Asus ROG Carnyx review

The new Asus ROG Carnyx marks the company's entry into the hugely competitive streaming microphone industry. On paper, it has everything the discerning streamer needs; beautiful, all-metal design, USB connectivity, 24-bit audio, studio-grade 25mm condenser with a high-pass filter, internal pop filter, sidetone and of course, Aura Sync RGB lighting for the camera.

All these goodies will set you back $180 (£170, AU$311). That's a little more than the good old HyperX QuadCast S and the Blue Yeti GX that also boasts RGB. However, there's a lot more to a good mic than just specs and, after a couple of weeks of using the ROG Carnyx, I'm left feeling a little shortchanged.

Let's start with the design of the thing which is no doubt one of the most striking gaming microphones I've seen yet, and a perfect showpiece on any live stream. The solid metal tube sits in an interestingly angled desk stand with elastic suspension cables, and that isolates external vibrations to the mic. The top half has machined triangular grills that expose the RGB lighting and, of course, allow sound to pass through to the condenser. Behind that are foam and mesh layers to prevent unwanted plosives.

There's a single, multi-functional dial on the front that controls gain, headset volume, and can also be used to toggle the built-in high-pass filter. Around the back of the microphone, you'll find the USB Type-C port and 3.5mm headphone jack so you can listen to the mic as you speak. On the top of the mic is a touchpad to mute the mic, which then glows a warm red to let you know it's muted. Touch and hold it will turn the RGB lighting on or off, too.

Microphone drivers: 25 mm condenser capsule
Directional Patterns: Cardioid Polar Pattern
Frequency range: 20 Hz – 20000 Hz
Polar pattern: Cardioid
Sample rate: 192 kHz
Bit rate: 24-bit
Controls: Volume, Gain, High-pass filter, Mute
Price: $180, £170, AU$311

The desk stand for the Carnyx is solid and rigid, keeping the mic exactly where you want it to be. It allows