A couple of years in the past, Beyerdynamic proved that really high-end audio has a spot in gaming with its $350 MMX 300 headset. The MMX 300 is expensive and wired, however it additionally provides a few of the greatest 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 probably the most spectacular gaming headset we have examined, and earns our Editors’ Selection 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 appears to be like and seems like a really luxurious pair of headphones. The over-ear earpads use a mixture 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 amount of padding, sufficient to fully encompass the ears and muffle exterior noise, however not sufficient to place an excessive amount of strain 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 features of the Mobius change into extra obvious if 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 interior 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 crimson standing LED above the Mobius emblem on the earcup), and a mic mute change. 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 provides a hard-shell zip-up case for an extra $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 assist. 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. Nonetheless, the headset does not work in passive mode even by way of a three.5mm connection; it must be turned on to play any audio. It additionally works wirelessly over Bluetooth, so you possibly can simply change between listening to your recreation audio in your PC in 7.1-channel encompass sound by way of a USB connection, and music in your telephone by way of stereo Bluetooth.
Audeze packs some spectacular into the Mobius. To begin, the earcups use planar transducers reasonably than typical cone drivers, the identical kind used within the glorious (and costlier) Audeze Sine On-Ear and EL-Eight headphones. It is an fascinating technical element that offers the Mobius a said frequency vary of 10Hz to 50kHz, effectively past the 20Hz-20kHz vary of most headsets. The Mobius is not fairly as supposed for audiophiles as the opposite two Audeze headphones, nonetheless, because it lacks their 24-bit wired connection choice for terribly high-bitrate music playback.
The extra fascinating facet of the Mobius is its 3D audio. Loads of gaming headsets boast simulated encompass sound utilizing audio processing to provide the impression of a wider and extra correct sound area, however Audeze takes it additional. The Mobius incorporates Waves’ Waves Nx head-tracking and digital sign processing know-how 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 reasonably than bolted on to your ears. For encompass sound, all 5 or seven channels fade and enhance relying on the place you face is, offering remarkably immersive imaging of various sounds round you. It is a highly effective impact, much like the audio imaging you get with a digital actuality headset.
Correct imaging of a number of audio sources is not acoustically doable with fastened headphones on their very own, so including head monitoring to combine and adjusting these sources based mostly on orientation is the best technique to get a encompass impact. The pinnacle monitoring and audio processing is carried out completely within the headset, so it could actually even pan stereo channels when you take heed to podcasts over Bluetooth (you possibly can disable the function by holding the 3D Audio button down for 3 seconds).
The increase microphone sounds glorious, capturing very clear, crisp audio. Take a look at recordings in Audacity sounded clear, with no muffling or fuzziness. With no windscreen, the capsule can decide up a tiny little bit of sibilance, however adjusting the increase place principally eliminates that.
Recreation Efficiency
Overwatch sounds well-defined and highly effective on the Mobius, and the 3D audio enormously improves the impact of simulated encompass sound. I might clearly hear sound results throughout the frequency vary, from the low increase of explosions to the marginally greater studies of weapons to the sounds of footsteps and character dialogue. Turning my head left and proper helped me pick which course motion was coming from, with clear imaging of the sounds of preventing from left to proper.
Darkish Souls III additionally sounds remarkably clear and full on the Mobius. The stomping of footsteps by way of grime and dust comes by way of cleanly, with sufficient bass to provide it a way of power, and the swing of weapons obtain loads of high-mid presence to convey out the lurching sounds of preventing. The 3D audio offers glorious stereo imaging, letting me pick when enemies have been rustling round me. The imaging tracked with my head actions, giving a definite sense of directional consciousness that the majority headsets cannot present.
Music Efficiency
Contemplating its worth and pedigree, it is not shocking that the Audeze Mobius is great at enjoying music. It dealt with our bass take a look at monitor, The Knife’s “Silent Shout,” with no 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 incredible on the Mobius, demonstrating the headset’s large, balanced attain throughout its frequency vary. The opening acoustic guitar notes get a exceptional quantity of delicate texture because of glorious high-mid and excessive frequency response, so you possibly can 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 way of clearly, letting me pick each component of the busy monitor at any second. No facet will get blown out or overshadowed.
Tremendous Soul Bros.’ jazz cowl of Toby Fox’s “Megalovania” comes alive by way 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 way of clearly. The pinnacle monitoring actually provides a way that you simply’re listening to a reside jazz efficiency, all the way 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 pinnacle monitoring including to the expertise (and purists may desire to disable it), the Mobius manages to outperform the Beyerdynamic MMX 300 when it comes to music efficiency.
Spectacular Sound Well worth the Worth
The Audeze Mobius sounds incredible, with a remarkably efficient head-tracking 3D audio function that actually provides sound a way of course. It is also the most costly 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 glorious 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 may get, and earns our Editors’ Selection.
When you do not need to spend $400 on a gaming headset, the Astro A10 and Turtle Seashore Atlas One each supply glorious wired efficiency for effectively underneath $100. If you wish to go wireless-only, the Astro A20 is a really sturdy selection and nonetheless solely a fraction the value of the Mobius (although its wi-fi connection makes use of a USB adapter and never Bluetooth).