A vibrating heatset might not be at the first thing on the shopping list, but ASUS has aimed to make its CineVibe cans create a different experience; one that you can feel as well as hear.
Not everyone has the space or neighbours living far enough away to wield a meaty bass unit, but we still want to feel the thunder when we’re into our sports, games or movies. Because headphones are quite small, getting the balance right is difficult – especially a strong bass effect when required, but ASUS actually manages it but balancing a precise vibration with some quality ear pieces.
ASUS CineVibe headphones
Putting them on and admittedly the slightly strong pressure on the ears might not be to everyone’s liking, although this is not only to stop the sound leaking but also to translate the vibration on. It’s personal preference whether you prefer supra-aural (on top of the ear) or circumaural (over the ear entirely), and ASUS has gone for the former type because it’s easier to let the ear breathe as well as letting the user sit them comfortably on fit different sized ears, which is more difficult with the circumaural type.
ASUS CineVibe
The plug straight into a USB port so it doesn’t matter what soundcard is in your PC or laptop, and the chunky remote makes for easy to reach buttons so even if you are gaming and cannot take your eyes off the screen for a second, it’s easy to click an up or down. On the other hand, ASUS even includes a locking switch so as they aren’t accidentally pressed either.
ASUS CineVibe microphone
Its splash or red between the shiny black plastic looks great and keeps to the popular Republic of Gamers styling, while the ear and head cushions are lovely and soft as well. Even though the microphone cannot be removed entirely, it does get neatly rotate upwards and tuck in closely to the overall shape. When it is needed though, it can both be turned almost 180 degrees up or down and the specific plastic used will retain its form, whether pushed out or pulled in towards the mouth.
ASUS CineVibe remote
While the headphones are designed for all types of audio, we found they really worked a bit better in sports, movies and gaming. We caught a bit of Formula 1 (the first ever Korean GP) and football (the British type with feet, rather than hands) and tried some person shooters with the Cinevibe on. The latter sounded fantastic with large explosions and gunfire in particular standing out from most other headsets, but overall the sense of immersive action and environment was increased in any scenario we put them through.
If you can, we encourage finding somewhere to at least give them a try (although, stay hygienic and wipe down the ear pads first!), but if you are sold on wanting a deeper gaming or movie experience with greater immersion, then do yourself a favour and grab a pair of CineVibes.