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Audeze's Maxwell is one of the best gaming headsets you can buy, mostly because it sounds fantastic. There's nothing quite like Audeze's 90mm planar magnetic drivers when it comes to pure audio quality — for both music and gaming. So we were naturally excited to see Audeze drop a new version of its now-three-year-old headset: the Audeze Maxwell 2.
The Maxwell 2 is the second generation of Audeze's foray into gaming, and it looks... a lot like the Maxwell. Not identical, but basically the same — both physically and on paper. Same overall gray-and-black build with big round earcups and suspension system with a leatherette head strap (though the strap is now wider and ventilated), detachable boom mic, and 80+ hour battery life. Also, same connectivity: 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth 5.3 — not simultaneous and not manually switchable. Upgrades for the new generation include updated 90mm planar magnetic drivers, the aforementioned head strap, roomier earcups, "punchier bass response" from the brand's patent-pending "SLAM" technology, and better AI microphone noise reduction technology. If those don't necessarily sound like a reason to buy a whole new headset, well... you're not the only one who thinks so. The Maxwell 2 is a great-sounding headset, but it's got the same issues as its predecessor — and some new ones.
The Maxwell 2 is available now, starting at $329 for the PlayStation version and going up to $349 for the Xbox version (both versions work with PC).
Design and Comfort of the Maxwell 2
The Maxwell 2 is a wireless over-ear (circumaural) headset with a detachable boom microphone. It looks very similar to the original Maxwell headset : It has the same large, round plastic earcups with plush, leatherette-covered memory foam earpads, the same lightly-padded steel headband with an adjustable leather headstrap, and it comes in the same gunmetal gray color scheme. It's not identical to its predecessor, however — there are a few visually noticeable differences, such as the Maxwell 2's wider ventilated headstrap and the fact that all of the controls are now located along the edge of the earcups. But for the most part, it's very similar.
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
It's not a particularly attractive or sleek-looking headset, though it does look very well-made. The gigantic earcups are necessary to house the 90mm planar magnetic drivers, so this might be about as sleek as you can get. Audeze's branding is fairly minimal — there's a small "A" logo printed in silver above each earcup, and "Audeze" is printed in black across the top of the headband; it's a pretty generic-looking headset, overall. There is future potential for customization, however, as the Maxwell 2 has magnetic, swappable side plates, and Audeze is planning on releasing side plates in different styles in the future. We don't know when, exactly, in the future, nor do we know the details — how much they'll cost, whether there will be bundles, etc.
Image 1 of 4 (Image credit: Tom's Hardware) (Image credit: Tom's Hardware) (Image credit: Tom's Hardware) (Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
Adjustability on the Maxwell 2 is about the same as it was on the original Maxwell, which is to say, somewhat limited. The earcups tilt and swivel but are not independently height-adjustable — to adjust the length of the headband, you'll need to pop off the headstrap, which comes with three adjustment points on each side. This gives you five different length options (six, if you count using the headset without the headstrap at all, but I wouldn't recommend this), which is definitely not as nuanced as most other gaming headsets. This isn't as bad as it sounds, though. The headset doesn't need an incredibly nuanced height-adjustment system, because it has gigantic earcups (which are now roomier on the inside, so there's plenty of leeway for fit). The earcups are so large that the earpads are sculpted, like all of Audeze's earpads, to fit the curvature of your skull.
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