Audeze Mobius Review / Preview - Head-Fi TV

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Aug 8, 2018 at 3:18 PM Post #4,472 of 7,693
What I thought would be able to happen, is for the two channels of Dolby audio locked on axis with our ears when looking straight ahead, but the channels would stay in place when we move our heads. I'm not sure why this wouldn't work.
 
Aug 8, 2018 at 3:33 PM Post #4,473 of 7,693
One little detail I'd gladly hear some input on that isn't much discussed yet, soundstage wise, is this a more "forward" (but intimate/front-row) or "laid-back" (distant/back-row) sounding headphone? The description I've had so far leads to believe it's more the former than the latter, neither obviously better than the other and it comes down to taste, I just personally tend to prefer a more "in-your-face" presentation even if it comes at a cost of soundstage expansiveness as I tend to connect better with the music (get more engaged as in foot-tapping, head-nodding tend to more easily occur which is a good sign that I'm enjoying what I'm hearing) when it sounds like the vocals/instruments are coming closer to me. (or like the hipsters would say, it sounds more "phat")

To me it is more forward. When in 2channel or HiRez, the music is close and in your face inside your head, but yet spacious. Enabling 7.1 makes sound even more spacious like a large concert venue. I don't enable 7.1 unless watching movies or intense 3d gaming.
 
Aug 8, 2018 at 3:43 PM Post #4,474 of 7,693
What I thought would be able to happen, is for the two channels of Dolby audio locked on axis with our ears when looking straight ahead, but the channels would stay in place when we move our heads. I'm not sure why this wouldn't work.

This is exactly how 3d on the Mobius works. There is "3d Auto" where the sound is locked at that spacial position. As you turn your head, the sound spacial positions stays in place."3d Manual" ,I've noticed, repositions the audio spacial positions as you turn your head, as if to re-orientate the audio relative to where you turn your head.
 
Aug 8, 2018 at 3:49 PM Post #4,475 of 7,693
This is exactly how 3d on the Mobius works. There is "3d Auto" where the sound is locked at that spacial position. As you turn your head, the sound spacial positions stays in place."3d Manual" ,I've noticed, repositions the audio spacial positions as you turn your head, as if to re-orientate the audio relative to where you turn your head.
Right... But what everyone is saying is that left and right are moved to front in 3D mode. Pre processed virtual surround wouldn't work in this configuraation. But, I THINK it would work if left and right stay to the side.
 
Aug 8, 2018 at 3:58 PM Post #4,476 of 7,693
Even if the speakers could be set to the side, you still have competing HRTFs from the mobius and from Dolby. Then as soon as you moved your head the Dolby would stay the same, but the Mobius HRTF would be recalculated based on head position. It would sound terrible.

Again, it'd be like if you had 2 speakers, one directly on your left and the other directly on your right. And you played the headphone audio from Dolby Atmos Headphone, designed for static heads wearing headphones, through your Speaker system. If that sounds like it's supposed to work, I don't know what else to say.
 
Aug 8, 2018 at 3:58 PM Post #4,477 of 7,693
Right... But what everyone is saying is that left and right are moved to front in 3D mode. Pre processed virtual surround wouldn't work in this configuraation. But, I THINK it would work if left and right stay to the side.

This is correct. If the Mobius is fed any audio (stereo, 5.1, 7.1, 3d, etc), 3d on the Mobius will orientated that audio when you turn your head, that entire audio experience is stationary at that spacial position. I haven't noticed left and right being moved forward much.

Edit: I would encourage owners to test out 7.1 surround on YouTube to better gauge their 3d and surround experiences. There are. Dolby test vids.
 
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Aug 8, 2018 at 4:02 PM Post #4,478 of 7,693
I’ve noticed that the latency seems to be noticeably higher than I’m used to with Bluetooth, making video appear slightly out of sync.

I think this is entirely based on what audio codec the Mobius is currently decoding. Your device may not have the better lower latency codecs.

edit: (sorry, meant to say my PortaPro wireless uses Apt-X here on my PC.) I have no idea what the Mobius uses, but I don't get noticeble latency, and I play VIDEO GAMES.

When on my phone, it uses AAC or if I toggle the option on, LDAC.

When using my Bluetooth transmitter that has quite a few codecs but none that the Mobius reads, it defaults to SBC. Using the transmitter with the Mobius, there is a SIGNIFICANT delay, and makes it unusable, though there is no real reason for me to use it to begin with. I dunno why it doesn't use Fast Stream, while my PortaPro wireless does. It sounds...not great, but latency is low, so I use it for my PortaPro wireless late at night when I wanna use my X7 or GSX.

Neither my PC or phone have ANY lip sync issues.
 
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Aug 8, 2018 at 4:06 PM Post #4,479 of 7,693
Aug 8, 2018 at 4:18 PM Post #4,480 of 7,693
Even if the speakers could be set to the side, you still have competing HRTFs from the mobius and from Dolby. Then as soon as you moved your head the Dolby would stay the same, but the Mobius HRTF would be recalculated based on head position. It would sound terrible.

Again, it'd be like if you had 2 speakers, one directly on your left and the other directly on your right. And you played the headphone audio from Dolby Atmos Headphone, designed for static heads wearing headphones, through your Speaker system. If that sounds like it's supposed to work, I don't know what else to say.
Oh well. At least I'll still be able to use 3D mode for surround mixing at work. They'll probably be used mostly as bluetooth anyway for me. Still very excited!
 
Aug 8, 2018 at 4:20 PM Post #4,481 of 7,693
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Aug 8, 2018 at 4:22 PM Post #4,482 of 7,693
This is exactly how 3d on the Mobius works. There is "3d Auto" where the sound is locked at that spacial position. As you turn your head, the sound spacial positions stays in place."3d Manual" ,I've noticed, repositions the audio spacial positions as you turn your head, as if to re-orientate the audio relative to where you turn your head.
Actually it's the other way around.

3D Auto will reposition the sound after a few moments. So if you're listening to something and turn around, a few moments later, the sound will readjust to turn around with you. With 3D manual, the sound stays locked to that point in space so if you turn around, it will stay 'behind you', until you face towards the sound again.

This is why 3D Auto is good for mobile, as you're likely to move around. The only thing I wish the Mobius did for 3D Manual is for it to reposition the sound every minute or so back to the original point of where you first centered it. I do get drifting, where the center shifts a little after prolonged periods. I'll have to retest. Like instead of directly in the center, it will be just a bit off to the right or left, etc. So I find myself pressing the 3D button to re-center every 10 minutes or so.
 
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Aug 8, 2018 at 4:27 PM Post #4,483 of 7,693
The only thing I wish the Mobius did for 3D Manual is for it to reposition the sound every minute or so back to the original point of where you first centered it. I do get drifting, where the center shifts a little after prolonged periods. I'll have to retest. Like instead of directly in the center, it will be just a bit off to the right or left, etc. So I find myself pressing the 3D button to re-center every 10 minutes or so.

@Audeze Can you confirm this issue will be fixed in a firmware update? I play competitive FPS and will need this to be centered more frequently. I will only be using type c to type c cable, no bluetooth for me.
 
Aug 8, 2018 at 4:46 PM Post #4,484 of 7,693
That cable would not work, it says it's for Video/Audio only, it's made to connect a USB-C device to a mini-displayport display. If all your USB ports are used up just get a USB hub, they cost about the same.
Great, thank you! I'll be able to free up some ports, just wanted to make sure that 5.1/7.1 will run with normal usb-c to usb-a connection and that the 5.1 and 7.1 are not exclusive to usb-c connections only.
 
Aug 8, 2018 at 4:47 PM Post #4,485 of 7,693
Due to the lack of an external frame of reference, errors will accumulate over time, resulting in drift. And since there is no external frame of reference, there is no way to know where the "center" is without the user keeping their head still (below a threshold). Thus, I guess a very slow "3D Auto" mode would be one of (the only?) way to get what you are looking for (one that would center if you hold your head still for a number of seconds).

Given this, the user should be able to set the speed of 3D Auto mode in the Mobius app, with the slowest speed being something like I just described above (in order to correct for drift), and the fastest being (something else I've seen requested on this forum) "always centered."
 

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