Don't worry if you have never heard of the Mix-Fi headphones, even though if you ever have seen one, you will instantly recognize it. They where launched four years ago as the Mo-Fi headphones and were later rebranded “Mix-Fi” in name only. No other changes were made to the headphones.
Since the original Mo-Fi were introduced, lots of things happened. They were not particularly successful in any specific market. And even Blue recognized the project was not that successful when in 2015 the company introduced the lighter and slimmer Lola headphones and, in 2017, they announced expansions of the same concept with three new models, one of which in particular - the Sadie - was designed specifically to improve the original Mo-Fi.
As Blue described, “Sadie is the exciting evolution of Blue’s commitment to creating premium headphones. We broke the mold with Mo-Fi, and Sadie advances that concept even further with refined custom-tuned drivers and a further streamlined unique design. It’s like wearing a premium hi-fi system on your head.”
Back in 2015, audioXpress reviewed the Mo-Fi's and found it to be powerful but heavy on the bass, even with the enhanced bass mode off - using either the active and passive settings. The bass was powerful and tight - not boomy - but just too intrusive. Otherwise the localization and spatiality was excellent, and dialog had exceptional clarity. The biggest problem was the ergonomics - as even Blue later recognized. The Mo-Fi was an “heavy metal” of a design, which even with the well-constructed multi-jointed hinge, the large earcups with huge cushions and the adjustable tension knob on the headband, still resulted in the heaviest headphone ever and simply impossible to wear for more than one hour.
Still, apparently Blue never considered those to be reasons to replace the Mo-Fi with one of its more recent - and improved - models, and the headphones were simply rebaptized as Mix-Fi (because there were already other audio companies using the name). Meanwhile, what happened was that Logitech acquired Blue Microphones and now the brand has gained access to much wider distribution channels, globally.
But I am certain that no one familiar with the company and its products was expecting an Engineering Emmy from The Television Academy awarded to that specific product, which we've never see anyone using or talking about. According to the Academy, the "Mix-Fi design allows for independent pre-mixing on loud-mix stages and prevents ear fatigue by exposing details without the need to boost volume levels. Thanks to its unique performance and accuracy, Mix-Fi has been widely adopted by re-recording and production mixers, supervising sound editors, sound designers and music editors."
"Widely adopted?" I don't recall ever hearing the Mo-Fi or Mix-Fi being mentioned by audio engineers or studio owners... And one of the obvious reasons is the weight, making it very hard to use for long sessions, as studio people usually do. And now, this "the first headphone ever to receive an Emmy award?"
Well, nice PR for Blue, no doubt. With the official press release of the award announcement, Blue says that "Mix-Fi has become a trusted behind-the-scenes tool, making them one of the most popular headphones for Hollywood’s top sound engineers. Mix-Fi has been used to create some of the biggest shows on television, including HBO’s Westworld, ABC’s Grey's Anatomy, CBS’s NCIS and more." Really "behind-the-scenes" we would say.
“We’re honored to have created the first headphones to ever win an Emmy Award,” says proudly John Maier, CEO of Blue Microphones. “It’s always been our goal at Blue to create products that push the boundaries of technology and design. Winning an Emmy Award highlights the innovation we strive for, and it’s a landmark win for the company.”
One of the things we've learned with this announcement is that the Mix-Fi "studio headphones" are now available for a suggested retail price of $299.99 - down from the original $349.99 price. Still... I think this whole story is simply bizarre.
www.bluedesigns.com/products/mix-fi/
