Review · Audio
Audeze Maxwell 2 review
RTINGS' best-tested wireless gaming headset, with battery life most rivals cannot approach. The weight is the compromise.
Our pick: The best-sounding wireless gaming headset, if the weight is acceptable
Audeze
Maxwell 2
9.0≈$300-$330
The wireless gaming headset that closed the gap with audiophile headphones — at a weight cost you will feel.
Pros
- • Planar magnetic drivers with the best sound reviewers have measured in the category
- • Battery life in the 80-hour range
- • Works across PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and mobile
Cons
- • Heavier than nearly every rival, because of the driver design
- • Microphone is good rather than class-leading
- • Expensive
Wireless gaming headsets spent years as a compromise: you accepted worse sound for the freedom of no cable. The Maxwell 2 is the clearest evidence that the compromise is over — RTINGS rates it the best wireless gaming headset it has tested, and its battery life is far beyond the category norm.
| Spec | Value | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Drivers | Planar magnetic | The sound quality advantage |
| Battery | 80+ hours | Weeks between charges |
| Platforms | PC, PlayStation, Xbox, mobile | One headset for everything |
| Weight | Heavier than rivals | The real compromise |
| Microphone | Good, not exceptional | Fine for chat, not a selling point |
Why it sounds different
Planar magnetic drivers move a flat diaphragm with a magnetic field rather than pushing a cone with a voice coil. That produces faster, more controlled motion with less distortion, and reviewers consistently describe the result as more detailed than dynamic gaming headset drivers — closer to dedicated headphones than to the category it competes in.
The weight is the cost
Larger magnets are heavier, and planar drivers are not light. This is the headset's genuine drawback and the reason reviewers split on it: some find it fine for long sessions, others find it tiring. If you are sensitive to weight on your head, that is worth considering more carefully than any specification.
Battery and platforms
Battery life measured in the 80-hour range means charging roughly monthly for typical use, which removes the wireless-battery anxiety entirely. It also works across PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and mobile, which is unusual — most wireless headsets serve one or two ecosystems.
It is the first wireless gaming headset that is worth owning for the audio alone.
Device Radar
The verdict
Buy the Maxwell 2 if sound quality is the point and the weight is acceptable — it is the best wireless gaming headset available on measured performance. Buy a HyperX Cloud III instead if you want most of the practical benefit for a third of the money.
Questions we get
Is the Audeze Maxwell 2 worth it?
If sound quality is your priority, yes — RTINGS rates it the best wireless gaming headset it has tested, and reviewers describe it as bridging the gap between audiophile headphones and gaming gear. If you only need clear comms and decent game audio, a HyperX Cloud III costs a third as much and does the job.
What makes planar magnetic drivers different?
Instead of a cone moving a coil, a thin diaphragm is driven across its whole surface by a magnetic field. The result is faster, more controlled movement with lower distortion, which reviewers describe as noticeably more detailed than typical gaming headset drivers. The trade is weight and cost — planar drivers need larger magnets.
Is the Maxwell 2 heavy?
Yes, noticeably heavier than most gaming headsets, which is the honest cost of the driver technology. Whether that matters depends on your neck and session length — reviewers split on it, with most finding the weight acceptable for the sound quality and some finding it tiring over several hours.
How is the Maxwell 2 microphone?
Good, but not the reason to buy it. Reviewers describe it as clear and usable for gaming chat and calls, while noting that dedicated microphones and the best gaming headsets match or beat it. If your priority is being heard perfectly rather than hearing perfectly, spend less elsewhere.