If you’ve never heard of Audeze before, it’s most likely because you’re not an audiophile. This high-end headphone maker has made a name for itself by using planar magnetic drivers over dynamic drivers used in traditional headphones.
By utilizing planar magnetic technology Audeze is able to provide large drivers with enhanced clarity and detail. Unfortunately, this technology is not cheap; a pair of Audeze headphones can potentially set you back thousands of dollars.
However, in recent years, Audeze has branched out into gaming headsets, which are much more affordable in comparison. For example, the Mobius headset provided to us for review starts at $400. That’s still pretty expensive, but when it comes to planar magnetic headphones from Audeze, this is one of the best deals you’re gonna get.
Design
The Mobius is a big headset, as most gaming headphones are, but still manages to use a clean design. At first glance, you wouldn’t even think the Mobius was a gaming headset if not for its large size.
One of the benefits of this oversized design is the sheer amount of options the Mobius provides. For example, it has just about every connection type under the sun, whether you want to connect via USB, 3.5mm, or Bluetooth, the Mobius has you covered.
On top of that, there is a copious amount of buttons, including the power button, mute mic switch, 3D button, and two separate volume control dials that also serve as clickable buttons.
Along with the USB-C port and 3.5mm jack, the Mobius headset also includes a port for the removable mic. That can be a handy feature for all those times you may not need a mic and don’t need it in your field of view. Audeze even includes a carrying pouch with the Mobius, so you can store it and all the accessories when not in use or on the go.
Comfort & Fit
Gaming headsets aren’t usually lightweight, and the Mobius comes in at a pretty hefty at 350g, but I found the foam padding on the headband and ear cups to be sufficient.
That doesn’t mean you aren’t going to feel these though, after a couple of hours of gaming the pressure really starts to build up on the top of your head. However, that can be said for many gaming headphones.
The good news is, that the ear cushions have plenty of padding and never touched the inside of my ears, a concern I’ve had with a couple pairs of over the ear headphones recently. Even better, the ear cushions on the Mobius are replaceable ensuring if they start to wear down you can extend the life of the headset.
User Experience
The Audeze Mobius can be a little overwhelming at first with all of its dials and buttons, plus, it has a ton of options. That’s a good thing though, when you’re getting a headset this pricey, it better come with plenty of bells and whistles, and Audeze certainly delivers.
The only downside is that there will be a bit of a learning curve and figuring out what all the buttons do can take a little time. In the end, it will all be worth it because you’ll be able to customize the Mobius to your liking and get the most out of it.
The first decision you’ll have to make is how you want to connect it. If you’re using it with a PC, USB will be your best bet. It will give you access to the full capability of the Mobius such as the 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound and access to the AudezeHQ app.
When using it with a console, you’ll have the option of connecting using either USB or the 3.5mm cable depending on your console.
Finally, when connecting to your phone you’ll be able to use all three options, with Bluetooth being the most convenient choice. A word of warning though, you will experience a significant amount of audio latency if you try using the Mobius headset to play games while using the Bluetooth connection with your phone. Thankfully, streaming video appears to be unaffected though.
Next, you’ll have to decide which sound mode and sound profile you’d like to use. In order to use 5.1 or 7.1 audio, you’ll need to connect via USB. When using the Bluetooth or 3.5mm cable you are limited to stereo mode, so that simplifies things a bit. However, in every mode, you’ll have access to the different sound profiles, which are custom EQ settings including choices such as, Flat, Foot Steps, Music, RPG, and more.
Even though surround sound isn’t supported via Bluetooth or the 3.5mm connection, the Mobius still offers a virtual surround effect with 3D option. In my experience, this just added an echo to make audio appear more spacious. In most cases, I didn’t care for the effect and preferred to hear the plain vanilla stereo audio instead.
Mic
The removable microphone on the Audeze Mobius sounds phenomenal over a USB connection. I found when using it with Bluetooth the quality took a sharp dive, but if you’re using it hardwired then you’ll be impressed at how clean the audio sounds.
Sound Quality
This is the first pair of planar magnetic headphones I’ve ever experienced, and I came away very impressed by the audio quality. When gaming on the PC I was blown away by the 7.1 surround sound, it truly felt like the audio was coming all around me. The soundstage was so spacious and it was far more immersive than other high-end stereo headphones when I compared them head to head.
Similar to gaming, watching movies with the Mobius connected via USB provided a wonderfully immersive experience thanks to the surround sound. It really made an audible difference compared to traditional over the ear headphones.
When listening to music, the Audeze Mobius continued to impress. Songs had tight punchy bass with clear highs for plenty of detail. The soundstage was fairly wide, but not as wide as you’ll experience in games with 5.1 or 7.1 audio. Overall, they are not my favorite headphones for music, but the Mobius still sounds fantastic for a pair of headphones pulling triple duty.
Battery Life
By default, the Mobius will select the LDAC Bluetooth codec if your phone supports it. This is the highest quality Bluetooth codec that transmits audio at the highest bitrate. Unfortunately, that means it uses up a lot of power. When using the LDAC codec you’ll be lucky to get four to five hours of battery life.
However, if you change the Bluetooth codec to AAC, you’ll see nearly double the amount of battery life, and come much close to the 10 hours Audeze rates the Mobius for. That difference in battery life is pretty typical, and I saw something similar when I reviewed the 1More Dual Driver ANC Pro Headphones. If you want to know how to change the codec and extend your battery life, check out our guide on how to do it over here.
Final Thoughts
The Audeze Mobius is one of the most expensive gaming headsets out there carrying a price tag of $399.00. For most people, that is going to be a dealbreaker, and I can’t say I blame you. However, if you can afford it, the Mobius is a fantastic gaming headset and pair of headphones for enjoying music or movies.
The planar magnetic drivers offer a premium sound quality ensuring this headset can do a lot more than just be used for gaming or watching movies.
However, if you’re using it specifically for gaming, be aware that you’ll only get 5.1/7.1 surround sound if using the USB connection. When using it with consoles you’ll be limited to stereo audio, and at that point, the Mobius loses a lot of its advantage over other high-end headphones.
If you’re wanting a pair of planar magnetic headphones for console gaming, you’d be better off checking out the new Penrose models from Audeze which come with wireless adapters.
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