rockytopwiz
100+ Head-Fier
I have a pair of Mobius and I definitely have buyer's remorse. I primarily bought them for console gaming and they simply fall short of my existing setup. My existing setup is significantly more expensive than a Mobius, but I had some hopes that the Mobius would clean up some rough edges of my setup without a ton of quality sacrifices while also adding head tracking. It barely did any of what I was hoping for. Here's a summary of my experience with them.
Current gaming setup:
- Xbox One X running Headphone Atmos > TV via HDMI > Mimby via optical > Magni 3 > HD700
- Modmic plugged into controller with a splitter (only play multiplayer on X1X so this is moot for PS4 Pro config)
- PS4 Pro in basic dual channel > TV via HDMI > Mimby via optical > Magni 3 > HD700
Pros of current setup:
- HD700 are the most comfortable headphone I've ever worn. Hotspot on top of head doesn't flare, ears don't get warm, generally a 'barely there' feeling.
- Headphone Atmos is great. So much better than the VSS from the Astro MixAmp that I ditched VSS on PS4 Pro just to have a simpler configuration and still retain it on X1X (most of my gaming is on X1X, including all my multiplayer).
- Only have to manage a microphone and the extra wire when playing multiplayer (<20% of the time) as mic is removable.
- Audio quality is all-around great.
- HD700 are incredible for gaming in terms of conveying positional information and overall clarity.
Cons of current setup:
- No VSS for PS4 Pro games.
- Have to manage an external microphone connected to a controller rather than a nice, clean integration.
- Pretty expensive (but that's sunk cost to me).
What I hoped Mobius would improve:
- Single-cable headphone/mic configuration with minimal sound quality drop.
- Headtracking on top of VSS.
What Mobius actually brought:
Pros:
- Single-cable headphone/mic configuration with minimal sound quality drop, but only on PS4 Pro (when connected to USB port). I don't play any multiplayer games on PS4 Pro, however.
Cons:
- Simply uncomfortable. Hotspot on top of my head flares up in less than 30 minutes. Ears get sweaty.
- Might be able to fix my complaints with different earpads and a Pilot pad.
- I am incompatible with Sidetone, or at least this implementation of it. I struggle to speak when having my voice played back to me as I keep pausing to let the other me speak. I have to actively focus on continuing to speak instead of focusing on the game.
- VSS + Headtracking is not a viable combination due to the positioning of the speakers in 2ch 3D Mode (which is used with consoles). Some other forum members mentioned changing room settings using Mobius as a possibility? I don't even have a PC to attempt that. Waiting for the Mac app.
- Mobius starts up to settings I never use (7.1, 3D Mode on). I have to look at the Button Function guide nearly every time I want to use the Mobius.
- Enhancement Request for Audeze: Remember the last used settings on that input.
- Single-cable headphone/mic configuration with significant sound quality drop on Xbox One (due to going through controller).
- Gaming sound quality in 2ch with 3D Mode off is...fine? It's definitely a step down from the HD700 and even a step down from the HE400i that I keep as my backup gaming headphones.
- If I don't connect over USB, I have to manage batteries. Yes, console controllers also have batteries, but those last for dozens of hours and new X1X batteries can be swapped in within a minute. Mobius never ran out of battery in my playtime with it, but I was frequently switching back to USB connection on my Mac to get music impressions, too.
Other thoughts:
- Musically, these are just not for me. Even in HiRes connected over USB to my Mac, I just don't think it's particularly good. Everything sounds so flat and hollow in Default EQ mode (I haven't branched out past Default more than a few minutes). Clarity is good but not great. Fatigue is very low, but that's due to overall sound dullness.
- I'm a sub-basshead (check out Loki settings in sig) who also emphasizes clarity and energy of female vocals. Mobius simply fall flat in both regards. Even with my Loki in bypass mode, Dekoni Blues are superior in nearly every way, but especially the ways that matter to me. I even find the HE400i preferable overall (there is a tiny bit more subbass on the Mobius than the HE400i but I prefer nearly everything else about the HE400i's sound).
- Overall, they sound like a ~$150-200 headphone, so it's not a bad deal deal considering I paid $200 and they have a lot of whizbang features. I just don't use those whizbang features at this point.
- Mobius kind of feel cheap. I don't think they are cheap (they're super flexible and that's marketed as a positive), but due to the lack of touchable metal I'm used to from headphones, these just feel cheap.
- If I want to use Mobius with Loki, I have to connect to the Loki output to avoid double amping, which is pain. And I have to manage batteries.
- Oh, there's also the hiss. After listening to a lot of music with the hiss, I've started to get over it. I couldn't with just gaming, however.
TL;DR, Mobius just isn't great for my uses and my incumbent headphones and setup are superior. I don't necessarily regret getting them, but I don't intend to use them very much without improvements.
I'll get these replaced with a hiss-fixed unit and probably shelve them until a Mac app comes along for me to try modifying room so I can get console VSS + headtracking. In the meantime, I've ordered a Sound Blaster X7 so I can add VSS back to the PS4 Pro.
Thanks for your writeup, much appreciated. Sorry to thread-jack here but isn't Atmos headphones only available for certain titles? Or do they still have a VSS it plays through even if it's a game without Atmos?