Audeze announces the Maxwell 2 gaming headset, an overhaul of its predecessor, that is targeted firmly at audiophile gamers — and you can buy it now

Audiophile brand Audeze has announced its new Audeze Maxwell 2 wireless gaming headset, and it's out now.

Firmly aimed at the high-end premium-grade audio part of the gaming headset market, this follow-up to the much-lauded original Audeze Maxwell is an "inside-and-out upgrade" according to Audeze, so "serious competitors and immersion-seeking enthusiasts alike" will benefit and enjoy top-class audio.

Audeze states that powering the Maxwell 2 and its improved audio performance under the hood is the brand's patent-pending "SLAM technology". This tech "produces heightened spatial immersion and precision along with punchier bass response" - though the proof will be in the pudding when we get our hands on one to test, of course.

All in, taking this kind of tech behind the headset, and combining it with Audeze's 90mm planar magnetic drivers, and the brand's Fluxor magnets and Fazor waveguides, is an exciting proposition for those looking to get the very best out of their games' audio in 2026. Audeze is known for its sizable drivers, and the results are often spectacular, but bigger doesn't automatically mean better, as others prove with smaller drivers.

Elsewhere, the new Audeze Maxwell 2 will feature a microphone with a new and upgraded AI noise removal functionality with twice the bandwidth. The hypercardioid boom mic is removable, as it was with the OG Maxwell.

Connectivity-wise, you're well covered, with a USB-C dongle to plug into your console or PC, as well as Bluetooth 5.3 that features LE Audio and LDAC. The brand claims the Maxwell 2 will also offer "over 80 hours" of battery life.

There's also new improvements to the design and build with Audeze upgrading the suspension strap to be wider and now having ventilation holes, and a new earpad design that offers "increased space to the over-ear closed-back fit" - the earcups do look pretty massive and chunky in some of the images, so I'm interested to see what they are like in real life.

There will be a PlayStation-focused variant and an Xbox version, but both will work across Nintendo Switch consoles, PC, Mac, and mobile. The PlayStation Maxwell 2 will launch at $329, and the Xbox one will be slightly more at $349. There's no exact word on whether the Xbox variant will work on PlayStation; a trend we've seen from all major brands more and more in recent years.

In the audiophile gaming headset space, the competition is getting stiffer and has seen a big new addition in 2025 in the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite, which we absolutely love and is the best gaming headset we've ever tested.

Could the Audeze Maxwell 2 take the Elite on and shake things up at the top-end of the headset spectrum?

The best audiophile headphones and headsets for gaming

➡️ Read our opinion on the best audiophile gaming headsets going
1. Best overall:
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite
2. Best wired headphones:
Sennheiser HD 550
3. Best value:
Drop + Epos PC38X
4. Best wired headset:
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro
5. Big, beautiful drivers
Audeze Maxwell
6. A great open-backed option:
Beyerdynamic MMX 300 Pro

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