Audeze’s Maxwell series has long stood as the gold standard for wireless gaming headsets, blending audiophile-grade sound with immersive spatial audio. Now, the Maxwell 2 arrives as a direct successor—yet its improvements come with noticeable compromises.
Priced at $329 for the PlayStation version and $349 for the Xbox model (which includes Dolby Atmos licensing), the Maxwell 2 retains the original’s 90mm planar magnetic drivers, delivering a flat, natural frequency response from 10Hz to 50kHz. But where the original excelled in comfort and practicality, the new version introduces a 14% weight increase to 560g and a revised foam padding that sacrifices long-term wearability.
The most significant technical upgrade is Audeze’s SLAM system—a metal plate and pressure ports designed to refine bass response. While it reduces the ‘claustrophobic’ bass feel of the original, the trade-off is a heavier headset that struggles to maintain the same level of comfort during extended sessions.
Beyond audio, the Maxwell 2 retains the original’s 1800mAh battery (80+ hours of use) and Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity, though the 2.4GHz dongle now activates slightly faster. However, the headset’s controls have become more fiddly—mute and power switches are recessed and harder to operate, while the boom microphone remains cumbersome despite improved AI noise reduction.
- Style: Over-ear, closed-back
- Driver: 90mm planar magnetic
- Frequency Response: 10Hz–50kHz
- Microphone: Internal beamforming + detachable hypercardioid boom
- Battery Life: 80+ hours
- Connection: 2.4GHz (USB-C dongle), Bluetooth 5.3, USB-C, 3.5mm TRRS
- Weight: 560g
- Price: $329 (PlayStation), $349 (Xbox)
The Maxwell 2’s audio remains unmatched, but its practical flaws—weight, comfort, and awkward controls—make it a harder sell than its predecessor. For audiophiles unwilling to compromise, it’s still the best wireless option. For everyone else, the original Maxwell may have been the better choice.
