The Audeze Penrose headphones come with a weighty price tag, more than many gamers would be willing to part with for a gaming headset. So, the question is, do the Audeze Penrose wireless gaming headphones deliver?
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You donât always have to spend big bucks for the best quality product. Thatâs a common fallacy when it comes to technology. But every now and then, you really do get what you pay for, and the Audeze Penrose wireless headphones fit that bill, delivering sublime audio quality in a comfy package. Does the Audeze Penrose have issues? Perhaps. Can the excellent audio carry it over the line? Letâs find out in our review of the Audeze Penrose wireless headphones. Whatâs in the Box?![]() Before sticking the headphones on for the audio test, what comes in the Audeze Penrose box?
Yes, thatâs right. Thereâs a tape measure in the box. The tape measure is actually part of a separate Audeze product, the Audeze Mobius, which includes a head tracking option for your screen. As awesome as that sounds, this feature isnât included with the Penrose. Audeze Penrose Specifications![]() The Audeze Penrose headphones support 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections, and this model works with your PC, Mac, PlayStation 4 or 5, Nintendo Switch, Android devices, and iOS devices. Youâve probably spotted the omission from the list: the Xbox Series X, S, and One. Fear not. The Xbox has its own version of the hardware, the Audeze Penrose X. It even has a green color scheme to match! Onto the Audeze Penrose spec list:
Audeze Penrose DesignThe Audeze Penrose headphones come out of the box featuring a clean design. Audeze hasnât pushed the boundaries of design into any new dimensions, and the overall appearance of the headphones is okay, but not great. The Penrose model features a blue band around the earcup, while the Penrose X (the Xbox version of the headphones) features a green stripe. The colored strip breaks up the black, but you cannot escape the feeling of plastic, which doesnât immediately scream âquality.â But although the design doesnât have the wow factor, the Penrose headphonesâ build quality is plain to see, and the parts feel well made and solidly built. ![]() The artificial leather earpads cover comfy padding, while the earcups themselves are adjustable, both on the ear and at the headbandâs connection. In terms of weight, 320g is perfectly average for a set of wireless headphones, and once you pop them on and get adjusted, you wonât notice them. One thing I would note is that the Audeze Penrose headphones do have a snug fit. My head isnât particularly large, and the headphones are comfy and form a good seal around my ears. However, those with a larger head might find them less comfortable during a prolonged session. That said, this is speculation, as I donât have a larger head to test with. Youâll find an array of dials and inputs on the left earcup, allowing you to mute, adjust microphone or headphone volume, and switch between the headsetâs three connection modes. The buttons and dials are all easy to use and responsive enough, and the inclusion of an integrated microphone volume dial is welcome, especially if you regularly play online games. ![]() The power button on the headphones takes a few seconds to activate, which is a little odd, taking around five seconds to switch the headphones on or off. Talking of power, the Penrose doesnât have any battery life indicator. The battery is either working, or not, without any warning. Audeze markets the Penrose with a 15-hour battery life on a single charge. The headset I was sent lasted for around 13 hours and 30 minutes on average, depending on what I was doing and volume changes during testing. 13.5 hours of playback certainly doesnât put the Audeze Penrose in the top battery bracket, but itâs far from the worst, either. Something to consider is that planar magnetic drivers are more power-hungry than regular dynamic drives, so the Penrose is bound to give something up in battery life. Over 13 hours of playback is enough for most people for a day of work or a prolonged gaming session, so the battery life isnât an issue. A Note on Handling Planar Magnetic HeadphonesThe Audeze Penrose planar magnetic design does make it more susceptible to air trapping behind the ultra-thin diaphragm. Audeze recommends that you take care when putting your Penrose and Penrose X headphones on, giving them a moment to adjust to the difference in air pressure after creating a seal around your ears. As per Audeze customer support:
Audeze Penrose Sound QualityIn short, the Audeze Penrose headphones are some of the best-sounding headphones currently on the market. Theyâre nothing short of superb, easily accommodating any genre of music you throw at it, delivering each note, tone, and vocal harmony with precision. ![]() The 100mm planar magnetic drivers allow the headphones to recreate any audio environment accurately, and itâs clear Penrose has spent a great deal of time making sure that these headphones can bring your favorite track or game to life. Interestingly, the Audeze Penroseâs overall excellent quality makes it difficult to pinpoint specific areas of distinction. As ever while testing headphones, Spotifyâs Songs To Test Headphones With playlist is my erstwhile companion. In other reviews, you might read about headphones having a bass-heavy tuning or stuttering with fast-paced high notes. The Audeze Penrose, on the other hand, does none of this. It just eats it up and keeps coming back for more. ![]() Itâs a similar scenario for gaming, too. After all, the Audeze Penrose headphones are meant for gamers. Youâll actually find yourself picking out more audio details in your game environment than with other headphones, even in games youâve already played to death. This is an impressive quality and one that is hard to match among the rafts of other gaming headphones and earbuds out there. Resultingly, youâll always hear where an errant gunshot came from and where those quiet footsteps are approaching from, while other details, like the metal of a car scraping down a barrier, sound better than ever before. Another thing to note about the Audeze Penrose audio experience is that you donât have to turn the headphones up to notice all of these additional sound features. Even at lower volumes, the sound quality and response is exceptional. The Audeze Penrose headphones donât include any Active Noise Cancelling technology. While the lack of ANC might make some users shy away, you should know that the Penrose forms a semi-noise blocking seal around your ear anyway. ![]() As the Penrose are closed-back headphones, they block a huge amount of background audio out, even without active noise cancellation. Indeed, Iâm testing the Audeze Penrose headphones in a house with three children on their Easter breakâyou wouldnât know theyâre home. One final note on the audio side of things. The microphone is very easy to use and adjust, but the quality sounds somewhat muffled. You can communicate well enough in online games and voice chat apps, but it isnât as clear as other microphone options. Audeze HQThe Audeze Penrose has a companion desktop and mobile app that you can use to adjust or create custom EQs and switch the Sidetone feature on and off. Both the desktop and mobile apps are basic, allowing you to save an EQ preset to the headphones. ![]() One slight irritation is that you cannot connect wireless to the app using the supplied dongle (which is for a 2.4GHz wireless connection for audio). As such, when you want to adjust the EQ on your desktop, you have to plug the Audeze Penrose into your computer using a USB Type-C cable.
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Itâs only a small problem, but if you have a few different EQs you like to use for different music types, it will become a bit of a drag. Should You Buy the Audeze Penrose Headphones?Audeze was the first company to bring planar magnetic drivers to consumer headphones, with the Audeze Mobius. Now, Audeze is bringing that planar magnetic tech to a different market bracket, losing some of the high-end features from the Mobius (such as 3D head tracking and Waves Nx surround sound), but still delivering outstanding audio quality. The Audeze Penrose headphones are easily some of the best-sounding headphones on the market right now. Youâll be hard-pressed to find a better soundstage, even with the default EQ settings. The big question comes in the price. Currently, the Audeze Penrose headphones retail for $300, making them one of the more expensive headphone options for gamers. If you have the budget available and you want a top-notch audio experience, look no further than the Audeze Penrose. Audeze Penrose Wireless Gaming Headphones Review: A Sensational Audio Experience published first on http://droneseco.tumblr.com/ via Tumblr Audeze Penrose Wireless Gaming Headphones Review: A Sensational Audio Experience
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I graduated from law school in 2011 but am looking to transition into operating my own online based business based around helping to design websites for small businesses so they can get noticed by the public.
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