Audeze Maxwell

When Audeze, a renowned audio powerhouse, announced their latest gaming headset, the Maxwell, we were eager to test it out. After being impressed by their previous offerings, the Penrose and Euclid, we wanted to see what kind of impact this more minimalistic design would have in the gaming world.

The Maxwell boasts a circular design with large, deep ear cups and a steel and aluminum chassis that feels incredibly durable and premium. Despite its weight of over 1lb, it is one of the most comfortable pairs of headphones we have tested, with a ski-band style headband that evenly distributes weight across the head to avoid areas of increased pressure over long durations.

The earcups are plush and large enough to accommodate a range of ear sizes, and after long gaming sessions, they barely caused any discomfort. In terms of features, the left earcup houses the power and mute button, volume wheel and microphone wheel, 3.5mm, USB Type-C port, and a noise-suppression button, while the right earcup is left feeling a bit lonely.

However, the headset offers a whopping 80-hour battery life, ultra-low-latency wireless through the USB Type-C dongle, Bluetooth 5.3, and a 3.5mm auxiliary connection, making it a feature-rich package that covers a lot of ground. Overall, the Maxwell is a serious and high-end step forward in gaming headsets that impresses not only in design and comfort but also in its extensive list of features.

The Audeze Maxwell headphones are a true powerhouse on paper, and they definitely deliver in performance. Boasting 90mm planar magnetic drivers, these headphones produce a powerful and punchy sound that provides nothing less than audio bliss. Primarily designed for gaming, we immediately put it to the test by playing FPS titles to check its spatial capabilities.

It didn’t take long for us to realize the accuracy of shots, footsteps, and directional audio, which is critical in gaming, and this Audeze headset delivered exceptionally well. Switching back to a cheaper pair of headphones, we could feel the significant impact it had on our overall experience. While we may not be appearing in the next eSports competition, the added accuracy certainly gave us an advantage in competitive games. With a solid midrange, cracking bass, and full clarity highs, the Maxwell delivers everything you need for an immersive gaming experience.

This same performance translates when listening to music, as the headphones produce a punchy sound stage that lets you feel every beat and hear every detail. For best performance, we recommend downloading the Audeze HQ app to update the dongle and headset and adjust the EQ presets, which can be customized to your preference. As a party chat headset, the included detachable microphone picks up your voice clearly without much background noise.

The only complaints we had were with the software. We had to turn off the sidetone feature, which was picking up far too much feedback, and the application itself could be better polished. However, the Audeze Maxwell is an outright gaming headset monster that can easily double as a premium pair of headphones. Though expensive, the price tag is fully justified by the experience it offers.