Audeze Maxwell review

The Audeze Maxwell has a 90mm planar magnetic driver which delivers fantastic audio and a very clean presentation. It’s slightly boosted in the mids so the dialogues in video games have clarity and authority. The Maxwell sounds textured and bodied across the frequency range. In Dragon Age: The Veilguard, the first interaction with a dragon was filled with thumping bass and meaty lower mids. The detail and dynamic range of the thud and croaking during the dragon's entrance convinced me that these headphones sound class apart and probably deliver the richest and most textured sound quality in any gaming headphone.

Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie by William Elliott Whitmore from the Red Dead Redemption 1 album sounds jaw-dropping. The resolution and range on the Maxwell can rival even more expensive hi-fi headphones. The Maxwell have a smidge of warmth in William’s raspy voice which immediately makes them sound more appealing than my Apple AirPods Max which I carry around for music.

These come in two variants, Xbox and PlayStation, and both can be used with PC, mobile and Nintendo Switch using the 2.4Ghz dongle or the Bluetooth 5.3 connection. The Xbox variant supports Dolby Atmos and it includes a Dolby Atmos license to use specifically with the headset. The PlayStation variant, which we have, works with PlayStation’s Tempest 3D Audio. However, on PC if you have a Dolby Atmos license (from the Microsoft Store), then both variants will support Dolby Atmos on PC. This is important for folks who tend to game on PS5 and PC, and while Tempest 3D Audio is great, having the option to use Dolby Atmos on PC is beneficial.

On the Immersive preset, the Maxwell sounds a bit more spacious than on the Audeze preset. Pinpointing Oden's ravens using the glassy sound cues is easy in God of War Ragnarök. The Sony Inzone H9 we tested last year have a better soundstage than the Maxwell but they lack the definition and clarity that the Maxwell brings. The emotion in the voices of troubled NPC characters from God of War Ragnarok is delivered with finesse while the tight bottom-end makes every punch and impact delivery with immaculate timing. Simply put, these are the best-sounding gaming headphones!

The Maxwell's battery life is unbeatable - it's the longest-lasting Bluetooth headset I've ever used, hands down. Seriously, I've been gaming for almost two weeks straight and haven't needed to charge it once. Battery anxiety? Forget about it. And even when it finally runs out, you can juice it up to 25% in just 20 minutes. A full charge takes about 2 hours.

This is as tough and premium as it gets with aluminium yokes, spring steel headband and leatherette suspension straps. There’s no creaking or unpleasant sound from the construction, and the overall feel is very premium. The suspension band has three levels of adjustment, which might feel a bit restrictive for longer heads. The overhead band has some cushioning as well. They have a dual-chamber design where the inner housing acoustically isolates the driver from the electronics, hence the larger cup size. Regardless of that, the headphones sit on your head with great comfort and balance.

The memory foam earpads are plush and provide decent passive noise isolation. Even though the earpads are thick and squeeze gently, over an extended time, the driver starts to touch your ears. This is after 2-3 hours of playing, where I have to remove the headphones and let the memory foam pads regain their shape again. The earpads are replaceable and lock into place very easily.

The Maxwell has a detachable hypercardioid boom microphone, which is good. It has two noise suppression modes to reduce background noise using AI. I preferred keeping the noise suppression high while on Discord on the PlayStation 5 because it also increases your voice and reduces any plosives and surrounding noise. If you’re in a quiet room, then keeping the noise suppression on low is also a good option.

The Maxwell's buttons are all on the left earcup, and their layout is a bit weird. It might take some time to get used to, but it's not a huge problem. The mute button is a giant slider above the power button on the outside of the earcup. There's also a Chat and Game Mix wheel that you can press in for sidetone. The volume wheel doubles as a button for changing tracks or EQ presets. You can create custom presets using the Windows or smartphone app. Personally, I preferred the flat, neutral sound of the Audeze preset for music and the Immersive preset for gaming. You can also create up to 4 of your own presets.

Inside the box, you'll find a USB Type-C dongle, a USB Type-C to Type-C cable, and a USB A adapter. There's also a 3.5mm TRRS analogue cable included. These headphones are pretty cool because they support multipoint with Bluetooth 5.3, so you can connect to your phone and PC simultaneously. You can even take calls while gaming, although it'll mute the game audio. The Maxwells are packed with all the features you'd want, and they even support Bluetooth LE Audio, LC3, LC3plus, LDAC, AAC, and SBC audio formats. They've got you covered!

The Audeze Maxwell is hands down the best-sounding gaming headset out there. Seriously, the audio quality is so good it could rival those fancy high-end headphones. The battery life is insane, the build quality feels super premium, and it's comfy to wear for hours. The buttons are a bit weird at first, but you'll get used to them. Plus, it's got all the bells and whistles like multipoint connectivity and support for a bunch of audio formats. If you're serious about your gaming and love good music, the Maxwell is definitely worth the splurge.