Audeze Penrose X and Penrose
Dec 7, 2020 at 6:13 AM Post #2,791 of 7,191
Reporting back with some new findings.

I decided to try AUX on the PS5 and was amazed by the difference it makes to have the 3.5 mm cable plugged into the controller. All crackling of the Mic was gone, and the volume level of the mic on the PS5 was literally 1/4th of what it has to be wireless to be well in the "GOOD" part of their input volume measurement. Even if they fix the issues with the wireless performance I may keep that cable going into the controller for that nearly broadcast quality mic. If you want to stream directly from your PS5 I don't think you could do better than the Penrose + AUX cable to controller. Although it does defeat the purpose of going wireless, kinda.

This suggests to me that I can use these headphones wirelessly with my Xbox Series X for the premium sound, and then connect them into the 3.5mm for the microphone only to get the best sound out of that. Is this correct?

Being wireless is just a bonus for me. I'm already tethered to my desk by virtue of my monitor and Xbox being here so don't really care if there's a wire into my controller if it means the mic sounds better.
 
Dec 7, 2020 at 7:13 AM Post #2,792 of 7,191
I've taken the plunge and pre ordered these to take advantage of the £50 off. Had some Arctis 7P but sent them back as I noticed bad distortion on explosions, destiny two void grenade sounded awful but fine with my FidelioX2.
No idea when I'll get them but that's part of the fun.
 
Dec 7, 2020 at 7:22 AM Post #2,793 of 7,191
I'm having intermittent issues on Mac with connecting to the Penrose using the dongle in wireless mode. About 3/4 times when I connect the dongle, I'll hear the "connected" voice, but the dongle light goes off and there's no Audeze Penrose in the sound preferences. Has anyone found the same?

I'll unplug it and replug it a few times and it will eventually work. The issue is the same even when I rotate to other USB ports. I have a Windows machine and this hasn't happened there.
 
Dec 7, 2020 at 10:12 AM Post #2,796 of 7,191
This suggests to me that I can use these headphones wirelessly with my Xbox Series X for the premium sound, and then connect them into the 3.5mm for the microphone only to get the best sound out of that. Is this correct?

Being wireless is just a bonus for me. I'm already tethered to my desk by virtue of my monitor and Xbox being here so don't really care if there's a wire into my controller if it means the mic sounds better.

Wrong, there is no combined AUX / wireless option. You are either using the dongle or you are not.
 
Dec 7, 2020 at 10:25 AM Post #2,797 of 7,191
I finally received my Penrose over the weekend. I enjoy audio and have been a member here for several years. I wouldn't consider myself an audiophile as I'm often satisfied with Spotify 320kbps for easy listening, though I do buy FLAC albums for certain artists and groups that I want to support and who I believe provide good masters. I do enjoy planar magnetics, and my first planar was an HE-400i that I bought directly from a Hifiman distributor in Beijing before it was even available in the U.S. Since then, I've also owned the HE-560, Oppo PM-1 and PM-3 and ZMF Omni. I eventually moved on from planars as I found their weight to be a nuisance when I wanted to listen to music for more than a couple hours at a time, and settled on some dynamic headphones that are extremely comfortable for long periods of time (HD650, Focal Clear and Sony Z1R). However, I still think my favorite headphone sound signature belongs to that of a planar, the ZMF Omni.

I generally use my Z1R for PC gaming as I don't play any competitive games and I find the audio more immersive than my Clears and HD650. Much like the Omni, I find the Z1R to have an expansive soundstage for a closed headphone, though my HD650 and Clear's aren't renowned for their soundstage anyway. I rarely use headphones for console gaming as they are connected to a home theater 5.1 system, but I've been craving the option for the past year or so now that I have a couple kids, especially when I want to play at night without waking up the house. For portable use, I use Sennheiser Momentum 3.0 and Momentum True Wireless 1.0 with my Switch and Oculus Quest, as they support aptX Low Latency - otherwise, Bluetooth is a non-starter for gaming due to the horrendous latency introduced.

So, first impressions: the Penrose are more comfortable than I expected, though still not what I'd want to wear for more than an hour. I guess I was preparing myself for the worst with all the complaints about clamping force (especially since I have a larger than average head), but I find the pads pretty comfortable and clamping force can usually be adjusted after a few days of stretching. I actually find the headband to be a bit more annoying and it presses very noticeably on the top of my head, which gets annoying after a while. Even though these are lighter than ZMF Omni's, I find them less comfortable overall due to the latter's luxurious cushioning on their pads and headband.

I almost don't want to give my thoughts on the audio yet, because supposedly there will be firmware to fix some of these issues. However, I find it a bit crazy that the headphones have been shipped as is with a promise of future firmware (which probably will not be communicated too well for people who typically purchase "gaming" (marketed) headphones). I connected the Penrose to my PC to turn off sidetone and then plugged the dongle into the front USB 2.0 port of my PS5.

Overall impressions - underwhelmed. Although these sound significantly better than the Sony Pulse 3D that I briefly tried before returning, it still pales in comparison not only to other wired headphones I currently use but also to other wireless headphones I've used in the past. I prefer my Oppo PM-3 and Sennheiser Momentum 3.0's to the Penrose, honestly. But perhaps I'm not giving the Penrose a fair shake, because I get consistent crackle or brief drop-outs when using it with my PS5, which I never experienced with the Pulse 3D (or Momentum's plugged into the Dualsense). In addition to this, I experienced 4 significant disconnects (accompanied with the very loud "CONNECTED" voice yelling in my ear) in the span of an hour, and I sit about 10 feet away from my PS5 with absolutely nothing in between. I've read all the suggestions about purchasing a USB extender or plugging in the rear ports, but it's kind of ridiculous that I would need to resort to that when other wireless options don't have the same problem.

I'll be receiving the Arctis 7P this week so I can do a bit more comparisons, and it sounds like the new Penrose firmware should be available this week as well. I'll also try out a USB extender along with some PC and Bluetooth use before making a final decision (though I'm actually fine with wired headphones at the PC). I do hope that the firmware can fix the connection issue, though I can't recall if that's been promised (I know it's supposed to fix the woosh noise, Sidetone functionality via button press, and mic quality). The Penrose definitely sounds better than the few other "gaming" headphones I've owned, but I guess I just expected more. I know others may disagree, but personally I do not find the increased audio quality worth the unpleasant user experience I've had and continue to experience with this headset. If all else fails and the Arctis 7P is as bad as people make them out to be, I'll probably just return both and find a USB AptX Low Latency adapter to pair with my Momentum 3.0.
 
Dec 7, 2020 at 10:52 AM Post #2,798 of 7,191
Really appreciate your post @imac2much, it sounds like we’re landing in similar places on the Penrose. Would you mind updating us later with your comparisons on the 7P? I recently returned a 7P after comparing them because I noticed the 7P had severe crackle at high volumes, but it may have been a defective unit. I did find the 7P significantly more comfortable, reliable in connection, and “mature-feeling” as a complete product — and to my ears the microphone felt fairly equal, though I understand Audeze says they’ll be updating the mic in the new firmware. Coincidentally I’ve also been considering returning the Penrose for a Sennheiser Momentum or an XM3, if the Penrose doesn’t work out.
 
Dec 7, 2020 at 10:58 AM Post #2,799 of 7,191
Really appreciate your post @imac2much, it sounds like we’re landing in similar places on the Penrose. Would you mind updating us later with your comparisons on the 7P? I recently returned a 7P after comparing them because I noticed the 7P had severe crackle at high volumes, but it may have been a defective unit. I did find the 7P significantly more comfortable, reliable in connection, and “mature-feeling” as a complete product — and to my ears the microphone felt fairly equal, though I understand Audeze says they’ll be updating the mic in the new firmware. Coincidentally I’ve also been considering returning the Penrose for a Sennheiser Momentum or an XM3, if the Penrose doesn’t work out.
Definitely. I do want to give the Penrose a fair shake with its new firmware before I form any final conclusions. I'm a bit nervous to try pairing with bluetooth as people have complained that it reduces 2.4ghz volume significantly, but I'll try that as well, along with a USB extender.

I'd advise against any Sony headphones unless you're not using them for gaming. Sony wireless headphones have no low latency codec so they are useless for gaming in my opinion. I actually prefer the XM3's a bit more over the Momentum 3.0 in terms of user experience and ANC, but the Momentum's have a pleasant, albeit overly warm, sound signature, and it supports aptX Low Latency which is excellent for gaming.
 
Dec 7, 2020 at 11:07 AM Post #2,800 of 7,191
@imac2much did your Fedex tracking eventually update or did they just show up one day? I think we were in the same boat with being stuck on "Shipment info sent to Fedex" but no package movement. Unfortunately I'm still in that boat but curious how your order shook out.
 
Dec 7, 2020 at 11:22 AM Post #2,801 of 7,191
Definitely. I do want to give the Penrose a fair shake with its new firmware before I form any final conclusions. I'm a bit nervous to try pairing with bluetooth as people have complained that it reduces 2.4ghz volume significantly, but I'll try that as well, along with a USB extender.

I'd advise against any Sony headphones unless you're not using them for gaming. Sony wireless headphones have no low latency codec so they are useless for gaming in my opinion. I actually prefer the XM3's a bit more over the Momentum 3.0 in terms of user experience and ANC, but the Momentum's have a pleasant, albeit overly warm, sound signature, and it supports aptX Low Latency which is excellent for gaming.

For what it’s worth, I only observe the volume drop while actually using dual wireless sources — simply being paired on Bluetooth, but not having audio playing from it, does not drop my volumes. I only hear the volume drop when using both sources at once.

And I appreciate it — when gaming if I’m not on Penrose I plan to use a wired link with a boom mic to the controller, but I do know that the lack of AptX-LL is a problem if I’m on a PC or using an adapter. Right now the headset is entirely console based though, and the XM3 would probably serve double duty as a work headphone.
 
Dec 7, 2020 at 11:32 AM Post #2,802 of 7,191
It's a great combination, but I actually prefer using the Tygr 300r to be honest. I find the Beyer to be far more comfortable. Where the PC38x wins though is convenience with the built in mic and it is a tad easier to drive meaning I can use the Dualsense from time to time when its more convenient than the G6.

I've had a set of the K712 Pro in the past - personally, while the PC38x are different, I can't honestly say the outlay over and above what you have is worth it - although, I know what the 'buying new headphones' bug is like!! :)
Yeah I was wondering it it was worth me changing haha, I’ve had my K712 Pro’s for 5 years now and I want something new! I used to be really involved with tech stuff back then with my gaming PC dual monitors and all that and now I’m just a big casual that mainly plays on my PS5, my PC is essentially my Discord machine haha, as well as PC/Xbox exclusives. I’m just after something a bit more convenient, I like switching from the desk(G6) to the sofa(Dualsense), not having to mess around with extra hardware. Having an all-in-one headset would be perfect for me, just plug and play. Think I’m just going to cancel my Penrose preorder, there’s too many small annoyances that would bother me.
 
Dec 7, 2020 at 11:37 AM Post #2,803 of 7,191
Yeah I was wondering it it was worth me changing haha, I’ve had my K712 Pro’s for 5 years now and I want something new! I used to be really involved with tech stuff back then with my gaming PC dual monitors and all that and now I’m just a big casual that mainly plays on my PS5, my PC is essentially my Discord machine haha, as well as PC/Xbox exclusives. I’m just after something a bit more convenient, I like switching from the desk(G6) to the sofa(Dualsense), not having to mess around with extra hardware. Having an all-in-one headset would be perfect for me, just plug and play. Think I’m just going to cancel my Penrose preorder, there’s too many small annoyances that would bother me.

Well in that case - lol

The PC38x would certainly be more suited to the Dualsense than the K712. I'm sure that alone can help you justify getting a new toy :)
 

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