I have admired the lightning quick response of Audeze‘s planar magnetic drivers for many years now. While not the only headphone maker in the space, they were one of the firsts to jump into the fray early on. Their audiophile-targeted LCD line was always a treat for the hobby and really contributed to some major technological advances along the way.
At the Florida Audio Expo this year in Tampa, Audeze was one of the few headphone rooms to inhabit the 14th floor of the Embassy Suites Westshore along with Warwick Acoustics and personal audio retailer Moon Audio. The room was packed with both eager ears and a ton of high end headphones including both the perviously mentioned LCD line and a few new more mainstream/gaming headphones that Audeze has in the works.
The first noteworthy add is the $1,699 MM500 that we initially saw last year, targeted at the production side a little more with dedicated design feedback from producer Manny Marroquin. These headphones sounded great at the show, but are not necessarily as flat=boring as one might expect for a highly “monitor” like piece. The slightly more entertaining sound signature should be on the tryout list for anyone considering a planar magnetic headphone in this range.
Over the years Audeze has expanded their offerings to accommodate almost every price tag, even including the LCD-2 classic at $799 up to the new flagship LCD-5 at $4,500, which we reviewed here and here. Highlights for that long series of headphones for me personally would also include the standout LCD-3 as well, which from my experience sports a more laid back, uniquely relaxed signature among the rest.
On the gaming front, the $300 Maxwell wireless gaming headset was on active display with a Xbox and a small portable gaming display. Pre-orders for the Audeze Maxwell are currently available on the company site with shipping dates starting soon for the Playstation version, and TBD for Xbox while Audeze waits for final approvals from Microsoft.
Specs for the Audeze Maxwell below.
80hr+ Battery Life with Fast Charge for All Day Play in 20 min
Ultra-Low Latency Wireless with 3X Range of Traditional 2.4Ghz
First-in-Class Bluetooth 5.3 supports LE Audio, LC3plus, LDAC
Class-Leading High-Resolution Audio up to 24-bit/96kHz
Embedded Dolby Atmos® License (Xbox version only)
All-New Reinforced Chassis Built with Aluminum and Steel
FILTER™ Noise Reduction Technology for Clear Commuications
Award-winning Audeze 90mm Planar Magnetic Drivers
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