Review: Audeze Maxwell Headset Makes Gaming Feel Premium
Audeze recently sent me what is possibly the best gaming headset I have ever had the chance to try out for Xbox. The Audeze Maxwell headset is available now in two varieties (one for PlayStation with MSRP of $299 and one for Xbox with MSRP of $349) and I’m in love with it. Before I really get into it, I want to talk about some of the specifications.
The Maxwell features over-the-ear and closed back headphones with 90mm drivers. It has a suspension headband instead of the more typical adjustable headband and is advertised to have a battery life of 80+ hours. As far as connectivity, the Maxwell can use Bluetooth 5.3, wired USB, wired 3.5mm, and a USB dongle with ultra low latency wireless.
It also has Xbox Wireless via the USB dongle. Maxwell also offers integrated A.I. noise filtration for the microphone as well as microphone EQ controls. In addition, the Xbox version comes with an embedded license to Dolby Atmos for the optimal audio experience while gaming.
That’s enough boring talk. The Maxwell is absolutely incredible. The audio quality is absolutely fantastic. Everything sounds so clear and crisp. Combined with the fact that it is very comfortable to wear, and it’s just a fantastic headset. The padding they use for the cups is just very comfortable yet secure. The use of the suspension headband actually works better for staying on my head when I bend over versus pretty much any adjustable headband headset.
Before the Maxwell, my only other Xbox headset was the Razer Kaira Pro. This was a decent headset, especially for the price. However, it’s safe to say that the Maxwell blows it out of the water (albeit with a price tag over double).
I recorded a few samples using the Kaira Pro, the Maxwell, and my go-to PC mic the Dark Matter Sentry. I had fairly loud music playing in the background as I recorded each sample and tested external and internal microphones on both headsets and various levels of noise suppression on the Maxwell.
In my opinion, the Sentry gives the best audio quality, but it also lets a lot of the background music through. The Maxwell is definitely in second place though with the external boom mic and has much quieter background noise, even with the noise suppression turned off.
I do want to take a minute to share the one aspect of the Maxwell that I’m not a fan of. In order to use the headset with the Xbox Series X, you have to either use Bluetooth (less preferred) or plug the dongle in (the preferred method). This is annoying (but not a game breaker) for a couple of reasons. First, it just means that you have a dongle hanging from the Xbox which is not always preferred, but they do put USB ports on the console, so might as well use them. Second, if you need or want to use the dongle with other devices then you’re constantly unplugging it and moving it around. For instance, I wanted to use it wirelessly with my computer but until about a week ago, my computer did not have Bluetooth and so I was having to move the dongle back and forth between my Xbox and computer.
Another minor bummer about the Maxwell is that it’s boring. It’s just black. While I don’t really want RGB lights everywhere like many companies think, I would have liked some kind of pattern or color accent. There is a limited edition floral patterned version of the headset that looks better in my opinion, but it’s not my flavor. I’m not a floral guy.
Back to the positives, the battery life on the Maxwell has been incredible. I think I’ve maybe plugged it in to charge once in my time using it (about 2 weeks) and even then it was because I just thought it might be nice and it was convenient to do so. Also, the build-quality is crazy nice. The chassis of the Maxwell is made from aluminum and steel which really helps give it a premium feel. Oh, and lest I forget to explicitly mention it, you can connect this headset to basically anything. PC, mobile device, Nintendo Switch, Xbox, and PlayStation although the last two are limited connection options based on which headset model you get.
At the end of the day, the Audeze Maxwell is an incredible, albeit expensive, headset. If you can afford it, I would definitely recommend it. I’ve mentioned two nitpicks but they’re exactly that and don’t ruin the experience at all. I do think the biggest downside is the price as for many it will be prohibitive. The Maxwell can connect to basically anything though and is really comfortable with incredible audio (both speakers and microphone). This is a big win, albeit a little boring from a visual standpoint.
