Just a few years in the past, Beyerdynamic proved that actually high-end audio has a spot in gaming with its $350 MMX 300 headset. The MMX 300 is costly and wired, but it surely additionally presents a few of the finest sound we have heard from a gaming headset. Now Audeze is dipping its toe into the high-end gaming audio market with the Mobius. At $399.99, the Mobius headset is even pricier than the MMX 300, however its planar magnetic drivers, head-tracking 3D audio, and wi-fi functionality simply justify the premium. The Mobius is essentially the most spectacular gaming headset we have examined, and earns our Editors’ Alternative badge.
Design
At first look, the Mobius reveals no signal that it is a gaming headset. Primarily matte black soft-touch plastic with metallic brown or blue highlights, the headset merely seems to be and appears like a really luxurious pair of headphones. The over-ear earpads use a mix of soppy reminiscence foam and really supple fake leather-based, matching a strip of padding on the underside of the scarf. They’ve simply the correct quantity of padding, sufficient to utterly encompass the ears and muffle exterior noise, however not sufficient to place an excessive amount of stress in your head or trigger your ears to overheat. The result’s a really snug, comfortable match that you could comfortably and securely put on for lengthy listening intervals.
The gaming points of the Mobius develop into extra obvious once you take a look at the left earcup. A collection of ports and controls run alongside the underside edge, together with a recessed connector for the included increase mic, a USB-C cable for charging the inner battery and connecting to a pc over USB, and a three.5mm connector for utilizing the headset with any gadget with a headphone jack. A 3D audio button sits above the mic connector, and mic and headset quantity wheels sit behind the three.5mm jack. The again panel of the left earcup holds an influence button for turning the headset on (which lights up a pink standing LED above the Mobius brand on the earcup), and a mic mute swap. The proper earcup has no connections or controls.
The Mobius comes with the aforementioned increase mic, a USB-A-to-USB-C cable, a USB-C-to-USB-C cable, and a three.5mm cable. No case is included, although Audeze presents a hard-shell zip-up case for a further $39 and a headphone stand for $24.
Setup and Encompass
As a gaming headset, the Mobius is primarily designed to work with a pc over a USB connection, which allows full 7.1-channel encompass sound help. The three.5mm analog connection helps helps stereo audio from any gadget with a headphone jack, and makes use of a four-pole connector so the microphone nonetheless works. Nevertheless, the headset does not work in passive mode even by means of a three.5mm connection; it must be turned on to play any audio. It additionally works wirelessly over Bluetooth, so you may simply swap between listening to your recreation audio in your PC in 7.1-channel encompass sound by means of a USB connection, and music in your cellphone by means of stereo Bluetooth.
Audeze packs some spectacular into the Mobius. To start out, the earcups use planar transducers quite than typical cone drivers, the identical sort used within the wonderful (and dearer) Audeze Sine On-Ear and EL-Eight headphones. It is an fascinating technical element that offers the Mobius a acknowledged frequency vary of 10Hz to 50kHz, properly past the 20Hz-20kHz vary of most headsets. The Mobius is not fairly as meant for audiophiles as the opposite two Audeze headphones, nevertheless, because it lacks their 24-bit wired connection possibility for very high-bitrate music playback.
The extra fascinating side of the Mobius is its 3D audio. Loads of gaming headsets boast simulated encompass sound utilizing audio processing to offer the impression of a wider and extra correct sound discipline, however Audeze takes it additional. The Mobius incorporates head-tracking expertise that measures the orientation of your head a thousand instances per second. For stereo audio, this implies the 2 channels with shift as you progress your head, giving the impression that the audio sources are bodily positioned to your left and proper quite than bolted on to your ears. For encompass sound, all 5 or seven channels fade and increase relying on the place you face is, offering remarkably immersive imaging of various sounds round you. It is a highly effective impact, just like the audio imaging you get with a digital actuality headset.
Correct imaging of a number of audio sources is not acoustically potential with mounted headphones on their very own, so including head monitoring to combine and adjusting these sources primarily based on orientation is the simplest approach to get a encompass impact. The pinnacle monitoring and audio processing is carried out solely within the headset, so it will possibly even pan stereo channels whilst you take heed to podcasts over Bluetooth (you may disable the characteristic by holding the 3D Audio button down for 3 seconds).
The increase microphone sounds wonderful, capturing very clear, crisp audio. Check recordings in Audacity sounded clear, with no muffling or fuzziness. With out a windscreen, the capsule can decide up a tiny little bit of sibilance, however adjusting the increase place principally eliminates that.
Sport Efficiency
Overwatch sounds well-defined and highly effective on the Mobius, and the 3D audio enormously improves the impact of simulated encompass sound. I may clearly hear sound results throughout the frequency vary, from the low increase of explosions to the marginally greater stories of weapons to the sounds of footsteps and character dialogue. Turning my head left and proper helped me select which route motion was coming from, with clear imaging of the sounds of combating from left to proper.
Darkish Souls III additionally sounds remarkably clear and full on the Mobius. The stomping of footsteps by means of grime and dirt comes by means of cleanly, with sufficient bass to offer it a way of pressure, and the swing of weapons obtain loads of high-mid presence to carry out the lurching sounds of combating. The 3D audio gives wonderful stereo imaging, letting me select when enemies have been rustling round me. The imaging tracked with my head actions, giving a definite sense of directional consciousness that almost all headsets cannot present.
Music Efficiency
Contemplating its value and pedigree, it is not shocking that the Audeze Mobius is great at enjoying music. It dealt with our bass check monitor, The Knife’s “Silent Shout,” and not using a trace of distortion at most (and unsafe) quantity ranges. The drum hits and bass synth notes sound highly effective and deep, with loads of low-end presence.
Sure’ “Roundabout” sounds improbable on the Mobius, demonstrating the headset’s huge, balanced attain throughout its frequency vary. The opening acoustic guitar notes get a outstanding quantity of refined texture because of wonderful high-mid and excessive frequency response, so you may hear each tiny creak and scratch of the guitar plucks. When the electrical bass kicks in, it sounds full and deep, with loads of forceful punch. The drums and vocals additionally come by means of clearly, letting me select each component of the busy monitor at any second. No side will get blown out or overshadowed.
Tremendous Soul Bros.’ jazz cowl of Toby Fox’s “Megalovania” comes alive by means of the Mobius, with the 3D sound actually highlighting the recording house. Each instrument within the combine will get its personal directional presence, with tiny particulars like cymbals reflecting off the partitions coming by means of clearly. The pinnacle monitoring actually offers a way that you just’re listening to a stay jazz efficiency, right down to having the ability to flip your head to select up the horns a bit higher in a single ear. Each instrument within the combine will get consideration, with the excessive frequencies of the brass and the decrease frequencies of the bass riffs all simply discernible within the jam. Even with out the top monitoring including to the expertise (and purists may desire to disable it), the Mobius manages to outperform the Beyerdynamic MMX 300 by way of music efficiency.
Spectacular Sound Well worth the Worth
The Audeze Mobius sounds improbable, with a remarkably efficient head-tracking 3D audio characteristic that actually offers sound a way of route. It is also the costliest gaming headset we have examined at $400, pricier than even the Beyerdynamic MMX 300. Each headsets show you get what you pay for, with premium builds and wonderful sound high quality. With its 3D sound and wi-fi audio (even when wired is most well-liked for gaming use), the Audeze Mobius stands out as the most effective high-end gaming headset you will get, and earns our Editors’ Alternative.
If you happen to do not need to spend $400 on a gaming headset, the Astro A10 and Turtle Seashore Atlas One each provide wonderful wired efficiency for properly underneath $100. If you wish to go wireless-only, the Astro A20 is a really robust alternative and nonetheless solely a fraction the worth of the Mobius (although its wi-fi connection makes use of a USB adapter and never Bluetooth).