Acclaimed headphone manufacturer Audeze is throwing everything but the kitchen sink into an upcoming gaming headset, Mobius. Announced on Wednesday, March 14, the new over-ears will feature the company’s signature planar magnetic drivers — which rely on a micro-thin membrane to create more accurate representations of sound than more typical piston-style speaker drivers — as well as a myriad of other technology, aiming to bring a level of detail and realism to gaming that has previously been unmatched.
At the heart of the new Mobius headphones is an advanced 3D-room emulation, head-tracking software, and surround sound support, which allow the headphones to create immersive audio environments in games. This combination should help gamers hear when an opponent is sneaking up behind them, as well as to really feel like they are inside the games they are playing — whether in sports stadiums, race cars, or first-person shooters.
The new headphones will be Bluetooth-enabled, and will also feature two USB (one type A and one type C) and 3.5 mm analog inputs for digital and wired audio. Wireless playback is rated at over 10 hours, which is respectable for a headphone with this much tech packed inside.
In terms of capturing your own voice in-game, the Mobius will feature a detachable microphone with built-in noise attenuation, mute/unmute functionality, and independent microphone volume control.
The move to manufacture a set of high-end gaming headphones marks a big step in a new direction for the California company, which previously — and quite effectively — focused its efforts on capturing the audiophile market. Just as important is the fact that the Mobius is its first Bluetooth headphone, making them usable with the myriad of cell phones that have done away with the headphone jack.
“Audeze has raised the bar for premium audio quality and innovation based on our award-winning planar magnetic technology. It’s a standard that impresses the most ardent audiophiles,” CEO Sankar Thiagasamudram said in a press release. “There is really no medium that can benefit more from our product than gaming, so we’re setting our sights on establishing the best headphones in the gaming industry today. We think Mobius is going to change the way people experience games and may just give them an edge in head-to-head play.”
From the excellent Sine over-ears, which we still rank among the best headphones you can buy, to the innovative iSine 20 in-ears, Audeze has consistently impressed us with both sound and build quality. With an introductory price of $199 via an Indiegogo campaign, the Mobius may sport among the best price-to-performance ratios on the market, if they approach Audeze’s previous offerings in sound quality.
One non-gaming application we are excited to try the new Mobius for is cinematic audio. With everything from traditional stereo to 7.1 surround sound emulation built-in, the new headphones could prove amazing to watch films with on the go.
The Mobius plans to begin shipping in June, with early bird pricing of $199, and a retail value of $399. For more information, we recommend checking out the Audeze website.
As always, all crowdfunded products — even ones from already established companies like Audeze — carry some risk. Be sure to check out our article about how to back crowdfunding projects the smart way before you take the plunge.
