Audeze Maxwell Wireless Gaming Headset for Xbox & Windows

Product Information

Battery life - my Penrose would give a 'low battery'' warning on a long gaming session after about 6-8hrs, so probably 10hrs on a good day. I simply charged them after every session so it wasn't a big issue. The Maxwell though... After about 5hrs of gaming on MW2 the battery shown in the phone app was at 95%. Compatibility: PC, Mac, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch | Connectivity: USB, 3.5mm audio cable | Drivers: 50mm Neodymium dynamic drivers | Surround sound modes: QuantumSPHERE 360, DTS Headphone X: v2.0 | Weight: 369g From an audio point of view - using my Penrose experience from memory - these sound a bit more spacious and a bit less 'shouty' - I've been using Audeze and Immersive modes so far. No issues here with the Audeze HQ PC or Android apps and they've worked flawlessly for phone calls with my iPhone also.

Unique to Audeze, Fazor elements complement the magnetic structure by influencing sound waves. This enhanced control gives reduced distortion, better imaging, more accurate frequency extremes and an improved phase response. In short, it makes the Maxwell headphones the most lifelike sounding gaming headphones at their price. In terms of chipset improvements, the Maxwell uses a newer more powerful dedicated DAC and amp sections. The DSP is also much more powerful compared to Penrose. This gives Maxwell much larger dynamic range and a lower noise floor compared to Mobius and Penrose. Compatibility: Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, PC, Mac, Mobile | Connectivity: 2.4GHz Wireless, Bluetooth | Drivers: 50mm | Surround sound modes: Windows Sonic, Dolby Atmos, DTS Headphone: X, Superhuman Hearing (PC) | Battery Life: up to 40 hoursDon’t love the look and feel of a gaming headset? You should give gaming earbuds a try, and we especially love Sony’s Inzone Buds. With these ultra-portable, comfortable, and lightweight listening devices, you get a premium, durable build, intuitive on-ear touch controls, and an impressively long battery life of 12 hours when using the low-latency wireless dongle or even longer over Bluetooth—but Bluetooth support is limited. The charging case gives you an additional 24 hours or more of charge, so these earbuds should last even your longest gaming sessions. Compatibility: Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC, Mac, PS4/PS5, Nintendo Switch, Mobile | Connectivity: 2.4GHz wireless, Bluetooth 5.1, 3.5mm audio cable, USB-C | Surround sound modes: Dolby Atmos | Battery life: 12-24 hours | Weight: 311g The headsets are not cross compatible. You need to pair PS Maxwell with a PS dongle and Xbox headset with an Xbox dongle.

Is the Aux/3.5mm connection passive? Will it work like a normal headset without the unit being powered on? Mine were delivered yesterday, a replacement for my broken Penrose which I had for just over 2 years (fantastic service from Audeze UK/HFH I might add) and the Maxwell are a step up and an improvement in almost every way on the already fantastic Penrose. Built quality is very impressive, they're built like a tank. Thank goodness Audeze opted for a nice dark gray finish, although I do wish it had done a better job with that coat of paint. Sadly, the paint on the aluminum band and yoke is easily scratched off. If you so much as accidentally brush the headset against a hard surface like a wall, that nice finish will come off. This, on top of its size and weight, makes me think this does not belong anywhere else outside of your gaming space – despite the fact that the mic is removable, and it comes with Bluetooth connectivity for mobile devices. To adjust the headband, grab on to the strap near the screw holes and pull the strap holes over the screws. You do not need to remove the screws from the headband to adjust the strap. Maxwell will work with existing Dolby Atmos licenses. If it was previously enabled on PC, you can continue using it for Maxwell as well.

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The active area is still same. The new dual chamber earcup design takes up some of the space by having two physical earcups, one internal and one external - this helps with noise isolation and acoustics. The bass is accurate enough that you can hear all the sub-bass elements well. Though the bass goes deep, it’s worth noting that it is quieter than other neutral headphones and gaming headsets. It’s got a wider frequency range, yes, but it does not have a lot of oomph. As a result, explosions in games, videos, and music do not hit that hard unless you turn the volume up to 90% or the content itself has a lot of sub-bass.

Though I haven’t used this headset for that many hours, what I can tell you is that I’ve been testing it for about a week now, and I have yet to charge it again. Audeze Maxwell: Price & availability Compatibility: PS4, PS5, Xbox, PC/Mac, Nintendo Switch, Mobile | Interface: wired | Connectivity: 2 x USB-C, 3.5mm aux, stereo | Drivers: 40mm Neodymium | Surround sound modes:360° Spatial Audio, 3D Audio, Microsoft Spatial Sound | Weight: 338g Crucial for gaming headphones, the Maxwell headphones feature ultra-low latency wireless connectivity, keeping you totally in sync with the onscreen action. Compatible wireless connectivity includes LC3plus, LE Audio and LDAC.

Features

Of course, you want a great-sounding gaming headset. There are several factors to consider for the best audio performance. Driver size is important, and 40 mm is often the standard, but bigger usually means better. The drivers are internal mechanisms that create the sound waves you hear. A larger driver allows for more air to pass through, making not only louder sounds but also more nuanced, wider frequencies.

The Maxwell's I've been reading are really hard to get hold of and there's some teething issues. unbalanced sound L&R and the wireless sound limits like OP says. Had my set a day now after previously having the Penrose (until a few month's ago when I went wired using HD560s and Beyer T1.2).

A real plus on the forthcoming Maxwell are Audeze 90mm planar magnetic drivers. These have already received a number of awards and, because of their size, will provide a fantastic sound for gaming, delivering powerful bass and pinpoint precision. It must be noted that many other popular gaming headsets only use 40 mm drivers here. The drivers are supplemented by other extra tech in the equipment list such as: Uniforce voice coils, fluxor magnets and Fazor waveguides. After years of relentless innovation building the world’s best wireless gaming headset, Audeze presents Maxwell, designed from the ground up for serious gamers. Sound quality, wireless performance, and battery life are all pushed to new extremes, along with the latest spatial audio features and multi-platform compatibility. Music with the 'immersive' EQ is fantastic, I'm no audiophile but I enjoy a good set of cans, I listened to a good range of songs yesterday from the guitars of Dire Straits Money for nothing which felt like they were inside my head, to the ridiculous bass of Mr Ozio Monday Massacre which reminded me of standing next to a 6ft speaker at a gig where you'd feel your whole body vibrating. For most head shapes and sizes, as long as you don’t need both sides to be on the lowest screws (which maximizes size for the biggest heads), the headband will be suspension style. Do note that while we try as much as possible to accommodate all head shapes and sizes, the strap does touch the steel headband when the the strap is set to allow for the largest size.