One of my biggest complaints about the wireless ROG Cetra earbuds is that they force me to install Armoury Crate on my phone; thanks to Asus' reliable motherboards, Asus' bloated software on my home and office gaming PCs. installed, and I don't want it installed on my phone either.

Thankfully, I don't have to, as almost all of the major settings on the Cetra earbuds are accessible via touch controls on the buds themselves. Various levels of active noise cancellation (ANC), gaming modes, pause, play, skip, etc. can all be controlled by touch or long press.

The app really only needs luxuries like bass boost, virtual surround sound, and EQ and sound optimization settings, as none of these features are available when connected to the Steam Deck (opens in new tab) via Bluetooth 5.0 connection.

However, whether connected to a PC, laptop, Steam Deck, or phone, the ROG Cetra TWS (open in new tab) Buds provide a problem-free audio experience, with a wide range of features that rival the best on the market. I love the auto-cutout feature offered by the JBL Quantum (opens in new tab) and Creative Outlier Pros (opens in new tab). This saves battery power and means that I can just pull the buds out of my ears and they pause immediately. It then automatically resumes when you put it back in your ear canal.

But the ROG Cetra TWS is still a good set of earbuds... But not great earphones.

For me, where the Cetra earbuds fall down is the actual sound quality: the ANC is good, the connection is robust and quick to set up on any device. Game mode can be activated with a quick touch and is as quick and reliable as you could ask for in a wireless bud.

I am also addicted to the little charging case. It adds another 17 hours (21+ hours with ANC disabled), and the sleek little box makes it easy to place in the palm of your hand and out of the way in your pocket. The same cannot necessarily be said for the Bud itself. In other words, it has the angular design characteristic of Asus gaming devices, which I don't really like. While not the sharp-angled red and black Bud that I had hoped for, it is still not the most desirable design in my eyes.

Its angular design is at least effective. I've struggled with touch controls on earbuds for a while, and prefer the reassurance of physical buttons when I can't actually see what I'm about to hit. If there is something to actually press, I know where I am. However, the sharper edges of the cetera make the flat surface of the touch-sensitive surface clearer and easier to find with just a fingertip.

As a result, activating game mode, switching noise cancellation levels, or even performing one-touch play/pause commands becomes a mercifully easy task. This is not true of all the earbuds I have tested recently.

Sadly, the sound quality is a bit iffy.

Tweaking the EQ settings to shift away from the default flat EQ makes everything feel very superficial and level. Curiously, for a gaming set, it seems to be tuned closer to the high frequencies, and the low frequencies lack power; you can enable Bass Boost in the Armoury Crate, but it muddies up the otherwise clear sound.

The sound lacks depth, which is disappointing whether playing games or listening to music. Ultimately, it is this weak audio that makes the ROG Cetra TWS just an excellent wireless earpiece rather than a world-beater.