating technology, giving you all the solitude that you need on the fly. In regards to the material used, the FUSION is made up of hard plastics and soft fabric, and in truth, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by it. I wouldn’t say this lightly, but the comfort that FUSION provides is high up there with the best of the best, especially the best of its price range. It’s a light weight set, but it doesn’t at all comprise its quality. Using the headphones in 7.1 mode, you can certainly hear a difference. In stereo mode the sounds seem to be confined to a horizontal plane, but with 7.1 turned on you're also able to distinguish sounds in the vertical plane; so if a noise is supposed to be above you – a passing aircraft for example – it will sound like it is. On the connectivity side, the Strix Wireless offers a plug-and-play experience for the most part, which isn’t always a guarantee with some wireless gaming headsets. When connecting to a Windows PC, you might need to wait a few moments for the PC to recognise what’s connected during first-time setup; PlayStation 4 users will enjoy an almost instant connection. One word of warning: slotting the compact USB dongle into the recessed front-facing ports of a PlayStation 4 console is likely to make retrieval a real pain.As for gaming, which is most likely what you'd be buying this headset for, the ROG Strix Fusion 700 performs very well, with the audio detail in particular impressing us in the range of titles we played while wearing it. Again, though, the bass isn’t that prominent, which means you’re not getting the skull-shaking impacts you sometimes get with gaming headsets.
As for compatibility, with the bundled USB-C cable, 3.5mm cable and USB-C to USB-A adapter, the Fusion II 500 is said to work with practically anything – be it a PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, or Nintendo Switch. Connecting the headset to either my PC or Series X was a doddle, and it worked absolutely fine. Sound and Mic Quality If you want to swap out the bundled protein leather ear cups for another set, then Asus has been generous enough to throw in a second pair in the box; they’re made of a more breathable foam mesh. Personally, I preferred these in testing, even if the leather ones do feel a little plusher. As for its construction, the Fusion II 500 is pretty well made, although in contrast to other headsets, it can feel a little bit plastic. Perhaps the inclusion of some more metal would have helped to make the Fusion II 500 feel more premium. Nevertheless, the plastic used is hard-wearing and smooth to the touch, and feels decent overall. The Asus ROG Fusion II 500 is the brand’s latest wired gaming headset and it’s been designed with the audiophile-level gamer in mind. In the world of gaming peripherals, however, this doesn’t mean a huge amount. More often than not, subtlety is in shorter supply when this particular brand of product design is on the table.The Fusion Wireless fills a void that the rest of Asus’ ROG Strix Fusion headset lineup has failed to occupy thus far. Adding a capable wireless option brings more versatility to the family as a whole, while also giving fans of the brand a new option worth considering. What this mode does well is further enhance atmospherics. While bullets don’t seem to whizz overhead, large, cavernous buildings feel even larger, and ambient noises help make your games even more immersive.
I immediately noticed the fabric cable and was pleased. I’ve always preferred these cords opposed to the ‘ pinch‘ and tear prone standard rubber/plastic cords. It features some sharp audio courtesy of its 50mm drivers, hi-res audio support and it looks pretty good, too. You’re free to use this on the PlayStation, PC/Mac, Wii U, and just about any device in between. It’s clear from the get-go that the FUSION means business. It’s sturdy, it’s resilient, and it’s utterly comfortable. The FUSION’s headband is soft but strong, with a field of adjustment that allows for a great deal of flexibility. The headset’s functionalities are tethered to the left cup, providing you swift access to both volume adjustment and a mute button. The volume adjustment is served as a wheel that you’ll turn left and right as needed. You’ll notice also that there isn’t a pronounced and detachable boom mic on the Fusion II 500, unlike a lot of other gaming headsets. That’s because the functionality sits inside the headset, with Asus using what it calls ‘AI Beamforming Microphones’ that feature some intriguing AI noise-cancelling tech. Considering the price Asus is asking for the ROG Strix Fusion 700, it needs to offer seriously impressive audio quality – and on paper it certainly looks like Asus has put a lot of thought and effort into making sure this headset sounds good.
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As for the microphone, it’s a usable albeit uneventful ingredient in the Strix Fusion Wireless’s recipe. Without prompting, recipients to my sultry tones neither complemented nor complained that they could or couldn’t hear me. The flexible nature of the boom ensures you can perfectly align the microphone to your mouth, and the ability to physically flip it up to mute it is a nice bit of tactile design. Since there’s no ENC (electronic noise cancellation) onboard, it’s doubly important that the ‘airtight chambers’ that Asus likes to shout about within the Strix Fusion line offer respectable amounts of passive noise cancellation too. Why buy the Asus ROG Strix Fusion Wireless?
However, the Asus ROG Strix Fusion 700 excels at atmospherics, really bringing out sounds that can often be overlooked or lost in the mix with more bombastic headsets, such as footsteps and falling bullet casings. 7.1 surround So it should be set up to pump out some impressive audio, and in our time with it we were indeed impressed. Music sounded clear and vibrant, and while the bass wasn’t quite as punchy as we’d been led to expect, the clarity and detail on offer were impressive. We’ve yet to be really impressed with virtual surround sound, and so far nothing has come close to replicating the setup of a physical surround sound system. The Asus ROG Strix Fusion 700 is sadly no exception, but there are some nice aspects that can add to your enjoyment. Of course, it’s all very well having a headset that looks the part, but if it doesn’t sound good, then you’re a little bit stuffed. Well, I’m pleased to report that the ROG Fusion II 500 sounds brilliant. The inclusion of the Armoury Crate software also opens up many more audio-based avenues for you to explore with the Fusion II 500, including a bass boost and another function for increasing vocal clarity. You can even add some reverb to the audio, which isn’t something I’ve seen in gaming software before.
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Asus even throws in a second set of ‘hybrid’ ear cups that feature a mix of both leatherette and mesh in their design. In my experience, these offer a similar level of passive noise suppression compared to the standard ear cups that come fitted to the Fusion Wireless out-the-box, but they also help minimise heat (and by association sweat) build-up too. I also tried connecting it to my mid-2015 MacBook Air, and aside from the volume indicator briefly showing up on-screen, nothing actually came of plugging the dongle into the USB slot. Even diving into the audio input and output settings yielded nothing – but, on paper, the Strix Wireless supports Mac too. With the Fusion II, however, it makes a pronounced difference. Your sense of placement is certainly heightened, making it far easier to pinpoint exactly where your enemies are hiding in CS:GO, for instance. As for musical performance, turning on the surround sound allowed for that thumping bass to come through, although it presented with sufficient nuance to neither override or drown out the still-balanced mids and highs. Throwing the Fusion Wireless on and off my head between bouts of Fortnite solidified how surprisingly sturdy and well-built they felt. Despite not looking like the most premium headset out there, I can attest to its resilience. I’d only question how well the outer faces of those ear cups will fair after being repeatedly shoved in a bag, assuming you’re one to travel and game regularly. Recent years have seen a trend towards gaming headsets becoming more minimalistic in their design, and the Asus ROG Fusion II 500 epitomises that. There’s no doubt it’s a great-looking headset, presenting a nice blend of smooth curves and sharp edges on the ear cups.
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