What you need to know
- Audeze is a critically acclaimed manufacturer of high-end audio gear, even gaming headsets.
- The latest wireless headset offering for Audeze is the Maxwell for Xbox and PC.
- This premium planar magnetic headset boasts 80 hours of battery life and peerless sound quality.
- The Audeze Maxwell also includes an automatic Dolby Atmos license, partially justifying its expensive $329 retail price.
The headset market for Xbox consoles and Windows PCs — especially wireless variants — has never been more competitive than it is now, as Audeze announces its latest Maxwell premium gaming headset. The Audeze Maxwell is a wireless headset powered by planar magnetic technology, and it oozes quality at every turn for those who are willing to swallow its exorbitant price tag.
We previously reviewed the Xbox-focused Audeze Penrose X wireless headset and gave it high marks for its astounding sound quality and build, but criticized the $300 price tag and lackluster design. The Audeze Maxwell is even more expensive than its predecessor, but comes with an updated design, far superior battery life, more features, and plenty of ways to entice Xbox and Windows PC players looking for a flagship wireless gaming headset.
Audeze is justifying the Maxwell's $329 retail price, and vying for a spot among the best Xbox headsets, with its cross-platform compatibility, staggering 80 hours of rated battery life, proprietary AI-assisted noise suppressing microphone filter, industry-leading sound quality thanks to Audeze's planar magnetic drivers, and the very first auto-activating Dolby Atmos license on Xbox and PC. PlayStation players can grab the Maxwell for only $299, but they give up the included Dolby Atmos license.
You can check out more images of the Audeze Maxwell wireless gaming headset for Xbox and PC below, as well as additional information on its specs, features, and availability.
| Category | Audeze Maxwell |
|---|---|
| Audio features | 90mm planar magnetic drivers |
| Row 1 - Cell 0 | Closed back earcup design |
| Row 2 - Cell 0 | 10Hz to 50kHz frequency response |
| Row 3 - Cell 0 | 24-bit 96kHz high-resolution audio |
| Row 4 - Cell 0 | Auto-activating Dolby Atmos license (on Xbox and PC) |
| Microphone | Detachable hypercardiod microphone designed by Shure |
| Row 6 - Cell 0 | In-built beamforming 5-mic array for microphone noise reduction |
| Row 7 - Cell 0 | Audeze AI-powered microphone noise filter |
| Audio connectivity | Ultra-low latency 2.4GHz wireless USB Type-C dongle (with included USB Type-A to Type-C adapter) |
| Row 9 - Cell 0 | Bluetooth 5.3 LE, with LC3, LC3plus, SBC, AAC, LDAC codecs support |
| Row 10 - Cell 0 | Wired USB Type-C, with dual-USB endpoint support on PC |
| Row 11 - Cell 0 | 3.5mm analog headphone jack |
| Row 12 - Cell 0 | Multipoint audio mixing (Bluetooth + other) |
| Battery life | Rated for 80 hours of wireless playback |
| Row 14 - Cell 0 | 0-100% charging in 2.5 hours via USB Type-C |
| Weight | 490g |
| Platforms | Xbox Series X|S, PC, PS5, macOS, Android, iOS, Switch |
| Other features | Game-Chat Mix |
| Row 18 - Cell 0 | Gaming presets |
| Row 19 - Cell 0 | Multi-band EQ |
| Row 20 - Cell 0 | Mobile Audeze HQ app |
| Retail price | $329 (Xbox & PC with Dolby Atmos) |
| Row 22 - Cell 0 | $299 (PS5 with 3D Tempest Audio) |
There's no firm release date for the Audeze Maxwell wireless gaming headset at the moment, although Audeze is aiming for a January release. The Xbox version of this premium headset is more expensive than the PS5-focused variant, but that extra $50 nets you a Dolby Atmos license built into the headset — ensuring you always get the greatest audio quality in supported games and media.
The Audeze Maxwell certainly has the feature set to excel at gaming and everyday use, even if it is missing active noise cancelling (a must-have for many people). At this price point, though, the Maxwell is going up against established favorites like the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro wireless gaming headset, which features swappable batteries, a wireless DAC base, and active noise cancellation. We'll have to wait until Windows Central goes hands-on with the Audeze Maxwell to gauge if it's truly worth the asking price.
