Audeze has taken to the CES 2026 showfloor to claim its stake among the best gaming headsets this week, with the brand new Maxwell 2 cups now hitting the shelves.
The original Audeze Maxwell holds a special place in my heart. Yes, I'm mostly using the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless in regular PS5 play but when I want that chef kiss audio experience I always turn to this planar prince.
It's essentially a method of producing a more concentrated, precise bass response with additional power, by controlling the driver's seal and diaphragm tension. The Audeze Maxwell 2 wants to drive its lower ranges deeper, and enhance spatial audio using this new tech.
There's another, less techy but pretty damn important, improvement to the new generation; Audeze states it's more comfortable. This has been my only issue with the Maxwells in the last two years. They're big, heavy, and fairly hard on the old noggin. I initially raised my eyebrows at the new (larger) 560g weight. Great, we've made the heaviest headset in my roster even more cumbersome.
However, Audeze has made additional design changes that could well lead to a more comfortable experience overall. The elasticated headband looks wider from the brand's current promotional shots, and features breathability holes for extra airflow as well. The original headset sits on the crown and digs in after about an hour, hopefully that weight will be a little better distributed this time around.
The original Maxwells are unparalleled in their audio quality, but many still steer clear due to their less-than-perfect microphone. Thankfully Audeze has addressed these issues as well, doubling the bandwidth in its pickup and adding a noise cancellation system. They're generally both pretty standard these days, but good to see here considering they finally round out the package.
That all comes with Dolby Atmos in the Xbox Series X headset and Tempest 3D in the PS5 headset, with an 80 hour battery life, 2.4GHz / Bluetooth wireless connections, and swappable ear cushions. A new app will handle all your EQ settings much better than the previous iteration to boot. The only thing missing from SteelSeries' back pocket is that hot-swappable battery design.
If the Audeze Maxwell 2 lives up to the precedent set by the original, while making good on its enhanced comfort promises and boosted microphone, we could be looking at the new gold standard for wireless gaming headsets.
Right now, the Audeze Maxwell 2 is available direct from the retailer's own site. The PlayStation version (also compatible with PC and Nintendo Switch) is up for $329 (less than the older Arctis Nova Pro Wireless's MSRP), while the Xbox version (compatible across all major platforms) is $349 but currently delayed.
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We're also rounding up all the best Nintendo Switch headsets as well as the best PC headsets on the market. Or, check out the best PS5 controllers for more setup inspiration.
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