Audeze Penrose in the test: premium headset with quirks
Gaming headsets are popular and in some games they give you a decisive advantage over your opponents. For example, you can hear the footsteps of the approaching enemy a few seconds before the confrontation. However, the headset market is flooded with products from all price ranges. Audeze is priced above its competitors with the Penrose and Penrose X models for around 300 euros. But is Audeze also above the competition when it comes to quality? The test reveals that! COMPUTER BILD has also compiled the best gaming headsets tested for you.
The best gaming headsets
Asus
Details about the test
Per
Balanced sound
Good surround sound
against
Transmits voices tinny
Breath sounds audible
Logitech
Details about the test
Per
High sound quality
Good location of opponents
corsair
Details about the test
Per
good microphone
All sorts of setting options
against
Sound with air up
A little uncomfortable.
corsair
Details about the test
Per
High sound quality
Good location of opponents
against
Microphone quality upgradeable
Long loading time
razer
Details about the test
Per
High sound quality
Proper location of opponents
against
Connection cable a bit short (1.84 m)
SteelSeries
Details about the test
Per
good sound
Natural voice reproduction
against
Location partly blurred
High microphone crosstalk
Microsoft
Details about the test
Per
Good bass
High wearing comfort
against
Moderate surround sound
Voice slightly distorted (microphone)
Logitech
Details about the test
Per
High wearing comfort
Good software
against
Bass too loud
Medium microphone quality
Logitech
Details about the test
Per
High sound quality
Good location of opponents
against
microphone quality
Comfort expandable
Complete List: The Best Gaming Headsets
High quality and chic
The Penrose comes in two flavors: Audeze Penrose with blue accents for Sony’s PlayStation, PC and Mac, and Penrose X with green accents for Microsoft’s Xbox, PC and Mac. Except for the colored gimmicks, both high-quality gaming headsets look the same: the brackets and ear cups are made of metal and matt plastic. The headband and ear pads are made of leatherette-covered foam and sit comfortably on the head. With a weight of almost 370 grams, the headset doesn’t bother you even during longer gaming sessions.
A wireless and almost delay-free transmission works via the supplied 2.4GHz wireless dongle.
Many connections, little battery
Both models work best on their intended devices, however the Penrose X can be used on the PlayStation 5 if you switch to PC mode. To connect to the appropriate technology, users either use the associated dongle, Bluetooth or the classic jack cable. It doesn’t matter which console you want to use the headset on, especially over the wire. The USB-C port is only intended for charging the built-in battery, which is used for wireless use. In the COMPUTER BILD test, however, the energy storage device only lasted 14 hours at a time before it ran out of breath.
Terrible mic but…
Normally, tests by COMPUTER BILD first evaluate the playback quality before it comes to the recording quality via the built-in microphone. After all, even inexpensive headsets sometimes shine in this discipline. Not so the Audeze Penrose! It made a real crash landing in the test. Above all, the voice quality caused frustration with the detachable microphone arm. Test recordings sounded very limited and like they came out of a can. Breathing noises could be heard quite clearly despite different microphone positioning and pop protection. At least: There are no hissing S-sounds and the microphone does not pass on noise in the area. Bottom line, that wouldn’t have changed much in the mixed overall impression. It’s a pity, especially for players who suffer from the horrible quality.
Users make settings for volume etc. directly on the headphones.
… really good sound!
But where the microphone fails, the sound inspires. In games and music, the playback is balanced and selective. The bass brings just the right amount of boom to the ears without becoming annoying in the long run. Especially in shooters like “Battlefield 2042” and “Call of Duty: Vanguard” a not unimportant aspect, it always bangs and explodes all around the player. Speaking of shooters: Thanks to excellent spatial localization, players can actually hear enemy footsteps before the first shot is fired. Strong! You don’t have to worry about the sound being too quiet: With a maximum volume of almost 120 decibels, the Audeze Penrose scratches the pain threshold and thunders as loud as a jet plane. Attention: Under no circumstances should you gamble or listen to music so loud, because this can lead to hearing damage after a short time.
Detailed sound
Good localization
Audeze Penrose in the test: conclusion
The gaming headsets Audeze Penrose and Penrose X leave a lot of potential and thus also the top grade. This is mainly due to the terrible microphone, which failed across the board in the voice quality test. It’s a shame, because the quality, wearing comfort and, above all, the sound are really fun. For a steep price of around 300 euros, you shouldn’t have to compromise on the audio quality. test grade: 1.9.
The two in-house headsets from Microsoft and Sony are good and fairly cheap alternatives. The Xbox Wireless Headset and the Sony Pulse 3D both cost just under 100 euros and enjoy all the advantages of their respective consoles.
