Whether you call it AI or just decent software, machine-learning noise cancellation is all the rage right now, and from Nvidia's RTX Voice to Discord's Krisp, the desire for clearer audio and reduced distraction in voice applications, especially during gaming, is clear. The desire for clearer sound and reduced distraction is obvious. Perhaps this is why Asus has also decided to enter this field with the Asus AI noise-canceling microphone adapter.

It is a relatively simple device. Measuring only 13 cm in length, the microphone adapter has a 3.5 mm jack on one side and a USB Type-C connection on the other. To use it, connect a PC, laptop, cell phone, or other device to the USB port. Next, pick up the 3.5mm wired gaming headset and plug it into the jack.

The dongle takes care of everything else. Noise cancellation is applied only to the microphone input, not to the playback device. The built-in 24-bit DAC delivers the output audio to your ears, whether it's a COD Warzone game or a conference call, and the built-in chipset takes the microphone audio input and uses its AI magic to make it clear.

So how does the Asus AI microphone adapter sound? The best way to experience the noise-canceling performance of this dongle is to put it to use. Luckily, we have created a video for that purpose. In this video, the Asus AI is at its best with ukuleles, pub sounds, vacuum cleaners, and coffee mills.

For those of you who can't watch this video or don't want to see this precious aspect of my kitchen, here are the basics.

The Asus dongle may be inferior to RTX Voice at times, but that's usually only when extremely cornered. That is, when you have dust in your face for as long as you can stand the stench. To be honest, I don't often find myself in that situation. Especially not a situation where you have to worry about whether or not your friends can hear you over the Discord. For most low-decibel background noise, the AI dongle works very well, with minimal loss of speech intelligibility.

And given that the AI Dongle does not require valuable resources on a PC to operate, this is quite impressive. It is a completely stand-alone kit, so there is no CPU or GPU usage due to its operation. This is unlike RTX Voice, the AI noise-canceling software bundled with RTX GPUs (and other useful workarounds). The Green Team app does increase the load on the PC, albeit minimally, but I would prefer not to have it at all.

It also has the advantage of being multi-device: whereas RTX Voice's functionality is greatly limited by the prerequisite (and unnecessary) GPU support, the Asus dongle is multi-device, especially with the included USB Type-C to If you consider the USB Type-A to USB Type-A adapter, it is multi-device capable. For those using cell phones without a headphone jack, it also doubles as a USB Type-C to 3.5mm jack adapter.

It is worth noting that Krisp, a software-based AI noise-canceling app, is the same one integrated into Discord and available across devices, providing another option if you are not concerned about hardware. However, this also depends on one's own device to run, as opposed to dedicated hardware.

The only major drawback of the Asus dongle is that you actually have to buy it; Krisp is free for up to two hours a week, and RTX Voice is ostensibly a free download as long as you already have the hardware to run it. Asus' AI noise-canceling microphone adapter costs £40 here in the UK, and we are tracking availability and pricing in the US.

At least Asus offers AI sound-busting technology in two of its headsets, the ROG Strix Go 2.4 and the ROG Strix Go.

So, is the ASUS AI dongle ideal for clean audio output? Well, that all depends on where you plan to use it. Even the smartest AI seems to have a hard time identifying you from the dusty motor sounds. Hopefully not, but you should be able to enjoy the audio relatively undisturbed by the AI's cleanup.

What sets this little dongle apart from its competitors is its portability and flexibility across devices, operating systems, and hardware. It is also a convenient alternative when you don't have Nvidia RTX graphics or don't want extra software on your PC.