ASUS ROG Gjallar Bluetooth Soundbar with Wireless Subwoofer Review

Up Close

Up Close

The ROG packaging is very familiar. We’ve long since got used to the inverted colours from the old ‘mainly red’ days. If anything, we especially like the quiet nature of this art. No big shouty gaming things. Product image. Necessary logos. Bosh.

For a ROG product the Gjallar is very understated. Obviously the soundbar itself has a little RGB, but given the gaudy nature of much of their output, this counts as subtle.

Connectivity is a big part of a soundbar, and the ROG Gjallar is no exception. HDMI, Type C, Aux, Optical, it’s got it all.

The feet are fine. We’d definitely 3D print some better ones if we had the time. Thankfully this isn’t the type of thing you’ll move a lot.

And with the feet in place. Smaller than it looks, as you’ll see further on, but still impressive. Understated, but clearly a ROG product.

This wouldn’t be a Republic of Gamers product if it didn’t have gorgeous braided cables and the kind of hardware build quality that you could club people to death with. Look at the knurling on the dial. None of your cheap and cheerful stuff that. No drop shipped nonsense. Most importantly it’s heavy enough to remain your desk when you’re using it. We’ve definitely used remotes that were so light the cable bend from the box was enough to lift them off the desk.

Ported bass box. Sweet. Quick let’s all pile into the XR3 and go down to Maccy Ds. It is, obviously, perfect for focussing the bass. Nobody likes things woolly or flabby, not unless you’re into obese sheep. A well built box with a smooth, shiny hole and subtle naming let’s the ROG Gjallar do it’s bass thing in the most stylish manner.

The joys of a wireless subwoofer is that it only requires a power cable. Much easier to hide than speaker cables. The pairing button is also hidden around the back, ensuring inquisitive fingers don’t accidentally prod your connection away.

On the desk you have the remote that controls it all. Some exclusions apply, kinda, but we’ll get to all that later. For now it’s everything you expect a ROG product to be. Built like a tank. Lots of flash. No backlit controls though, which is a seriously flaw.