Audeze Mobius review / impressions
Sep 10, 2018 at 3:06 PM Post #481 of 5,780
Re: double-amping, I was only thinking about that for on-the-go via AUX. I love the sound in hi-res mode through USB to my computer as is--it's not lacking in any power or impact for me. The bluetooth sounds a bit lacking in comparison.
Edit: someone asked about Cayin C5 : Yes, I prefer the sound via AUX with my C5 connected. The bass boost on C5 gives a more life-like quality to the lower and mid end to me rather than the more removed analytical quality otherwise. I don't mean the thumpiness, I mean say a singer's voice cracks lightly while he sings softly, and it's so much more immediate and noticeable with C5 connected (likewise as it did for my SINE). I've been trying to achieve this effect with EQ, but it's not quite happening.

I'm also interested in the digiZoid ZO pairing in aux mode with a bit bass boost, seems like a perfect for pairing with the AUX measurement presented in here, ofc without that boost I'd likely like it less due the upper-bass peak and lower mid dip but with the bass boost it would bring back the subbass range while also evening out the slight lower-mid dip around 450Hz.
 
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Sep 10, 2018 at 6:08 PM Post #482 of 5,780
Been riding the waves as of Saturday afternoon when the mail brought my Mobius headphones in. I first want to thank Audeze for giving us the chance to get these headsets at a nice discount. Thanks Audeze! Second, it's time for Amateur Hour impressions!


+ I was expecting a similar experience to the Audeze Sine, a headphone that I got to enjoy for 30 minutes before the headband busted from adjustments. Because my head is as round as a bowling ball. From what I remember, I think I got what I expected...

+ ....With a LOT more features and a LOT more room for my ears. It's something I've been wanting ever since I tried out the Sine.

+ I'm a little upset that the manual is written the way I would write one and I didn't get to write it. I laughed. Whoever did, good job! Spoilers: The answer is 42. Oh, love the hand-drawn diagrams too!

+ Then I looked in a mirror with these things on and laughed again: "OMG THEY'RE HUUUUUUUUUUUUUGE!" A co-worker may be filing a harassment suit. The good news is they're just light enough for me to not care about the weight. Also they're snug without feeling like I put a vise grip on my head (like the Sine did). Perhaps I won't be attending remote meetings with these things on again though...

+ Since I'm a filthy casual in the world of Audiophilia (even after over a decade of playing with headphones) I will just say that....it suits my tastes wonderfully throughout all the genres I listen to. And thank you for not V-shaping the sound curve too much!

+ For those of us who love our PCs more than children and puppies we just loooooooove sound card drivers. So much that Creative Labs still pushes out drivers for an aging product and still fail to fix bugs in their software. While there are some issues with the Audeze, for me the Mobius just...worked...on both Windows 10 and 7.

+ It also helps that all of the core functions are available to the user on the control panel. It's got quite a learning curve but hey, at least you'll read a manual that actually is fun.

+ I played Spider-Man on my PlayStation 4 and I was pleasantly surprised how well the 3D worked for the game. It helped me pinpoint Peter's backpacks around the city and when people were talking behind the camera, they felt "behind me". In front? The voices sounded "in front of me." Keep in mind Spider-Man has a "Headphone" mode in the sound settings. Try it for yourself!

+/- The EQ settings seem subtle. Almost too subtle at times. I mostly leave it at default. Occasionally flat makes me feel the "V-shape" a bit too much.

+/- I guess I was expecting more bass? It is a gaming headphone. Eh, but I don't care as I've come to appreciate some bass-light headphones.

- No battery, no sound. I know that was Audeze's choice in wiring the headset this way but I still wish it would work passively. I mean, I almost never used the Bluetooth on my V-Moda Crossfade 2 cans but we won't start that APTX argument here.

- I think it was on Aux mode but I heard a hiss. It probably was my Sound BlasterX G5. On USB mode if there's any hiss I can't hear it.

- The controls are daunting at first. Everything is on the left cup and the controls feel a tad...crowded.

- It's a shame that Audeze couldn't integrate full USB support on the PS4 and Switch. Then again they could have gone Creative's route with their new G6 amp to say "WORKS WITH EVERYTHING" (barely).

- Rubberized coating. Maybe the formula improved over time but my past experiences with older gear and controllers with rubberized coating on them...it gets sticky, discolored, and just plain gross. Peeling the stuff off is a nightmare too. At least there's no glossy plastic parts on it.

And now for a few questions:

* I wonder if Audeze made velour pads for the Mobius? When you live in Arizona, having breathable pads is important.

* I know Mad Lust Envy mentioned this thing once on Windows 10(?) where if you tried to go to the Mobius Sound Properties window, it'll pop up and immediately close. This doesn't happen on Windows 7. Did they ever figure out why that happens?

* I downloaded that software for the Mobius and the battery status was weird. One minute it was sitting at 92% and then after switching from 7.1 mode to 2 channel Hi Res mode the battery dropped to 84% when it detected the headset again. What happened there?

* Any way to have the 3D mode on without the head tracking? That'd be nice.

And for now, that's all. I can't wait to discover what else this headset can do...
 
Sep 10, 2018 at 10:08 PM Post #483 of 5,780
Of course these come right when I won't be able to use them at work due to a class. Oh well.

Initial impressions:
.Yay, enough volume! At least while run through USB. How have people listening to EDM not blown their ears out with these yet?
.Enough bass for me. Subwoofer tests sound about right
.Excellent head-feel so far, but needs a good 2hr straight session before decision is made for a glasses man
.3D effect is decent for a generic transfer function; it's at least immersive
.Head tracking is nice and reactive
.Controls are well thought-out
.Build quality is great
.I'm a bit concerned about the leakage with these, but I'll have to wait to test on PITA coworkers
.Hiss definitely audible with nothing playing; will need to test on some quiet passages and report back

Couple of questions for a Mac user:
1) Adjusting the volume on the cup results in only the FR/FL channel sliders moving, but volume for all channels seems to adjust audibly correctly. Is that correct functionality?
2) I am using this channel map; correct?

Initial impressions definitely make me want to give these lots of playtime over the next couple of weeks!
 
Sep 10, 2018 at 10:33 PM Post #484 of 5,780
If anyone is looking for some good bass test tracks, I highly recommend Lorn’s New album, Remnant. Especially the song Replika.

I even more highly recommend listening to it on an LCD headphone, god damn madness on those cans.
 
Sep 11, 2018 at 12:02 AM Post #485 of 5,780
Of course these come right when I won't be able to use them at work due to a class. Oh well.

Initial impressions:
.Yay, enough volume! At least while run through USB. How have people listening to EDM not blown their ears out with these yet?
.Enough bass for me. Subwoofer tests sound about right
.Excellent head-feel so far, but needs a good 2hr straight session before decision is made for a glasses man
.3D effect is decent for a generic transfer function; it's at least immersive
.Head tracking is nice and reactive
.Controls are well thought-out
.Build quality is great
.I'm a bit concerned about the leakage with these, but I'll have to wait to test on PITA coworkers
.Hiss definitely audible with nothing playing; will need to test on some quiet passages and report back

Couple of questions for a Mac user:
1) Adjusting the volume on the cup results in only the FR/FL channel sliders moving, but volume for all channels seems to adjust audibly correctly. Is that correct functionality?
2) I am using this channel map; correct?

Initial impressions definitely make me want to give these lots of playtime over the next couple of weeks!

I wear glasses (usually) and i havent had any issues for a few hours listening session(s).
Leakage doesn't seem to bad to me. I don't listen very loud either but unless you're whispering in my ear you wont hear em'. If i had to say how loud i listen, if i were to place my hands a couple inches away from my face and in-line with my ears - I can lightly snap my fingers and hear them quite well.
 
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Sep 11, 2018 at 12:24 AM Post #486 of 5,780
Sep 11, 2018 at 1:08 AM Post #487 of 5,780
Or you know... actual sub bass tracks. :ksc75smile:
I usually prefer testing with music designed to be music rather than music designed to be a test track. Plus, ya gotta have full spectrum to test the bass! Can't rely on a few sine waves!

And I just analyzed the song I mentioned, it most definitely has quite a bit of subbass!
 
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Sep 11, 2018 at 8:55 AM Post #490 of 5,780
Been listening for a few days now, exclusively for music; not much of a gamer.

Echoing what some others have previously requested, the Mobius is in desperate need of an option to have 3D on but head tracking off. At my office, where I have to constantly be turning to view multiple monitors, the head tracking is an annoyance rather than an improvement. While I love the 3D effect and the ability to adjust the level of the effect via the Windows app, I find I'm constantly having to re-center, which is also an annoyance.

Hopefully this can be added via firmware update. To me, the logical place for this option would be a 4th option on the 3D button long press: (On/Auto/No Head Tracking/Off).
 
Sep 11, 2018 at 10:03 AM Post #491 of 5,780
Been listening for a few days now, exclusively for music; not much of a gamer.

Echoing what some others have previously requested, the Mobius is in desperate need of an option to have 3D on but head tracking off. At my office, where I have to constantly be turning to view multiple monitors, the head tracking is an annoyance rather than an improvement. While I love the 3D effect and the ability to adjust the level of the effect via the Windows app, I find I'm constantly having to re-center, which is also an annoyance.

Hopefully this can be added via firmware update. To me, the logical place for this option would be a 4th option on the 3D button long press: (On/Auto/No Head Tracking/Off).

I would also like to add a request for this. As someone who is constantly turning for multiple monitors and other things, having to recenter is somewhat annoying, but would just prefer if there was a head tracking off mode. Definitely a good suggestion.

Also, as for my last post, I thought the mic was better, it's not. Still hoping @Audeze might have a solution to this. A friend local to me is having the exact same issue as well with his set.
 
Sep 11, 2018 at 10:35 AM Post #492 of 5,780
I haven't gotten Mobius yet but it's also an option I kinda expect I'd like especially after testing Waves Nx app with 3D on and head-tracking off, kinda liking to listen to music with the 3D on sometimes, can't tell about the head tracking but I also have multiple monitors/TV so that could become an issue indeed. Will report back my thoughts when recieving Mobius for testing. For me an on/off button in the app would be enough but this is something which also could be useful to be able to toggle on/off on the go so I'd also vouch for a 4th mode on the 3D button if it was considered for a firmware update together with the perhaps most requested function so far, remember last used mode when turning on the headphone, that becomes required if adding one more mode for sure.
 
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Sep 11, 2018 at 11:52 AM Post #493 of 5,780
I would also like to add a request for this. As someone who is constantly turning for multiple monitors and other things, having to recenter is somewhat annoying, but would just prefer if there was a head tracking off mode. Definitely a good suggestion.

Also, as for my last post, I thought the mic was better, it's not. Still hoping @Audeze might have a solution to this. A friend local to me is having the exact same issue as well with his set.

Same issue with the mic. Very disappointing. @Audeze
 
Sep 11, 2018 at 12:00 PM Post #494 of 5,780
I bought these along with both of my roommates to replace our current gaming headphones. The sound quality is terrific. But so far we have all come to the same conclusion. The microphone makes these totally unsuitable for any kind of online gaming. We have adjusted windows volumes, discord volumes, and the headsets volume and nothing seems to make this microphone pick up any reasonable amount of sound. I'm constantly being asked to repeat or talk louder when in the middle of fights. I just ordered a new headset off Amazon because I don't want to fill up my desk with a desktop mic. So I'm hoping for some sort of fix or resolution for this.

Thanks!
 
Sep 11, 2018 at 12:29 PM Post #495 of 5,780
I used the Mobius for some Skype for Business calls at the office today, and can confirm that the mic level is far too low. In order to get an overall effective recording level, I have to get the mic so close to my mouth that it's too "hot" and clips on sibilant pronunciations. Not good!
 

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