Audeze Mobius Upgrade Recommendations

[jdscolam]

Hi Everyone,

Don't laugh, but the 3d positioning, soundstage, and mic of the Audeze Mobius was perfect for my gaming & movie use cases, however after having two of them completely break on me via headband fatigue I am needing to upgrade. I'd like some recommendations and ideas on a good replacement for gaming. I just ordered a Meze 105 AER w/ headset to try out, but I'm currently using an old Soundblaster X7 DAC/AMP powering an old set of Blue Ellas for music. Here are my questions.

• Would the X7 be enough to power the Meze 105's, or should I look at something like the JDS Element IV?
• Any other headphones I should try that would have a similar or better positional soundstage compared to the Mobius?
• Should I give the Maxwells a try even though they also have headband wear issues?
• Am I missing anything, should I consider something different?

Thanks in advance for your advice and input!

 

[dunring]

I've had the X7 a few times and it's got close to 1 watt at 32 ohm, more than enough power there. Out of 450 headphones I've gotten to use for the business, none beat the Audio-Technica ATH-AD1000X. They're really easy to drive, and the Fosi Audio DS2 has a really silent noise floor for great performance. Even a Soundblaster X1 will work fine if you're used to simulated surround sound. A consistent vocal range lets you judge distance of footsteps, also the AD1000x has great channel balance in that range. Epic vocals, but also expansive soundstage for gaming. They're so easy to power, even an Apple 3.5mm USB adapter at 25% volume is enough. The Sennheiser HD800s is really nice, but I think needs EQ for music, out of the box tuning needs help. Soundstage is epic though.

 

[firelinkcausality]

Beyond the headband, is there another reason why you don't want to get a set of Maxwells? I think the Maxwell headband is a pretty major upgrade over the Mobius headband.

 

[jdscolam]

@firelinkcausality I wasn't sure they'd provide the same 3d soundstage as the Mobius, though I'd be happy to be proven wrong.

@dunring thanks for the advice. I haven't been able to find a used ATH-AD1000X on the market other than EU or Japan. Any suggestions there?