Audeze Penrose Review | Finally a Great Sounding Wireless Gaming Headset, but is it Perfect? (Updated Graphs Nov 2021)
Introduction & Overview
Introduction: Important note first, this whole review was written with firmware 0.1.5. There has been an update released since writing this that fixes some issues and adds more stuff. At the bottom of the review, you will see a list of the changes and a review of the changes along with an updated conclusion.
The Audeze Penrose even before its release received a lot of attention and for good reason. For far too long wireless gaming headsets have just plain sounded bad. The Penrose promised to change that. Audeze already had a very good base to start from with their previous release the Mobius. So all they had to do was strip out some features and add latency-free wireless. So was this a success? Is the Audeze Penrose the first great-sounding wireless gaming headset? Well if you have been following me for a while now you know the answer.
I wanted to also say sorry for the long delay in this review, because of a lot of community feedback for the Penrose I wanted to make sure I gave it enough time. I have been daily driving it (not 100% of the day but for at least an hour or 2 per day) since I received it.
Specs:
- Style: Over-ear, closed-circumaural
- Transducer Type: Planar Magnetic
- Magnetic Structure: Fluxor™ magnet array
- Phase Management: Fazor
- Magnet type: Neodymium N50
- Diaphram Type: Ultra-thin Uniforce™
- Transducer Size: 100mm
- Maximum SPL: >120dB
- Frequency Response: 10Hz-50kHz
- THD: <0.1%(1 kHz, 1mW)
- Earpads: Contoured memory foam: Artificial leather (removable)
- Microphone: Detachable broadcast quality mic
- Battery Type: Lithium-polymer (15hr battery life, 3hr charge time)
- Wireless Connection: 2.4GHz Wireless (16bit/48kHz) + Bluetooth
- Wired Connection: 3.5mm analog audio, USB-A-C charging
- Weight: 320g
- Price: $299.99
What's Included:
- Penrose Wireless Planar Magnetic Headset
- 2.4GHz Wireless Dongle
- Detachable Broadcast Quality Microphone
- USB-A to USB-C Cable
- 3.5mm to 3.5mm Cable (TRRS)
- Quick Start Guide
- Warranty Card
Build & Design
Design-wise it's pretty minimalist, it only stands out because of its colour and patterns. If it didn't have the blue accents I wouldn't even instantly think this was a gaming headset.
It's a very simple design overall, the same as the Mobius. Build wise it's all plastic but it's very flexible and shouldn't have any build issues over time. My Mobius has stood up to being a BT daily driver since launch with no issues.
You still get the same soft-touch coating that most people seem to like but I very much dislike it. For me, it's like nails on a chalkboard. I'm normally worried about soft-touch pealing but the coating on my Mobius hasn't shown any ageing.
Overall while these won't win any build quality awards, it's also not going to break from looking at it. The all-plastic build is very durable and cuts down a lot on weight. The only part I wish was metal was the sliders that handed extension. But again my Mobius has shown no wear over time.
I/O:
All I/O is on the left ear cup
- Microphone Mute Switch
- Power/BT Pairing Button
- Multi-Function button
- Microphone Port
- USB C Charging Port
- Aux Port
- Mic Volume wheel/Game Chat Mix Wheel/Sidetone Toggle
- Volume Wheel/EQ Presets
Microphone
Sadly still no mic tests I am truly sorry.
The Penrose is equipped with a very good-sounding microphone made in partnership with Shure. Sadly when used over wireless the mic sounds about average for a wireless gaming headset. So not good but not terrible. Good enough for talking to friends and playing games but not for streaming or content creation.
Over 3.5mm it sounds very good. One of the better gaming headset mics.
I also did some tests with it vs the Mobius mic on the Penrose. The Mobius mic requires more power and because of that, it's unusable on the Penrose as it's too quiet. But when used over wireless quality was surprisingly similar with the Penrose mic sounding a bit more full and less sharp. But when used over Aux you can hear the difference between the two mics and while the Penrose mic is a tad Dark it still sounds fairly natural and good. Not very nasally and not harsh. In general, the Penrose mic is just plain better, id love to see Audeze use it on all future Mobius releases.
Sadly non of that matters and you really won't be using this over aux or at least why would you.
I do understand why it doesn't sound very good and that's because of bandwidth limitations. I do think adding an option to change between "Audio Mode" and Mic mode" which will change the priority of the bandwidth would be cool.
Overall the Penrose comes with a much better mic than the Mobius but over wireless sounds very meh. But it's on the better side of average for wireless headsets.
Wireless Stuff
Background Noise: Pretty decent, big step up from the Mobius. There is some white-noise that I can hear but its almost more like an interference sound. If your having issues with your unit turn off sidetone. I've seen some claim that when used via the 3.5mm aux, the white noise is better. But it isn't. When used over aux it's the same but if you connect it to an amp you could keep the powered volume on the headset lower and turn up the amp giving you more volume and less white noise, but that can lead to some funky issues. Hopefully, I was able to show this in measurements and you will see them somewhere on this page.
Interference: Thankfully I got no serious interference issues like with many other wireless gaming headsets. The only interference I get is the seemingly common whoosh sound from the left driver that comes and goes randomly. It's never terrible but is annoying. The whooshing interference sound I have noticed has been getting a bit more common overtime.
Connection Stability: I had pretty much no connection issues. Once paired audio never dropped or had any hiccups. It is one of the most stable headsets I have tested. (see the range for more info)
Range: Below Average, Stage 3 passable, Stage 1 no issues Pass.
My range tests work on 5 stages around my house. The Penrose had issues at stages 2 & 3 but still passed and failed stages 4 & 5. It could only pass stage 1 with no issues.
- Stage 1 Same room as the dongle: Pass.
- Stage 2 Across the hall in the bathroom: Pass. Mostly stable with slight stuttering.
- Stage 3 living room 1 floor down under the room the dongle is in Pass. Mostly stable with slight issues.
- Stage 4 kitchen 1 floor down the opposite side of the house: Full disconnection,
- Complete Failure.
- Stage 5 Back Deck: Laggy and often disconnects. Failure
- Note on Stage 4: Most headsets fail its a weird dead zone in my house where even WiFi doesn't like to work.
Latency: Latency was exceptional, it is easily below 30ms making it sound virtually latency-free.
Bluetooth Info: Bluetooth is what I label "Call Grade" so only SBC and AAC. So don't expect the audio quality to come close to wired or even the 2.4ghz wireless. For casual music and casual tasks like calls, it's perfectly fine. But weirdly BT latency while still not good enough to game with wasn't as bad as it normally is. It's still an issue and very present.
Battery Life: Average, you get about 14 hours of battery life per charge. Yes, they can be charged while using them.
Software: You get some solid features. That sadly doesn't work the best and has some issues. But I see most of these being worked out over time.
- Decent Quality 10 band fixed graphic EQ.
- Xbox Chat Mix (Xbox Only)
- Sidetone (On/Off)
- Mic volume control
- 5 preset save slots (presets available for download or you can make your own)
- Battery Life Display
- Auto shut down on or off.
- Firmware updating
The biggest issue with the PC App is it only works if you're plugged in via USB and using the Penrose Via the USB dongle as well. So IMO almost useless. So to use the app while using the headphone you must use the headphone on Bluetooth mode and connect to your PC and phone. I'll list just some of the odd issues that you will run into while using the mobile app.
- Volume not syncing well.
- BT volume wheel changing PC and Bluetooth volume
- BT Volume only changing PC volume.
- BT Volume not adjusting anything.
- The TB volume can be almost always triggered by switching the sidetone button and immediately trying to change the BT Volume.
- Sidetone toggle also changing volume when toggled.
- The Bluetooth volume will often end up way too loud because of how volume control is implemented.
- Not app-specific but the power button should also play and pause audio but wouldn't for me. ( on tidal, Deezer or foobar2000.)
Those are only some of the issues I ran into and they need to be fixed. The app on PC really should be using wireless, so you are not required to be wired for app use or require a phone.
Comfort
Let's start with the cons, really there is only 1 big con and that is the rather high clamping force. This does ease up over time but for many, it will be just too tight-fitting. It does give it a very secure fit. The only other cons are that the headband padding is a little small and dead center meaning if your sensitive to a hot spot on top of your head you may have issues.
But if neither of those two things is an issue for you then the headset is rather comfortable. After about 2 weeks of use it was fairly well broken in and I can wear it for hours on end with no comfort issues.
The pads are very room but a tad small, large ears should fit in no problem but if your ears stick out a lot they may touch the driver. The foam on the pads is the same great memory foam from the Mobius. It isn't ultra slow release meaning it won't just flatten too much too quickly over time. It also works pretty well with glasses.
The headband padding is enough I guess, it doesn't cause issues for me but I wish it covered more space and was a split design. The higher clamping force helps make the lack of coverage, not an issue.
The weight may seem heavier to many as all of the weight is in the cups. But overall it's fairly average weight-wise for a wireless headset and surprisingly lightweight considering it is a planar. But it isn't as light as an all-plastic dynamic headset. Like I said it may feel a bit heavier than it is because all the weight is in the cups. So it's a very different feeling weight distribution.
All around unless you are sensitive to high clamp it is a surprisingly comfortable headset. I have been using the Mobius for years (same design and comfort) as my portable BT headphone and comfort is honestly great.
Sound
My
measurement rig is an industry standard clone. So it's accurate up to
3k compared to most GRAS rigs. Over 3k it's fairly off. The "COMP" line
is with a compensation I added to try and get it closer to the GRAS rigs
but it is still fairly off. So take this graph with a grain of salt.
When I talk about tonality and tuning it's based mostly on what I hear.
FR & Tonality
Bass: The Penrose bass follows the Harman bass shelf contour but with a bit less energy overall. Bass extends past 20hz. The only complaint I could make is the sub-bass use a dB or 2 more energy.
Mids: Mid-range follows the Harman target fairly well with the slightly low mid-range dip that the Harman Target has. 600hz-2k isn't perfect it could use a bit of evening out but it's far from being an issue. Upper mid-range is where the Penrose deviates from Harman the most, you get a couple of dB recession from 2k to 3.5k making vocals sound more natural and less forward.
Treble: Treble sounds fairly neutral if not a bit laid back in some areas. The peak at 8k is noticeable and can give it a metallic edge. The biggest issue with the tuning is the presence of over 10k in the air region and like on the Mobius it does lack some energy. But still fairly solid.
I also have to talk about the 3.5k to 8k dip that shows up on measurements. While you can see it honestly you don't hear it all too much. Explaining why is out of my wheelhouse, but I along with some other reviews have noted with the Mobius this dip may show up on graphs but you don't hear it in practice and when you try to eq it up it sounds super weird and wrong. So don't worry about it too much. It does sound a bit recessed but not to the extent shown in measurements.
Overall: The tuning of the Penrose is almost perfect. I think it's maybe the best tuned closed back I have heard under $500.
The Mobius was already a well-tuned headset but it was a bit too W-shaped. The Penrose offers a tuning closer to my enjoyment curve. It's tuned closer to something that I could call neutral.
But this is an even more balanced tuning than the Mobius, while some may prefer the slightly more fun Mobius tuning, the tonal balance here is exceptional.
Overall, while not perfectly neutral, the Penrose offers one of the best most balanced closed-back tunings. It's just fun enough while remaining tonally balanced.
Tonality/FR Grade:
Penrose: A- (so close to an A)
Mobius: B+ (maybe a B)
Technical Performance
Detail Retrieval/Resolution (catch-all term): Detail retrieval is overall very good. Compared to the Mobius I do hear more compression and detail loss over 10k. Bass resolution is very nice; it sounds clear and decently textured for a planar. The mid-range can be a tad hazy at times but actually, this area is a tad better than the Mobius. Treble on the Penrose just like the Mobius did impress me, it didn't sound very grainy, it wasn't too boosted or anything. The 9k peak does cause a bit of sharpness but it doesn't mess with the overall detail. Compared to other gaming headsets detail wise the Penrose is on another level.
Its dynamics are a bit compressed, but not unexpected of a small planar driver. It's also not nearly an issue it just doesn't stand out in that regard. Microdynamics is where most of the issues are. But overall, not a worry.
Transience is overall good: it has nice quick attacks and decay. Notes never sound smeared or linger too long. Speed-wise it's very solid.
The Penrose is hands down the most resolving wireless Gaming headset on the market and one of the most resolving closed backs at its price point.
Soundstage and imaging: It's for sure not as wide as the Mobius but darn close. Neither were staging kings. But for how linear the FR is the staging is solid. Also, when you look at how even more balanced the Penrose is the staging becomes a bit more impressive.
Imaging is better on the Penrose mostly because of the tuning, I think. With a less distracting bass response and a bit more treble presence, along with the slightly smaller stage, you can make out where stuff is better.
Also, the natural separation and layering benefits of planar drivers help give it an edge in terms of imaging.
While these are not staging or imaging kings. These are very usable for FPS games and won't hinder your performance.
Timbre: Thankfully I don't have a lot to say here. Like the Mobius, you can hear a bit of that lower-end Planar Plasticly timbre but it's not enough to be annoying or an issue considering its price point. In games, it's pretty unnoticeable.
Technical Grade:
Penrose: B-
Mobius: B- (Mobius is better but not enough to justify a higher grade)
Sound Conclusion
Overall, there isn't a lot you can complain about regarding the Penrose's sound. The Penrose is a very resolving Closed Back, and extremely well-tuned. The fact that it can do all of this while being a wireless gaming headset truly is something else. I wish more gaming headsets wired or wireless sounded this good. This is the first Wireless gaming headset where I can say sound-wise at its price you're not sacrificing sound quality for wireless. It holds up to the wired counterparts.
Notes: All testing was done over the 2.4gHz wireless. The Bluetooth is limited in terms of sound quality and latency since it's only SBC and AAC. The 3.5mm out also can have some weird issues since it's not a passive out. In general, I don't recommend using the 3.5mm active out but if you need it can make the background noise less present and make the mic sound better.
Conclusion
Even with the sort of average range, and meh mic quality, along with the issues it has with functionality not working perfectly, it's still hands-down the best sounding wireless gaming headset ever released. The way I use it is just a wireless headset without really using the app or features, and it functions perfectly that way.
The only issue I worry about is the interference that comes and goes in the left ear (the whoosh). The normal noise floor is low enough for me not to worry and most of the functionality issues I do believe will be worked out via firmware. But the interference(whooshing) noise that many have experienced and I have as well as the only issue I'm not sure if they can fix.
Even with that issue, it's still the only wireless gaming headset I'd personally consider using daily, but I look at audio from a sound quality first point of view.
The conclusion is a little hard as the issues that it has will be a deal-breaker for many who want wireless, but for others who just want wireless and strong sound quality, this will be a damn good choice. So, while I am giving this my strong recommendation it's going to go with an asterisk. So hopefully the review is helpful enough for people to make up their minds.
For me, it's still so blown away by how good it sounds while being a wireless gaming headset. It's the first wireless headset I was able to gush about and give a higher than average sound and tuning grade. Because for the first time the Penrose is a wireless gaming headset that is sound quality first. Audeze has now proven you can get a good sound out of a wireless gaming headset, and that alone should put the gaming headset industry on notice. Like I have been saying for years, the bad sound quality that comes out of most wireless gaming headsets isn't because wireless sucks but because those headsets are bad.
From this day forward there will no longer be an excuse for expecting bad sound quality in a wireless gaming headset because "well it's wireless so it can't be that good" is no longer an acceptable excuse. It has to sound good and that's final.
All Audeze needs to work on now is firmware updates to fix the bugs.
Pros:
- Amazing Sound Quality
- Fantastic Tuning
- Decent EQ via software (would prefer a parametric EQ)
- Simultaneous Dual Wireless
- Addition of Bluetooth
- Stable Wireless (From My experience)
- Feature Rich
- Lightweight for a wireless planar ( average weight for a wireless headset)
- Decent Comfort (high clamping force will make the comfort vary a lot from person to person)
Cons:
- Sub Par micover wireless
- No passive or USB use
- No higher-end BT codecs
- Higher than ideal background noise
- High clamping force
- Issues with some features and the APP.
- Strange interference nouse from the left driver (the whooshing noise some plain about)
Firmware Updates
Audeze Penrose - 2021.4.28 - v0.1.10:
- Makes several improvements to the mic quality and clarity over wireless.
- Adds an on-the-fly sidetone on/off functionality to the headphones by pressing in and holding the mic wheel for ~3 seconds (with voice cues)
- Adds an on-the-fly EQ preset toggle that will cycle through the 5 presets in memory by holding in the volume wheel for ~3 seconds (with voice cues)
- Fixes AAC support for Bluetooth.
- Adds a volume mix function for simultaneous BT/wireless connections. This can be used to adjust the relative levels on the fly while in Bluetooth mode by performing a "click and scroll" of the headphone volume wheel (click in once and then scroll up or down to your preferred mix).
- Fixes a bug that caused the low battery warning to trigger too early. It should now only prompt at 10% battery remaining.
Misc Changes: The Mic for sure has changed. It's less dark and soft sound and much more clear but a tad harsh. I think maybe Audeze should make some Mic presets and add the ability for people to pick their own. At least one person I know preferred the previous sound but most like the new sound.
On-The-Fly Sidetone Toggle: Not much to say, it works. This was a good addition but I'm curious how many people feel the need to toggle sidetone on and off frequently.
On-The-Fly EQ Toggle: This is great since you have to be connected via a wired to do this on PC or you need to be connected via BT this makes things so much easier. Love this addition.
Fixes AAC Support for Bluetooth:
BT/Wireless Mixer: All of the bugs involving controlling volume when on Bluetooth mode is still there. But the addition of the BT/Wireless mixer means you can at least now work around the bugs.
Low Battery Warming Fix: So I can't comment on this as this issue didn't happen to me, but I have seen at least a couple of people who have been affected by it. So if you have had this issue but have updated it and it is gone please comment in one of the discussion forums.
Audeze HQ App - 2021.04.28 - v53
- Supports wireless/Bluetooth mix control
- Adjusted the size of mix controls
All this does is add the Wireless/BT Mixer and resize the Xbox Chat mixer.
New Conclusion
So my conclusion hasn't changed, aside from the fact I would say I'm confident that they will fix most of the bugs over time.
Here are all the dongles compared with the same seating. The only difference is some consistency issues on the Penrose X because of issues with xbox wireless. Other Wise its the Same.