ASUS ROG Fusion II 500 Headset Review

ASUS has a long history of high-end PC gaming headsets, and with the release of their new ROG Fusion II 500, it looks like that trend is set to continue! Their latest effort is very well equipped to deliver high-resolution audio, surround sound, and the obligatory RGB. Sure, it won’t be particularly cheap, but if you want something that ticks virtually every box, the ROG Fusion II 500 certainly looks like a contender.

ASUS ROG Fusion II 500

The headset promises to deliver high-resolution audio, and with its ESS 9280 Quad DAC design, powerful 50mm ASUS Essence Drivers, and virtual 7.1 surround sound, it should sound pretty special. Furthermore, it comes with an AI Beamforming Microphones with AI Noise Cancelation and independent Game Chat volume control, which should make you a joy to listen to when chattering on Discord. It’s also compatible with PCs, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch and Xbox, however, the full software suite is only available on PC. It uses a 3.5mm jack, USB-C and USB-A connectors for compatibility with various devices.

Features

• Virtual 7.1 surround sound with hi-fi ESS 9280 Quad DAC^™ and 50 mm ASUS Essence drivers that deliver powerful bass and immersive true-to-life sound
• ROG AI Beamforming Microphones with AI Noise Cancelation for crystal-clear in-game voice communication
• Game Chat volume control makes it easy to balance gaming audio and in-game communication
• Various customization options, pre-set light effects, and multi-colour RGB lighting with over 16.8 million colours
• Comfortable and lightweight design with ergonomic ear cushions for a perfect fit
• 3.5 mm, USB-C ^® and USB-A connectors for compatibility with PCs, Macs, PlayStation^®, Nintendo Switch^™, Xbox and mobile devices

What ASUS Had to Say

“The ROG Fusion II 500 gaming headset retains the iconic ear cup design of the ROG Strix Fusion series and pumps it up with virtual 7.1 surround sound, a high-res ESS 9280 Quad DAC™ and 50 mm ASUS Essence drivers to deliver immersive true-to-life audio with thumping bass. AI Beamforming Microphones with AI Noise Cancelation and Game Chat volume control provide impeccable in-game communication during the heat of battle.” – ASUS

High-Resolution ESS 9280 Quad DAC

The Fusion II 500 kicks things up a notch with the ESS 9280 Quad DAC, which provides lossless audio processing. Each DAC devotes its processing power to a subset of the audible frequency range — across lows, mids, highs to ultra-highs — resulting in crisp and clear sound.

AI Beamforming Microphones with AI Noise Cancelation

The Fusion II 500 doesn’t rely on a boom mic. Instead, it uses concealed AI Beamforming Microphones to provide high-quality voice communication in comfort and style. The Discord- and TeamSpeak-certified microphones create an acoustic zone that targets your mouth while filtering out distracting background noise from other directions to ensure clear voice pick-up.