Audeze Maxwell Planar Magnetic Gaming Headphones Reviewed

The entire editorial mission of FutureAudiophile.com is to bring the audiophile hobby to a new generation of enthusiasts. Someone who is younger, more diverse and who loves music. They also should be interested in high-performance technology and understand that, to get the best possible performance, one often has to spend a pretty penny. In today’s market, who gets that concept more than anyone is the gaming community. Video games are an industry that is larger than all of the music business combined with all of Hollywood and all of the streaming thrown in. That’s because kids today live online, and they love to game. My 12-year-old has an optical gaming keyboard ($300) and a carbon fiber, low-latency gaming mouse ($300), as well as a gaming chair, and he’d spend every penny that he could get his hands on for more gaming gear.

The Audeze Maxwell headphones sees the opportunity to merge the needs of audiophile music lovers with the booming gaming community. These wireless (can be wired, too, via USB) Bluetooth headphones are a best-of-both-worlds value proposition, in that they have serious performance tweaks for the hardcore gamer, while having audiophile design cues seen only in far more expensive headphone designs. At $299, the Audeze Maxwell headphones have an above-their-price-class-level luxury feel. Sonically, they have a large, planar magnetic driver, which is reserved again for the best in high-end headphones. Can we marry the worlds of audiophiles and gamers? If so, the path to the next generation of consumers just became a lot more evident. 

What Makes the Audeze Maxwell Headphones Special? 

• For audiophiles, the very large planar magnetic driver is the most appealing aspect of the Audeze Maxwell headphones.  
• The Audeze Maxwells are solidly-built headphones. The band is designed for wear and the ear pads can be replaced over time to keep these headphones fresh despite heavy use.
• The Audeze Maxwell headphones can accept 24-bit HD-audio signals, which is pretty cool at this price. 
• 80 hours is the longest battery life that we’ve seen in this category – by far. We have left the headphones on overnight and not really drained the battery. Perhaps the best part of the Audeze Maxwell headphones is that they charge back up to 100 percent really quickly.
• For gamers, the low-latency performance of the Audeze Headphones is going to be a major calling card. Gamers need an edge, and they, like audiophiles, look to any (and every) category for a little performance boost. Headphones can be just that. Some of the most hardcore gamers might consider using the Maxwells as a wired pair of headphones to lower even more latency between their game and the sound. Every little detail matters when you are trying to beat the best out there. 
• There is a removable, high-quality adjustable microphone included. For gamers, I can see how this is a big advantage when communicating with other players or teammates in a session. For audiophiles who make a ton of phone calls, this microphone brings a much more present sound to your voice than do the small mics built into the side of many of today’s best headphones. Yes, the smaller mics work, but not nearly as well as these headphones and their optional external mic. You can thank the Audeze A.I. noise filtering for that performance enhancement. 
• Perhaps more useful in headphones than anywhere else, there is a four-band EQ that can help you customize your sound of the Audeze Maxwell wireless headphones. Other headphones in this class also offer EQ, but this is just one more way to make the Audeze Maxwell headphones more personal to you.
• To protect your hearing, there is a setting in the HQ app that allows you to limit levels and beyond. Volume times time listening equals possible hearing loss so this is always important to mention for all listeners especially those of us who listen for long periods of time.

Why Should You Care About the Audeze Maxwell Headphones? 

Gamers will drool over the Audeze Maxwell headphones, but why will audiophiles be interested? Audeze is a very well-respected headphone brand that brings audiophile performance to a very robust pair of affordable headphones, which by no means need to be used exclusively for gaming. 

Phone calls, listening to music, traveling, working out – there are so, so many ways that the Audeze Maxwell headphones could make an impact in your life. At $299, they also don’t break the bank, which is nice. 

Some Things You May Not Like About the Audeze Maxwell Headphones …

• The Audeze Maxwell wireless headphones are comparatively a little heavy. Having just flown back from Munich (connecting in Frankfurt), the comfort of the Maxwells is not in debate. The extra weight didn’t bother me during long listening sessions, but there are some for whom this is a big issue. 
• The Audeze Maxwell headphones aren’t very fashion-forward, as compared to some other headphones in this price range today. Other headphones in this competitive category can be really sexy in terms of industrial design, or deliver sexy colors or finish options. The Audeze Maxwell headphones are a little bit more about performance than looks, and we are totally cool with that. If you are looking to make a fashion statement with your headphones – there are other options, because the Audeze Maxwell headphones are dedicated to performance first.  

Listening With the Audeze Maxwell Headphones …

On “Remedy” from the Black Crowes, you got a good feel for the sound of the Audeze Maxwell headphones. The big ear cups allow for really good isolation from outside noise. The unique drivers have an open sound, but not quite what you get in, say, a much more expensive audiophile headphones like the aforementioned wired STAX cans. The Audeze color within the lines in terms of imaging, while physically isolating outside noise. Right now, I am listening at my desk with no real background noise, and I actually missed a call on my landline because I had the Maxwell headphones on. I like the idea of physically isolating the sound, but again, be careful not to blast your sound too loudly or for too long. 

I loved the detail that you could hear on more gorgeous recordings, such as on Buena Vista Social Club’s “Chan Chan.” This is where the HD performance of the Audeze Maxwell headphones pay dividends. The percussive details are layered nicely on the acoustic guitars and bass in this Grammy-winning recording. The space is wonderful inside on the imaging. The bass is pretty present, but not boomy whatsoever, which is often the case when it comes to wireless headphones costing even more money, and from some of the top brands in the business. Forget the whole gaming headphone marketing vibe for a second – these $299 headphones make a really layered, nuanced and balanced sound that you can listen to for a whole flight from Los Angeles to Europe or Asia. The Audeze Maxwells sound that good and are that comfortable. 

Over time, I learned to like the bass on the Audeze Maxwell headphones better and better. Unlike what you might get from a more mainstream headphone, like a Beats product, the bass is deep, but not bloated or flabby-sounding as I have heard on so many other good wireless headphones in this category, as well as with headphones costing even more. On “Let’s Groove” from Earth, Wind & Fire, the overall presentation is really enjoyable, but the bass guitar is just what the doctor ordered, sounding deep but not bloated at all. All of the vocal harmonies and copious amounts of horns are all in their place sonically, but to avoid the temptation to make the bass boomy was a great decision on the part of the engineers who voiced these headphones. Audiophiles need to take note of this when considering some very capable task-specific wireless headphones. 

Do the Audeze Maxwell Headphones Have Any Resale Value?

I wouldn’t set my expectations for the Audeze Maxwell headphones having much resale value, as they are a wear-and-tear item that you will likely want to travel with, take to the gym and beyond. They headphones are designed to last, and can have the ear pads replaced but after five years, so do you really care about how much of your $299 that you get back? Unlikely. Moreover, the Audeze Maxwell headphones won’t owe you a penny at that late date, as they perform really well for the price, even if the price isn’t very high to start with. 

What Is the Competition for the Audeze Maxwell Headphones?

When I mention STAX headphones in comparison to a $299 wireless Bluetooth pair of headphones, it is important to understand what a compliment that is. It is a big one. Let me go one further and compare them to my reference-standard wireless Bluetooth headphones, the Mark Levinson No. 5909 (read the review). These $999 wireless headphones are about the best example of “The Harman Curve,” which is a target sound that is supposed to bring the experience of listening to a good pair of speakers to the space between your ears when listening to headphones. And the No. 5909s do a great job at delivering a really accurate and engaging sound. The same goes for the Audeze Maxwell headphones, but at a fraction of the price. You get all of the benefits of the microphone and really isolating ear cups, where the Mark Levinson No. 5909s have really well-done ANC (noise cancellation), which is a different way of going about things. 

The Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2 at $399 (read the review)  is a more price-relevant headphone comparison. The Bowers & Wilkins Px7s are much prettier headphones that come in designer colors. They also are $100 more expensive, which brings them in at the magic $399 price point, where the competition gets really steep. Sonically, I liked the sound of the big drivers in the Audeze headphones better. With that said, my wife wanted my Px7s for her work calls, while my son is willing to do basically anything to get me to give him my pair of Maxwells. It is nice to be wanted. 

Final Thoughts on the Audeze Maxwell Headphones …

It would be easy to miss the point of the Audeze Maxwell headphones, which is that, for a very, very fair price, you get a rock-solid pair of headphones that are great for everything from Zoom calls to listening to Dark Side of the Moon ripped from SACD, as well as an extended and amped-up session of Fortnite. Basically for $299, the Audeze Maxwell headphones can deliver to all suitors. 

Sonically, the Audeze Maxwell headphones are really good performers. They are quite comfortable. They are built to last, which is saying something in a world where my headphones get a real beat-down when tossed in my Tumi briefcase as I jet off to all sorts of audio events around the world – let alone trips to the gym and so on. 

You can’t beat the value of the Audeze Maxwell headphones and, when you add in the extra performance benefits, you see how these headphones can appeal to audiophiles, gamers and/or just about anybody who likes good sound from their devices. If you told me that these headphones are $399 a pair, I wouldn’t blink, but at $299, they are a notable value. You might just need a pair, just as I might need a second pair, because I can see my son eyeing these already as a replacement for the old Sennheisers that I gave to him a few years ago. 

What headphones do you travel with? Do you use wired headphones or wireless ones? What headphones do you take to the gym? Do you game at all? Is having a performance oriented gaming headphone a benefit to you? Let us know in the moderated comments below. We want to hear about your system.