Audeze Maxwell Wireless Gaming Headset for Xbox & Windows

Product Information

The headset’s frame is a dark gunmetal gray, while the leatherette parts (earpads, headband strap, and headband padding) are black. While both headphones are similarly comfortable and well-built, the Audeze have a more neutral sound out of the box, which some users may prefer, and have a more robust virtual soundstage feature. This allows for more detailed control over the diaphragm, which means (in theory, at least) more accurate sound reproduction. They have a fairly neutral sound out of the box, but you can also use their companion software's EQ presets to adjust their sound to suit your tastes. The headband is easy to adjust (you can just pull it off of the screws, you don’t have to break out a screwdriver, or anything), but this system does seem a bit limited.

Sarah Jacobsson Purewal is a senior editor at Tom's Hardware covering peripherals, software, and custom builds. The headset’s wide soundstage did an excellent job of layering details in the jungles of both Uncharted 4 and Shadow of the Tomb Raider, two of my favorite games for immersive environmental audio. For example, the LCD-GX is a boom-mic-enabled version of the LCD-5 audiophile headphones, and the discontinued Penrose is another set of closed-back planar magnetic headphones with 3D audio support. In short:Game/Chat balance is simply done by adjusting the lower wheel (chat/communication wheel) up and down. Game anywhere with increased stability and 3X range from the included ultra-low-latency wireless adapter.I could easily tell what direction distant gunfire came from without looking at the audio markers on the game’s compass. But this goes a bit further, and it’s in a way that used to drive me bonkers in Team Fortress 2 back in the day. Of course, the Audeze Maxwell’s audio quality is not easily replicated by other gaming headsets, and the alternatives at its level are all made by Audeze. By boosting the center frequencies of the fundamental tone of feet hitting solid ground and the higher-pitched sounds of the whole footstep, this preset gives you the best chance to hear people sneaking up on you.

Maxwell has an ear opening on the pads that are: 65mm tall x 50mm wide x 30mm deep (back side) and 20mm deep (front side).The headband has three different settings, but if you're between sizes, it can be hard to get the right fit.

The earpads are on the firm side — combined w/the clamping force I would probably not recommend these for glasses wearers. There's also an LED indicator light to let you know whether you're connected via dongle or Bluetooth, in pairing mode, and the status of the battery. The old Penrose looked and felt a little too 'gamer' for my tastes, and the more classic styling of the Maxwell works for me, and is more in keeping with Audeze's standard audiophile headphones. We have updated the Bluetooth to reflect their Bluetooth LE, LC3, and LC3+ support, but the scoring of this test hasn't changed.It can support the next generation of Bluetooth codecs and meet PC gamers with digital audio decoded within the headset. Tom's Hardware is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. These headphones also support LDAC, which is great if you want to stream Hi-Res audio via Bluetooth. You shouldn’t notice any sounds that stand out over others in a grating way unless it was mixed to be that way.

As a counterpoint to Audeze’s LCD-GX, this gaming headset has multiplatform-friendly features and design. They have a more neutral sound profile, which some users may prefer, their overall microphone performance is better, and they support multi-device pairing, which is handy if you want to game from your console and receive audio from your smartphone simultaneously. For example, the internal DAC can handle audio decoding from your source, meaning the Maxwell will not need external equipment for high-bitrate compatibility. Maxwell is built on an all-new premium chassis including aluminium yokes and a spring steel headband for durability.

Though neither headset offers the same kind of sound quality as the Maxwell, they both provide better battery life — quite ludicrously so when it comes to the HyperX — and less mass to strap to your noggin. While we originally measured somewhat high latency via wired USB, we launched an investigation into our latency measurements, and created headphones test bench 1. It is highly recommended you either bypass using amplifiers, or set the volume very low and adjust up until you achieve a good balance between the Maxwell’s volume control, and your source gear. Planar magnetic drivers are generally known for excellent detail in the mid and upper ranges, but the Maxwell’s 90mm drivers pump out serious low-end sound.