Sensitivity / Hiss
This is hard to measure as I mostly used the Penrose in Wireless and USB mode. Even though, I never faced any issue regarding the hiss.
Sensitivity is pretty high and with the volume control, you can go very high, very fast. Remember that Bluetooth volume is capped though, but 2.4GHz isn’t.
Battery Life
Battery life is one of the weak points of this headphone. At best, the Penrose gave me 10h of continuous listening, far from the 15h the brand advertised. If that’s enough for gamers, travelers might be disappointed, even more, now that we have a headset surpassing the 20h or 30h bar, like the AirPods Max.
Charging takes 1h30, good but not so impressive either.
Comparisons
Last time, some of you complained about not having a comparison section. Here it is now :
Audeze Mobius: same brand, same range, but different sound. The Mobius sounds fuller than the Penrose in my opinion, thanks to better-controlled highs and a better DSP. A simply better headphone, in my opinion, but not as versatile if you play videogames.
Audeze LCD-1: small and mighty, the LCD1 is one of my favorite compact headphone from the brand with the Mobius. The soundstage is wider, the highs sleeker but the bass thinner. Paired with the M15, this headphone will outperform the Penrose, but each headphone will suit a different type of listeners.
Hifiman Ananda BT : the other bluetooth option for those who seek a planar headphone. The Ananda sounds more mid-forwarded, where the Mobius will give you stronger bass. If you’re in for the music, get the Ananda, but if you’re in for the game, get the Penrose.
Conclusion
The Audeze Penrose gives me perplex feelings. It’s a brilliant headphone, with superb presentation and the deep bass every planar lover craves, that you can virtually connect to any modern device, thanks to the wireless dongle.
But, on the other hand, the sound signature doesn’t suit my taste, even more since I own the Mobius, which gives me that extra layer of definition I missed with the Penrose. On a daily basis, plugged into my console, the difference is negligible, but once you focus your attention, the Penrose feels like a cut-off version of the Mobius.
A very good headphone, but overshadowed by its bigger sibling!
Tobi
Hey thanks for the review,
I am currently looking for a replacement for my mobius as the left ear pad arch is almost broken off (out of warranty) and the biggest problem I have with the mobius is the constant hiss of the amlifier which is oversized in my opinion. I usually listen at sound level of 4/6 (out of 100) on windows. Because I am sensitive to that and hear it almost constantly my ears get tired and start to hurt quite quickly which is a big problem during covid having so many online lectures and other things online ( I am a student).
So my question if you noticed any difference regarding the amplifier compared to the mobius
Cheers
Tobi
Tanmoy Kumar Shapu
The Audeze Penrose is the Best Planar Magnetic Gaming Headphones ever I’ve found as of today.