Most headphones these days claim to have the ability to place you as a player right into the action as if you were there for real. Most seemed to do that for me, up until this point. Audeze’s Mobius Wireless Planar Magnetic Gaming Headphones have swept the competition, making them the headphones that have risen my expectations for future experiences. The Mobius is versatile and delivers on its audio quality in droves, justifying its $399.99 price tag.

What’s In The Box

What’s Included:

Mobius Headphone
Detachable Microphone
USB-C to USB-C cable
USB-A to USB-C cable
Analog 3.5mm cable
Quick Start Guide
User Guide and Warranty
Travel Bag

If you read my review about Audeze’s Penrose Headset, then you’ll see that there are quite a bit of similarities in the presentation that Audeze displays within and out of their packaging as well as their products’ designs. The Mobius comes in a sleek black box that shows off its most powerful feature, 3D audio. Once you get inside the box, that’s where the magic happens. This set of headphones comes with quite a bit of literature compared to the Penrose.

There’s the tape measure to measure your head’s shape (I’ll get into this some more later), a reference guide, warranty info, and a handbook that goes over everything that you need to know about the Mobius. I actually love the handbook titled, ‘The Traveler’s Handbook to the Mobius Universe’, as it describes the instructions very much like you’re going on a space voyage. It’s really cool to see companies embracing the nature of their products. Space exploration is awesome and their space-themed products should carry that sense of wonderment.

Once you complete your mission by reading the paperwork, then the real fun begins. You’ll find your Mobius laying in a soft bed of foam as well as a nice little black box filled with your carrying bag, cables, and mic. Now, even though this headset is wireless, it does primarily focus on using its USB-C as its source of use. Luckily, the cable is long, braided, and extremely durable in feel. I definitely wouldn’t worry about rolling over it with a gaming chair or a cat playing with it (though I wouldn’t advise having a cat play with it).

Aesthetics and Build Quality

While the Penrose series uses bright colors to contrast the dark black and grey, the Mobius prides itself on the darkness of space. This is most certainly a beautiful set of headphones. It goes perfectly with other black peripherals such as what I have above. I love its mature design, even over the Penrose. This is a $399.99 pair of headphones and the style that they went with really represents that.

These are a truly premium experience that shouldn’t be taken lightly. The Mobius is extremely sturdy and weighty, even with its mostly plastic outer shell. The headband is bouncy and resistant when being pulled. It always comes right back to where it’s supposed to. It too has the scratch-resistant coating that was seen on the Penrose and because of its matte finish, doesn’t keep fingerprints too much. The earcups are very comfortable and you’ll be able to game for hours easily wearing them.

There isn’t much more that I could’ve asked Audeze for when it came to the look and feel of the Mobius. I can’t really think of too many headphones or headsets made for the gaming community that rightfully represent the maturity or professional side of it. This one does it fantastically on all aesthetic and build fronts. Not every gaming wants to have a neon-colored headset with RGB throughout. This one pleases the eyes in its own way and I applaud it for doing so.

Specs and Audio Quality

Features:

Planar magnetic drivers for audiophile-grade cinematic sound
Full 3D emulation with wired USB support for popular surround sound modes (7.1/5.1)
1000 times/second integrated head tracking
Anatomy calibration to tailor the sound to the user
Mobius integrates Waves NX technology for real-time onboard 3D processing
Wired USB, AUX, and Wireless Bluetooth Connections
Compatible with PC, Mac, Gaming Consoles, and Mobile Devices

If you thought that the Penrose had a lot of functions, then buckle up. The Mobius has all of its user interface buttons and ports on the left ear which allows the user an easy way of changing the settings in real-time. There’s the power button, mute switch, headphone volume wheel, mic volume wheel, 3.5mm AUX jack, USB-C port, Mic port, and the glorious 3D button. All of these buttons are extremely important to get used to but even in the times where you forget, the reference guide is extremely useful.

I found myself having a hard time getting used to what every button did at first because of the sheer amount of functions they have. Don’t get me wrong though, each one is extremely important depending on the situation that you’re using the headset in. Most only take a click or two to get to where you need to be anyway. The biggest function that you’ll want to become accustomed to is the 3D button. I cannot stress that enough.

Since I tested the Penrose on Fortnite, I decided to test the Mobius with a more bass-heavy experience to really test out the 3D features. What better game to try these out on than Call of Duty: Warzone and Modern Warfare? The first thing that I noticed before even getting in a game was that these headphones have the nicest mic monitoring that I’ve ever seen. Too many times am I scolded for being loud during nap time because I shout due to the fact that I can’t hear my own voice levels. Not with the Mobius though.

It’s just like being in a recording studio. The mic is crystal clear and there’s no delay that’ll make you fumble over your own words. It’s amazing, to be honest. My friends that I play COD with also said that this is the best sounding mic that they’ve heard my voice come through. Keep in mind that they’ve also heard me use the Steelseries Arctis 1 and the Penrose in the past as well. I will say that when recording, there is a slight augmented sound to my voice but nothing like the robot speech that came with the Penrose’s mic.

Because of its 3D settings, the gameplay sounds other-worldly with the Mobius. It actually puts you into games without you having to worry about being killed. There have been so many times when I’m playing where I’ll physically feel the weather or get the sense that someone is creeping up behind me. Most headsets try to give you the best insight on where something is going on around you but this one even allows you to get a better sense of the distance than anyone I’ve ever used. The Mobius allows you to pinpoint exactly where things are so that you can situate yourself more appropriately. Even just turning your head will move the sounds around you.

Gunfire and ambient sound like explosions will rattle your head in the best way possible. I luckily never found myself with a headache though. However Audeze had everything situated in the headphones is superb because it didn’t make my head feel like it was under pressure. That’s one of my issues when it comes to a lot of surround headphones. This is the closest I’ve ever felt to being in a game and I really can’t stress it enough.

Even the normal audio quality itself when turning off the 3D matches that of the Penrose which is absolutely amazing on its own. I’m truly surprised with just how great the experience is. I didn’t expect it to be as jaw-dropping as it actually is, to be honest. Music as well sounds like you’re at a live concert in your own room. One thing that I was extremely happy about was that even when using the 3.5mm AUX which is how I used it with my Xbox, there is minimal to no feedback which I found to be very fantastic.

If all of this wasn’t enough to sway me, there’s the Audeze HQ app for PC or Android which allows you to change your listening experience and set it to your preference. You can adjust your head shape to get a proper soundscape, try new sound profiles, or just mess around and experiment with everything to see what you can really do with the Mobius. It almost feels like there’s been no stone underturned when it comes to these things. Audeze has truly created an experience when it comes to using their amazing headphones.

What It Could Have Done Better

My one and only complaint are that there’s a slight augmented sound to the mic. This isn’t really too much of an issue as I was told that this was the clearest I’d ever sounded to my friends. It is something to keep in mind though for those who may wish to use them when recording or streaming content using the mic.

Verdict

With Mobius, Audeze has proven to me that they’re offering the ultimate audio experience for gamers. I’ve never been so immersed in a game to the point where I feel like I’m literally there being shot at. It sounds cliche but you have to try it for yourself to believe it. At $399.99, you cannot go wrong with the Mobius. It’s an investment and it’s one that pays off within the first few minutes of the game you start. If you’re someone that wants to take their gaming experience beyond the norm, you owe it to yourself to give them a try. Gaming will never be the same again.