I’ve reviewed a lot of headsets in recent years; some great and some not so great. They’ve tended to prioritize certain aspects over others in order to stand out, with a few being solid jacks-of-all-trades that find their way into my list for best gaming headsets. But even after putting all those through their paces, high-end or otherwise, few come close to a long-time favorite – I’m talking about the Audeze Maxwell.

I’m revisiting it since it has been one of my top recommendations for quite some time (especially for PS5 owners) and to see how it holds up in 2025. While newer headsets have more refinements and/or sophisticated features, very few come close to the Maxwell in terms of pure audio performance, as it’s built like a pair of audiophile-style headphones. That’s not to say it doesn’t do everything else right, because it’s still well-rounded with comfort, durability, and a solid mic. You’ll want to invoke some strict scrutiny when spending around $300 for a gaming headset, but the Audeze Maxwell still earns its stripes.

The first thing I noticed coming back to the Maxwell is just how hefty it is. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, though – it’s built like a brick house and has been durable through the years, but it’s still the heaviest headset I’ve used, coming in at 490g. However, its weight never felt like it wore me down or made the experience uncomfortable. The headband, earcups, and forks are all solid aluminum to give it that high-end sturdiness, and there isn’t really any loud branding or outlandish stylization which keeps it looking sleek and understated in true audiophile style.