Both those MoBos have low budget audio solutions. While Gigabyte and MSI provide the accepted gaming standard (ALC 1150) down to the $115 price range, you have to get up to around the $160 price range for Asus to get ALC 1150 or equivalent.
So yes, avoid any motherboard where the manufacturer "went cheap" and used something less than ALC 1150.
I had always bought RoG products up thru the Z97 series ... but there certainly is a RoG "tax" if you will which adds about $50 as compared to other boards with comparable feature sets.
The Asus Hero is $215 and has only 40% of its owners giving it a 5 egg rating, with 36% giving it a negative 1 or 2 egg rating. Compare that with the Gigabyte G1 Gaming GA-Z170X-Gaming 7 where 59% of board owners give it a 5 egg rating and only half as many give it a 1 or 2 egg rating
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA2W03VR9011
Gigabyte supports higher memory speed
Gigabyte has extra SATA Express
Gigabyte has extra M.2
Gigabyte has 2nd LAN setup
Gigabyte has 3 more USB 3.0 ports
Asus has 1 more fan header
So yes the Giga Gaming 7 costs less, has more featur and is better received by board owners than the Hero.
As far as the Gaming 5 category ... Both MSI and Gigabyte boards in this category off gaming quality audio solutions.... Asus does in the Sabertooth, which is an excellent board comes in at about $170 does. The Asus Z-170A does not (ALC892). The Ranger has Supreme FX which, IIRC, is ALC 1150 (with Asus drivers).
Gigabyte Gaming 5 has has 46% 5 eggs and 15% 1 or 2 eggs
MSI M5 has 47% 5 eggs and 26% 1 or 2 eggs
Asus Ranger has 41% 5 eggs and 23% 1 or 2 eggs
Based on the above, gotta give the Giga a slight edge over the MSI
You can compare features here (go to the newegg site and copy / paste the jibberish below. This is required now as THG forum software truncates ling links.
http://www.newegg.com
/Product/Productcompare.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007627%204017%20600567584%20600567554%20600009016%2050001314&IsNodeId=1&Description=z170&bop=And&CompareItemList=280|13-130-873^13-130-873%2C13-132-586^13-132-586%2C13-128-836^13-128-836&percm=13-128-836%3A%24%24%24%24%24%24%24
Among the 3 ....
MSI has highest memory speed support, Asus lowest
Giga has an extra SATA Express port
Giga has 2nd LAN chipset
MSI hs 6 USB 3.1 ports, rest have 2
Asus has extra fan header
All in all, for the price difference (and gorgeous looks), the Gigabyte Gaming 7 is the standout among all of the above.