Audeze Maxwell Wireless Gaming Headset for Xbox & Windows

Product Information

Every element in the mix receives proper attention when the track picks up, without any instrument overshadowing another.

If you're using them via analog, there's slight static coming from the drivers, which the mic can pick up. The Audeze Maxwell are much more understated in design than the Audeze Penrose Wireless and Audeze Mobius, with mostly black satin design.

I’m all for simpler designs that aim to eliminate sources of frustration, but this needs a trip back to the drawing board because of long-term durability concerns. That said, if you prefer a different sound, their companion app offers a graphic EQ and presets to help you customize their sound to your liking. The integrated mic doesn't perform quite as well as the boom mic, especially with loud noise like a subway. Out of the box, their default 'Audeze' EQ has a very neutral sound, ensuring adequate punch, thump, and boom, while vocals and instruments sound clear and natural.

Enhance specific sound cues with presets for footsteps, competitive and immersive gaming, as well as bass and treble boosts. The weakest part of the package, however—and it always seems to be the way of things in tech—is the software.On Maxwell, as there is no microphone volume control (Maxwell uses AGC - Automatic Gain Control) to control the output level of your mic.

For example, the game and media intermix wheel allows you to adjust the levels of your game and sidetone. With the Penrose you were limited to 16bit/48KHz, but the Maxwell goes all the way up to 24-bit/96KHz audio. Deep and soft ear pads mean that there will be few out there who will have issues with their outer ear getting compressed, and this makes your experience much more likely to be a good one, sound-wise. It's likely in part due to their planar magnetic drivers, which can create a broader wave front than dynamic drivers to create a better representation of the stereo image.PCMag is obsessed with culture and tech, offering smart, spirited coverage of the products and innovations that shape our connected lives and the digital trends that keep us talking. Instead, you can torque the leather-like strap off each anchor (don’t be gentle), and then you can pop the strap back on using different pre-cut holes to adjust the band tightness.