All the right pieces are here, too, getting the Maxwell so close to delivering on its promises.
Let’s get into it.
Disclaimer:This review was made possible by a review unit provided by Audeze.
Audeze is well-known for premium, “audiophile-grade” products, and the Maxwell is no different.
The company did not see the contents of the review before publishing.
Unfortunately, the Audeze Maxwell is rather elusive to get your hands on, constantly going on backorder.
You’ll need to move fast whenever it’s in stock to purchase one.
There’s no carrying case included here.
Well, at least the normal variant you’re likely to buy isn’t.
I love the color, but this is a reflective, fingerprint-and-smudge magnet.
This “Ultraviolet” color scheme is quite striking, and definitely stands out versus the normal grey Maxwell.
Build quality is exceptional, though.
The fit and finish, the construction, it’s all basically perfect.
All the headset controls being squeezed onto one earcup is frustrating, though.
That’s a lot to squeeze onto one earcup, and there’s another button and switch you can’t see here.
For one, everything is awfully close together, but these controls also barely make sense.
If that sounds confusing and convoluted, you would absolutely be right.
The earcups are spacious, and the cushions are incredibly soft, for one.
The Maxwell is surprisingly comfortable, but limited adjustability and that hefty weight are definite downsides.
When you first put the headset on, it feels great but nothing can make this weight disappear.
Adjustment is also a little lacking.
Audeze can definitely improve matters here.
The Maxwell isn’t perfect, but my goodness do these speakers sound good.
“Luxurious” is one word that comes to mind when listening to, well,anythingwith this headset.
Planar magnetic drivers aren’t without compromise, of course.
Overall, though, it just sounds delightful.
It’s one of the best overall audio experiences of any headset or pair of headphones I’ve ever used, and that alone will be enough for a lot of people.
you’ve got the option to hear an audio sample of the Maxwell above.
There’s no multi-source audio mixing, unfortunately, but the Maxwell does connect simultaneously to 2.4GHz and Bluetooth…
But only for phone calls.
This detachable microphone sounds quite nice, but I’m glad Audeze still included dual internal mics for everyday use.
Connectivity priorities are strange for PCs, too.
It’s a huge, baffling miss that massively hurts the everyday convenience of this headset.
When you oughta charge up, the USB throw in-C port can do so in around 2 1/2 hours.
Fantastic wireless and wired connectivity options make the Maxwell mostly great for use with all your devices, apart from the awkward headset controls and weird wireless priorities.
Because of that, some devices may not be able to spin up the Maxwell at all.
This is a higher impedance headset than many competitors, so it needs extra juice to make some noise.
The PC app adds firmware updates and a simple graphic of the headset’s controls on top of that.
A long-lasting battery, fast charging, and two wired options? I couldn’t ask for anything else.
It’s a phenomenal gaming headset, but its design isn’t the most “everyday use” appropriate.
Its swappable battery packs only last 12 hours a pop, and its mic isn’t detachable.
If you’re particularly susceptible to headset fatigue, this may not be for you.
My wishlist for the Maxwell’s successor is better software support, more intuitive headset controls (and a way to change wireless modes), and active noise cancellation.
It sounds wonderful when I game, when I listen to music, and even when I watch TikToks.
The Maxwell also supports practically every platform under the sun.
The Maxwell couldn’t be more different than my PC daily driver, the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro.
I love listening to practically anything with the Audeze Maxwell, but those headset controls and the lack of a way to change wireless modes are frustrating.
