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REVIEw 62 Macdirectory A udeze's foray into gaming headsets may be buzzing with its console-equipped Penrose models released this year, but it began with the Mobius, and this headset still slaps. Packing the audio cred of the audeze brand, and more features than fit on the box, the Mobius brings a heightened sense of immersion to your gaming experiences thanks to its unique head-tracking technology. For the uninitiated, audeze is a well-respected brand among the hi fidelity headphone industry (look no further than our re- view of their LCd i3 in-ear headphones). all of their headphones use a planar magnetic design to generate the pleasantries caressing your ears, and the Mobius is no different. the 100mm transducers at the core of this design pump out incredible sound, especially in the bass and mid-range, and create some truly incredible sound stages not typically heard from their more common dynamic driver brethren. With the Mobius, audeze went the extra step (mile?) and part- nered with Waves to incorporate a sophisticated head tracking and spatial auditory experience. in essence, the Mobius can generate audio in a 360-degree circle around you, based on where your head is positioned (what you're looking at) and where the audio is occurring in whatever scene you are experi- encing. For video games in particular, this can take you to new levels of immersion. the Mobius also pulls off simulated 7.1 surround sound, which makes sense, and which other headsets do. however, this headset puts that whole 7.1 experience on a swivel that re- sponds to your movements and truly reacts as if you're inside the world of your game. this is way more than just hearing foot- steps running around you in your favorite first person shooter— every sound is processed and localized in sync with any head movements that are sampled 1,000 times per second. and while all of this sounds like fancy tech mumbo jumbo, perhaps the most impressive feat of the Mobius is that it actually works! Really well! this is not some early access prototype, this is fully consumer ready, reliable, well-functioning tech that can add that extra little bit to your audio experience. the Mobius headset itself is a rather hefty affair, weighing in at 350 grams, and it has to be in order to contain all the features and technology on board. (audeze describes the Mobius as "the World's Most Feature Rich Gaming headphone," and i ha- ven't found any evidence to the contrary.) Luckily, there is also some bulky leather padding with memory foam on the deep ear cups to ease the burden on your noggin. the build exterior is mostly plastic, but it's a sturdy plastic, no creaking or fragility. and while the Mobius supports Bluetooth, it seems pretty clear that this headset is intended to be worn at the comfort of your computer, not in the push and shove of the subway. With all the features on board, it makes sense that the headset it- self has a lot of buttons and controls. While these can sometimes be hard to remember without line of sight, i appreciate that the volume controls are dials instead of buttons, so you won't get them confused with the power button, or the 3d audio toggle, or the easily accessible mute switch on the top of the ear. Control is more than just skin deep, however, as auduze has shipped a truly impressive suite of configurations and customi- zation options in the Mobius's accompanying software package. it's really pretty crazy how much you can customize with the software, and it will take plenty of tinkering before you flex all the muscle that it has to offer. everything from simple stuff like pre-configured sound profile to switch from 'footsteps' mode to 'racing' mode all the way to specifying head measurements used to analyze and create the resulting audio output. the Mobius does so much heavy lifting that it actually needs to be powered on at all times, even when plugged into your computer. the battery is rated for about 10 hours of use, so keep the headset plugged in when you aren't in the middle of marathon gaming sessions. audeze includes the requisite cables to get you up and running, though if we're being honest, you'll probably want or need to get some longer cables for your at-home setup. Lastly, i would be remiss if i didn't commend the microphone on the Mobius. the detachable mic is one of the better options on a gaming headset, and while you should expect a good mic for $400, it is a feature often overlooked. the Mobius 3d tracking headset from auduze is some of the most fun you'll have with a pair of headphones at your com- puter. in addition to next level audio immersion while you are gaming, your musical experience is going to be leaps and bounds above almost any other gaming headset, and movies will take on a new cinematic experience. if you spend hours at your desk each day, and some of those hours are spent gaming, the Mobius is a solid investment to upgrade your audio across the board, all in a single package. For more information, visit: www.audeze.com/products/mobius