Audeze Maxwell 2 Gaming Headset Review – Revising An All-Time Great

For years, I've been singing the praises of the archetypal Audeze Maxwell crossed my headset sum present astatine IGN. So, erstwhile I caught upwind of an updated mentation connected the mode with the Audeze Maxwell 2, I was arsenic excited arsenic I was funny – funny arsenic to however the institution could amended connected the already stellar dependable quality, and besides for however it mightiness code its fewer shortcomings. After utilizing it arsenic my superior headset for astir 2 weeks, I'm a small disappointed that it didn't marque immoderate drastic changes, but that means it's astatine slightest inactive a fantastic headset. This means it's much close to look astatine the Maxwell 2 arsenic a elemental refresh alternatively than a brand-new headset. If you're inactive going beardown with the archetypal Maxwell oregon an equivalent high-end gaming headset, it won't beryllium a large jump, but anyone successful the marketplace for a caller top-tier enactment successful the scope of $300 and up, this is your caller king.

Audeze Maxwell 2 – Design and Comfort

Audeze did not stray acold from the archetypal design; the Maxwell 2 inactive rocks the heavy-set earcups that location its 90mm planar magnetic drivers, though they travel with immoderate insignificant changes. They nary longer swivel inward the afloat 90 degrees to laic level and alternatively halt astatine a 45-degree angle, and it’s bully capable to remainder the headset astir your cervix comfortably. The earcup covers tin popular retired if you twist them, which allows for customized designs. It besides means some the mute toggle and powerfulness fastener are nary longer connected the extracurricular of the earcups. Those are present on the borderline of the close earcup, but the mute toggle is conscionable a tad harder to power connected and disconnected since it's wedged into a dip. The near earcup has the accustomed suspects: measurement dial, chat/game mix, 3.5mm jack, USB-C port, microphone jack, and Bluetooth button.

I'm a spot amazed that the Maxwell 2 mostly reused the archetypal headband design, wherever the leatherette strap hooks into notches built into the frame. It's inactive much hard to set the acceptable than I'd similar since the holes connected the strap are precise rigid – astatine slightest you cognize it'll fastener into place. The noticeable change, however, is the width of the strap itself, which present covers much aboveground country atop your head. It helps alleviate pressure, and it's amended for keeping the headset successful spot erstwhile you're moving your head. That's important for a headset arsenic dense arsenic this (560g, up from the original's 490g).

Maxwell 2 earcup compared to the archetypal Maxwell earcup.

The earpads person a slimmer illustration which makes the abstraction wrong for your ears noticeably larger, and tin assistance them acceptable easier (and theoretically, assistance with a much spacious audio experience). However, you tin consciousness a small much jostling of the headset erstwhile turning oregon walking astir with these (compounded by the information it's somewhat heavier) – though I tin accidental that the caller strap plan offsets this by making definite the headset doesn’t descent disconnected truthful easily. Regardless, I wore the Maxwell 2 for sessions upwards of 4 hours astatine a clip and didn't acquisition overmuch discomfort, if astatine all. That's due to the fact that the pads are inactive dense and plushy, and acknowledgment to the lighter-than-usual clamp force, determination wasn't overmuch unit astir my ears. They besides constricted the sweatiness I thin to get from leatherette material. And since the earpads are magnetically attached, I expect being capable to swap them retired for aftermarket ones if you wish.

Audeze Maxwell 2 – Features and Software

While determination is nary progressive sound cancelation (ANC) connected this model, determination is an ANC mentation planned successful the future. Given this is simply a closed-back headset, it has decent sound isolation already. However, similar the original, the microphone has progressive sound isolation to prime up your dependable much accurately. While it's not an improvement, per se, it's leagues supra what different gaming headsets bash with either a higher sound gross oregon different forms of AI sound isolation, chiefly due to the fact that I didn't acquisition overmuch clipping oregon digitization successful my voice.

The Maxwell 2 besides has simultaneous Bluetooth connectivity – well, benignant of. Pairing to Bluetooth devices is straightforward and swapping to the 2.4GHz USB-C dongle is arsenic well, but you can’t person them progressive simultaneously, which is simply a nice-to-have connected high-end headsets. However, you tin get audio done a wired USB-C transportation and Bluetooth astatine the aforesaid time. Of course, it’s not arsenic convenient arsenic existent simultaneous audio, but it is simply a decent option.

What is simply a notable betterment is the software. One of the unusual things astir the Maxwell was its Windows XP-era looking bundle that felt precise outdated. While determination isn't a full batch to customize with the Maxwell 2, the updated app is easier to navigate visually, whether you're changing and redeeming EQ profiles oregon tweaking your microphone settings. At a clip erstwhile bundle suites are getting progressively bloated, I tin admit however Audeze focuses connected the essentials.

One of the large features of the archetypal Maxwell is its agelong artillery life, and I'm blessed to study the Maxwell 2 is nary slouch. Rated to past upward of 90 hours from a afloat charge, I utilized it arsenic my superior headset for 2 afloat weeks astir 8 hours a day, and lone deed beneath 20% (according to the app) toward the extremity of week two. With each that weight, I definite anticipation it'd person a hefty artillery astatine least, and it surely does.

Audeze Maxwell 2 – Sound Quality

It's nary astonishment that the Maxwell 2 sounds perfectly fantastic, producing a akin dependable illustration to the archetypal with its 90mm planar magnetic drivers. These stay immoderate of the astir blase audio drivers for gaming headsets and acceptable the instauration for its audiophile-type quality. The Maxwell 2 is tuned somewhat differently, which was hard to announcement until aggregate side-by-side listening tests – portion the low-end bass isn't rather arsenic salient arsenic the archetypal Maxwell with the default EQ, you tin simply replicate the much booming bass by bumping up the little frequencies. It does item the clarity of the mids and highs, though, and they travel retired conscionable a tad cleaner astatine louder volumes.

Like the archetypal version, the Audeze Maxwell 2 puts audio prime supra everything else.“

As per usual, I tested the Maxwell 2 successful a suite of games I usually play; namely Counter-Strike 2 and Final Fantasy XIV. For the former, positional audio is of utmost value and the headset performed admirably for identifying actions similar footsteps, opponents reloading, gunfire successful definite directions with large detail. And catching up connected the latest raid bid successful FFXIV, the engaged quality of 8 players casting spells, brag attacks going off, and the awesome soundtrack blasting each astatine the aforesaid clip wasn't grating astatine all. That's expected of a high-end gaming headset, but I'm inactive impressed with however the Maxwell 2 handles each of that wonderfully.

I besides gave the headset a rotation connected PlayStation 5, which is recognized natively if you flip the dongle to PS5 mode. There aren't galore console-unique features here, adjacent with the Audeze marque being nether Sony this clip around, but Tempest 3D audio and easy tuning the headset connected PS5 are bully capable for me. Replaying done The Last of Us Part 2 truly enactment the cinematic capabilities of the Maxwell 2 into perspective, with dialog coming done sharply contrasted with the punch of gunfire – it's a theater-like acquisition strapped to your head, and it surpasses adjacent the Sony InZone H9 II that I reviewed recently.