[rymanocerous]

So then Audeze needs to remove the consoles too? They do not connect to an Audeze app on the consoles because the consoles do not have an Audeze app.

[Citation needed] on Audeze saying the headphones are not iOS compatible. All they said was that the app does not work with Penrose. Headphones work perfectly fine with iOS despite your misunderstanding of what they actually said.

I like when people who don't know what their talking about ask other people to deliver sources to them because they can't be bothered to go look. Go back several hundred pages to the discussion, that @Audeze participated in when they confirmed the chipset did not have the cert required for Apple.

Arguing that they are iOS compatible because they work on bluetooth is a bad take. With that logic, you probably work at Audeze.

They are bluetooth compatible.

 

[amoeba1126]

The headset works fine with iOS devices. It is the the app itself that is not supported on iOS for Penrose due to a lack of MFI certification. That does not however mean that Penrose itself is not iOS compatible. It works fine with it over Bluetooth, period.

 

[estaud]

Their original marketing on their website was actually more misleading regarding iOS compatibility (or perhaps more incorrect). I put a post a while back (which I cannot seem to find anymore) that talked about that and showed what their website used to say which can be seen through looking at the relevant page through WayBack Machine. Here is what their website used to say:
"The Audeze HQ app for mobile and desktop systems enables a variety of advanced functionality for the Penrose and Penrose X. Featuring a 10 band graphic EQ interface, sidetone toggling, and real-time voice-to-chat mix for Xbox Series X, Audeze HQ gives gamers unprecedented control over their audio experience."
- See here: https://web.archive.org/web/2020071...ucts/penrose-wireless-planar-magnetic-headset

So it was definitely misleading originally with no mention that an iOS app would not have the same functionality as an Android app, Mac app or PC app etc.

That being said, they made a VERY poor decision not to include the relevant chipset inside their headphones for full iOS app functionality. All the other wireless headphones I've owned over the years have had the ability to upgrade firmware and completely customise the headphones via an iOS app. So it all comes down to a bad design choice.

This is how remember it too.When I ordered the headphones last summer, the marketing said the audeze iOS app would work in the same ways the Android app now works, changing presets, toggling mic monitoring, updating firmware, etc. After the headphones showed up in December, I waited for the iOS update to bring compatibility, but that never came. The main product page still shows iOS compatibility. It takes a little digging to understand that's not the case.

 

[estaud]

The headset works fine with iOS devices. It is the the app itself that is not supported on iOS for Penrose due to a lack of MFI certification. That does not however mean that Penrose itself is not iOS compatible. It works fine with it over Bluetooth, period.

When I ordered the Penrose X last summer I already had the Audeze HQ app installed on my iPhone. I was excited to use the iOS app to control the features on the headphones while I was playing games on the xbox. Feel free to google all the news articles from last summer. This is from one of many I found....

"The Audeze HQ app for mobile and desktop systems enables a variety of advanced functionality for the Penrose and Penrose X. Featuring a 10 band graphic EQ interface, sidetone toggling, and real-time voice-to-chat mix for Xbox Series X, Audeze HQ gives gamers unprecedented control over their audio experience."

 

[amoeba1126]

When I ordered the Penrose X last summer I already had the Audeze HQ app installed on my iPhone. I was excited to use the iOS app to control the features on the headphones while I was playing games on the xbox. Feel free to google all the news articles from last summer. This is from one of many I found....

"The Audeze HQ app for mobile and desktop systems enables a variety of advanced functionality for the Penrose and Penrose X. Featuring a 10 band graphic EQ interface, sidetone toggling, and real-time voice-to-chat mix for Xbox Series X, Audeze HQ gives gamers unprecedented control over their audio experience."

I didn't say it didn't suck for those who only have iOS, but it doesn't change the fact that the headset is still compatible with iOS devices. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[termdisc]

I like when people who don't know what their talking about ask other people to deliver sources to them because they can't be bothered to go look. Go back several hundred pages to the discussion, that @Audeze participated in when they confirmed the chipset did not have the cert required for Apple.

Arguing that they are iOS compatible because they work on bluetooth is a bad take. With that logic, you probably work at Audeze.

They are bluetooth compatible.

TIL iOS devices do not have or are incompatible with Bluetooth. Thanks for clearing that up.

I do agree that the iOS Audeze app does not work with Penrose. I do not agree that the Penrose does not work with an iPhone.

 

[rymanocerous]

TIL iOS devices do not have or are incompatible with Bluetooth. Thanks for clearing that up.

I do agree that the iOS Audeze app does not work with Penrose. I do not agree that the Penrose does not work with an iPhone.

It works with bluetooth, period. Being able to connect to a bluetooth device does not equal iOS compatibility. But by all means, keep trying to argue that it does.

@termdisc why does doesn't it say it's Amazon Echo compatible? Both have bluetooth, it works on bluetooth.

 

[Arkard1]

It works with bluetooth, period. Being able to connect to a bluetooth device does not equal iOS compatibility. But by all means, keep trying to argue that it does.

@termdisc why does doesn't it say it's Amazon Echo compatible? Both have bluetooth, it works on bluetooth.

Compatability means it's works with a platform. If a company wants to say Android and ios compatible vs just saying mobile then so be it. You would still be here getting mad.

 

[amoeba1126]

I was just using my Penrose with my iPhone earlier and listening to some Magic Sword. Got a call, heard it rang, pressed the power button and answered it. Call was too loud so lowered the volume via the wheel. When it was done, I pressed the power button to end the call and resumed listening to music. I'd say the Penrose's compatibility is working just fine with iOS.

 

[termdisc]

It works with bluetooth, period. Being able to connect to a bluetooth device does not equal iOS compatibility. But by all means, keep trying to argue that it does.

@termdisc why does doesn't it say it's Amazon Echo compatible? Both have bluetooth, it works on bluetooth.

Why does the product listing say PlayStation and Switch compatible then? It can't connect to an app or be configured on the consoles. The USB dongle is a essentially basic USB soundcard interface that is generic to the consoles. There is no PS/Switch-specific hardware, unlike the Xbox version.

It doesn't list Echo compatibility because that's not a targeted use of the product. It's obviously marketed as a gaming headset that lets you connect to consoles, computers and phones. Therefore, you list the devices that would cover most use cases.

 

[scratchmassive]

No one is arguing that the Penrose is incompatible with the iPhone as a headset.

But some of us, myself included as an iPhone user, are pretty annoyed that when we preordered the Penrose the marketing said it would have a mobile app for "advanced functionality" such as EQ. And only found out much later that it was never possible to have an iOS app because it didn't have the chip for it. They've since changed the wording on the website so even they must admit it was misleading.

Right now, the website states "multi-device compatibility with ... Windows, Mac, iOS, Android" and I still think that's misleading because the same features are not present on each of these platforms, and there's no footnote or disclaimer that a more transparent & honest company would try to include. Not asking for much, all it needs is an asterisk with a footnote "EQ and firmware updates can only be done on Windows and Android".

 

[estaud]

No one is arguing that the Penrose is incompatible with the iPhone as a headset.

But some of us, myself included as an iPhone user, are pretty annoyed that when we preordered the Penrose the marketing said it would have a mobile app for "advanced functionality" such as EQ. And only found out much later that it was never possible to have an iOS app because it didn't have the chip for it. They've since changed the wording on the website so even they must admit it was misleading.

Right now, the website states "multi-device compatibility with ... Windows, Mac, iOS, Android" and I still think that's misleading because the same features are not present on each of these platforms, and there's no footnote or disclaimer that a more transparent & honest company would try to include. Not asking for much, all it needs is an asterisk with a footnote "EQ and firmware updates can only be done on Windows and Android".

100% agree.

The headphones I was sold last summer included iOS compatibility, which included the ability to adjust EQ, sidetone, and chat mix via the Audeze HQ app. It was on their site and in their press release.

The fact that this feature was cut because of cost after users had already paid their money deserves more than a casual mention by Audeze that is now buried in a 386 page thread on a third parties web site.

 

[scratchmassive]

100% agree.

The headphones I was sold last summer included iOS compatibility, which included the ability to adjust EQ, sidetone, and chat mix via the Audeze HQ app. It was on their site and in their press release.

The fact that this feature was cut because of cost after users had already paid their money deserves more than a casual mention by Audeze that is now buried in a 386 page thread on a third parties web site.

And to defend Audeze here and say that it is compatible with iPhone... Well, that is just giving permission to companies to use weasel words, and sell products without intending to fully inform their customers. Please don't make that normal and allow them to get away with that.

 

[termdisc]

No one is arguing that the Penrose is incompatible with the iPhone as a headset.

But some of us, myself included as an iPhone user, are pretty annoyed that when we preordered the Penrose the marketing said it would have a mobile app for "advanced functionality" such as EQ. And only found out much later that it was never possible to have an iOS app because it didn't have the chip for it. They've since changed the wording on the website so even they must admit it was misleading.

Right now, the website states "multi-device compatibility with ... Windows, Mac, iOS, Android" and I still think that's misleading because the same features are not present on each of these platforms, and there's no footnote or disclaimer that a more transparent & honest company would try to include. Not asking for much, all it needs is an asterisk with a footnote "EQ and firmware updates can only be done on Windows and Android".

Interesting use of an ellipsis there to omit the other devices that do not have the same features as the platforms that you kept. Is it misleading to include Xbox, PlayStation and Switch on that multi-device compatibility list? They have the same amount of functionality as the Penrose connected to an iOS device.

For the last part, you're right. It definitely needs to be made clearer. This is from the product page (which is out-of-date as of the Mac update):

Audeze HQ | Desktop and Mobile Apps

The Audeze HQ apps for Windows, Android (available now) and Mac (coming soon) enable a variety of advanced functionality for the Penrose and Penrose X. Featuring a 10 band graphic EQ interface, sidetone toggling, and real-time voice-to-chat mix for Xbox Series X, Audeze HQ gives gamers unprecedented control over their audio experience.

It should absolutely be updated to affirmatively state that the iOS Audeze app does not work with the Penrose. Implying it by exclusion is not enough.

 

[scratchmassive]

Interesting use of an ellipsis there to omit the other devices that do not have the same features as the platforms that you kept. Is it misleading to include Xbox, PlayStation and Switch on that multi-device compatibility list? They have the same amount of functionality as the Penrose connected to an iOS device.

I omitted to draw a simpler quote for comparing between iOS, Android and desktop -- but of course the same argument applies to Playstation etc, why not?

BTW there's more of a difference with iOS vs other platforms because I can't use the USB wireless dongle for lower-latency audio + higher-quality mic. So even performance as a headset is not the same!