Intro and Design
Blue is not a name that pops up first in the heads of gamers when they are shopping for headphones. For years, Blue has produced the best of best when it comes to mics and other audio equipment for podcasting, so it was with great excitement deep within the sweaty halls of CES, I discovered the beauty of Blue's headphone offerings. Like a kid on Christmas morning, I ripped open my Blue Mo-Fi box (carefully) to try out these beefy amp-fed bad boys for myself. There are hundreds if not thousands of headphones out there, so getting excited about most models is a bit tough for a jaded reviewer like myself. The striking looks, the solid build and incredible reputation proceeded this unit.
The secret sauce of the Mo-Fi is the custom amp right on these cans and trust me, you can hear it and feel it. More on the feel later but the amplifier is really what sets these Holy Grail O' Cans apart. Also, you can select a passive mode (OFF), a basic amplified mode (ON) and a beast mode (ON+). So, the choice as yours when it comes to the sound that you prefer. On physical aspects, the Mo-Fi's are quite large and heavy but also of the highest quality. They are not slim, sleek or lightweight, you've been warned. They were designed for amazing sound and that's exactly what they provide.
Performance
After physically inspecting and nitpicking these cans to death, it was time to put them through some the paces. I have a rigorous set of sonic paces to run through and I could not wait to get started. From Beastie Boys to Andrea Bocelli to Rise of the Tomb Raider to Battlefield 4, the Blue Mo-Fi's are simply unmatched when it comes to sound quality and the full audio experience. Every note of music was heard, every gunshot pounded me with impact and every vocal track, clear and stunning. Even with the amp turned to the OFF position, I was shocked at how full and lush everything sounded from deep bass, mids and crystal clear highs. Simply, the sound stage is just immense for a pair of headphones. After switching the amp to the ON position, things really lit up, especially in the base category. All sound was still crisp and clear but more pronounced. Color me impressed! Next, I decided to go to ON+ for the final round of tests and that's when the bass really hit, without distorting any of the other quality! Overall, this is a stunning achievement is sound for headphones.
Now, honestly, the sound quality is 10/10 but the overall score took a hit when wearing the Mo-Fi's for several hours. As I said, these are heavy duty cans and even my awkward melon felt too big at the highest adjustment level. Now, I can't test how these feel on other noggins but for me, I've tested enough headphones to know that these wouldn't be horrible to wear for a gaming marathon but you might have to take a few breaks. I'd really love to see a lighter version of the the Mo-Fi line.
Value and Conclusion
These headphones were incredibly difficult to score. They are on the higher end ($300+ at time of writing) of headphones but the sound quality is definitely in a higher costing realm. The fact that they are quite heavy and not the most comfortable things to wear, you'll have to take them in smaller bursts. Either way, if you want to make your other headphones crawl and cower in fear by the might of the best in class sound quality, look no further. Gaming in particular is an absolute joy as you'll start to hear things you never noticed in sound effects, and especially musical scores. So, overall, I loved them, I'd just like to get a lighter version for my apparently wussy head.
UPDATE Feb 13 - We have received a pair of LOLA Headphones from Blue which is practically the same set of cans but without the amp. The sound quality is equally as stunning but they fit much more comfortably and are much lighter on the head. Honestly, the LOLAs are some of my new favorite headphones and we'll be featuring them for years to come. The LOLAs are a very strong 9/10 score due to the amazing depth of sound and extremely comfortable fit. Thank you Blue! You can pick up the LOLAs here or check out the product page here.
