ASUS ROG Gjallar Review: A Compact Soundbar That Delivers Big Sound — With Trade-Offs

Compact, well thought out… but not flawless at this price

The first good surprise comes from the size. At just over 60 cm wide, Gjallar is much more compact than its ambitions would suggest. It fits easily under a monitor and doesn’t intrude too much on desk space. ASUS also managed to keep the height low enough not to occlude the bottom of the screen in a typical setup.

The bass unit is similarly slender. At only 12.5 cm wide, it easily tucks under a desk or beside a cabinet. Its wireless link further reduces cabling constraints. During our test, the connection proved perfectly stable. Only minor note: after turning on the bar, the subwoofer sometimes takes a few additional seconds to power up.

The design remains recognizable as a ROG product, notably thanks to the RGB strip across the front grille, but ASUS thankfully avoids excessive. Gjallar can thus find its place in environments beyond the gaming setup, including a small living room. The lighting adds a small aesthetic touch; it does not change the experience once you’re focused on a game.
However, the finishes leave us a bit more cautious given the asking price. The metal grille inspires confidence and makes a good impression, but some plastics, especially at the ends and the rear of the bar, look more ordinary. Nothing crippling, and the build is solid, but one could have expected a more uniform finish level on a product priced near 600 euros.

The Control Hub makes a real difference

The small box that comes with Gjallar might seem like a mere accessory to meet the specs. In practice, it’s one of the most successful elements of the product.
Placed within reach on a desk, the Control Hub feels almost like a mini mixing interface. Its screen is legible, the buttons are easy to reach, and most of all, the large central knob is a joy to use. A simple press can mute the sound.

The commands provide access to the daily essentials: source changes, audio profiles, playback, and RGB lighting management. The Control Hub clearly elevates the experience. Its usefulness is obvious on a desk and near the keyboard and mouse, becoming almost an extension of the bar. A few meters away from the TV, its relevance is necessarily more limited.

ASUS completes the suite with Gear Link, accessible on PC but also via a mobile app. The tool does not replace the Control Hub; it rather fills in what would have been hard to integrate into a compact hardware interface.

On retrouve notamment un égaliseur complet, la gestion des profils, les réglages détaillés du RGB, la luminosité et les animations de l’écran du Control Hub, le délai avant mise en veille ou encore différents paramètres relatifs au microphone. Il est également possible de réaffecter certaines fonctions du bouton Aura.
Gear Link n’est donc pas indispensable au quotidien, mais il apporte suffisamment de possibilités pour mériter que l’on s’y attarde lors de la première configuration.

One remaining regret is that the subwoofer level could have been adjustable directly from the Control Hub. It’s exactly the kind of control you might want to tweak quickly depending on whether you’re listening to music, playing, or watching a film.

A connectivity-focused design to become the center of your desk

This is probably where the ROG Gjallar clearly differentiates itself from a conventional speaker setup.
USB-C, HDMI 2.1 with eARC, optical, auxiliary input, and Bluetooth 5.3 allow multiple sources to be connected without constantly juggling cables. ASUS explicitly envisions use with PCs, consoles, and mobile devices.

In our test, Gjallar was used mainly with a PC connected via HDMI, but also with a smartphone via Bluetooth and several laptops connected to the monitor. Switching between sources happens without particular issues, and we did not encounter recognition or connection problems.

Not everyone will take advantage of this richness. A gamer using only a PC will probably never need half of the available inputs. However, for someone who wants to connect a computer, a console, and a smartphone to the same audio system, this proposition makes a lot of sense.
This is also what differentiates Gjallar from a good stereo or traditional 2.1 kit: ASUS isn’t just trying to produce sound, but to simplify the entire installation surrounding it.

A generous sound and a subwoofer that makes a difference

Listening to Gjallar, its signature tends toward generosity. This isn’t a neutral or analytical system; it’s clear that ASUS isn’t aiming for neutrality.
The subwoofer largely contributes to the character as a whole. It goes low enough to give weight to impacts and atmospherics without becoming overwhelmingly intrusive. Its presence is especially a real differentiator versus small desktop speakers that must cope with the physical limitations of their drivers.

Compared to the VULKKANO A5 ARC MKII, Gjallar delivers more impact in the bass. The A5 ARC MKII, however, preserves the advantage in stereo width, a natural outcome of two speakers separated on either side of the monitor. Our previous test already noted the A5 ARC MKII’s generous but space-limited bass character.
This is precisely why it would be risky to claim Gjallar is better or worse than a standard 2.1 kit. It simply doesn’t operate under the same constraints.

The sound stage slightly exceeds the bar’s physical dimensions, enough to avoid a entirely cramped restitution, but it remains quite centered. Properly spaced speakers still hold a clear advantage here.
The signal purity is, however, excellent. We did not notice any hiss or background noise at short distance, which is particularly appreciated for a product meant to sit just a few tens of centimeters from the user.
The bar also maintains good control when the volume is raised. Its headroom is more than enough for typical office use. At this distance, modesty is advisable. This power becomes interesting when broadcasting music in a room or using Gjallar from greater distance.

Gaming: immersive play is Gjallar’s natural habitat

It ultimately makes the most sense when you’re hands-on with a controller. In games like Black Myth: Wukong or Death Stranding, the subwoofer adds a more physical dimension to environments, impacts, and audio effects. The output is generous, expansive, and dynamic enough to intensify immersion in a way that a headset struggles to match in the same way.
It doesn’t necessarily beat a headset; it’s more about offering a different experience. While a headset isolates more and allows precise placement of different sounds, Gjallar more readily conveys the feeling that the game truly fills the room.

The Gaming profile is well tuned for this use. The bass remains generous, but this emphasis bothers us less in a spectacular title than in music listening. Dolby Atmos also contributes to this sense, but temper expectations about the height effect brought by the two upward-facing channels.

Yes, the scene gains width and the sound becomes more enveloping. No, Gjallar does not create a true sonic bubble around the listener. We never felt that effects originated precisely from the ceiling or behind the listening position. The enhancement exists, but it should be seen more as an extension of the soundstage rather than a substitute for a true multi-channel system.
The limit is even more evident in competitive FPS games. To enjoy an immersive single-player game, the bar makes perfect sense. To determine precisely where a shot is coming from or where an opponent is moving, a good headset remains preferable.
The same applies to cooperative play. The microphones built into the Control Hub can help, and Gear Link offers different treatments designed to improve capture, notably reducing background noise and echo. But the experience isn’t convincing enough to replace a headset-mic for long sessions with voice chat.

For music, the limits are more noticeable

Gjallar is more prone to showing its weaknesses when you switch from gaming to music listening. The Music mode offers a generally pleasant balance, and the built-in profiles are relevant enough to use without immediately diving into manual EQ. But the bass response remains generous down low.

On our reference tracks, the bass can take up a bit too much space and vocals don’t always stand out as clearly as we would like. They sometimes appear slightly recessed in the mix.
This isn’t necessarily problematic for ambient listening, but becomes more noticeable when you know the recordings used and you’re evaluating the separation of different registers.
That’s where Gjallar’s price positioning becomes more delicate. At around 600 euros, you can find stereo or larger 2.1 systems that push further in terms of acoustics, particularly in soundstage width, balance, or finesse. Yet none of those criteria alone captures the overall appeal of ASUS’s product.

Clubic’s verdict on the Asus ROG Gjallar

Yes, the scene gains width and the rendering feels more enveloping. No, Gjallar doesn’t create a true sonic bubble around the listener. We never felt that effects originated exactly from the ceiling or behind the listening position. The contribution exists, but it should be viewed more as an extension of the soundstage than a substitute for a real multichannel system.
The limitation becomes even more evident in competitive FPS games. For immersive single-player gameplay, the bar makes perfect sense. For precisely locating a shot or an opponent’s movement, a good headset remains preferable.
The same applies to cooperative play. The mics on the Control Hub can be useful, and Gear Link offers treatments to improve capture, including noise reduction and echo control. But the experience isn’t convincing enough to replace a headset-mic for long sessions with voice chat.

Musical performance: limits become more audible

Gjallar is more likely to expose its weaknesses when leaving gaming to focus on music listening. The Music mode presents a generally pleasant balance, and the included profiles are meaningful enough to use without immediately resorting to manual EQ. But the restitution keeps a generous bass bias in the lower end.

On reference tracks, the bass can take up a bit too much space and vocals don’t always stand out as clearly as we’d hoped. They can sometimes sound a touch recessed in the mix.
This isn’t necessarily problematic for ambient listening, but becomes more noticeable when you know the recordings and you’re judging the separation of different registers.
That’s where Gjallar’s price positioning becomes more delicate. At roughly 600 euros, you can find stereo or more ambitious 2.1 setups that push further in terms of room acoustics, balance, or refinement. Yet none of these criteria alone sums up the appeal of the ASUS product.

Clubic’s verdict: Asus ROG Gjallar