Gaming headsets have gotten really good over the past couple of years, and Audeze’s latest consumer-focused option, the Audeze Maxwell, blew us away.
There have been a wide array of gaming headset releases over the last few months, from the Razer Blackshark V2 (2023) to the Logitech G Pro X 2 and Acezone‘s offering of esports audio. But, The Audeze Maxwell stands defiantly in the face of other gaming headsets.
Not to be deterred by the fierce competition in the high-end gaming headset market, the Maxwell plans to bring all of Audeze’s audiophile knowledge from the LCD-GX to a more consumer-focused headset. The results are nothing short of astonishing. Sporting enormous drivers in addition to impressive battery life, there’s a lot to love. But, will the headset manage to impress us enough to prise the Steelseries Arctis Nova Pro off of our heads? We dive deep.
Key specs
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3, 2.4GHz dongle, 3.5mm jack
- Driver diameter: 90mm Planar Magnetic
- Frequency response: 10Hz – 50 kHz
- Weight: 490g
- Compatibility: PC, PlayStation, Switch, Bluetooth (Xbox version also available)
- Features: 90mm Planar Magnetic drivers, detachable microphone, EQ customization, 80-hour battery life
- Price: $299.00
Included in the box: 3.5mm cable, 2.4Ghz receiver, USB-C to USB-C cable, USB-A to USB-C converter cable
Design
The Audeze Maxwell sports a very utilitarian look. Clearly taking notes from the likes of Steelseries. The all-metal construction feels incredibly rigid and is finished with a matte gunmetal look. The headband sports “Audeze” written across the top, while a small, blue logo remains on the right-hand side of the device itself. Sadly, there is no height adjustment on either of the yokes, unlike our beloved Nova Pro Wireless.
The overall construction oozes quality, and at no point did we think that Audeze skimped out on the material construction of the headset, but there are a handful of issues present.
Comfort & weight
Though there is padding to keep your head in place, with three different levels of adjustment, again, like Steelseries. The difference here is that the band is made from leather. While this is indeed good for quality, it’s hardly the most breathable material if you’re sitting in a hot room.
Leather earpads cushion your head with reasonable force, and we think that this is one element where Audeze could have made some concessions for comfort, as due to the heavier-than-usual clamping force, the leather can heat up relatively quickly, and make for a less than comfortable experience.
This headset is quite a bit heavier than we’re used to, as many gaming headsets are more than 150g lighter. While this might not sound like much, the actual impact it had during the review process meant that we were not able to wear them for extended periods of time until we got used to the additional mass and size. So, there is a slight adjustment period, but in the long term, we did manage to get used to it.
Earcup functions
The headset gets interesting at the earcups, which are absolutely huge, which is a necessity in order to house those larger 90mm Planar magnetic drivers. This wider area allows the headset to have a much wider soundstage than many of its direct competitors, and The headset is closed-back, meaning that you might not get as wide a soundstage as the LCD-GX, but this also allows the headset to get pretty loud without having any audio leak out in your immediate vicinity.
The earcups have a pretty standard array of features on them, such as a microphone mute and power button, in addition, to chat mixers and a master volume wheel, too. It’s nice to see 3.5mm supported here, alongside a USB-C port for charging. Neither of the knobs or buttons felt out of place when in use, either. There’s also the port for the detachable microphone here, too, so while it’s crowded, you never feel lost with what to press while the Maxwells are on your head.
Features
The Audeze Maxwell is host to a number of unique functions that make it an absolute joy to use. The first of which is the highlight of the headset itself: Those massive 90mm Planar Magnetic drivers. Firstly, the seal around your head makes for a passive noise-canceling solution, then, once the drivers kick in, the headset really shows its quality. Sporting an ultra-thin diaphragm to prevent any unwanted fuzziness, the audio on offer is more than crystal clear.
To say that the headset delivers good audio is an understatement. When playing songs that we’d heard hundreds of times before, the wider soundstage just allows you to hear more depth and detail that get lost in the mix on inferior headsets.
When listening to Rainbow’s “Gates of Babylon“, the clarity we heard across its atmospheric synth intro, which is underpinned by a smooth bassline and high-pitched from Ronnie James Dio’s vocals just adds new dimensions to tracks you thought you knew well. Cult of Luna’s “The Wreck of S.S Needle” is a challenging track for many lesser headsets, thanks to the complex layering of tones and sounds, but the Audeze Maxwell sings through it without breaking so much as a sweat. We’ve been revisiting our favorite records with the headset, and every single detail is audible, it’s just a cut above other gaming headsets.
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Microphone
Gaming headset microphone are often so disappointing, and Audeze’s solution might not have any retractable design features, they do sport a form of background noise cancellation, which is fairly standard. Its hyper cardioid nature allows for solid audio reproduction. But, it’s not quite as good as the Razer Blackshark V2’s near broadcast-level offering.
It would be nice to see a retractable option in Audeze’s next outing, in addition to a microphone that could rival the best one on the market currently.
Battery life
The Audeze Maxwell sports a mighty impressive 80-hour battery life, which we managed to reproduce in our testing of the headset while using it connected to a PC and PS5. There isn’t any fancy battery-swapping tech in here, just huge battery life. Fast charging also allows for getting into the game quickly and is an incredibly welcome addition.
Gaming performance
Coming in several flavors with various features for console support, we chose to review the PS5 variant of the Audeze Maxwell. Hooking the Type-C connector up to the console was a breeze, and it allowed us to get into games almost immediately. The detail in the audio present while we were playing Final Fantasy 16 let us hear even the clearest of foley details when characters were moving on the screen, and also allowed for the stellar soundtrack to shine in the game’s most bombastic moments.
Over on PC, we tested the headset with competitive shooters. Kicking off with Fortnite, the headset managed to deliver great results and allowed us to communicate with our teammates with ease. In CS:GO, details like footsteps are immediately obvious, with no tinkering of EQ’s required in the AudezeHQ app, though it is clean and allows you to set up four profiles to highlight certain frequencies.
Also of note is the enormous wireless range, meaning that you can get up, head into another room and keep communicating with your teammates, even if you step away from the keyboard.
Should you buy it?
The Audeze Maxwell is less of a gaming headset, and more of an audiophile-grade headset with gaming features bolted onto it. While the sound reproduction is incredible, and it has a good microphone, there are elements that may require refinement in any future revisions.
It takes a while to get used to, and we do find that the headset tends to be on the less comfortable side, due to the leather materials on your head, and around the earcups. The additional weight also takes getting used to, but the audio experience you get is unparalleled in the gaming headset space.
The Verdict: 5/5
The Audeze Maxwell offers the best audio that any gaming headset can muster. This simple fact makes it an accessible option for those wanting the best audio around, without any cables, or buying pre-amps or mixers. While there are slight issues surrounding comfort, this is a near-unparalleled experience in the product segment. The Xbox model has Dolby Atmos support, and is slightly more expensive.
We’ll be grabbing some aftermarket earpads for these, and be on our way. Weight may be an issue for some users, but we managed to get used to the added weight on our necks with relative ease. If you can make those concessions, there is no better package in this price segment in the market.
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