[jriggin]

I really do understand and appreciate that, but you need to put on your Consumer hat and have a look at how you are selling your products, in this case the Penrose. It is a constant problem with brands, product managers and representatives to forget that the average consumer knows NOTHING about your product and how it interacts with them daily. It's why I find most user manuals horrible, because they are put together by people that know the product inside out, and they never get it reviewed by someone who has never touched the item. Websites should be the same.
They will use their current life experience to form expectations. I have X headphones that cost $50, so surely these $300 ones can do that plus my taxes and drive me home while I am drunk. You get the picture, associated expectations.

You are telling one story on your website, the main portal for your consumers knowledge base, and then all the little detail covering caveats elsewhere that 99% of of them will never see. I personally can't recall seeing anything on this forum about delays to Android and Mac, and I have read every page, hence my small summary of Audeze replies on to most common questions on page 50.

Let's tackle the program side, as that is what I have jumped on.

From your website

Audeze HQ |Desktop and Mobile App

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.

Right here, it makes NO mention of specific compatibility, or delays but does mention critical use functions that are only accessible via the app.

Directly below that.

Multi-device Compatibility
Xbox • PlayStation • Nintendo • Windows • Macintosh • iOS • Android

While I understand it is dealing with general use now, not the app anymore, surely you have experience with consumer usage that will almost always link A & B and ignore any contextual info. So the inference here is that the App will work for the listed devices. Ok, only someone completely brain dead, and we all know they exist, is going to think there is an Audeze HQ app for Switch. But the connection between the two headers, Mobile App and Multi-Device listing iOS and Android is inexplicable.

So you have set expectations that your headset is going to arrive at date X and needs to use app Y to make full use of it.
You can't expect consumers to be happy with the supporting app to not be readably usable two months after the initial go to market date has passed if you haven't clearly communicated that.

If you were a brand new company i could understand so many oversights in communication, but you're not. You also went through the fun of a Kickstarter, that should have been a huge learning experience on dealing directly with consumers needs and their expectations based on your provided info.

Probably also a good idea to link the support URL on the Penrose page - https://audeze.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/categories/360004300932-Penrose-Technical-Support

If the Android App is depreciated, remove it form the store, you can see yet another 1 star review placed just two months ago, clearly people aren't aware of what's going on.

Glad I canceled. Had a feeling these were going to be bad. The annoying part is they *knew* they were shipping a subpar product.

 

[Scratchansniff]

Audeze HQ isn't that where we are supposed to load our EQ profiles?. I just want top-notch sound I will only be using them for gaming through USB dongle I am not one to rush and cancel I want more opinions on this headset yet. So guys who own this headset is it worth it just for console gaming? How is the sound quality?. Also if we can't use Audeze HQ for EQ profiles what do you have to use?.

 

[Gunn3y]

With regards to the noise floor that has been brought up a few times, i don't recall reading about any major issues with the Mobius and noise floor/hissing, and Audeze seem to be maintaining the noise floor on the Penrose should be lower than the Mobius, so i'm a bit confused as to what is going on here?

 

[Headsetist]

Audeze HQ isn't that where we are supposed to load our EQ profiles?. I just want top-notch sound I will only be using them for gaming through USB dongle I am not one to rush and cancel I want more opinions on this headset yet. So guys who own this headset is it worth it just for console gaming? How is the sound quality?. Also if we can't use Audeze HQ for EQ profiles what do you have to use?.

It sounds great and it's wireless, unless you NEED multi source sound mixing and you're willing to pay the premium for sound quality then there's nothing better.

 

[NlilNjA]

It sounds great and it's wireless, unless you NEED multi source sound mixing and you're willing to pay the premium for sound quality then there's nothing better.

You using it for PS5?

 

[Scratchansniff]

It sounds great and it's wireless, unless you NEED multi-source sound mixing and you're willing to pay the premium for sound quality then there's nothing better.

It's the Penrose X I will be using when I finally get it, So it's all good for me then that's good to know. Just one query now you have them in hand how would you compare them to the SteelSeries arctis range? say arctis pro or arctis 7x? And yes my options are limited. I won't use Astro and I don't know of any other wireless headphones which have top quality sound.

 

[Headsetist]

You using it for PS5?

PS5 and PC, yes. They sound great and work pretty seamlessly with both, excepting the few shortcomings I've already remarked on in this thread.

 

[NlilNjA]

It's the Penrose X I will be using when I finally get it, So it's all good for me then that's good to know. Just one query now you have them in hand how would you compare them to the SteelSeries arctis range? say arctis pro or arctis 7x? And yes my options are limited. I won't use Astro and I don't know of any other wireless headphones which have top quality sound.

Yeah I have the 7P for the PS5 right now and I must say I am unimpressed with the sound quality.

I really hope this Penrose, being Planar Magnetic and all, is a lot better than the 7P considering it being twice the price.

 

[amoeba1126]

Yeah I have the 7P for the PS5 right now and I must say I am unimpressed with the sound quality.

I really hope this Penrose, being Planar Magnetic and all, is a lot better than the 7P considering it being twice the price.

Don't forget that the Mobius exists. We know what Penrose sounds like or at least sounds very, very similar to. It's just now able to sound like that wirelessly via 2.4GHz.

 

[Headsetist]

It's the Penrose X I will be using when I finally get it, So it's all good for me then that's good to know. Just one query now you have them in hand how would you compare them to the SteelSeries arctis range? say arctis pro or arctis 7x? And yes my options are limited. I won't use Astro and I don't know of any other wireless headphones which have top quality sound.

Out of those two, I've only really used the Arctis Pro Wireless for long enough to have an opinion so I'll talk about that one.

The APW has good enough sound quality but the Penrose is noticeably better. Having said that, the APW is more convenient in a lot of ways. The battery system in the APW is better and it has a battery level indicator (a real headscratcher on an exclusion on the Penrose). I also think the APW is more comfortable but the Penrose is fairly comfortable as well as long as you don't have a huge head. The Penrose also has a very low buzzing sound but the APW has an even louder one from the sidetone that cannot be turned off (that's why I returned the APW I had). The APW also has a built in chatmix system that some people find important but isn't a factor at all for me.

Edit - For what it's worth, the Penrose is also dorkier looking, I wouldn't wear it on a work call for example.

 

[AStiffBreeze]

I don’t have a Windows or Android device, so looks like I’m stuck with hissing at launch.

I have a MacBook Pro, iPad, iPhone, PS4 Pro, and PS5, but apparently none of these devices can be used to disable sidetone.

Then again, the Penrose has been delayed until late December in Australia (and Penrose X is now 2021), so maybe I’ll be able to turn off sidetone by then.

With regards to the noise floor that has been brought up a few times, i don't recall reading about any major issues with the Mobius and noise floor/hissing, and Audeze seem to be maintaining the noise floor on the Penrose should be lower than the Mobius, so i'm a bit confused as to what is going on here?

I wonder if the PS5 is the problem? My PS5 fails to work with external USB storage (two different drives, that both work flawlessly with the PS4 Pro), and many people are reporting USB charging issues with Rest mode on the PS5. It might be that there are issues with the PS5’s USB drivers or USB ports. It’s interesting that the one person with glowing reports of the Penrose is using it on a PS4.

 

[amoeba1126]

Nothing they do will add another dial for a chat mix, so that’s out of the question.

Assuming they can implement it via firmware, unique button + dial combination can accomplish that. Like for example, push X button twice quickly and then use dial.

 

[NlilNjA]

Don't forget that the Mobius exists. We know what Penrose sounds like or at least sounds very, very similar to. It's just now able to sound like that wirelessly via 2.4GHz.

So it should really put Arctis Pro's and Astro to shame based on what we know from Mobius, right?

Arctis Pro's and A50's are the only wireless competitors I see since they are all roughly in the same price range.

 

[amoeba1126]

So it should really put Arctis Pro's and Astro to shame based on what we know from Mobius, right?

Arctis Pro's and A50's are the only wireless competitors I see since they are all roughly in the same price range.

Despite the feedback regarding the shortcomings of the headset, sound quality has been consistently praised. This essentially proves that Penrose sounds a lot better IMO. A previous poster basically asked why should they care that Audeze is a company that makes audiophile headphones, well that's the entire reason why people are looking at the Penrose and previously Mobius for gaming.

 

[amoeba1126]

I don’t have a Windows or Android device, so looks like I’m stuck with hissing at launch.

I have a MacBook Pro, iPad, iPhone, PS4 Pro, and PS5, but apparently none of these devices can be used to disable sidetone.

Some correct me if I am wrong here, but I thought you could disable sidetone with macOS?