Maxwell 2 Wireless Gaming Headset

I got my Maxwell 2 yesterday and after using a Logitech Pro X (Gen 1) for years. Honestly, I can't believe I've been missing this much audio. They're a little heavy, yeah. But get the strap with them and you're solid. 24 hours in and I'm absolutely loving them. Was worried I'd regret the purchase but I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

I love classical music too. I just got a new headset this week. The Audeze Maxwell 2. They are planar magnetic drivers and phenomenal for classical music. The transient speed of a planar driver really lends itself well to instruments like violins. The detail retrieval is amazing to me. They are self powered with a bunch of EQ presets and four or five custom ones. I find the default EQ perfect for classical. You won't need an amp or DAC. They have analog, wireless, and USB C for audio. The mic works with all three of those. They only have simultaneous bluetooth if the headset is wired to the other source. If you're using the dongle, the bluetooth cuts in if you play something on your phone or get a phone call. It's NOT simultaneous wireless. This product just launched in the last two weeks and they were missing sub bass for some reason which wasn't a problem for what I listen to. They dropped a firmware update today that fixed the bass. The mic doesn't sound like a Shure on a boom arm but I think it sounds very good for a headset mic. I use it for conference calls every day. The noise rejection on it is class leading. The sound is perfectly fine. Just to clarify, I'm not an audiophile. I'm a gamer who likes classical music. This is the only "audiophile" type headphone I've ever had and it's a gaming headset so... take that for what it's worth.

Super uncomfortable headphones, I used mine for a week and had to return them. Maxwell 2 is even heavier

I did a few days of research before purchasing Maxwell 2s. I used daily Beoplay Portals with my Xbox Series X for a couple years. The Maxwell 2s are beyond them in many ways. The bass actually hurts my ears in the Maxwell 2s when I use the app to increase it. I like listening to these completely flat with the Audeze recommended setting. I have owned Sony Xb700s and XB1000s. I used an amp with the XB1000s for about a month. They were exceptional, but I also might be deaf if I hadn’t sold them. I really enjoyed listening to Dubstep with them. I think the Maxwell 2s have a different bass, almost like pressure but not the pressure that comes from a big subwoofer. It’s like a more natural pressure that almost feels like it pushes more realistically but not in a boomy way like Skull crushers that vibrate your head. I also have a pair of those in the ANC variety. The clarity and detail the Maxwell 2s have is almost uncanny, especially when playing games like Counterstrike 2.

Just about any headset or headphones tuned in a manner that's good for gaming will sound great on PS5 provided it has adequate power. The higher quality headset, the better it is likely to sound. I have a few easy to power headphones (as in no amp; plug into controller) I mainly use with the PS5 Pro, the PC38x, Aune AR5000, and soon the Audeze Maxwell 2 (well, this one is wireless). I also have the Ziigaat Arete 1 IEMs. The Maxwell 2 is supposed to also work with the Switch 2, which I'll try out soon. I'd have to figure out how to get an amp working with the PS5 and get long enough cables to run to my couch for my higher end headphones like the HE1000se, HE6se v2, or HD490 Pro. I haven't bothered with that and just use those with my PC for both gaming and music.

I would recommend using a DAC/ amp, as planar drivers are just physically more difficult to move than dynamic drivers and extra juice really makes planars come alive, although the Kithara is more sensitive than most planars and thus is easier to drive than most. Something cheaper like a Topping DX1 or something similar from Fiio or Fosi would probably do the job just fine. Make sure it is a USB Audio Class 1 (UAC1) device so it is compatible with the PS5. PS5 isn't compatible with UAC2. I can tell you for sure the Schiit Gunnr works with both the PS5 Pro and Switch 2 because that is what I use.

I have both and definitely prefer the Kithara. I use with with my consoles, mostly PS5 Pro and occasionally a Switch 2 powered by a Schiit Gunnr. I have a much more high end setup for my PC, a HE1000se and EF600 and Shure MV7+.