The Asus ROG Carnyx jogged my memory that it’s simpler than ever to stream your gameplay nowadays. There are extra titles to select from, quite a few platforms to stream on, and extra {hardware} that will help you broadcast all of it. It’s not stunning then that beforehand uninterested gaming manufacturers are leaping on the bandwagon and including microphones to their wares.
The ROG wing of Asus already provides nearly all the pieces a gamer might hope for thus it was solely a matter of time earlier than we noticed a brand new top-spec microphone from the model. The ROG Carnyx is a premium-level microphone geared toward players who wish to take content material creation somewhat extra severely.
A £169.99/$179.99 USB contender, the Carnyx goes face to face with various the most effective microphones for streamers and gaming and enters an already crowded market. So does ROG have what it takes to face out, or is that this microphone simply going to get misplaced within the noise?
Design & Options
From a design standpoint, the ROG Carnyx is concurrently outlandish and easy, which is a formidable combine to tug off so successfully. The microphone itself is a fairly primary tube that’s held aloft by a everlasting shock mount and stand combo that’s all funky and angular. It’s very “gamer” and really on-brand for ROG with various logos and design thrives within the combine.
Construct high quality is mostly robust with a metallic casing on the primary microphone physique complimenting the all-metal stand and mount, however a pair of plastic ends to the microphone moderately spoil it as they really feel low cost and misplaced. It’s additionally an unbelievably huge unit, far too huge in my view as a result of sitting 25cm off the desk at its highest level it’s a lot too massive to suit beneath a monitor with out blocking a good a part of it. With the most effective seize playing cards, a stream controller, in all probability two screens, and the most effective webcams already taking over area on a desk, microphones like these do not assist themselves by being this huge. There’s little adjustment on provide within the stand to assist this both, just a bit tilt backwards and forwards and no solution to rotate it to a horizontal place.
I think about many will go with out the stand altogether and as a substitute bolt the ROG Carnyx immediately onto a mic arm. Whereas it needs to be fairly universally appropriate with arms from totally different manufacturers, you’ll must dig out a screwdriver to take away the baseplate which is way much less user-friendly than it needs to be. Certainly ROG might have discovered a thumb screw to make use of as a substitute?
You’ll discover the USB-C port and a 3.5mm headphone jack simply accessible on the again of the Carnyx and the multi-function dial on the entrance is properly textured. The dial helps you to change between controlling mic acquire and headphone output ranges, in addition to toggling the onboard excessive cross filter. It’s an intuitive management scheme however the dial wants a surprisingly agency press to activate so be warned that you simply’ll ship your mic flying except you maintain on to the again of it too.
A touch-sensitive mute button sits on prime of the ROG Carnyx and whereas it’s easy sufficient to fireside off you’ll want to concentrate to the place you’re tapping as a result of it doesn’t cowl the complete floor. The microphone itself could also be 55mm throughout however the working space of the mute button is barely the center 20mm or so with no ring indicator to let you already know the place the hidden button ends and plain plastic begins. It made for a fiddly expertise making an attempt to rapidly mute myself whereas testing. I discovered I nearly at all times wanted a number of faucets to get it to set off.
You’ll undoubtedly know if you’ve discovered the correct spot although as a result of the within of the ROG Carnyx will ignite in a fiery pink glow from inside if you’re muted. It’s an eye catching impact that you simply’ll do effectively to overlook because the LEDs are punchy and provide robust coloration with even brightness. In idea, you must have the ability to do much more with the LEDs onboard the ROG Carnyx by using the Aura Sync results contained in the Armoury Crate desktop app. I say in idea as a result of after greater than an hour of uninstalling, reinstalling, unplugging, and restarting I might by no means get the app to acknowledge the Carnyx and in the end gave up. I’m certain the lights would have been very fairly although.
Efficiency
A single USB cable is all you could get began with the ROG Carnyx and there’s a generously lengthy 3m braided USB-C to USB-A cable included within the field. Each my streaming PC and OBS immediately acknowledged the mic as quickly as I plugged it in, making it much more baffling that ROG’s personal software program was none the wiser. Fortunately, the EQ choices on provide contained in the app are both out there in OBS or utilizing the Carnyx’s onboard controls anyway so I wasn’t lacking out on a lot. Maybe just a few software program patches will assist issues.
Just like the SteelSeries Alias and SteelSeries Alias Professional microphones, there’s an expert grade 25mm condenser capsule tucked away contained in the ROG Carnyx and all through my testing, I discovered it delivered spectacular audio. Every part I captured was clear and well-rounded, significantly once I obtained somewhat nearer to the microphone itself. Whereas it is a condenser microphone so mic etiquette is nowhere close to as vital and the pickup space is pretty large, I discovered the ROG Carnyx provided a far deeper, smoother sound if you addressed it from 10-15cm away.
Transferring additional again to a extra conventional streaming and gaming distance of round 30cm launched some roominess and pulled again on the richness. It nonetheless sounded clear and I used to be pleased general however my voice started to sound somewhat extra withdrawn and misplaced a few of its podcast really feel. This isn’t uncommon for condenser microphones although, the ultimate sound is simply extra pure such as you’re sitting within the room with somebody moderately than watching a extra produced broadcast. The profit nevertheless is the liberty of motion out there across the entrance of the microphone. Even once I pushed this effectively outdoors the restrict of how far somebody would seemingly transfer whereas gaming the ROG Carnyx continued to choose up my voice clearly with little to no drop-off in general high quality.
The three.5mm headphone jack works precisely as you’d count on it to, no complaints there however be sure to run just a few checks with the onboard excessive cross filter earlier than going dwell. It definitely works, although maybe somewhat too aggressively as in my quiet and barely handled setup, I discovered it had a detrimental impact on my general sound moderately than serving to enhance it. I’ve no need for a excessive cross filter although so this wasn’t essentially stunning. On the identical time, I would not advocate simply leaving it on and blindly assuming it’ll make issues higher since my voice was extra rounded and stuffed out with it off.
Do you have to purchase the Asus ROG Carnyx?
The streaming microphone area is a crowded one so becoming a member of its higher echelon is at all times going to be a tricky ask. The ROG Carnyx definitely holds its personal and arrives as an excellent choice that is priced considerably moderately. Sadly, it does not essentially stand out from others at this worth vary in consequence. The big diaphragm does ship the robust, clear sound ROG guarantees and by paying somewhat further consideration to mic etiquette it is able to producing nice vocals.
Frustratingly, it’s a lot too massive for a home-targeted microphone and it makes it awkward making an attempt to suit it into an ordinary gaming setup. For players not blessed by mountains of area at the most effective gaming desks, that is nearly a non-starter in consequence, irrespective of how good it may well sound at instances. For those who’re flushed with desktop actual property then the Carnyx is certainly price a glance, however there are equally robust choices from manufacturers like Elgato and SteelSeries in far smaller packages.
How we examined the Asus ROG Carnyx
I added the ROG Carnyx to my desktop PC setup and used it for devoted testing, streaming, and basic requires a few weeks. It was mounted each on the included stand and an Elgato Wave Arm mic arm however was used with out the accompanying software program as this was not acknowledged.
For extra on how we check the most recent mics for overview functions, check out our {hardware} coverage.
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