One of the most essential, yet often overlooked items in the toolkit of any live sound pro is a good set of headphones. And if truth be told, there are a lot of headphones on the market, ranging from less expensive options to some awful-sounding, yet very pricey models that come emblazoned with the name of some famous music celebrity. However, the headphone needs of a sound reinforcement mixer (FOH or monitors) are quite different from those of a typical consumer — or for that matter, a studio engineer.
So a few months back, when I first heard about the Mo-Fi headphones from boutique, high-performance mic manufacturer Blue Microphones, I was intrigued. The first headphone featuring a built-in 240-milliwatt audiophile amplifier matched to precision ear drivers, Mo-Fi was designed mainly for the portable laptop/tablet/phone market, but would be an ideal solution in live sound FOH and monitor situations, where the clean and loud amplification (and well-isolated earcups) could provide precision hearing in difficult environments.
From their outward appearance, the Mo-Fi’s don’t look like the usual headphones, due to their ergonomic design that enables a personalized — and quite comfortable fit. Rather than opt for the typical fixed spring-loaded” headband structure, Mo-Fi employs a multi-jointed headband offering full adjustability for a variety of head shapes/sizes and a top-mounted headband adjustment knob lets users dial-in a personalized pressure and tightness setting.
The sealed-back, circumaural (around the ear) ear cups are both comfortable and do an extremely effective job of isolating the user from the outside world, which is ideal when you’re trying to focus on a solo’ed instrument or playing back a virtual sound check. Combined with the onboard punch of the built-in 240 mW amplification, the Mo-Fi’s are capable of playing back extremely loud, yet clean.
When fed from console headphone amps — a source not typically known for stellar performance or power — you can keep the board’s headphone volume pot fairly low and still have plenty of headroom. Yet it’s not all about how loud you can blast the cans. In a situation where you may be trying to solo a fairly soft instrument or voice during an otherwise loud mix, being able to bring that source up and above the din out the room is also important.
I was actually surprised by the performance of the built-in amplifier. Not only does the amp provide ample headroom (plenty loud for anyone), but it also offers a wide, flat 10 Hz to 20 kHz bandwidth and a low 0.004 percent THD+N spec. The transducer in each earcup is a 50mm dynamic design with a fiber-reinforced cone.
Mo-Fi lets user choose from three amp settings: On, On+ and Off. The “On” setting activates the onboard amplifier. In the “On+” setting, the amplification is combined with an LF enhancement circuit. This is especially useful to kick in when the bass player from the band wants to hear playbacks from last night’s show. A small LED on the outside of each earcup glows when the amp is activated in the On or On+ position. The LED’s shine upward slightly to subtly illuminate the logo, which was probably done for artistic reasons, and not having these two LED’s shining directly towards (and possibly distracting) audience members is a nice touch.
The “Off” position puts Mo-Fi in passive mode, bypassing the amp and operating exactly like conventional headphones. The Off feature is a real plus in cases where you forgot to recharge the onboard battery and still need functional headphones.
Speaking of the battery, the fully charged 1,020 mAh Li-on battery has a life of approximately 12 hours and actually well beyond that, because the amp automatically shuts off whenever you’re not wearing the headphones. Mo-Fi ships with a charger and USB charging cable and in cases where you don’t have the charger with you, the unit can be charged via any USB source — your laptop, an iPhone charger or the USB jack on the back of that flat screen TV in your hotel room. Thankfully, the charging cable itself is a standard (non-proprietary) USB 2.0 A to micro USB connector, so a replacement (if needed) is no problem.
The Fit Is It
Mo-Fi’s multi-jointed headband and earcups were developed from the ground up, marking a complete departure from traditional headphone designs. The multi-jointed headband offers both comfort — even after long periods of wearing them — as well as adjustability for a variety of head shapes and sizes. The earcups stay parallel to the head, creating the best seal for solid bass response, improved isolation and reduction in sound bleed.
The headphone frame and external parts are manufactured with high-quality aluminum and high-strength plastic components designed to minimize resonance. The entire unit weighs in at 466 grams (just over a pound), which is well more than a traditional design, although once on, the Mo-Fi’s balance well. They also don’t fold down very much (neither do my AKG 240’s), so if you’re looking for ultra-compact, lightweight headphones, they may not be the first choice. At the same time, I also have a pair of Stax SR-507 electrostatic headphones that are fragile, bulky and have an external driver unit, and I would never consider taking them on the road. The Mo-Fi’s construction is solid with a rugged feel; and with the convenience on the onboard amp and their excellent isolation, are definite candidates for road use.
Mo-Fi ships with two (interchangeable and replaceable) cables: a 1.2-meter cable with iPhone/iPad controls and a built-in microphone; and a more conventional 3-meter cable. Both terminate in standard 1/8-inch (3.5mm) TRS plugs, and a mini-to-1/4-inch adapter is included. The $349 package also includes a cloth carry bag, the aforementioned charger/USB charging cable.
The Audio Side
Truthfully, I was really surprised by the Mo-Fi’s performance. In the flat “on” setting, the reproduction was clear, wide-ranging and remarkably flat. Transients — especially snare, piano and struck percussion — were punchy and well handled, while the articulation in the bass was tight, nicely defined and well damped with no overshoot or untamed boominess. On the other end of the spectrum, upper harmonics and “air” were clean and not hyped at all. Obviously, the 50mm dynamic fiber-reinforced cone transducers were doing their job, but the overall sound is helped in a big way by the amplifier and earcup design.
Besides providing a solid reference for soloing tracks or working on virtual sound checks without blasting the entire venue, Mo-Fi has a lot more to offer the sound reinforcement pro. Add in a couple XLR and 1/4-inch stereo breakout adapters and Mo-Fi might even come in handy for checking audio integrity at any analog point in your signal chain. Or just plug into your mobile device of choice and tune out the tour bus din while on the road. Either way, I definitely give these a thumbs-up.
At a Glance
Surprisingly Hi-Fi
Blue Mo-Fi Headphones are powered, pro-quality headphones with onboard amplification. They operate in active or passive modes and offer excellent reproduction with great isolation for working in noisy or audio-challenged environments.
Blue Mo-Fi Headphones
PROS
• Powered design with onboard amplifier
• Also operates in passive (no battery) mode
• Excellent audio with tons of headroom
• Comfortable design, effective isolation.
CONS
• Somewhat bulky, non-foldable
• Weighs more than a pound
STREET PRICE: $349
MORE INFO: www.mofiheadphones.com
