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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-30 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
These two products don't actually compete for the same job. One is a wired in-ear headphone built for listening; the other is a USB microphone built for talking. The keyword that ties them together is "PC gaming headphones," and that's exactly the confusion worth clearing up before you spend money on the wrong category entirely.
• ASUS ROG Cetra II — biggest strength: ASUS Essence drivers made of liquid silicone rubber, a 20Hz–40KHz frequency range and a 3.5mm wired connection that works on PC, Mac, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Switch and mobile.
• ASUS ROG Cetra II — biggest trade-off: It's wired and in-ear only. There's no microphone boom, no wireless mode, and the fit depends heavily on choosing the right earbud tip.
• MAONO DGM20S — biggest strength: A complete USB plug-and-play voice setup — cardioid condenser mic, one-click noise cancellation, tap-to-mute, gain knob, zero-latency monitoring, RGB lighting, boom arm, shock mount and pop filter all included.
• MAONO DGM20S — biggest trade-off: It captures voice, not game audio. You still need separate headphones or earbuds to actually hear anything.
• Pick ASUS ROG Cetra II if you want one wired in-ear set for gaming audio across multiple platforms.
• Pick MAONO DGM20S if your problem is that teammates can't hear you clearly.
The ROG Cetra II Core Moonlight White is a wired in-ear headphone, and its design story is all about audio hardware. The drivers are ASUS Essence units made of liquid silicone rubber, which the spec sheet describes as delivering more stable speaker performance and stronger bass than a conventional driver. The frequency range runs from 20Hz to 40KHz with 32 ohm impedance, so it's easy to drive from a phone, a controller or a laptop headphone jack without external amplification.
The physical design is aimed at handheld and portable play. The 90° cable connector angles the wire out of the way instead of sticking straight out of the device, and the housing is lightweight aluminum with scratch resistance. At 18 grams, this is a set you can forget you're wearing. Passive noise cancellation comes from the in-ear seal itself, and controls are push-button and touch-based on the cable.
Who should skip it? Anyone who wants a boom mic attached to their headset, anyone who wants wireless freedom, and anyone who dislikes in-ear fit. ASUS itself notes that if the earbud tips don't match your ear canals or the headset isn't seated properly, you won't get the intended sound or call performance — so plan on experimenting with tip sizes. This is also a listening product first; if your main complaint is that your voice sounds bad to your squad, this isn't the fix.
MAONO DGM20S: Who It's For
The MAONO DGM20S is a USB condenser microphone, not a headphone — and that's the single most important thing to understand here. It's a gooseneck-form desktop mic in purple, built from metal and plastic, with a unidirectional cardioid pickup pattern that focuses on sound arriving from the front of the mic rather than the whole room. Frequency response spans 50Hz to 20kHz with a 73 dB signal-to-noise ratio.
The feature list is aimed squarely at streamers and voice-chat players. One-click noise cancellation is designed to cut background noise so your voice comes through clearly during co-op or competitive matches. There's a tap-to-mute button on top, a gain knob so you can correct a voice level that's too hot or too quiet, and zero-latency monitoring so you can hear yourself in real time. Nine RGB lighting modes let you match your stream aesthetic, with a long press to switch the lights off and a short press to cycle colors.
Connectivity is the other headline: USB and USB-C, plug and play, no drivers, compatible with Windows PC, laptop, Mac and PS4/PS5. The package includes the mic, a metal boom arm, a shock mount, a pop filter, and both USB and USB-C cables. The boom arm lets you pull the mic close when you're live and fold it out of the way when you're not, the shock mount reduces desk vibration and machine noise, and the removable pop filter tames plosives without blocking your view of the screen.
Who should buy it? Anyone whose bottleneck is outgoing voice quality — Discord regulars, streamers, podcasters, people recording voiceover. The included arm and mount mean you don't need to buy a stand separately to get it positioned properly.
Who should skip it? Anyone who needs to hear game audio. This mic produces no sound. If you buy it expecting "gaming headphones," you'll be disappointed, because it's half of a setup, not the whole thing.
• Best for hearing game audio across PC, console and mobile → ASUS ROG Cetra II. The 3.5mm wired jack covers PC, Mac, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Switch and mobile devices.
• Best for being heard clearly in voice chat → MAONO DGM20S. Cardioid pickup plus one-click noise cancellation is built for exactly that job.
• Best for portable and handheld gaming → ASUS ROG Cetra II. The 90° connector and 18 g aluminum housing are designed for on-the-go comfort.
• Best for a permanent desk or streaming setup → MAONO DGM20S. Boom arm, shock mount and pop filter are a desk-first kit.
• Best for low-friction setup → ASUS ROG Cetra II. Plug the 3.5mm jack in and you're done — no drivers, no software, no power.
• Best for a customizable on-stream look → MAONO DGM20S. Nine RGB lighting modes versus a fixed Moonlight White finish.
• Best if you want a full voice-and-audio setup → both, used together. The Cetra II handles listening; the DGM20S handles your mic. They don't overlap.
• Best if you need one purchase and only one → decide by your bottleneck. Bad incoming audio points to the Cetra II. Bad outgoing voice points to the DGM20S.
If I had to buy one of these for "PC gaming headphones," I'd buy the ASUS ROG Cetra II. In my opinion, it's the only one of the two that is actually a headphone, and its wired 3.5mm design, LSR Essence drivers, wide 20Hz–40KHz range and lightweight aluminum build make it the more versatile single purchase across PC and consoles.
That said, I'd recommend the MAONO DGM20S without hesitation to anyone whose real problem is being heard — especially streamers who want a mic, arm, shock mount and pop filter in one box. If you can stretch to both, the Cetra II plus the DGM20S is a genuinely complete PC gaming audio setup, and that's the combination I'd build toward. Check the current price on Amazon before you commit, since your budget decides whether that's one purchase or two.
FAQ
how to connect gaming headphones to pc
With a wired 3.5mm set like the ASUS ROG Cetra II, you plug the jack into your PC's headphone or combo audio port — no drivers required. If your PC has separate headphone and mic jacks, use the matching port, or a splitter if your headset cable ends in a single plug. USB devices like the MAONO DGM20S connect over USB or USB-C instead.
Connect the headphones, then set them as the default playback device in your operating system's sound settings. The ROG Cetra II's in-line push-button and touch controls handle volume and playback directly on the cable, so once it's plugged in, most of the control sits within reach. If you're also running a USB mic like the DGM20S, keep it set as the input device so your voice and game audio route separately.
what is the best gaming headphones for pc
There's no universal answer, but by design the ASUS ROG Cetra II suits PC players who want wired, low-hassle in-ear audio across multiple platforms. The MAONO DGM20S isn't a headphone at all — it's a USB microphone — so it only enters the conversation if your priority is outgoing voice quality rather than listening.
what is the best pc gaming headphones
In my opinion, the better pick depends on what's broken in your current setup. If game audio sounds flat or you want one wired set for PC and console, the Cetra II's LSR drivers and 3.5mm connection make it the stronger fit. If teammates can't hear you, the DGM20S solves that problem directly with cardioid pickup and one-click noise cancellation.
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