Gaming headphones and particularly wireless headsets are a complex business and product segment. Because Bluetooth is not good enough for those demanding applications, manufacturers need to make USB dongles to connect to all the multiple leading gaming consoles and platforms, in order to ensure the best low latency and plug-and-play experience. Audeze has some experience with gaming headphones, such as its own Mobius, Penrose, and LCD-GX models, as well some others licensed to leading brands.
Those pioneering models pushed the engineering resources of the California-based planar magnetic headphone driver company to the limit, with its innovations in audio performance and headtracking, and served to validate its abilities to deliver high-end gaming audio products. They also served to show that it's not recommendable to try to compete in price in that competitive market.
For the new model, Audeze apparently attempted a more uniform approach that would focus on the main features for a high-end product, in a single design. The new Maxwell Planar Magnetic Headphones feature Audeze's legendary drivers but break with past attempts that were sleek, modern (sometimes futuristic) and more minimalistic designs. Apparently, the Audeze product managers realized that gaming headsets are ugly anyway, and that retro-looking round cans are "the new cool" for that market. The comic-named Maxwell delivers on that front. It looks like a "uglified" World War II fighter plane headset.
Two versions of the Audeze Maxwell headphones will be available: Maxwell for Xbox & PC is officially licensed by Microsoft and includes the first auto-activating Dolby Atmos license, while Maxwell for Playstation & PC supports Tempest 3D Audio. And because gaming is a complicated space, there are USB dongles to match each mode, identified by the colors of the LED light (color LEDs are mandatory in gaming!).
Thanks to the pre-paired features of the USB dongles, the Maxwell Bluetooth radio provides ultra-low-latency, high-resolution audio support up to 24-bit and 96kHz. Low-latency wireless range and stability are improved up to 3X compared to the Audeze Penrose headset. And the Maxwell headphones feature many wired and wireless connection options including the latest Bluetooth 5.3 LE Audio technology, supporting the LC3 and LC3plus codecs - one of the first consumer products to do so. In addition, Maxwell supports classic Bluetooth codecs including AAC and LDAC for high-quality portable audio. Maxwell also supports lossless high-resolution audio up to 24-bit/96kHz over wired USB-C.
Audeze also brought its proprietary lag-free AI-powered noise filtration to Maxwell for crystal-clear communication in any environment (this is the same processing algorithm pioneered with Audeze’s FILTER Speakerphone - named one of Time Magazine’s Best Inventions of 2022 and certainly one of the hardest products to get in 2022). The hardware based artificial intelligence system automatically eliminates background noise at the touch of a button, with no additional software or setup required. Gamers will be able to scream and call names to its rivals with the utmost intelligibility, thanks to five built-in microphones and a detachable hypercardioid boom mic (which was designed by Shure, according to Audeze).
These made-in-California headphones, feature Audeze’s latest 90mm planar magnetic drivers which have 3X more surface area than competitor’s drivers for incredible sonic detail, powerful dynamics and studio-quality sound. The drivers add also to the total weight of the headphones, 490g, which is significantly more than the average leading plastic-based gaming headphones (250g to 320g). To offset that, the Maxwell design features a spring-steel headband with an adjustable suspension strap, built for greater comfort over long gaming sessions. And it's all synthetic leather. Audeze also says that the retro-looking, over-ear (circumaural), closed-back earcups feature a reinforced dual-chamber design for class-leading passive noise isolation.
The resulting design is guaranteed to make anyone look geeky when showing up on calls. Anyone seriously considering using these headphones in public, outside the home, must be a brave spirit, likely a champion in the world of games. For those who dare to go mobile, the USB-C port will ensure a charging time of 2.5hr from 0 to 100% with a standard 1.8A charger.
For the intended market, users will want to know that the Maxwell's headset features combine the best of both worlds for PCs and gaming consoles by adding support for features like Game-Chat mix, advanced gaming presets, personalized multi-band EQ, etc. The headphones also come with Audeze HQ gaming app that gives users access to a wide range of customizable features.
The Audeze Maxwell for Playstation will retail for $299 and Maxwell for Xbox will retail for $349 with a Dolby Atmos license. Both versions support Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and Nintendo Switch. The first shipments are expected later in December 2022.
www.audeze.com
