Audeze - Maxwell Series

I have the Audeze maxwell, it has its cons but its a good quality

I’m very happy with my Audeze Maxwell headset. The sound quality is impressive. The way it reproduces deep bass at low volume when I’m in a room adjacent to a club in Cyberpunk 2077 isn’t something any other headset I’ve tried does as well in my opinion. They are also great for listening to music. Highly recommended if it fits in your budget.

They sound like a cheap 20 dollar headset compared to the Audeze Maxwell.

You tried the maxwell and found them worse ?

I have the audeze maxwell. Great headphone but sort of buggy. Fortunately it has been working well for me.

Audeze Maxwell is the best gaming headset I have ever owned. I have used the "audiophile setup" where personally I used a Beyerdynamic headset and a shitty wired mic on the side. I have used two versions of the the Astro A50. I have tested som Bose setups as well, but I realized that I just don't like the levels of the deault Bose setups and I am not smart or technical enough (or the time) to find out how to balance it out. I also tried a noise cancelling setup just using Bower & Wilkins PX8 and Sony MX-series. In the end, I want a headset with a proper mic attached, all other mic solutions are clunky and annoying. I want a wireless headset because having wire while gaming is annoying, and I honestly cannot tell the difference in sound quality between wired (analog or digital), and wiress. Considering those limitations, the Audeze Maxwell has the best sound of any headset I have ever used. It's so good, that I want to buy an extra set to have as a future spare if my current one breaks, and Sony (who have bought Audeze) messes up the current line of headsets in any way.

I have been using the Audeze Maxwell headset for about a year, and they're great. I have a standalone mic, so I can't comment on mic quality, but you'd be hard-pressed to find better sound quality from a wireless headset for $300. Best of all, they're 2.4 GHz, so they connect quickly, have great range (compared to BT), and have virtually no latency. I was using my Sennheiser Momentum 4's beforehand, and the Maxwells blow them out of the water.

If you don't need headset, when why bother with something labeled 'gaming headphones' at all? I had HyperX that weren't bad for gaming, and I have Audeze Penrose + Maxwell that i go as far as calling 'good'

Audeze Maxwell 🔥 Beyerdynamic mmx 300 2nd + Dekoni choice 🎧 Awesome for music, epic for fps games and pro microphone.

I always use headphones. I understand the appeal of surround sound, but I find good headphones give you almost similar immersive experience at less "price" and space. I use Audeze Maxwell - it's freaking amazing.

I use Audeze Maxwell for PS5 - one of the great headphones within $300. You can also go for Inzone headphones, around the same price point. Audeze is bought by Sony. I believe they will bring the same tech in Inzone branded headphones.

Hands down Audeze Maxwell!

Been using Maxwell for a year as daily driver at home. I only charged it 7 times since April 2023. Games, movie nights, discord, Lark/Zoom for work from home. All wirelessly. Coming from Siberia V2, Arctis Pro, DT770 Pro & LCD-GX, Maxwell's the best $300 I ever spend for a headset. Quite heavy at first tho.

I'm using PS5 version with Windows & Mac no problem.

Audeze Maxwell is much nicer alternative, but the sweets BT system and the batteries are something I really miss!

I have the maxwell for more than a year now, and I agree with you. Still love this thing because of its features and sound quality. Also my neck is noticeably more powerful than last year

Mine still runs great! Several issues: 1. Because mine is the launch day version, the hinges still use glue. And the glue died a few months back. Now I glued and duct taped it, and still going strong with occassional re-application 2. Sometimes the audio volume ducks down, some funky stuff going with the windows driver it seems, so occasionally i need to do the steps i wrote down [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Audeze/comments/19ckw6s/comment/kjj0fpq/) 3. If I turned on the headset before starting the windows, its not detected until I either re-plug or change the mode via the usb donge. I heard this is tied to some USB power saving feature my motherboard has, but I haven't looked into it more. And I did some modifications to use a mesh fabric earpads, and it both sounds better and more comfortable than leather earpads! Writeup [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Audeze/comments/1bytlf8/mesh_fabric_earpads_reignited_my_love_for_the/) Overall, still very happy with this headset! WIll keep using this until it dies, as it is so good that I don't see much reason to change headset

not sure about corsair's, last time I used a gaming headset is arctis nova 7 wireless but I hated its sound. Coming from other quality headphones that i enjoyed such as shp9500 or akg k720, the Audeze Maxwell trade blows really well with those, and ultimately won in convenience of wireless setup and boom mic out of the box

I’ve got the HD6xx connected to a Schiit Hel2 and it’s overall quite good for sure. The Maxwell’s just really, really shine. They’re 85% or more of the way to Audeze’s crazy high end stuff, in a consumer package. By which I mean, the same components. 

It’s tough to make a perfect comparison because the Maxwell’s are closed back compared to the open back of the 6xx and in my listening environments there’s often extra noise. If I had to get rid of one, I would definitely KEEP the Maxwells though since their overall utility for me is much greater. They work wired, via USB-C, or wireless via bluetooth or ultra low latency dongle, plus integrated and removable mic for gaming which I sometimes do. They switch between devices pretty seamlessly and the audio quality is at or better than the 6xx. I’ll say that when I listened to some stuff on the Maxwells, I NOTICED detail I’d not noticed before. When I went and listened to the same stuff thru the 6xx - I could hear that detail when I knew what to listen for?

Audeze Maxwell. It's an endgame type of headphone and he will absolutely love it. Hard to find tho cause of how good it is.

I'm returning my Audeze Maxwell. Lot's of random crackling, sound quality wasn't noticeable better than headphones half the price, mic sucked. Battery life was incredible though and they felt sturdy and comfy

I’d say the Audeze Maxwell would do all the things you’re asking really well.

If you're set on wireless I'd take a look at the Sennheiser Momentum 4 and the Audeze Maxwell. The Maxwell does not have ANC but it does have an exceptional battery life, excellent sound quality, and is one of the only wireless headphones competitive with wired headphones in the same price bracket.  The Momentum 4 has ANC and a good battery life. It is Bluetooth only compared to the Maxwell's 2.4Ghz dongle so you'll be looking at a bit of latency and reduced quality but you should be used to that coming from a JBL.  You can get an aptX low latency adapter like the BTD 600 to solve the latency issue, or you can plug the headphones in via USB when at your PC for uncompressed audio. Then use them wirelessly when you're on the go. 

If those are your only option I'd take either the Cloud Alpha or G Pro X, probably the Alpha as it is really comfortable. As other's have said though, none of these are particularly good. Unlike what others have said, there are good gamer brand headsets out there like the LucidSound LS50x, Logitech G Pro X 2, Astro A50, a few EPOS models. They're just generally overpriced. Like the G Pro X 2 is a really good $100 headphone with a $20 mic selling for $250. The LucidSounds are a bit pricy new but very cheap on the used market. The LS50x or the little brother LS35x can be found used for under $60 and $40 respectively and will beat anything on your list. Sennheiser Game One's can be found for under $60 and are another step higher, they're the headset version of the HD 598. In general, you can almost always buy a new headphone of equal or better quality + a desktop mic for a lot less money than a new headset. The main exception is the Audeze Maxwell which is frankly way better than standalone wireless headphones at its price. The PC38x is also competitively priced on sale, it's right between the HD 599 and HD 560S in quality.

I used Audeze Maxwell’s. Great build quality and very good sound quality.

There will be some varying suggestions based on exactly what is prioritized, but my vote will go to the Audeze Maxwell. I have a pair that gets used daily for listening to music or taking work calls as well as stints of gaming on the PS5 and they are superb at all 3. They come in right around $300.

Audeze Maxwells is your answer Edit: just to add, very high quality sound and the mic it comes with is pretty high quality for a headset mic and easily detachable for just normal use

I really like my Audeze Maxwell, it's in many if not all ways the top gaming headset you can currently purchase and checks audiophile boxes I have as well.

$330 without ANC - no thanks.

[Audeze Maxwell](https://www.audeze.com/products/maxwell-wireless-gaming-headset) I got a pair of these a few months ago and I'm extremely happy with them.

They both work with PC, but only work with their respective consoles. The Xbox one has a Dolby license for whatever that's worth, and the PS5 one is slightly cheaper. I have the PS5 model.

Yep, that's where I've been using them for months. They connect with a USB-C dongle.

Sound quality is identical hardware-wise. Dolby Atmos is a surround sound technology, but the content you're watching or playing needs to support it. Realistically, for me at least, it's not a selling point, and I have a PS5 so I went with that model.

[https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/List\_of\_games\_that\_support\_Dolby\_Atmos](https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/List_of_games_that_support_Dolby_Atmos) A decent number of games utilize Atmos. If you think you'd enjoy that then it's probably worth the extra money for you.

Nope, I'm still looking myself. I think I'm fully done with gaming brands (I even hated the beloved Audeze Maxwell due to how uncomfortable and heavy it was). That's why I'm lurking here to find some good audiophile recommendations. The only "wireless gaming headset" I almost like is the Cloud 3 wireless which I bought on sale for 170CAD (tax included) but I only like these because of comfort and sound. They can get very hot (cheap pleather ear pads) and they only work wirelessly with a usb receiver with no wired or bluetooth options. Their app doesnt work on MacOS either. I really think they're overpriced for what they are so I will be sending them back.

If you want the absolutely best gaming headset that also delivers quality music, get the Audeze Maxwell. I just went from arctis novel pro to those, and it's not really comparable.

Absolutely not, the Audeze Maxwell is heaps better, there's no comparison. I know because I've had the arctis nova pro just before I got my current Audeze. The difference is actually insane.

They are wireless yes, and they are incredible for music, that's what I got them for mainly. It's the best closed back headset you can get for the price tag as far as I know.

I just went through this as my old Steelseries headset died. Technically, a good gaming headphone will have a different frequency response than what you’d want for music. That being said, frequency response is still a preference. Gaming has an emphasis on higher frequencies that will highlight things like footsteps and helps if the headphones have a good soundstage so you can pinpoint what direction the sound is coming from. Beyond that, there really is no difference. From my research the generally accepted headphone that is great for both music and gaming that isn’t the Sennheiser HD800S for $1200 is the Audeze Maxwell Xbox version, for $300. I went with the Maxwell’s and I do not regret them at all after about a month. I do suggest getting some wicked cushions cooling pads as the stock ear pads are very warm and made me sweat after more than an hour or so of wearing them.

Weight matters a lot. I agree they are soo heavily. Makes gaming long season long hard

the sound signature is very good similar to maxwell so it's good for music and movies as well, but the comfort is next level, I'm not a fan of the weight of the audeze plus they get warm on my ears, so far not an issue with these, just hope they update some volume issues in a firmware update

Audeze Maxwell all the way.

I had an arctic nova pro, and switched to Audeze Maxwell. The Arctic Nova was good, but after switching the sound and build quality is night and day with the Maxwell, it’s so much better. The battery lasts over 70 hours as well. Default sound settings aren’t great, but an easy Google search has people sharing much better settings which really brings the sound quality out. It’s usually around $300, but you can find them for sale around $250 every now and then, if you’re willing to stretch you budget a bit.

I have a pair. I’ve had several high quality “gaming head phones prior, and they aren’t in the ballpark of my Audeze Maxwell. If OP can stretch his budget a bit, it’s the headset to go with.

Yep, I bought into the hype, including seeing them as rtings #1 pick, and I bought a pair and immediately hated them lol. I've already requested a return, and I just need to find time to get these shipped back to them. The issue with not picking up the first second of audio anytime the headset hasn't had audio input for a while is horrendous on its own, but it also does it anytime you scrub through a video. So not only do you miss the first second of audio on a youtube video, but you also miss the first second of audio anytime you click to a different part of the video. I found a statement from the company saying that that is inherent to the design and cannot be fixed. Additionally, the mic (which is already poor quality) doesn't pick up the first 1-2 seconds of you talking anytime there's been a lull in input for it. I needed to use these for work as well, so that means they're completely unusable for me. Hell, I can't even use them for gaming with friends since they'll miss the first 1-2 seconds of every sentence I say. They have good audio quality, but that's it. As a headset, they are a complete failure of a product. What's even worse is that I have to pay for the shipping to send it back to the company, which is asinine and kind of infuriating. It's a good thing I decided to look for a new headset before my current one died, otherwise I'd be absolutely screwed by these.

I wouldn’t recommend anything in sennheiser 600 series if he’s into competitive shooters, hd490 would be much better choice. But he won’t be able to get immersed in gaming if he’s playing in the living room with kids running around, if he doesn’t mind heavier headset, audeze Maxwell has very decent passive noise isolation and good AI noise cancelling on the mic, although some units have QC issues and some firmware updates seem to be a bit buggy

bro the audeze maxwell sucks. had to return it. coming from beyerdynamic dt770 pro’s, the audeze maxwell sound quality was terrible. really lacked dynamics too. also, super uncomfortable and quite heavy. i wanted to try a wireless headset, but after that i will never go wireless ever again.

Yup you can’t go wrong with those. Just got them for myself and they are stellar. One thing though : they are quite fragile, you kinda have to baby them. A hard case should be bought as well !

I was looking into Maxwell a lot at first, but damn, there's too much QC issue even after two years. I really don't want to test my luck.

So, I bought Maxwell, and it's the best decision I've ever made. It didn't sound that good, but not because it was bad; it's because it's flat. With the drivers being planar magnetic, it makes it so easy to tune the EQ to my liking. Bought it since November, and it's still makes me amazed by the sound quality everyday. Every time the bass hits or when there's an explosion in games or movie it sound so good it makes me have goosebumps. Oh, btw, I use my Maxwell to play guitar, listen to music, watch movies, and play all types of PC games. Like, FPS, open-world, survival, horror, race sim, etc.

I wanted to buy the Maxwell, but not so sure about the QC quality. Although, here in Thailand, the warranty is from the reseller, not the Audeze themselves. So I might buy the Maxwell to try it out.

I have changed my mind after knowing that they released a new 2024 version which fixed some of the issues now. I might give it a try. Here in Thailand the warranty is provided by the reseller anyway so it probably won't be that bad. Thank you!

Yessss, so I chose Maxwell and I am so happy with it right now.

I didn't want the mic because I already had a dedicated one, but I did want it because it's wireless. Because most wireless 2.4Ghz headphones I found are only the gaming one. But at least I found out about the Maxwell and got it. Pretty happy with it.

I heard that they released a 2024 version which fixed the strap and the drivers, but I can't find that information anywhere else.

I trust Rtings for monitor and television reviews, but idk about any of their audio device reviews. Their top recommended headset for gamers is the Audeze Maxwell Wireless, and having been using it since it came out, I absolutely wouldn't recommend it to anybody. The microphone sucks. Everybody on Discord will immediately ask why you sound worse than you did with your previous mic. The software sucks and crashes frequently + often doesn't detect that your headphones and/or mic are connected. By default, the headphones have this battery preservation feature that makes it so if there's no audio for some brief amount of time, the next bit of audio will fade in, likely causing you to miss things like whatever your friend is trying to tell you. No way to fix this without downloading third-party software that basically just constantly plays noise in the background (you can't hear it, but it's enough for the headphones not to go into sleep mode). The microphone randomly stops working and you need to unplug it and plug it back in to get it to work, and there's no real way for you to know that it's stopped working other than your friends letting you know they haven't been able to hear you talk for the past 20 minutes. Audeze have released some firmware updates since the headphones came out, but every single firmware update since launch has made the headphones worse.

Not for competitive fps gaming, the directional queues aren't good

They aren't good for fps gaming? Directional audio is not really competitive

They are not, I tried them a decent amount. They aren't really comfortable for long gaming sessions. They have the best sound but bad directional cues and poor balancing between the left and right ear cup. And I play most competitive fps on console like siege,valorant,overwatch,warzone and apex. They are great for immersion and not competitive games, but you cannot blindly suggest a 400€ headset that is like mid for fps games.

Reviews say exactly what I'm talking about lol.

I mean you can look up more they will all tell you the same. Good audio ≠ good for fps. They all play games and they all have ears, you don't need to understand audio to a deep level to tell wich one gives you cheat like audio and which doesn't.

I’m very happy with Audeze Maxwell so can recommend that. And i think you also cant go wrong with Beyerdynamic.

Comapring to bose nc700 and Beyer DT990 yes it is heavier. I use Maxwells for both work and gaming (up to 4 hours without taking them off) and for me personally the weight is not the issue. My personal feeling is that the weight kinda balances the clamping force, bit challenging for me to describe this accurately.

Closed back instead of open back but I recommend the Audeze Maxwell for just gaming purposes. I think it will check all your boxes and it’s honestly one of the best gaming headsets I’ve ever purchased… imo.

Yeah, thats the way. But they are a little fragile.

I can vouch for AUDEZE Maxwell. A planar magnetic headphone built for gaming but are surprising well for music, movies and working. Because of planar magnetic drivers, the instrument seperation and soundstage is fantastic. That means you would every footstep, no matter where. The suspended headband allows for long hours of gaming session without tiring. The ear pads are very comfortable, with air tracks allowing cooler ears. The integrated boom mic, can be detached but does wonder for live streams. There is also mics on the headset, if you dont prefer the boom mic look. The functionality is great, from changing tracks, play and pause, chat stream to game stream switch. The best of American technology. They were ranked as S Tier by [Headphones.com](http://Headphones.com) in their Close back wireless headphones. Oh yes, did I mention they are have Bluetooth. So along with Direct dongle for Xbox, PS4 and PC, they can also be run through AUX, USBC and for wireless music listening session, Bluetooth 5. Their battery life is rated at whooping 80 Hours. An audiophile device at this price and functionality. You would love these.

Audeze Maxwell is better than every headset suggested here OP, and it can do music better than every gaming headset by a large margin as well.

I bought the Sennheiser HD560S, and they're honestly spectacular for gaming. They are open back units though, so they won't be very sound isolating. Generally, I believe Audeze Maxwells are considered some of the best closed-back units you can buy for gaming (closed back are better for sound isolation, but generally don't have as wide a sound stage).

Wired I’d go HD 560s. Wireless I’d go Audeze Maxwell but frankly for the price I’d just go wired.

On the Maxwell? Yes for wireless they’re good.

Amazing headset but its too heavy :(

The Maxwell is leagues better than this. Not even close.

I highly recommend the audeze Maxwell. Low production units and they’re well made.

Best "wireless gaming headset" on the market IMO (Im using a pair right now), which makes sense, as Audeze are better known for their $1000+ headphones like the LCD. However, its not the best if she is on a limited budget. Its $300USD MSRP out the gate. It is also closed back, so its not the best for being able to hear your surroundings, it has passthrough, but that is supposed to be a temporary function.

https://youtube.com/@gadgetrytech?si=RLBpQ5ymGVu_ktd0 You won't find any better place to find unbiased reviews And about what you heard, It's internet, there is barely any QC issue in real life. There was official note from audeze, stating only 0.x% of all production was replaced under warranty about that "QC issue" you are talking about. Go check steel series or Logitech reddit, there is the same amount of posts about the same defects. So, Maxwell's, Got them since release, works perfect to this day and used almost daily

Great sound but the mic is straight up garbage

For the modest price of $300 the mic should be much better! It’s garbage

i also got the maxwell yesterday for the xbox. The sound is very quiet even when i put the volume up still the same. i have updated them and the usb still nothing … and alot of people have the same issue do you maybe know if there is any fix because i do think they sound great only the volume has to be fixed for me.

Ignore gaming counterparts go with Audeze Maxwell or HD6XX with mod mic if you want a mic both would be around $300 and offer superior sound quality than 99% in the “gaming” market.

You can't get better than Audeze Maxwell for gaming. They're closed but no open will match them.

Functional enough if you’re not using it for content creation 🤷‍♂️

And the fucking audio delay cause of Energy saving. So annoying sent Mine back

DO NOT get the Audeze Maxwells. I’ve treated mine with great care and suddenly my left ear cup has a weird crackling noise as if you crumbling a candy wrapper in your hand. Never dropped it, never dinged it, I’m the only one to use it. Has its own headset stand. Garbage.

The Audeze Maxwells are more headphones that happen to have a mic port than they are a gaming headset. They sound amazing and I like them better than my Sony xm3s or Sennheisher Jubilees, but that is subjective.

If you have the budget, Audeze Maxwell wireless gaming headset. It's basically high end headphones with a mic on it. The best part? They're wireless **with** an internal amplifier. If you've ever heard the Sony xm3/4s with/without a 3.5mm amp'd source, you'd know what a massive difference that makes. The fact they're wireless while maintaining a high quality sound is amazing. It also has a dongle so you don't have the latency of Bluetooth. I no longer game with my Sony XM3s or Sennheiser Jubilees because of this headset. That being said, when I play the next Senua's sacrifice game you better believe in using the Sony's. The noise cancellation paired with that games audio cues / quality in a dark room is crazy immersive.

Mine broke in three months :c (membrane decided it didn't fancy staying intact). I really liked the sound and comfort they provided, but their durability should be mentioned as it isn't the greatest

All depends on what you want from a headset. If you’re into your audio and will take advantage of the dac/amp by using its features like EQ and other customisations and swappable batteries that technically gives you unlimited battery life, then go for it, because it has really good audio and has excellent imaging for FPS games If you want pure audio quality, which for gaming I don’t understand why, then go for the Audeze Maxwell, but it has mediocre imaging and it’s a very heavy headset on your head Astro A50 Gen 5 is the other one to consider. It has excellent comfort, really good audio, good imaging and great mic, but if you also regularly use Bluetooth on the go, then Astro isn’t for you as the Bluetooth is on the dock and not on the headset

That is the point, it has not! Very often one side totally crushed. I tested them, sounds great, but there is no troubleshooting from audeze in view of that issue. I want to buy a headphone which works not even about 1 or 2 years.

I tested: Sennheiser HD490pro, Maxwell Audeze, Beyerdynamic DT 1770 & 1990 Pro MKii, MMX 300 & 330 pro, Hifiman Ananda Nano & Arya Organics and audio-technica ATH-R70x. I found my endgames for music in Arya Organic and FPS the ATH-R70x.

I have a pair of these that I've had for... 2 years now? There is consistently an issue when joining Discord, or switching channels on discord, where I have to toggle the headset's mute function before it starts to detect my voice.

Audeze maxwell, that's more than enough for gaming, music and content consumption. For open backs, I would say HD600 but you'll need DAC Amp(Topping DX3 Pro+ or Fiio K7) for that.

you don't buy headSETS for the mic quality, it will almost always be subpar

No because the mic quality is always worse on headsets than any stand alone mic lmaoooo, you don't buy headsets for the mic quality

You just said that the nova have a "good enough" mic, the audeze's mic is good enough too, not good, not horrible. So I guess YOU don't buy a headset for the mic quality either😅

Point is, you do not buy a headset for the mic. :3 The audeze arguably has the best sound quality for the price

You don't know what op wants, he wants good cable free headset, the audeze is the best for the price. Has Bluetooth, xbox or ps connect, the mic quality won't matter to him like it apparently does for you

The sound quality is beyond good, it's the best for the price, also the earmuffs are good that's just personal preference, I swapped out mine for aesthetical reasons😊 Also yeah most gaming headsets do have a worse microphone, you might think yours is good but I can almost guarantee most stand alone mics are better.

I got myself Audeze maxwells and they weren’t mind blowing or anything (my soundcore was good). What was your first music headphones?

Sennheiser PC38x have the best headset mic I've heard in tests. I use it myself and so do my siblings. Audeze Maxwell are praised as well and are wireless. IEMs are nice for the price but I don't personally love having things jammed in my ears for too long

Audeze Maxwell. I’ve had mine since launch with wicked cushion strap and earpads and they are amazing

They’re still mint. I’ve lucky had no issues at all. I’m still using the wicked cushion pads and head strap as well. I’ve used a ton of gaming headsets and the Maxwell have easily been the best and more durable for me. If they’re in your budget I’d definitely recommend them.

For wireless then Audeze Maxwell. Top of the line.

Audeze Maxwell is great. Needs a replacement comfort strap to actually be comfortable, but once you’ve dialed that in…the sound is awesome. 🙌

They aren’t great sound wise. On par with the Blackshark v2. But more focused on the highs. They do have all the features one could want for gaming. Chatmix, simultaneous Bluetooth, super comfortable and great battery life. For sound quality alone at the $200 price point, I’d look at the Beyerdynamic mmx200 (when it’s on sale) for accuracy or the JBL Quantum 910 for a fun sound. If you just want a pair of Bluetooth headphones that can also be plugged in, have a look at the m50xbt2. They don’t have 2.4ghz transmission but they aren’t too bad when it comes to latency. Or, for the best sound possible, save up another $75-100 and get the Audeze Maxwell.

Are you talking about the Turtle Beach Stealth Pro? If so, I haven’t got the chance to listen to them, but I’ve heard they can be very good for fps gaming. They’ve also come down in price substantially since release. Yeah, the 1990s are very pricey, but they would last a lifetime. I understand keeping to a budget though. They are something to consider down the line. I use the Maxwells as a daily driver. They are great but heavy. I got a comfort headband from Capra Audio (big shout out to those guys) and that really fixes the weight issue. I still have the 560s and the pc38x also. For imaging alone, the 560s are the winner.

for sound Audeze Maxwell and Edifier Stax Spirit S3, Sony Pulse Elite is better for gaming if you are into that but worse for music even tho it also uses Audeze planar drivers(Edifier was part owner of Audeze then Sony bought out the whole company) Maxwells are RLY heavy so they are maybe not the best for long listening sessions for that reason all around I'd take Sony Pulse Elite for your usecase + they are half the price of other two, can't go wrong with them imo

for music yes, for gaming there are better stuff, if you take both into consideration Sony Pulse Elite

I had Creative Zen Hybrid PRO SXFI and that's BT, it's not 2.4GHz, it just comes with their own BT dongle, BT-L4, LC3+ is indeed 24bit 96KHz it does up to 500kbps per channel to 1000kbps in total which is 10 more than LDAC, LC3+ is 2nd gen LE audio so it uses very little battery, they are headset with 2nd best battery life on the market Audeze Maxwell is great for music specially if you are a bit older and don't care about high freuqencies because it's missing a bit of those, for gaming it's not ideal, none of the ones you mentioned do real high res lossless, afaik the only wireless headphone capable of doing it is Sony Pulse Elite, it's pretty close to Maxwell, uses Audeze planar drivers(Sony owns Audeze) has imo better tuning too and it's only $150, it's objectively THE best out of these for gaming, what you can get better would be MMX 300 Pro and MMX 330 Pro from Beyerdynamic, that's best for gaming, Maxwell for music, Sony Pulse Elite best all around for half or less than half the price 150 vs 300/330

Seconded, it's and amazing headset, detachable microphone sucks fucking ass though

Yeah true and there's another built in mic but it's quality also isn't great but headset sound quality alone and equalizer is worth the mic poor quality

Yeah true and there's another built in mic but it's quality also isn't great but headset sound quality alone and equalizer is worth the mic poor quality

Dunno about that, never owned any other wireless headset

I bought maxwell myself and I love it but I don't use its microphones, decided to buy a standalone mic that's mounted to my desk for when I play games etc Maxwell has most probably the best sound quality out there in that price range Any logitech or other gaming branded headset aren't as good sound wise but probably have better microphones

I just went through the pain of this. There is no perfect solution. Ideally you could get some epic set of headphones, with a built in quality mic, but the fact is, no one makes those. The Audeze Maxwell is probably the best of those, offering a decent mic and decent sound, plus long wireless battery life and decent comfort. So for gaming, it's perfect. But for music and movies, it's just average. Then you can get some great headphones like the Sennheiser HD600 or 650, or the Hifiman Edition XS (my current headphone), but of course no mic. Also being wired I find isn't as good for gaming, it can get distracting in fast paced games. Also you can't get up and get a drink and stay on chat, which can be annoying. I think if gaming is your priority, just get an Audeze Maxwell, otherwise consider a Hifiman and a nice mic on a stand, which together would still be easily in your budget, including a decent DAC/AMP for the headphones. Another option, also in your budget, is to get the Audeze for gaming and the Hifiman and DAC/AMP for everything else.

Minus the build quality, they’re the best sounding. They’re heavy, and poorly made. But they’re the ‘best’

Well worth it. Having it be able to connect to your phone and Xbox is really nice. It can also be set to where if you receive a phone call it will reduce the game sounds by 80% so you can play and talk to someone on the phone. With the Dolby subscription it makes for a good headset. Everyone has there dislikes, but mine would be that once you have it synced to the Xbox. It turns on the Xbox everytime you turn the headset on, even when using your pc in the other room.

Audeze Maxwell lives up to the hype.

They are on the heavy side but the hammock strap thing does a pretty decent job of distributing the weight. Other than that everything is very good, I haven't even plugged in my 560S or 600 since I got these.

This is the one

Audeze Maxwell's are amazing

My audeze Maxwell just randomly died on me after 1 year of daily use, got any other suggestions? i'm not really a fan of buying the same stuff over and over due to them breaking for no reason :X

Stay away from the Maxwell.. they are to heavy for gaming session and mine just stopped working after a year and a month. No more warranty. €400,- down the drain

Still using maxwells? I had them shortly, loved the sound and returned them because my pulse 3d is so much lighter and comfortable. maxwells had that amazing rumbling sub bass but it was making me hear my own heartbeat due to clamping

I'm returning my Maxwells lol. Because the weight and clamp force is unbearable. Yeah, and the spatial audio is pretty much non existant since most Maxwells have a slight out of phase issue. That means your ques are off, and really close to your head. I'm picking up my SS ANP's tommorow, just for the comfort. Yeah Maxwell and music do go together, but gaming and general comfort - absolutely fucking not. Watching youtube videos is a pain since the Planars are great at reproducing noises and hums which are not audible with dynamic drivers. It was doing my head in. Audio fatigue is a real thing, and Maxwells do that A LOT. If you want quality music, get a pair of quality audiophile WIRED headphones, and an AMP, because the thing is with the maxwells, most sources are not able to use up the frequency range of the headset. Youtube's compression is literally audible. I loved and hated it at the same time. But in the end, headsets from gaming companies are made so you can wear them for hours without discomfort.

I've got the Maxwell and enjoy them alot. I got Wicked Cushion (WC) ear cups and head band replacement for mine. The comfort is amazing now and battery life on Maxwell is as advertised. I'm shocked how long they last.

I think it is great and the software had factory presets for different audio situations. Then you can save your own if you want to tweak them or find some suggestions in reddit threads to try.

A slightly budget friendly headset would be the Audeze Maxwell Wireless Planar Magnetic. They are stunning for the price. Planar drivers are incredible.

For whoever is reading this I just bought an Audeze Maxwell because of great reviews and had nothing but glitches and errors in software. Works in Spotify breaks in discord auto switching between Bluetooth and dongle/ wired. It was awful

I will say I have an Audeze Maxwell that is within the return window I will be capitalizing on. They are amazing in quality but as u/Silverjerk mentioned the mic is a bit on the mid range, I don't care I game and discord, that is it. But I started facing issues with it that seem to be a common occurrence with the headset. Things such as the software not recognizing the headset using it's dongle, the mic not being recognized as functional when everything checks out systematically, weird stuff. I find fixes all the time for it! Such as switching USB ports when its not recognized which works but I expect a $300 headset with such praise not to need that kind of attention, for the steep cost (again just a gamer, not an audiophile) I'd expect my purchase to function with minimal intervention. I know this post was from a month ago but please be certain your partner is happy with the headset and they aren't facing issues like this. Today my mic completely won't connect to anything, I BT'd it to my phone, won't register that it's on, used it on my PC, nothing. Went to a help page and did all the backdoor stuff with permissions, no change (everything was already correct) just more frustration. Too much money to forgive. Perhaps this is a lemon and just not working but I found that the usb shifting thing really isn't uncommon for the headset and that's just not okay with me for the cost.

Please don't recommend the Audeze Maxwell Wireless, biggest disappointment in a long while. Like OP I wanted a decent wireless setup so I decided to splurge and buy "the best" wireless headphones 2 weeks ago. What the don't tell you is: - They are bulky and not specially comfortable - Flat and unepic sound profiles that you have to configure on your own to make it sound half decent - Random changes in sound profile for the mic - Software updates are a russian roulette: things stop working, random em disconnects from the dongle (my case) etc... - The volume is so low when using it on a Mac you have to use external programs to boost the audio output So I'm on my way to return them. An absolute joke for a product you pay a good money for. I'd recommend you to stay away. Looking forward to see what other good options people can recommend.

Microphone on these are ass. If you’re just looking for wireless sound, I think these are solid. But the boom mic is terrible

The Maxwell are probably going to be your best option if you need 2.4ghz and a built in mic. You could get much better sound quaility for cheaper if you opted for a wired pair of headphones and budget external microphone. You did not mention what you were using these headphones on (console vs PC) though.

No...no...no... please no. Instead, you should recommend the PC38X OR AUDEZE MAXWELL. Even the HD560s would be a better option.

Another vouch for the 560S. I have them, went wireless with the Maxwell, but just couldn't stand the weight and the closed back sound, and went back to the 560S without a second thought. My best recommendation for a mic for it would be the V-Moda BoomPro (not the X version!) with a 2.5mm adapter and the Apple Dongle connected to your PC. Works like a charm.

I would say the Maxwell are definitely audiophile quality. It's not everyday you run across a gaming headset with planar magnectic drivers. It also all the bells and whistles one would expect from a gaming microphone while also being an excellent microphone. I would say the Audeze Maxwell are probably exactly what he is looking for.

Haha usually I agree with you man, the Audeze Maxwell is great, but ‘no open will match them’ is just wrong

Try to find anything that has a metal frame. Once you find one that you like, search the interwebs to find any common issues and user experience on the headset. I can recommend these 2: Audeze Maxwell if you have the money and just want the absolute best. I personally have these and they're fantastic. Steelseries arctis nova 7 if you are on a budget, but want a good headset. A couple of my mates have these and so far i have not heard complaints

First I just want to say I am not an audiophile nor am I an expert in headphones at all. I got the Maxwell after my Steelseries Arctis 5 headphones I had for over 5 years finally died. I primarily use headphones for gaming although occasionally I do listen to music. I’ve had the Maxwell for nearly a month now and this is my opinion. Sound- First and most importantly these headphones opened my eyes to just how shitty my Arctis 5 were. Everything sounds so clean on them. I’m not sure how else to describe it. Listening to music I heard sounds and details I had never even heard before. The bass sounds so much more clean and full rather than just thumpy. I will never be able to go back to gaming headphones. I was also able to hear footsteps in games much clearer and more accurately. Functionality- Sidetone is practically unusable. With it too high the static drowns out other audio. With it too low it’s useless and creates a slight hissing. I was also having an issue where it would randomly disconnect me from discord for short 1-3 second periods before reconnecting. I tried a cheap wired headset to know for sure if it was the Maxwell’s fault and they did not have this issue. The mic is bad and my discord mates complained I sounded like I was in a barrel. I took off the pop filter and that seemed to help. The Audeze app lacks features and takes far too long to do anything. Especially the mobile version. The battery life is exceptionally long. I use them 2-4 hours a night and I’ve only charged them once when I first got them in the month I’ve had them. Comfort- Here’s where it all goes down hill. I have a large head. These headphones are so unbearably uncomfortable. I’ve tried everything. A headband pad I got on Amazon. A new custom strap I ordered on Etsy. WC earpads. Everything. Every thirty minutes or so of wear I have to adjust them because my head gets sore. Then if I adjust them wrong my ears touch the drivers and get sore. For a 300 dollar headset this is unacceptable. If they made a more comfortable wired headset I would buy it in a heartbeat. Conclusion- The comfort aspect unfortunately kills it for me. Perhaps those with smaller heads can find the Maxwell more bearable but it seems these were not designed with large heads in mind. Or they’re just too heavy. I’m not sure. But unfortunately they are simply unbearable for long wear periods. I have elected to return them and have ordered dt 770s in their stead. I’ve read they are quite comfortable. Hopefully someone finds this review helpful and if Audeze ever makes a more comfortable headset I’ll gladly give them another chance. Edit- Received the DT 770s today. Tried them on and they are leagues more comfortable than the Maxwell. A little tight but I stretched the headband a bit and it’s like a perfect fit. They’re so light I can’t imagine them fatiguing my head after a few hours. My first impressions of the sound quality are that they are slightly better than the Maxwell. I can see what people mean when they say the treble is a bit high but I don’t really mind. I’ll update this post in 30 days with a full review of the DT 770s.

Honestly, as a big headed person, the best fitting headphones I have used are Hifiman Edition XS. And an even bigger plus is that they are by far the best sounding headphones I have ever experienced! Also, I own the maxwells for when I need wireless and really wish there were better adjustments, even just another one or two more notches because for a closed back they sound great!! (I prefer open back, especially for gaming)

The electronic components required to put support for wireless right into the earcups affect the sounds the headphones create. The wireless mode that has its own DAC will compensate for this with signal processing, but the wired mode usually won't and will therefore sound worse. Typically when you want a headphone to be wireless-capable, you're taking *two* hits to performance. First, it costs money to get the wireless stuff in there, so you could've just paid the same amount of money and gotten something 100% focused on the drivers. Second, the wireless stuff does actually degrade the sound of the wired mode. That being said, if you really want a wireless headset and are willing to spend that much for it, the Audeze Maxwell are very well-regarded at their price point.

https://www.audeze.com/products/maxwell-wireless-gaming-headset You won’t get much better than the audeze Maxwell. Requiring Bluetooth for gaming really restricts your options down to like three. The Maxwell, the cloud 3, and the Sony whmx1000

Audeze Maxwell's, granted they are wireless but they are bloody fantastic

Audeze Maxwell Headset is best.

Get yourself an audeze maxwell and it will increase even more lol

I was using Logitech ProX Wireless. I recently switched to Audeze Maxwell and I feel they sound better.

Hi, for me I play FPS games so sounds are important. I felt that I could hear things on the Audeze that I could not on the Logitech. The Frequencey Response on the Logitech is 20Hz to 20 kHz. The Audeze is 10Hz to 50 kHz so that makes sense that I could hear things on the Audeze before the Logitech.

Audeze Maxwell. Using mine for year and a half, perfect conditon. Sound quality is superb.

Audeze Maxwell if you’re ok with a heavier headset. The things chonky af but sounds phenomenal. If you’re looking for a hi resolution headset, it’s the best option currently available. Insane battery life (70+ hours) and 96khz / 24 bit sampling rate.

Had my Maxwell for over 5 months without any issues. If you suck at taking care of your gear, then I suppose this could be true. Audeze has the best sound quality out of them all

6 months now and yes that’s plenty of time to notice any inherent issues or defects lil bro.

Never claimed to be an audiophile dipshit but I definitely have an ear and eye for good quality sound and video bc I’ve worked in studios before doing audio production/engineering as well as editing video. So SMD, respectfully. I dont have loyalty to any brand. I could give a fuck about Audeze especially if someone else made a better product. Fact is they currently make the best headset at the $300 price point despite their QC issues with their first lot.

Any Bluetooth headphones or in-ears are terrible choice for gaming due to extremely high latency. If you want to buy a gaming headset then the only one with good sound quality is Audeze Maxwell. If you can't get that then just buy normal wired audio headphones.

This list should be split in two different lists. First one: \~300$ and up - just buy Audeze Maxwell, they are so much better than anything else in that category that it's just silly to even try to compare them to it. Second one: Much less than 300$ - leave the other recommendations that would fit into that price range.

Audeze Maxwell is literally the only choice in this category.

Go Audeze Maxwell if you’ll be using it for music, you won’t be disappointed

Separated audiophile headphones and table mic usually beat the combo if you’re willing to use a wired one (will always beat wireless in quality), If you want wireless then there are a few gaming headsets that are good but usually overpriced. I personally use the ps5 pulse elite headset on console and pc, happy with it the sound is great, it’s probably only second the audeze maxwell which are basically up there with the audiophiles quality while being low latency / gaming, but all depends on the price you’re willing to pay

Ignore the Maxwell, it’s made as well as a Chinese knock off handbag from the early 90s. Won’t last you a week.

1 year old reddit account, 18 posts. I'd trust him! /s Nova Pro Wireless and Maxwells are top of the competition. Problem is that Maxwells are anecdotally more prone to break.

My left ear up stopped working after a week; internet is awash with reports of tears in the ear up foil… but we all must be ape hands’ing our gear…. /s

Just beware the sidetone issue if that's a key feature for you. Apart from that they are in a class of their own.

Gonna be honest, I have a buddy who splurged for Maxwell's and the mic quality was noticeably worse than his Logitech G Pro X, he had a ton of problems with their software, and on top of that they're insanely heavy with mediocre battery life. If you don't need ANC, I love my Steel Series Arctus Nova 7. They're light, I get great battery life, and simultaneously pairing to my PC and phone to answer phone calls is fantastic. I used the Steel series GG software for awhile, but ended up just disabling it and they still work like you'd expect a headset to work. They have media volume and sidetalk/monitoring volume on the headset, a mic mute button, and the power button doubles as a play/pause.

Audeze Maxwell

I have a Mobius and a Penrose. Maxwell is the way if you want wireless. I transitioned to a Schiit stack myself, Modius/Magnius, and have not looked back. Best closed back I’ve got are the Dan Clark Aeons, best open back in my kit is the Hifiman Ananda Stealth. Just like the Audeze offering these are Planar drivers as well. I cannot go back to dynamic drivers. Unless of course I could afford the HD 800s which are widely regarded as the best headphones for gaming although they are not a gaming headset

Same, tried Strelseries top offering, sounded so bad compared to Audeze, Sony, Bose (any of the wireless brands I have really) My old Koss ear buds sounded better for$10

I'm using the Audeze Maxwell. Great quality audio and comfortable to wear for extended periods. I got the Xbox version so I could use it on both my sim rig pc and Xbox. It also comes with a detachable mic which is nice

The best gaming accessory is (almost) never a gaming accessory, especially when you. E.g. the best ‘gaming chair’ is an office chair, the best ‘gaming drink’ is a normal energy drink, etc. Anything that’s specifically marketed towards gamers is usually much more expensive than standard products of the same quality. Similarly, the best ‘gaming headset’ is a pair of good headphones and a mic. If you don’t care too much about it being wireless I would highly recommend a pair of ‘audiophile’ headphones like the beyerdynamic dt 770 pro (or 990 if you’re willing to go open back). they have much better audio quality than any gaming headset you can buy and you can get them for around 140€. If you care a lot about it being wireless, sony xm4 or xm5 are great and also have better audio quality (and noise cancellation) than gaming headsets. As for the mic: if you want actually good audio quality, you’re gonna need a standalone device. No wireless headset comes even close to a 40€ USB mic. And if you *really* want a gaming headset, get the Audeze Maxwell. They’re quite good compared to the other ‘gaming’ options.

Yup I've had my set for a year, they're awesome sounding. The mic is acceptable quality for discord and stuff l as well.

As a general, do-all headphones, I would say Maxwell. It's closed but if I had to pick one headphone that does everything well with a good RF, it's the Maxwell.

I agree. The Dolby Atmos for headphones is amazing. Better than any headphone 3d audio for me. I’m using Audeze Maxwell headphones and the positioning is spot on.

Audeze Maxwell by far, thank me later :p

I hated mine. They were heavy as shit and super uncomfortable. The sound is great, until they stop working. They were having huge QC issues, not sure if that's still the case. When mine broke I went back to my old EPOS PC38X sennheiser drop collab and they were so much more comfortable I struggle to even put my Maxwells back on. They did repair them, but made me pay shipping.

Maxwell sounds much better. Alienware is much more comfortable, portable and durable. Alienware software cant be installed on Mac or iPhone. You should have a windows. Maxwell software is available for Mac and iPhone.

I have the audeze Maxwell, amazing headset but the windows driver/dongle is infuriating. Half the time it will randomly disconnect the partially reconnect and I have to wait 15 minutes to have audio again. Other than that it's amazing

I did not enjoy Audeze Maxwell. Sure it sounded great, and wireless is always amazing, but I had to return it because it was just too heavy and therefore distracting to wear. A friend had the exact same experience and I've seen more people online say the same. I'm not a small guy so I figure if anyone is average or below average in size there's a good chance they'll be uncomfortable for you, too

With the AW on sale + a 10% newsletter rebate it was like $100 difference for me, and even if I had the money I'm stearing clear of the Maxwell with all the problems I've read, however better they undoudtebly sound. I was pleasantly surprised with the AW. It sounds a lot better than my current Sennheiser Game One and Arctis 7 and I wont keep forgetting I have a wire when I get up. There was so few reviews but it was mostly positive, so I took a chance and was ready to send them back but so far it's been great. Did have to play with stereo mix to fix them missing the first half a second of pretty much everything after a minute of silence.

Audeze Maxwell and steelseries arctis nova pros are your two best options If you care about competitive games get the nova pros if you care more about music and mainly play story games get the maxwell The nova pro would also probably be better if you play on console and pc because you can have it connected to both and it will just auto switch to whichever one is on Also the nova pro can connect to your phone and you can listen to things on your phone via Bluetooth at the same time as you are playing on your pc listening to ingame audio I personally prefer the nova overall for gaming (the maxwells also have a ton of quality control issues)

Audeze has laughable quality control

It’s an audeze fanboy quote on quote “audiophiles” can’t see past the brand 9 times outta ten lmao

Bro audeze has dogshit QC that’s a fact Take the L and stop acting so entitled you’re not an audiophile you’re a brand loyalist that’s all that title means anymore Yes audeze makes great sounding headsets but they have horrible quality control especially with the Maxwells that’s a fact

Don’t get me wrong the maxwells are absolutely amazing the durability and the imaging are really the only two issues they have (well less so durability more so just QC like I said audeze had horrible QC)

As others have stated, Audeze Maxwell, but another good option is the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless, have had them for about a year and have not disappointed at all, work like a charm

Have them too, wonderful headset. Also, pretty long-lasting battery.

I bought a pair of these because of the raving reviews and I gotta say, they’re not worth the $300. They sounds good and the battery life is really good That’s about the only good thing I can say about them. The headband adjustability is poor. The ear cups are not deep enough at all. My ears were squished up against the drivers and I couldn’t wear them for more than a couple hours without my ears getting cherry red. The headset is somewhat tight on my head and no, I don’t have a big head. To try and make them more comfortable I bought third party ear cups. Wicked cushion had the deepest set and even then my ears still touch the drivers a little. For $300, I cannot honestly recommend these.

I’m still using the Maxwells. Sending them back for a refund and finding a different pair is too much of a hassle for me. That and my previous headset broke, which is what prompted this purchase. With the wicked cushions ear cups, I can find a comfortable position and can wear them for hours.

There’s a program you can download from GitHub to get rid of that. Put it in your startup folder and never have to worry about it again. App: https://github.com/vrubleg/soundkeeper Thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/Audeze/s/KiRiV3UlQE

It’s about a 1 second sound delay. I noticed it when watching YouTube

if you really want a headset and are willing to spend the money the audeze maxwell are the way to go, good build, well known audiophile brnad, wireless, amazing sound quality and a great mic for about $300. note: if you have a console these work with ps5 and xbox series but you have to buy the specific version that is compatible with whichever console you have.

Yep Found the same. Upgraded to the Audeze Maxwell, never looked back. Blows them away in every way. Novas live in the drawer now. Embarrassing how bad they were when you have perspective..dont start me on Sonar or other things, we could be here all night. Overpriced trash.

Audeze Maxwells 😎

Got mine in the mail an hour ago, been fucking with the EQ listening to Polyphia and they're better than anything I've ever had. Gonna take my Arctic pro wireless out back and piss on them. Maybe more than once.

I’d recommend the Audeze Maxwell. Probably the most versatile headphones I’ve ever had. Great for gaming, has presets for directional sound like footsteps, music is amazing, I listen to a lot of rap and heavy metal and it’s just spot on. I have a pair of much more expensive Audeze LCDs just collecting dust because the Maxwell has been so much fun to use.

Audeze Maxwell. I hear their heart beat from 10 ft away and when they start pissing their pants on the other side of a wall

I just returned my set for pretty much the same reasons. I tried Wicked cushions, and even bought a headstrap with more padding. They weren't heavy for my neck, but after an hour or so it felt like they were digging in to my head and giving me a headache. The clamp force was also not that comfortable for me. Putting the Wicked cushions on also makes them more wide which causes the headband to be more spread out. I tried every position for the headband, including split positions, and it was always uncomfortable. The sound was alright but really nothing earth shattering. My old Audio Technica ATH-M50x's running through a $30 USB soundcard still produced more sound.

Audeze Maxwell. Best pair of headphones I've ever owned. Absolutely outstanding.

I ended up buying Audeze Maxwell. It's just amazing.

Maxwell has been perfect so far. The quality of build materials is great and I have lots of options to use the headphone however I please. controls are a bit confusing but you can watch a 2 min video from their official YT channel and figure stuff out. about the heaviness... it's not that noticeable for the first probably 4-5 hours of constant use, and honestly stays there pretty good. In short still a 9/10. the mic could've been better but I'm not complaining

Wireless: Audeze Maxwell Wired HeadSET: PC38x ~$200: 560s ~$400: 1.) Sennheiser HD 490 Pro 2.) HIFIMAN Ananda Nano ~$600: HIFIMAN Arya Stealth Those are the ones I would recommend based on what I have heard myself. IDK if I would value the Arya $200 over the Ananda Nano based on sound alone but once you factor in comfort I’d say for me personally it’s worth the extra money. The 490 Pro is by FAR the most comfortable to me out of any headphones I’ve used and still sounds GREAT! If you get the Ananda Nano or Arya Stealth I’d recommend some velour pads for them.

The mic was a disappointment for me. I was told "go back to your old headset". After fiddling with the settings to try and sound not muffled, I got to a decent point, not sure how... then it went back. The AI noise suppression is at fault here, and its a necessary evil in this headset because without it, the mic picks up EVERYTHING. So yeah, returned, and back at it looking for a new headset while my current ones limp along steadily to its grave. I should not have to settle for subpar mic quality when paying extra.

Just purchased those, was pretty happy with the sound, but... the microphone quality was TERRIBLE out of the box. like, while talking with a friend to help me fix it, friend requested I switch back to the old headset that I'm trying to replace until we tried a new fix. once I found something that worked... an hour later, nope, back to trashy sound. The AI is terrible and without it, WAYYY too much sound comes through. I went through a lot of forum posts trying to find ways to adjust the settings to make it work, but honestly, this is NOT the hassle I should have to go through to get quality sound out of a quality priced headset.

Best sounded is the Audeze Maxwell. It’s Planar drivers which are superior to Dynamic drivers. However, they are HEAVY, and even after I added extra headband padding, and new ear pads, they still felt weighty. Just got the A50x Astros, and comfort wise they’re far better, but they also come both lifetime Atmos for gaming so you don’t need to pay for a pass, the Audeze do too, but have the weight issue. I also find out of all the headsets I’ve tried, they’re the closest to sounding like the Maxwells. The mic is decent too. I recently sent back the V2 Pro, the mic was GREAT, but the sound was quite muffled, and I couldn’t find a perfect EQ for things like Rainbow Six. Arctis Nova Pro, just don’t get, ear cups are tiny, mic is pretty poor and build quality is badddd.

I’ve been through loads recently. Here’s a brief rundown (all ran on my Xbox): Audeze Maxwell - Best sounding, not a single other dedicated gaming headset comes close. However the weight really puts strain on your neck after a while. The mic was also not the best Arctis Nova Pro (wired and wireless) - Just not good, for the price anyway. Sound was ok, mic was ok, ear cups were too small, the eq on the dac didn’t make a big enough impact to the sound to make it useful. Very light however Razor Blackshark V2 Pro - Comfy, sounded ok, mic was phenomenal, looks were nice. However for the price again, just doesn’t offer anything special, and the eq was similar to the issues the Nova Pro had DT 900 Pro X (with mod mic) - VERY comfy, fantastic soundstage, very detailed, look very nice. However non existent bass (for immersive games and games like battlefield would be nice to have), and the mic was just ok. Overall from these choices the best value (bar the next one on the list) Astro A50x - Never had a pair before cause I thought the price was just not worth it, however I am stunned. Comfort is phenomenal, sound is next level especially for competitive games, the eq works fantastically, the mic is great. And the free Dolby Atmos you get with it is fantastic for immersive games, and even when using standard stereo sound, the bass is great whilst leaving the treble for footsteps still great If you’re on PC alone, I’d say go for DT 900 Pro X and get a proper USB mic, however if you’re on PC and console, the a50x is a no brainer, the ability to switch inputs to determine what is shown on your screen is fantastic. And the audio switches to that specific source straight away.

For competitive Astros, ANYDAY of the week. For immersive open world singles, maxwells all day. But…the Astros are still phenomenal for immersive open world games, whereas the maxwells are just ok for comp. They’re good, but cause of the planar sound, they sometimes get quite muddy when there’s footsteps going around you. So I’d say a50x

EASILY the Audeze Maxwell. The mic isn’t the greatest thing in the world but it’s serviceable enough and the actual audio quality you get to hear is out of this world compared to the competition. Genuinely insane how good they are considering how bad wireless headsets tend to be compared to wired

I decided to return the novas and try out the maxwells. They are perfect

The Audeze Maxwell is a great option and currently on Amazon for $286. They're planar-magnetic (compare to "dynamic") and thus have phenomenal bass response. They can be used wirelessly, or wired without the need for a separate DAC/amp. They do not have ANC, but they are closed back for better noise isolation. ANC may not be great for our ears in the long term anyway.

If that's your budget then I can recommend Audeze Maxwell, won't get any better, they've set a new standard for premium gaming headsets. Audeze are a very reputable audiophile brand too.

Audeze maxwell

Better than every other wireless headset mic still somehow

I use the Audeze Maxwell's, basically the best wireless headphones on the market right now. They last me like a week before I have to charge them, and you can attach any usb-c cable

Go on their subreddit, it has many issues. More importantly, for me it was extremely uncomfortable to wear due to the weight and the band width (or lack of)

I have the Audize Maxwell the sound quality is great but it’s too heavy and it kind wears you down a bit if you use it too long. I went with the turtle beach stealth pro for regular gaming use.

Maxwell user here. Amazing set of headphones. Only note I have about them is that they are heavy. Otherwise unmatched experience for me. Treat them gently, don't snap them on or off or drop them etc the parts in the magnetic drivers can be damaged relatively easily. Also the battery life is incredible. Had them for like six months and I have only charged them like four times.

Audeze Maxwell, he will not be disappointed

Should have gone for audez maxwell though

I second this Audeze maxwell is way to go

Audeze Maxwell sounds amazing and has great battery life (literally days), but the planar drivers will stop working if you look at them wrong. First, it's a tinfoil crackling sound. Then one side just stops making any sound at all. And Audeze says on their website they don't cover the drivers' diaphragms on warranty (I wonder why lol). I'm in Canada, so Audeze tolde me to talk to local store where I bought it, which I'm currently trying to do. It's only been 9 months since I bought them.

i had many headsets, i like the g pro x and audeze maxwell the most

This. Amazing wireless headphone.

Not sure I've seen it mentioned yet, budget allowing, the Audeze Maxwell is an amazing set of headphones. They are Planar magnetic, excellent sound reproduction and good spatial sound. Wireless with 60-80 hours of life on a single charge. Great reception range from source, I can be clear on the other side of my house and have no drops or sound quality issues. The detachable boom mic is excellent with some of the best noise cancellation I've ever experienced, someone could be vacuuming right next to you and your team won't hear any of it.

I just bought the audeze Maxwell and so far I’m liking them a lot but they’re more on the pricey side of wireless headphones at $250-$300. I recommend getting defean ear pads for them they’re super comfy the original ear pads I didn’t like much.

Also they have 80 hours of battery life so not to bad

Since you said 300 USD in one of your replies, I'd recommend Audeze Maxwells for 299 USD. I have a pair and I love them. The only thing I find annoying is their headband adjustment requires screwdrivers, but it's a sort of set-and-forget type thing. For reference, I'm hat size 7 1/2 (23 1/2 inches/ 60cm round) and I find the biggest setting of the headset band comfortable. [https://www.audeze.com/products/maxwell-wireless-gaming-headset](https://www.audeze.com/products/maxwell-wireless-gaming-headset)

Yeah, I have a pair of Audeze Maxwells and I love them, but Christ alive, they're heavy as hell and they're the only headphones I know that require a screwdriver and about 5 minutes to adjust the headband. They'll be something that I'd recommend to people who want wireless headsets that are as close to audiophile as you can get. Still, I definitely wouldn't recommend them to anyone who just wanted "some wireless headsets".

While that spiel is generally true, there are enthusiasts (like myself) that have and still buy "gaming headphones." Not all of them are terrible, although most are -- hence the stigma. If you want the best wireless gaming headset on the market right now, the easy recommendation is the Audeze Maxwell. The Maxwell isn't just the best gaming headset, but is a genuinely solid wireless headphone in its own right, and the best entry-level planar on the market. It competes with some of my higher-end, dedicated planars as a critical listening/reference headphone (out of the box). There are caveats: It's heavy and bulky. I'd recommend getting the CapraAudio comfort strap to improve comfort; it distributes the weight more evenly and reduces discomfort from heat buildup. The microphone (and sidetone) is subpar and should be replaced with a Modmic wireless later on down the road if you want better quality. I use the default mic, but I'm likely in the minority and simply don't care too much about how I sound, so long as I'm being heard. That is one of only two wireless headsets I would recommend. I've tried most of the other options, including the other "premium" models from Steelseries, Razer, Corsair, etc. None of them are worth the asking price. The Steelseries Nova Pro Wireless isn't quite a dumpster fire (and Sonar is about as close as a gaming company has gotten to developing a parametric EQ), but you're overpaying for the quality of that headset. The second set is probably out of your budget range, which is the Master & Dynamic MG20. It competes with the Maxwell's sound quality, is more comfortable, and has some additional benefits. There are QC issues with this set (like the Maxwell), so just be sure to test it thoroughly before your return/exchange window closes. It is an excellent headset, and was my go-to before the Maxwell and VZR Model One. If he wants to reconsider remaining on a wired setup, the FiiO FT1 coupled with the Meze Boom Mic cable is pretty much my go-to for single-player games. It's a $150 set that competes with headphones many times its price, and the Meze boom mic is a perfect fit and sounds great. You can also take a look at the VZR Model One (wired), the Simgot EM6L or Supermix 4 with a Kinera Ruyi/Gramr cable (wired). Most audio enthusiasts will steer you away from gaming headsets, and I think for a lot of people the best recommendation is a good, dedicated headphone with a separate mic, or a pair of IEMs. But even as an enthusiast, sometimes I just want a single solution, with a single cable or wireless option, with all the buttons and features I would expect from a gaming headset -- in other words, I get it.

No, the Maxwell’s sound quality is superior to the FiiO FT1 and FT1 Pro. Out of the box, the FT1 may present more sub and mid bass emphasis, but this is easily remedied with the Maxwell’s EQ. The Maxwell is probably the best value planar headphone on the market currently. And it’s surprisingly close to reference out of the box. This will get you something closer to the FT1’s tuning, which is much more V-shaped: https://imgur.com/a/j1hc8oy I’m listening at lower volumes; if you’re listening at higher volumes I’d recommend lowering each of the bands by -1db.

I've been down this road myself; trying to find a gaming headset as a hobbyist, which has led to a lot of frustration. 99% of gaming headsets are terrible, as you've learned yourself, but there *are* a few good headsets on the market. The Audeze Maxwell, Master & Dynamic MG20, and VZR Model One. The latter is wired, the former two are wireless. The Maxwell is the best option from a pure sound quality perspective, but side tone and mic quality are subpar and average, respectively, and the size/weight can be problematic for some. Beyond gaming, the Maxwell is one of (if not) the best entry-level planar headphone on the market -- that just so happens to be wireless. It's closer to reference out of the box than many of Audeze's more expensive sets, like the LCD-X, LCD-2, and MM-500, which makes it an unironically great critical-listening headphone. There's also a fairly robust multi-band EQ, with the ability to save those EQs on the headset. If you go for the Maxwell, highly recommend the CapraAudio comfort strap, and the upgraded Dekoni pads. The MG20 is one of the sets I ran before the Maxwell released; it's wireless, more comfortable and lighter, with an excellent detachable mic. It does not include side tone, but comes close to the Maxwell in tuning and is a great headphone outside of its gaming features. It looks like many of M&D's headphones, which means you can wear it in public without a second glance. While it sounds great for a gaming headset, however, it is still not going to perform as well as some typical dedicated headphones. The VZR Model One is the other headset I ran before the Maxwell; it's an excellent sounding wired set that does some interesting things, specifically with how the driver and chassis were engineered to increase soundstage. It works quite well and performs more closely to an open back headphone. More importantly, it can be driven from any source -- including attaching to a controller's headphone output. I ran the Model One through a Schiit Hel and Fulla, and it competed with many of my lower midfi sets for sound quality. The mic is stellar for a gaming headset. The caveat here is there have been a few revisions -- the first release, which I also own, has less refined and more muddy sub/mid bass. So you'd want to buy this one new from a reputable seller/storefront. Now, for the wrench. I rarely use any of the above for gaming, most of the time. The Maxwell has become more of a "wireless headphone" that I run for casual listening, since it performs as well as many of my much pricier headphones. What I typically recommend, if you don't need gaming features or don't mind adding a mic/mic upgrade cable yourself: On the budget side: the FiiO FT1 w/ the Meze Boom Mic cable. The FT1 is exceptionally good value for money. I run it alongside sets that are 10x its price. On the midfi side: the Sennheiser HD490 Pro w/ Modmic (this is my personal pick). On the high-end side: the ZMF Bokeh Closed w/ the ZMF or Meze Boom Mic cable (this requires some EQ). The Bokeh is great for immersive/single-player titles, but needs some EQ for competitive gaming. For a closed back set, it has very good soundstage and exceptional imaging. TL;DR: If you're playing competitively, the HD 490 Pro is the best option; you can run the mixing pads for competitive titles, and the producing pads for immersive/single-player games. This tends to be what I use (and recommend) most. The other go-to is a pair of IEMs with the Kinera Ruyi/Gramr, or Modmic Kimura. I lean toward the former as it has a removable mic and a better cable. For the IEMs, I'm still running the Simgot EM6L or Meze Alba. Two sets that perform well above their price range, but all you really need for a gaming IEM -- as upper mids and treble are where the majority of your gaming cues will fall, an area of the frequency range both these sets do well. Why the IEMs? Because I play on both console and PC, and I don't always want to drag out a DAC/Amp with a mic input or mic passthrough. The IEMs are an easy pick for something I can just plug into whatever device I'm using.

I have a pair of pc38x that I was happy with, however since they are open they let in sound so when my setup was moved to a louder environment I longed for something more closed and also wireless. So I tried multiple different ones, the Steelseries Nova pro wireless had good sound after some tweaking but I found them on the smaller side and a bit uncomfortable. The Audeze maxwells were great sounding, however quite heavy and very big cups. Eventually I came across a very good deal on some of the new Astro A50s that I had previously dismissed because durrhurr astros bad. Pleasantly surprised by the comfort and for a non audiophile they sound good, not like the audezes of course but good. So if you want wired in a more quiet environment, the pc38xs are great, I did have to put mine clamped on the box to loosen them for about a week or two since the clamping force was very high. If you want wireless, best advice I can give is try some and return them if you dislike them. I recommend Astro A50s wholeheartedly tho EDIT: Forgot to say, mic is very good on the pc38x and Astro a50. The audezes ended up being quite good after some tweaking in a third party eq software. Tweaked the steelseries too and the mic sounded better after some tweaking. Havent tweaked the astros or pc38x at all, good out of the box for me

HD 560S for wired. Audeze Maxwell for wireless, which comes with a mic. HD 560S does not have a mic but there are cheap options, under $30, to fix that.

Wireless? Audeze Maxwell Wired? It's not the best but it's good enough for me, the HD560S.

Agreed. Combined with a good custom EQ nothing compares. However, I feel the sound isolation is a bit better with the stock earmuffs.

It depends on your use case. I went with the Alienware Pro's personally because I wanted an all-in-one headset that I would also be able to use if I were to throw it in my backpack and use it in a cafe. The Audeze Maxwell wouldn't do well for this because you need to treat them like glass to a certain extent. I'm pretty happy with the Alienware Pro's and the sound quality in general. The Audeze Maxwell's sound quality would be better though, but I think the imaging for footsteps would be worse. So it's all a trade off and depends on what you're looking for.

Don't maxwells have build quality issues as well? Also, is the heaviness of the headphones a problem for you?

Agreed, there was wind blowing in a game, I think it was valhiem, and I literally said in my discord chat "wtf I hear wind in my room" got up to check wtf was going on, to find out it was just my headset being too good.

I went through two pairs of A50s in past 10 years. They are still the best pair of headsets I ever used. I tried many different headsets but nothing came close to the A50s. I finally switched to Audeze Maxwells last year and it was the only headset somewhat comparable to the A50s. The sound quality is amazing and the battery life is tremendous. I dont have to charge it for days, something which was much to be desired with the A50s. However nothing beats A50 in comfort. The maxwells are heavy. You get used to them but when I switxh to my old A50s after having the maxwells on for a while it feels such a relief.

My vote goes to VZR model one. Awesome headphones. Great positional sound and great bass. Very immersive feeling. I have compared them to audeze Maxwell and like the VZR more for above reasons. In my opinion maxwells and Vzr model ones are the top of the gaming headphones list.

There are a number of factors here, as many people have already mentioned. Some of it is marketing, some aesthetics, and there are some different features and priorities as well. I'm general, audiophile headphones are going to be focused on music and audio quality. They usually don't have much use for built in mics and different gaming profiles. Gaming headphones can be focused on more surround sound and positioning, and have different modes for footsteps and such so you can try to position enemies in games better. They usually have built in mics. Headphones can also have different sound signatures, and the EQ can be different. There's definitely a lot of overlap in good audiophile headphones and good gaming headphones. Good audio quality is good audio quality. You can definitely game with audiophile headphones, but may have to get a separate mic. I think the best all around choice for gaming headphones with great music and audiophile capability is the Audeze Maxwell. Basically all the reviews list them as the best, and for good reason. They're not cheap though.

Sennheiser HD6XX if you're in the US, AKG K612 Pro if you're in Europe. These are the two best headphones for gaming around that price range. If that's stretching your budget a bit, the AKG K371 is also really good for a pair of closed-back headphones. For cheaper options, I think it's actually worth taking a look at in-ear monitors as well, the Moondrop Aria 2 can be had for 90 bucks and goes toe-to-toe with 500 dollar headphones easily in my experience. Oh, and as always, ignore anyone who suggests any pair of gaming headphones that isn't the Audeze Maxwell, because they have no clue what they're talking about and are just recommending their own shitty headset.

Audeze maxwell. I tried all top ones for gaming, trust me.

Great Headphone, à bit pricy though, but phénoménal sound

Audeze Maxwells are the best I have ever used and it's not remotely close.

If you can afford Maxwell, there isn't really any better choice atm.

Best wireless headset is Audeze maxwell. I've heard of people who forfeit their 1k+ headphones/audio setups for the maxwell

I have the 560S and had the Maxwell (sold it), the 560S sounds way better than the Maxwell. The only thing that the Maxwell does better is the bass but that's about it.

If you want to give the best possible gaming headset for him, get the Audeze Maxwell. The only thing you need to check if he is playing PC/Xbox or PS5 and you're good to go. Hands down the best headset on the market at this moment, he will love it.

I have a pair of Audeze Maxwells, and they’re the best headphones I’ve ever heard, period.

I tried so many headphones and headsets it's crazy. The Maxwell is fine but really heavy and meh mic Rog Delta 2 has a good mic now and easy to EQ, but too expensive for what it is Razer is just average at best for most of them. Astro is great, but f the dock. JBL Quantum series sound is very average. Great bass Corsair Virtuoso Max audio quality is insanely below others at the same price point. Alienware Pro is 100$ too expensive, ears gets hot unde an hour and mine lasted 4 days. I heard good things about the Atlas Air.

Going to add onto this that if you're already willing to spend $300 and you HAVE to have wireless (personally, I do, it makes pet parenting so much easier), The Audeze Maxwell has phenomenal sound quality and is made by an audiophile company.

I really really love my pair of Audeze Maxwells. Had the HyperX Cloud Orbit S, which are rebranded Audeze Headphones, and just the pure sound quality is amazing. they just were manufatured very cheaply, so they broke after 2 years due to cheap and thin plastic. The maxwells are rlly solid tho as they have a metal frame. Worth every penny

All these people recommending the audeze maxwell have never played a fps with them before. Uncomfortable with shit surround sound so hearing footsteps/shots directions is not happening. Just get him a pair of logitech g pro x or something that is similar to what he had before. All this audiophile bs is a waste of money time and comfort

I have them and I totally agree!!

Audeze Maxwell is a great option for wireless and it's wired option is even better. For wired only Beyer dynamic mmx 300 (pro edition. The regular 300 is good too but only if you can find it on a steep discount) is excellent.

I'd go with Beyer dynamics 900 pro x. Great soundstage and a fun U sound profile that makes single ing out sounds like steps and other subtle noises very easy to do while gaming while not sacrificing fun elements like bass. The 900 pro x is also insanely easy to drive so it'll work on almost anything. I'd avoid the 990 pro, it's decent but it's got problems with treble spikes that annoy some people, the pro x can still hit beautiful highs but rounds them off slightly so it won't annoy. My only complaint is their clamp force out of box is very tight despite a very comfortable design. I had to slowly stretch mine by putting books between them when not using them and now they're perfect. Sennheiser's are amazing for technical accuracy. You'll get extremely accurate sound for the models you've listed but to be honest, they're better for music. Their soundstage is extremely forward without much depth. Avoid for 3d and competitive gaming. AKG 702s are a decent pick if you want to stay on the cheaper end. Their sound stage is exaggerated which makes non gaming sound a bit off but for gaming they're great. Their 712 is fun but there are better options for the price. Sundaras are crystal clear with a great sound profile. Their soundstage is mid - forward without much reaching back. Not really a disadvantage but something to consider. Amazing value if you don't get ear fatigue from treble. Philips 9500. No. Just no. These were budget leaders a decade ago, we've got better options now. Fidilo x2hrs are pretty good tho. Audeze mm100 ? Pass. Consider audeze Maxwells instead. Extremely versatile and can be wired or wireless. Grados are extremely unique and great in their own right but I wouldn't recommend them for gaming. Again, check out some reviews of the 900 pro x. That would be my first pick for gaming and multimedia. My second pick is audeze Maxwells. 3rd pick is hifiman sundaras, although I''d highly prefer sundaras for music, not gaming.

you got the pc38x and Audeze Maxwell very good mic quality from both of em

Audeze Maxwell is $249 open box from headphones.com and would probably be the best bang for your buck without any extra additions. Although the bass is faster and cleaner than what you’re used to I’d consider a cheap Schiit stack and a senn HD650. Vocals and guitars are superb. With a little EQ hip hop is good just no “rumble” you get on the sonys

Audeze Maxwell, nothing compares. Swap the earmuffs for wicked cushions.

You don't have too, it's a nice upgrade though.

Open backs are great for gaming because they provide super soundstage and sound quality—problem is, if he lives in a noisy environment they’re not going to benefit from them. At that point they’re no better than cheap gaming headphones.

Not if you buy custom ear pads, even with stock ear pads on my Audeze Maxwells I don’t get hot. If you’re sweating or getting hot, then open backs aren’t going to fix that, means you need some full room ventilation. I’m not against open backs personally, wish I could get some since I wanna get a good pair of Sennheisers and a good DAC, but because my house is filled with people talking all the dang time, closed backs are my only option.

Proper EQ usually stems that problem, not perfect, but a worthwhile trade off for comfort.

I agree. I own a pair, along with the ANP wireless, and the Maxwell’s are night and day better. While the ANP’s are extremely comfy, and lightweight comparatively, and the dual battery is ingenious, the sound quality even at the best EQ settings I could find aren’t even close to the Maxwell’s, pair that with extremely long battery life, onboard storage for different EQ’s without needing software that I can use on any platform I use them on is just too good. Also the build quality on the Maxwell feels far more sturdier and premium considering the price point of both headsets. People who sit and recommend actual headphones like Sennheiser, Beyerdynamics, AT, etc. forget that the average consumer isn’t wanting to have to buy a separate and setup dac/AMP, and microphone-they want an all in one that gets the job done. Plus, it’s not like you can just put it all together and get the best sound, you still need to EQ the hell out of them. Considering the cost versus convenience, gaming headsets are just a better overall value proposition, in the $200-$300 range, especially if you’re using these headphones on more than one platform.

That’s how I am with planar magnetic drivers versus dynamic. My first experience with them were the HyperX Orbit S-incredible sound, crappy construction. Now I have the Audeze Maxwell and the even being wireless, they’re head and shoulders above anything around it in the price range, and the build has been nothing short of solid with no issues to speak of.

Well, things to take into consideration is the sound signature, comfort, noise isolation, convenience, sound stage, imaging, etc. AT isn’t for everyone, in this case the m40x are designed to be an entry level studio headphone, they’re a neutral sounding headphone with an emphasis on its user knowing how to properly use an EQ. Some people prefer heavy bass, some prefer imaging, some prefer a wide sound stage, which from what I’ve read the m40x doesn’t have. They have no on board controls meaning if you want to turn the volume up or down you’re gonna need to either have controls on your keyboard, or you’re going to be alt-tabbing a lot. They’re also not wireless, which some prefer. There’s also features that come with the gaming headsets like sound profiles for different games, and in the case of Steelseries, they have sonar which allows you to deep dive into EQ’ing to fine tune things like footsteps in competitive gaming, or adding extra on the low end for immersive gaming. In some cases the headsets themselves store multiple EQ settings allowing you to use them on other platforms without the need for extra software. The a50x pinched the hell out of my head, I can’t imagine a cheaper version of it magically being more comfortable. The same goes for others, people have different shaped heads, some prefer featherweight cans, people like me like planar magnetic cans which are always on the heavy side. Different strokes for different folks. Noise isolation is a big one, especially for people who commute a lot, or live in a house with other people. The reason I haven’t gone open back is purely because my house is not quiet, so I need sound isolation to hear what’s going on. All in all, I’m big on sound quality, but I’m also big on comfort, and I’ll say that I personally wouldn’t invest in a headset under $200, and AT while appealing in the price range, it’s not going to have the sound and comfort want. While in the same breath the Arctis Nova Pro’s wired and wireless, and Audeze Maxwell’s after some basic EQ’ing are the best headsets I’ve experienced in terms of the total package. Again, different people have different wants and needs.

Audeze Maxwell (Playstation edition). Incredible sound quality, supports Sony's Tempest surround audio and pretty good mic. Also supports simultaneous connectivity with your phone over bluetooth (although only one audio stream can be heard at any time). Downside is the weight compared to other headsets but that's the price to be paid for the materials, build quality and the planar magnetic drivers.

Could the mic be better? Certainly. Is it garbage? Certainly not

Have one. They sound better for pretty much everything but FPS. But The side tone is unusable and constant hiss You can’t use two sources of audio at the same time You can’t edit the EQ or anything within the app if using the dongle They’re pretty damn heavy The mic is kinda obnoxious and can’t be just docked into the headset.

Audeze Maxwell is my champion. It's a gaming headset, functionally being very close to newest Pulse series from Sony. I also have Sony Pulse Explore and Sony Pulse Elite. Over the years I went through many different headphones, for both gaming and music. Overall, as a balanced product, Maxwell comes out on top. Its strengths are sound quality, battery life, comfort. But, the headsets are actually personal choice. So, you may end up liking some other product more.

The Meze boom mic is outstanding. You can pair it with something like the 99 Classics or the Hifiman 400SE for a budget option. Another good option is the V-Moda Boom Pro. It’s a single input mic, so it fits different headphones than the Meze. If you have your eye on a pair of headphones with just one input, get this one instead. If you want to go wireless, the Audeze Maxwell is just about the best wireless headset you’ll find in your budget. The microphone isn’t as good as the other two options I mentioned, but with a little tweaking in OBS it can sound quite good.

I recommend [Audeze Maxwell Wireless](https://www.reddit.com/r/newproducts/comments/1cuxlg2/best_headset_for_ps5/), The sound quality will be top notch for PS5.  I’ve had mine for several months with no issues. Use it for everything, PS5 gaming, music listening and watching movies.

I recommend [Audeze Maxwell Wireless](https://www.reddit.com/r/newproducts/comments/1cuxlg2/best_headset_for_ps5/), The sound quality will be top notch for gaming.  I’ve had mine for several months with no issues. Use it for everything, PS5 gaming, music listening and watching movies.

I haven’t had any issues with its weight. They are on the heavier side compared to some other gaming headsets, but the weight is really well distributed, thanks to the plush headband and ear pads. I’ve worn them for hours, and I haven’t felt uncomfortable or noticed any pressure on my ears.

I just went though this whole process myself! I’m not really an audiophile, but I’ve been exposed to that world so I’m familiar with what “good” sound quality is. The nova pros were not it for me. Definitely more of a hollow gamer sound profile. Great for footsteps, bad for music imo. I could eq them alright with sonar on pc, but that’s no help if you also use a console. Audeze Maxwell were next and the sound was as great as everyone says. Same goes for the not amazing soundstage and directional audio. That was just ok. But by far the best for music. The headset I settled on was the turtle beach stealth pros. Sound for music was about 90% of what the maxwells were after eq, but the soundstage and directional audio…*chefs kiss* and the features were better than the maxwells aside from game/chat mix.

I can’t speak on their qc since I’ve only tried the one set, but just be sure not to just toss them around and be mindful of the pressure inside the ear cup when putting them on/taking them off. Not that you need to be super careful, but just don’t be rough on them lol

This is straight up wrong, the Audeze Maxwell beats it in every metric

I'd save up for the Audeze Maxwell, pretty much the best consumer all-in-one wireless 'gaming' headset. https://www.audeze.com/products/maxwell-wireless-gaming-headset If you can ditch the wireless idea the market opens up a lot and you'd be able to choose from a wide variety of studio headphones.

Really wondering about the sound quality of this headset. Not that I'm getting one as I have the Audeze Maxwell I'm more than happy with. But the $399.99 price tag hit me sideways. So I was "hoping" it was top tier audio and comfort. I know not all heads are alike. Saw someone say the Maxwell is too heavy and personally never felt that way once. Even with hours of gaming. So maybe hoping the audio and mic justify the price. Idk. Razer has had so many missteps and it's loyalist are even shaken. That should be a sign for them to make some changes.

Came here to say it was between the Maxwell and the Nova Pro for me. Ended up going with Audeze because it required no additional software running 24/7 on my PC. Very very happy with the quality of the product. Bought some Wicked Cushions as well for long sessions of gaming and chats.

Just one day as I switched from Razer Blackshark v2 HS to Maxwell Audeze. Would say that its a very good improvement, probably the best headset that I ever had

ACC, finally I can hear an engine as I expected to hear(more bassy) and a new sound in general added more immersion. Still want to play a little bit with a EQ

Would not reccomend personally, very nice and plentiful features but I ran into 2 QC issues, one delayed and one on arrival over the 1 year warranty period. Others also report issues but I suppose its all anecdotal. Didnt want to risk keeping them so I sold them, was also told by others the mic did not sound good

Audeze Maxwell. Unless you’ve tried it you don’t know what you’re missing.