FAZE 3:1 SCRT 
FLCN 0:2 SCRT 
FW7M 0:2 SCRT 
WC 0:2 SCRT 
The Audeze Maxwell is a name that evokes joy in the gaming headset scene. Widely regarded as one of the very best out there across forums, user reviews, and Reddit, the launch of the Audeze Maxwell 2 definitely had a lot to live up to. And yet, here we are — the second generation is out, and things look promising for this new chapter in the Maxwell line.
On paper, the headset is definitely not a step backwards, but is it really a meaningful step forward? Having been sent the PS5 iteration (Xbox version also available), I have been able to put the headset to the test to answer that exact question.
Design, Comfort, and Build Quality
First impressions were "this is a premium bit of kit".
From the moment I picked up the headset, the combination of metal yokes, reinforced composites, and high-quality finishes made it clear this was a top-quality set designed to last. I spent some time bending, twisting, and testing the frame, and there was no creaking, tension, or indication of weakness, giving a durable, solid impression overall.
The headphones also feature an over-ear (circumaural), closed-back design that gives them an all-encompassing look, while the detachable boom mic adds versatility without compromising build integrity. The Maxwell 2 also has on-ear control buttons, but more on these later.
Underneath, you'll find huge 90mm planar magnetic drivers to give the headset unrivalled sound quality, though at a hefty cost...
Audeze quotes the weight at 560 grams, but my own scales pegged them closer to 580 grams with the mic attached. That’s heavier than even the original Maxwell, and it does show during longer gaming sessions.
The headset can feel cumbersome, and even small head movements can make it slip — I made sure I was wearing it snugly. Honestly, if you reach down to pick something up, the headset is coming with you, and that really isn't ideal. It is a real big symptom of all that weight the 90mm drivers add.
Moving on to the headband suspension system; extra-wide and made from a leather-like material that feels premium to the touch. Comfort-wise, it’s excellent until you actually need to adjust it.
The 3-step headband adjustment system is fiddly, with the plug holes feeling slightly tight. Unlike with a sliding system, you’re limited to just three size increments, which can make finding the perfect fit a little frustrating and not easy to do quickly between matches.
The ear cups themselves are very well-padded, though, and a joy for anyone wearing glasses (like myself). They create a solid seal to block out external noise, yet don’t leave you completely isolated from your surroundings. And, to my surprise, the heat buildup under the cushions is minimal. Of course, things do get hotter with over-ear sets, but my ears never felt uncomfortably hot, which is a notable achievement for a heavier headset such as this.
Unfortunately, storage and portability are two weak points. The ear cups have limited rotation, which doesn’t really affect comfort while gaming, but it does make storing the headset less convenient. There’s no folding or flat design, so if desk space or travel is a concern, that’s something to keep in mind. But this is also just a small trade-off for what is mostly a comfortable, sturdy headset that boasts a solid design.
Audio Quality
Audio quality is, unsurprisingly, where the Maxwell 2 really begins to justify its premium positioning. Audeze claims a 10Hz–50kHz frequency response, and while numbers like that don’t always translate directly into real-world performance, there’s no denying that these sound exceptional.
That’s largely thanks to the aforementioned 90mm planar magnetic drivers, which are significantly larger than what you’ll find in most gaming headsets. The result is audio that feels incredibly detailed, powerful, and precise.
In fact, I’d go as far as to say the sound quality is almost overkill for most games, but in the best possible way. They’re also more than capable of handling complex, layered music, delivering a level of clarity and separation that cheaper headsets simply can’t match.
That said, not every type of content benefits equally. Podcasts and basic voice content sounded perfectly good, but they didn’t blow me away. You certainly don’t need a headset of this calibre just to listen to people talking, and much cheaper options would do the job just fine there.
Bass performance is another highlight. Audeze describes it as powerful, deep, and controlled, and from my experience, that’s largely accurate.
The bass hits with a satisfying thump and feels full without ever becoming muddy or overwhelming the rest of the mix. While Audeze claims bass extension down to 10Hz, I found it realistically becomes noticeable closer to around 20Hz. More importantly, it maintains excellent control, so explosions and low-end effects sound impactful without drowning out everything else.
The midrange clarity is also excellent, which is particularly important for gaming. Dialogue came through cleanly and consistently, and subtle audio cues like footsteps were easy to pick out. This makes a real difference in more competitive or immersive games, where positional awareness matters.
Finally, the high frequencies are clear and detailed without sounding harsh or fatiguing, which is crucial for long sessions. There’s enough life in them to bring out detail, but never to the point where it becomes uncomfortable.
What matters most, though, is how this translates into actual gaming — and thankfully, that’s where the Maxwell 2 truly shines.
Gaming Performance
When it comes to actual gaming performance, the Maxwell 2's impressive specs make it a joy to use. I spent the majority of my time playing competitive shooters like Rainbow Six Siege, CS2, and Fortnite across both PC and PS5, and it quickly became clear that this headset is built with serious gaming in mind.
The biggest strength here is the positional accuracy and spatial awareness. Audeze promises heightened spatial positioning with studio-grade clarity, and from my experience, that is all true.
Footsteps are incredibly easy to track, especially when using the Footsteps EQ preset (more on this later). Even in moments of intense gunfire and explosions, I was still able to clearly identify where enemies were coming from. Vertical positioning is particularly impressive, too, as I could reliably tell whether enemies were above or below me.
Rainbow Six Siege really highlighted what this headset can do. I found myself able to pick up on small movements in adjacent rooms, giving me a genuine tactical advantage when breaching or defending. It allowed me to react more confidently because I had a much clearer sense of enemy positioning.
Outside of competitive shooters, the Maxwell 2 also delivers excellent immersion in cinematic single-player games. Playing Red Dead Redemption 2 — an old favorite of mine — was a standout experience. Compared directly with other PS5 headsets I own, using smaller drivers, the Maxwell 2 completely outclassed them. Those 90mms bring environments to life in a way that feels genuinely immersive, and in Red Dead, the subtle ambience of open wilderness as well as the intensity of chaotic shootouts all sounded great. Plus, the game’s iconic soundtrack sounded fantastic.
I even played a few games of EA FC, and found the improved clarity was noticeable, particularly in commentary and crowd noise. That said, it also reinforced the fact that this level of audio performance is best suited to games where sound plays a critical gameplay role, as you definitely don't need this good an audio quality for a sports game.
Microphone Quality
The microphone on the Audeze Maxwell 2 is, quite frankly, excellent. It uses a detachable boom mic with a hypercardioid capsule, designed to focus primarily on your voice while reducing unwanted noise from your surroundings.
In practice, this works extremely well. My voice came through clearly, with a surprisingly "close to broadcast-quality" feel to it, which isn’t something I say lightly when it comes to gaming headsets.
Interestingly, I’ve seen some earlier reviews criticise the mic quality, but it seems Audeze has addressed those concerns. Now, the microphone delivers a clean output without that compressed or overly processed sound that many gaming headset mics suffer from.
Helping to improve the mic quality is Audeze’s FILTER AI Noise Removal technology, which actively reduces background distractions. I found that, when set to 'High' in the settings, my voice sounded more prominent, clearer, and more natural overall, while background sounds were effectively minimised. It didn’t feel artificial either — just a cleaner version of what was already there.
The detachable design, along with its flexibility, is also quite handy. When you’re playing solo games, watching videos, or just don’t need voice chat, you can remove the mic entirely. This not only makes the headset feel less cluttered but also makes it easier to store without worrying about damaging the boom arm. Storage is an issue, as previously mentioned, but removing the mic reduces some of the headset's size, at least, to make it a bit easier.
There’s also support for sidetone (mic monitoring), which allows you to hear your own voice through the headset. This can be toggled using the on-ear controls or through the Audeze app. Personally, I didn’t find myself using it much, though I can appreciate it being there for anyone who might be conscious of the occlusion effect while talking.
Connectivity and Wireless Performance
Connectivity is one of this headset's most flexible areas, offering a wide range of options to suit pretty much any setup.
The headline feature here is the 2.4GHz wireless connection via the included USB-C dongle (USB-A adaptor comes with it), which Audeze claims delivers ultra-low latency audio at up to 24-bit/96kHz.
I found this to be the best way to use the headset. It provided the responsiveness needed for fast-paced shooters like Rainbow Six Siege, while still giving you the freedom of a wireless connection. Most importantly, I didn’t notice any meaningful latency or audio delay while gaming.
Beyond wireless, you get USB-C wired connectivity, which supports dual audio endpoints and game-chat mix, alongside a 3.5mm TRRS wired option for broader compatibility. On top of that, Bluetooth support includes LDAC, AAC, LE Audio, and Auracast, which is great if you want high-quality wireless audio on mobile devices or other Bluetooth-enabled hardware.
Setting up any of these connection methods was straightforward, and I had no real issues getting everything working on both PC and PS5. In fact, Maxwell 2 is compatible with multiple platforms, including PC, PlayStation, and even Switch 2, depending on the model (i.e., not the Xbox version). One thing to note, though, is that the USB-C dongle has a physical toggle switch to change between PC and console modes, which I didn't initially notice. It confused me why the headset wasn't working at first, but I quickly realised my mistake and rectified the issue.
As for stability, I experienced no dropouts using the 2.4GHz wireless connection. However, the headset did disconnect when I walked from my upstairs office to downstairs, whereas some other wireless headsets I’ve used have managed to maintain their connection in that same scenario. That said, for typical gaming setups, even in larger rooms, the range should be more than sufficient.
The only real omission here is the lack of simultaneous dual-device connectivity. You can’t, for example, stay connected to your console and phone at the same time. This is a pretty big miss, as it is something that some competing headsets now offer, and is quite a clear tell that the Audeze Maxwell 2 is more of a sidestep than a meaningful upgrade on the original.
Battery Life
Audeze claims 80+ hours of battery life, along with fast charging that delivers 24 hours of playback from just a 20-minute charge, and based on my experience so far, those numbers seem entirely believable.
I didn’t fully drain the headset during my testing, but what stood out was how slowly the battery actually dropped. After roughly four hours of consistent use, the battery had only decreased by around 5%. That alone suggests the quoted figure is realistic, or at the very least, not exaggerated.
When you do eventually need to recharge, the Maxwell 2 supports USB-C charging with full use while plugged in, meaning you can continue gaming without interruption. However, thanks to the fast-charging capability, you’ll rarely need to rely on wired use unless you forget to charge it entirely.
But, it is worth noting that while 80 hours is excellent, it’s not quite the absolute best in the industry. Some cheaper gaming headsets now boast 100+ hours, which technically puts them ahead on paper. Still, 80 hours is more than enough for most people, and in everyday use, it feels comfortably long-lasting rather than limiting.
Software, Features, and Customization
The Maxwell 2 is fully supported by the Audeze companion app, available on Windows, Android, and iOS, and this is where most of the deeper customization lives.
Through the app, you can tweak Game/Chat Mix levels, adjust sidetone feedback, enable or disable the AI mic filter (with ‘Low’ and ‘High’ settings), and even fine-tune smaller details like voice prompt volume and auto shutoff timing. There’s also access to the built-in equalizer, which is where you’ll probably spend most of your time.
In terms of presets, I’ll be honest: most of them didn’t drastically change the sound profile. Options like ‘Treble Boost’ and ‘Bass Boost’ felt fairly close to the default ‘Audeze’ EQ setting, so the differences weren’t always immediately obvious. However, the ‘Footsteps’ preset is the exception for me. This one made a genuinely noticeable difference during testing, probably because it is the preset that deviated most from Audeze's default EQ setup.
If presets aren’t your thing, the app allows full manual control, with four custom EQ slots available. Once saved, you can cycle through EQ profiles directly using the on-ear controls, which is extremely convenient and saves you from constantly opening the app.
Speaking of on-ear controls, the Maxwell 2 includes a volume wheel, dedicated game/chat mixer, mic mute switch, and playback controls, all built into the earcups. On paper, this sounds excellent, and mostly it is, but the layout isn’t perfect.
The volume wheel and chat mix control sit right next to each other on the left earcup, making them difficult to distinguish without physically looking. Pressing the chat mix control also activates sidetone adjustment, while pressing the volume wheel cycles through the EQ as well as 'Track', which feels like a bit too much functionality crammed into one area.
My biggest frustration, though, is the mic mute switch, which is small and buried in the right earcup. It works fine when you’re not in a rush, but if you need to quickly mute yourself mid-game, it’s simply too fiddly to reach and activate quickly.
Price and Value for Money
At $329 (£339), the Maxwell 2 sits firmly in premium territory, and there’s no getting around the fact that this is a very expensive gaming headset. But price alone doesn’t determine value — it’s about what you’re actually getting in return.
From a technical standpoint, the inclusion of 90mm planar magnetic drivers immediately gives it an edge over most competitors. These drivers are rare in gaming headsets and are a big part of why the Maxwell 2 sounds as good as it does.
In terms of raw audio performance, it absolutely belongs in this price bracket. However, when you’re paying this much, you expect close to perfection across the board, and that’s where a few compromises start to stand out. The heavier weight, slightly awkward on-ear control layout, and the somewhat fiddly adjustment system stop it from feeling as refined as it should for the money.
It also doesn’t help that the improvements over the original Maxwell are relatively minimal. At full retail price, the difference isn’t huge, but when the original Maxwell is regularly discounted (as it is at the time of writing), it becomes difficult to justify paying more for what is, in many ways, a very similar experience. Plus, the original Maxwell is often regarded as one of the best wireless gaming headsets around, and even with the Maxwell 2 on the scene, I would say that's still the case.
Also — and this isn't something I have mentioned yet, but is absolutely worth highlighting — the lack of active noise cancellation (ANC) is another notable omission at this price point, especially when many premium headsets now include it as standard. I have read rumors that an ANC version is coming later down the line, but that will no doubt add more to what is already an expensive bit of kit.
Ultimately, while the Maxwell 2 is undeniably an excellent headset with standout audio quality, its high price, combined with minor design shortcomings and limited upgrades over its predecessor, makes it harder to recommend purely on value alone.
Pros and Cons: Quick Summary
Let's break it down:
Pros
- Outstanding audio quality thanks to 90mm planar magnetic drivers.
- Excellent positional accuracy for competitive games, particularly in shooters with footstep cues.
- Detachable boom mic with hypercardioid capsule and FILTER AI Noise Removal, delivering near broadcast-quality voice clarity.
- Versatile connectivity: 2.4GHz wireless, USB-C wired, 3.5mm TRRS, and Bluetooth.
- Long battery life (80+ hours) with fast charging and usable while plugged in.
- Comfortable ear cups with minimal heat buildup and good glasses compatibility.
Cons
- Heavy weight (~580g) causes the headset to slip and feel cumbersome during longer sessions.
- Fiddly 3-step headband adjustment, limiting fit precision compared to sliding systems.
- Limited rotation and no foldable design, which reduces portability and storage convenience.
- On-ear control layout feels cramped and too functional.
- Mic mute switch is small and recessed, making quick in-game muting difficult.
- Minimal upgrades over the original Maxwell, making value for money questionable.
Final Verdict
The Audeze Maxwell 2 is a technically brilliant headset, making it ideal for competitive shooters and immersive single-player games. That said, its hefty weight, fiddly adjustment system, and cramped controls mean it’s not the most comfortable or practical for long sessions or casual gamers.
If you’re chasing the best planar-magnetic gaming audio and don’t mind spending big, this is a dream. If you prefer lightweight comfort or better value, the original Maxwell, or other high-end wireless options, may suit you better.
