Wow, you really cooked on this one. The editing was by FAR the best I've ever seen from you. Hoping you continue down this path, it makes the video watching experience so much more enjoyable while still maintaining that "BadSeed" feel. The headset itself is a bit scary price wise, but damn the performance is clearly there. I also love that you contextualized this headset alongside other fan favorites in its range. Answers the "this or that" question that users are certainly going to ask when looking at this headset. Love it You went off, great work man. Top shelf
For real. How Brian doesn't have AT LEAST 500k subs is beyond me! The production quality is better than some channels twice his size. I've been watching for at least 3-4 years now, and the glow up is insane.
I tried the turtle beach stealth pro and they were great and clear but I ended up returning them. I just received the Audeze Maxwell for my xbox and man, the sound is phenomenal and I can hear footsteps and other sounds that I have never heard before.
@@bullitt8986bro I’m a R6 player and I need the best headset for hearing footsteps I mean when they crouch or they break barricades and … I want the best headset. Do you have any recommendations? Right now I’m using Steelseries arctis pro wireless but I think it’s not that good to hear every sounds in the game
Man I just got my Maxwell today. So stoked on the build quality. Audeze stood behind there product though. They replaced my mobius three times cause they snapped. Then this last time they sent me a Maxwell. Love it
Yeah, I damaged the planar driver in the left ear of my maxwells, and they replaced them for free even though it was out of warranty. Great company from my experience.
So I had to rewatch this video as my son was looking into some good headphones to use with his Xbox and PS5. This was a great comparison and as he is using this for both consoles and his cellphone he went with the Turtle Beach headset. He has had it for 1 day now and he is enjoying it. Thanks for the in depth review and the comparison. I was going to have him look into the Steel Series headset and remembered that you did this video. It really helped his decision. Keep up the good work!
Wow, Brian, you continue to bring the house with each and every video! You seriously dominate with the quality of your videos. The editing is just perfection that you somehow manage to top time and again. And your reviews are seriously top notch. My favorite thing about your reviews is you continue to tie in and compare to previous devices you've reviewed and alter your ranking accordingly all the while dropping little updates to those previous reviews as you learn, change your mind, or the product/software updates in some way. It's really hard to express just how good a job you do on each and every video. God tier, bro!
I and many others have had issues where the settings do not save on the Stealth Pro. It’s one of the reasons why I returned it. Love your reviews and it’s awesome you give Joe a shout out.
yeah it totally destroys a product. i just returned the razer v2 pro 2023's due to the mic monitoring disrupting the balance, the sound only comes out the left ear piece when you enable mic monitoring...
ALWAYS love your attention to detail Badseed. I feel like I've learned all I need to know if I should ever need one of these sets, or even when I go to try any other headset I'll know what to look for. Great work.
Great video and quite accurate on the info. I would slightly clarify your remark about swapping batteries on the Stealth Pro though. There is no manual intervention required outside just physically changing the batteries. The headphones power back on automatically and is ready for sound after about 6 seconds. As for sound quality, I am in no way shape or form anything close to an audiophile but you are quite correct that the Maxwell sounds better than either of the others. However, if I were grading them on a scale of overall musical sound quality vs positional sound quality in games, the distance in accuracy for the Stealth Pro is greater than the distance in music quality for the Maxwell. Then again, that could just be my untrained ear for music quality. As for the Nova's, I just hated the way they fit. They annoyed me to no end.
Insanely good video B! Really enjoyed this new style you brought in this edit, feels refreshing for sure. Good to see turtle beach get seriously back into the audio game and bring a heavy hitter with these. Price is a bit hefty but seems like its worth it for someone who does switch from console to PC often. Great breakdown!
Fantastic video and great editing work here. I just ordered the Maxwell and sending back the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless I got last week. Fingers crossed but your video confirms I probably made the right decision between the Stealth Pro and the Maxwell!
One thing worth mentioning is the Xbox version of the Turtle Beach works perfectly and fully wirelessly on both Series X and PS5 by just switching the slider. One of the only headsets that does it (and why I sold my old steel series to buy it)
Thank you for the most informative video on not only the Maxwell and Arctis but more specifically the Turtle Beach Stealth Pro. This is by far the best video on RUclips for anyone considering the Stealth Pro. I recently purchased my Stealth Pro headset and was looking for EQ settings for Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2 but I learned so much more that I did not know about the Stealth Pro headset! Thanks again for all the info, I know it takes a lot of time and effort to research these products and produce and edit these videos. You are very much appreciated!
Thanks for this review. My friends on Xbox have mentioned my mic sounded very bassy and muffled on my Maxwell's. I do a lot of broadcast television production and we are always on comms. I've always been used to keeping the mic pretty close to my mouth. After seeing your review I tried moving the boom much further away than I would ever normally keep it and it sounds MUCH better. I thought at this distance, it would sound hollow or distant, but it picks me up just fine and really reduces the amount of low end. It definitely doesn't sound as muffled. I wish Audeze gave clear instructions to put the boom a good 4-5 inches from your mouth for best results. Overall, I really love the headset. Thanks again. 🤙🏻
They actually recommend 2 inches away from your mouth with the mic straight ahead (silver grill facing toward your mouth) and slightly below the bottom lip. They’re very specific haha. But like you said, a couple extra inches may not hurt.
I have the Arctis Nova Pro with the wicked cushions replacements. It is the most comfortable headset I've ever used out of the couple dozen I've tried. Without the wicked cushions though, the Nova Pro hurts the ears after awhile.
As someone who uses only "audiophile grade" headphones and IEMs, you have me SERIOUSLY considering trying out the Maxwell. I have always been intrigued about having a wireless headphone when I play games, and this may just be the time to try it. Thanks for the vid man!
I was pleasantly surprised by the Maxwell. I own a AKG 701 but it doesn't sound as good as the Maxwell. What blows me away every time is the detail even at the highest volume. Highly recommended!
I used to own astros a50 mic went out I will say they sounds about the same but you get more features on the turtle beach plus you can custom the EQ from your phone
I'm very surprised to see typical low quality gaming brands finally starting to realise that good audio actually matters to a certain segment of gamers. Also cool to see your shout-out to Joe. His channel has been quite helpful with dialing in my Nova 7 with aftermarket pads and he's just a chill watch overall. Appreciate you both.
Which one is the overall winner in your eyes? I ordered the stealth pro for Xbox/pc, but was torn between that and Maxwell. My current is tb stealth 700, and I think it's good, but the clamp force is pretty tight, so I'm hoping the pros are slightly better.
@@Rueges i never had the Stealth Pro but tested a good dozen of Others in the price range of 200 ~ 400 €, and compared them to my MMX 300 2. Gen plus SoundblasterX G6. All of them disappointed badly. Since yesterday i have the Audeze Maxwell, and after updating the Firmware on the Dongle and Headset... they instantly sent my MMX 300 & SBX into retirement. I also have no problems with locating Sounds/Footsteps... Its great there too. Blown away, to have finally found something that sounds better than my wired setup. Those 90mm Planar-Drivers just nail the whole rest of the competition in the price range of up to 400 €. They are brilliant sounding beasts.
I have been on the fence and watching reviews on Maxwells v Stealth Pro v Nova Pros and you did a good job clarifying how the soundstage is wider and the imaging is more finely tuned on Stealth Pros. Been using Gen 3 Astro A50s for the last 5 years and back in the day for Call of Duty 5 I had a pair of X41s and boy those things dominated with their 5.1 imaging. I tried a turtle beach product before my Astro A50s and ended up returning them because it didn’t feel as superior as how the X41s sounded from years before. Glad to hear they have revamped their customization software and features allowing for a great experience for FPS players and becoming a competitive figure in the headset marketplace again. Astro was the name of the game for too long.
I had tested them both. Imo I like the sound from the Arctis nova pro better. I like how it’s a little litter and microphone can be retractable back into the headset . I bought the Steelseris arctis nova pro .
The Stealth Pro seems to fit EXACTLY what I'm looking for in a wireless gaming headset. I plan to use this headset primarily for Call of Duty and the thing I need the most is the ability to sound whore or pinpoint the source of gunshots and enemy footsteps so I can react quicker, music quality, eq, and all the other little stuff doesn't matter as much to me, I just need a headset that gives me the highest quality sound for gaming, bonus points for being glasses friendly as well. Now I just need to see a comparison between Astro A50 vs Stealth Pro.
If imaging and soundstage are important to you, just get a regular pair of audiophile headphones. $20 Koss KSC75’s crap on wireless “gaming” headphones. They’re also great for glasses
You won't be disappointed I use mine on the ps5, Xbox and pc. Games music and movies every day since they released & they are definitely worth it I got the Xbox version so I could use them on the ps5 too & it's worth every bit of the $360 I spent!
I got mine at the end of April & use them for everything games movies & music. I'm using them right now watching this video while I play gta 5 waiting for my brother to join my session. I love them!
Great video. I'm gonna HAVE to get the Maxwell. GadgetryTech mentioned, that music through bluetooth and game sound from PS, could be done if the headset was connected to the controller - you'd lose the microphone though.
This review was by far the best i found. I had a lot of questions about game chat mix that you covered that no one else seems to touch on. You sir have gained a subscriber.
This was so well produced. Excellent editing, clear and concise speaking, you brought numbers and data, and gave us your opinion at the end while being unbiased up until then. Youve got me as a subscriber. Thanks for this!
I use the Nova Pro Wireless and I’m pretty set on it. The Turtle Beach did interest me but I personally love Sonar for my PC. I integrate it with my PC Panel Pro and have great audio control. Whenever I’m playing DMZ and someone is hot-micing, I use the PC Panel Pro to selectively turn down the chat volume on COD to turn down in game coms and still hear my group in discord. I feel like the Turtle Beach and the Maxwell can also use this for mixing and chat control if you are willing to spend abit more for either a basic PC Panel or a PC Panel Pro. Great vid tho, answered my question about the Turtle Beaches 👌
This is a very interesting setup&configuration, I always love creativity and thank you for sharing this here! this is lovely. How do you configure this to work hand in hand with SteelSeries Sonar? I remember from trying to combo Sonar with other devices/software(elgato wavelink, voicemod etc) that Sonar kept being like "F*** you, I'm the one in charge!" and kept pushing itself to be default every PC restart, or in some cases there were weird hiccups, and bugs because Windows (11, mind you?) get confused as every software controlling the audio trying to push commands here and there.
@@avinin1337 I have Sonars virtual drivers as default and removed all other sound devices disabled. In the mix tab in Sonar app I put whatever device I want to be assigned with that driver ( I have my Nova Pro Wireless as the device).
@@avinin1337 but in the case of other softwares, I nested them into sonar, so for Nvidia Broadcast, I made my actual mic go through there and then routed Nvidia broadcast to my Steelseries Sonar Mic Driver.
Just found your channel because i am looking for new headphones / headsets.. I want something new besides my MMX300 and DT 770 Pro. Very nice content! And damn.. that beard is GODLIKE.
i bought my nova pros thanks to your reviews- they're pretty great but steelseeries sonar is a buggy hot mess, forcing you to use their virtual audio devices as windows default, none of which can be turned off
I just got the Steelseries headset and was dissapointed, ive messed with the EQ for hours and havent gotten anything good for how i like my games to sound. Thanks for this review just oreder the other 2 headsets to try and im def returning the Steelseries. Good video brother 👍🏻👍🏻
Ive had my Maxwell's for only a few days now and all the negative things you said about the software have been fixed. The EQ works perfectly from the PC app now I can adjust it to my liking and it hasnt crash or reverted to default at all. Everything just works and the sound is on another level and the other two headsets shouldn't even be considered in conversation with the Maxwell. Sound quality above all everything else is just a bonus after that. Atmos works well with Overwatch I can pin point enemies location and makes the game feel more open.
Bought two pairs of Turtle beach stealth pro following this review, reason for buying two pairs. I seen a TON of people complaining about various issues right out of the box on these headsets. One pair, complete brick out of box will not pair with the transmitter, no solution for that. TB will just tell you to "reset" it pressing the button inside the little hole on the backside of the transmitter. The bluetooth did connect to my phone but that's not what I actually purchased these for. The second pair at least connected with the transmitter, but then when trying to use it with dual source, was having bluetooth drop out or getting a crazy hissing noise from the headset which seemed to be completely random. Currently testing PS pulse elite, and they do sound great and do a great job with imaging, but they have dropped connection multiple times just in the first day requiring me to get up unplug the transmitter and replug it back in. I was aware this was an issue but most people reported that it was only happening if you had a PS5 slim, which I do not. I am going to try and run an extension on the usb to get it further from the system to see if maybe the drives inside are causing interference.
So my stealth pros mic gave up the ghost today. I’ve had this headset for less than a year. For a $300 plus headset I do expect more use out of it. Disappointing really and this is how I got to watching this video. How is the durability of the audeze compared to the stealth pros?
I would usually go for these higher end models. But I just got the Cloud II wireless on sale for $60 and that might be the best deal I’ve ever gotten on a gaming product. I think I might be set. Still enjoyed the review though!
I have the Arctis Nova Wired, and they are really impressive. And I have a pretty decent amount of audiophile gaming headset and headphones cans, from Beyerdynamic, Drop, Sennheiser, and Audiotechnica. Most of them if not all, I bought after watching your videos, even the Arctis Nova
I’ve had my nova pro for about a year, I’ve had astro a50 and pulse 3d, turtle beach etc. I like the battery change and the fact I can have it plugged into both console and pc without swapping cables. I like the sound but let’s be honest if your playing warzone2 or mw2 the sound is awful on those games full stop no matter what headset you got 😂
It blows my mind that you dont have multi millions of subscribers. You absolutely deserve it and I wish you happiness and success in all your endeavors man, thanks for the great videos, S tier editing as well.
Love to include the fact about the software, I absolutely hate Steelseries' software it was the reason I returned the nova pros. I don't want to have something running in the background processing my sound while I play. I want to set it up and then disable the software.
Jeez, you made me excited about a headset. Your genuine reaction and feelings towards the turtle beach was felt through the screen. Great video! The editing, the professionalism, but also the realism was all great. Nothing felt forced or artificial. Amazing job, I subbed just because of this video
Another awesome and very helpful video like most all your videos. There is a slight beeping sounds coming from your video though. I heard it the most at the end of the "Bluetooth & Battery" and in the "Chat Mix" segments.
Im definitely considering this headset. Thanks for the review. For me the non simultaneous bluetooth kills me for maxwell…I was also burned by the penrose
I am not sure if you get the whole picture. The Maxwell can connect your phone and your Dongle at the same time, but it can only play one of them. So if you are gaming and get a phone call, the Maxwell will switch to the phone and afterwards back to the dongle. I think it is important what you want to do. If you are listening to music or audiobooks while playing, that won't work.
And maxwell would cost me 120€ more with worse performance in gaming. No, thanks audeze. I guess the Pulse elite will be the better value with planar magnetic drivers and simultaneous Bluetooth
Great video! Thanks for all the insights. However, I need your advice. I'm looking for a pair of gaming headphones (80% of the time) with a good microphone that I can occasionally use during bus/plane trips with good audio quality, noise isolation and preferably with the ability to hide the microphone. Budget is not an issue. What do you think is the best recommendation?
I really feel when it comes to gaming headsets, there should be two different lists. One for competitive and another for immersion. Competitive, hence the name, gives better feedback as to the imaging of footsteps and the shots while immersion is for a theater like experience for single player games that helps with explosions and surround sound bass.
I have been scratching my head for days trying to decide, thank you! I rarely, if ever listen to music with headphones. I only play Apex and Fortnite and I play on Console. Turtle Beach it is! SUBSCRIBED
new style with edits and text on screen looks great. Great info in the vid as always. I ordered a Maxwell a few days ago and I still think thats going to be my go to coming from dac/amp better audio grade stuff.
Nobody ever mention how headphones (no matter if they are wired or wireless) sound for MOVIES and MIXING (not a studio grade level more like mixing audio as a video editor freelancer). I want my headset to sound amazing with movies/series, good enough with mixing so that I know 90% of people could enjoy what I create without thinking it sounds weird or too bassy or too agressive on the high end etc., great with music and good enough with music.
Mainly play shooters on PS5 so i was torn on what to buy and ended up with the Stealth Pros. Best Buy had 2 sets open-box for only $170 each. Was allowed to open in store and the one I got had everything included and still had all the plastic on the headset. It was obviously never even used. I was given a free 90 day warranty if anything goes wrong so i got them. They work perfectly so far and definitely feel like a cheat code at times. So easy to detect enemies locations early on.
I own this headset and I've been using it for about a month and still watched this, I just love your videos man. It was pricey but absolutely worth it for me.
I've started using turtle beach 12 years ago and my favorite game was CrossFire's Ghost Mode, because it was just so good, I got kicked so many times accused of cheating lol just because I could hear exactly where the enimies were. Yeah they' were really good at making gaming gear and I'm glad to hear they still are. I bought the Stealth Pro after one of your videos.
@BadSeed Tech Bro you smashed it again with this video. I love your reviews. Respect from London UK I’m one of those who only cares about the imaging performance in a headset and as long as it sounds good enough for casual gaming as well, it’s a winner for me. I tried the Turtle Beach Stealth Pro and I have to say to my hearing when compared to my well EQ’d Nova 7 with the official SteelSeries leatherette ear pads they were equal in imaging and the Nova 7 has an overall better sound quality as well. I used the old Arctis Pro Wireless for 3 years and it was the best ever, but now that the majority of top headsets have over 30 hours battery, not having the swappable batteries doesn’t bother me anymore and in my opinion the Nova 7 is still the best value headset. Really good sound quality, solid imaging, solid battery life, solid wireless connection The best Turtle Beach headset for FPS in my opinion is still their Elite Pro 2 headset and to my hearing the only Turtle Beach headset the superhuman hearing actually makes a difference, but it’s a wired headset I also recently bought the original Truthear Crinacle Zero IEM and wow I love them for FPS games
I would definitely love to see a comparison from you about the 2023 blackshark v2s versus these headphones. I'm looking to buy some and I'm debating between the blackshark and the nova pro (wired). I currently own the wired Arctis Pro so im not sure on what to go with. I'm not particular attached to these so i have no qualms about switching brands, just want a headset with good sound and a good mic.
Mic hands down best "gaming" headset microphone on the newest Blackshark. I hope other companies follow suit, the mic quality on it shows these headsets like this don't end to be dog shit. I.mean studio mic is just exponentially better and will last years, so not debatable but if someone wants the next best thing on a "gaming" headset the 2023 backshark mic hands down.
Bro these turtle beaches are really interesting with DTSX -Feel -Neutral Clear Drivers with an emphasis on bass -Audio Imaging -EQ Im depressed I didn't switch sooner from Astros.
Okay I watched whole video, liked and subbed. Please tell me which of the 3 has the best mic for chatting in CoD. Clearest sound, least background noise?
The Audeze Maxwell is on a completely different level compared to all the others. By far better, clearer and more detailed sound thanks to the 90mm Planar-Drivers. Passive background noise reduction is also excellent. Only the mic is mediocre... but in exchange everything else is 11/10. I just tested Razer Barracuda Pro, Arctis Nova Pro Wireless and, Corsair Virtuosu XT Wireless, Astro A50 and even some Sony and Bose Headphones and compared them all to my MMX 300 2. Gen including SoundblasterX G6... and none of the mentioned Headphones/Headsets was even getting close to MMX 300 & SBX G6. They all sounded really bad. Since 24 hours i am testing the Audeze Maxwell... and compared to that, my MMX 300 & SoundblasterX G6 sound noticeable worse... The Maxwell is also able to get louder, than my MMX 300 with SBX G6 set to high gain (600 ohm). That Maxwell more than surprised me how good it is, only because of the bigger and better drivers. Bass is zero muddy, but rich at the same time. And because it is not muddy, so many tiny details can be heared, and everything just sounds so highres additionally thanks to 24bit/96khz support. PS: And the best, the Audeze Maxwell has everything build into the Headset. No Station or anything needed, plus it has 10 switchable EQ-Presets of which you can change and save 4 to your own liking. They then work with every device you connect the Maxwell to. Switchable directly on the Headset or via Phone App. I have been waiting many years to finally find better sounding wireless Headsets compared to MMX 300 & SBX G6, tried many different brands from price range 200~400€, and only the Maxwell was able to deliver an very noticeable better sounding audio quality/clearity/detail. They are technically too cheap for how awesome they sound. Thanks to these i hear footstep so much better. Thanks to the crisp details and high res audio i can also spot enemies to a range, where i would have heard almost nothing on my MMX. Buy the Maxwells while they still exist.
I've got an older Turtle Beach Stealth 450. The headband broke at the right ear. This is a very common failure mode, and I was able to get it back together with some 3D printed parts. It's not great, and will fail again at some point, so I'm looking to replace them eventually. I primarily use a standalone mic (HyperX QuadCast), and prefer wireless but don't really care about Bluetooth. I actually like the virtual surround stuff on the Stealth 450. It's a DTS X virtual 7.1 setup. It may just be that I'm very used to it, but it's really easy for me to pickup sound and direction in games. At work I've got a SteelSeries Arctis of some sort. I really like the "air weave cushion" or whatever ear cups. I also like the ski goggle headband, but that's in comparison to the busted headband on the Stealth 450. I've been looking at the Arctis 7X as a replacement, but so far I haven't pulled the trigger. I don't know if the flagship $300+ models from any brand make sense to me, but I'm also not sure if the Arctis 7X is the right choice (at around $150, I think) I'm absolutely willing to spend more on quality, and I'd focus more on build quality, comfort, and audio quality with an emphasis on games (and a focus on good spatial presentation). The dual simultaneous wireless / chat mix, wired + wireless, ANC, and other features don't mean much for me. The replaceable batteries are huge, though. Any advice?
'BadSeedTech. When you said in the review that stock standard audio mode gives you the best directional audio in gaming did you mean that you use "Signature sound' mode when gaming. Before that you said that you used 'bass and treble boost' (-2 steps from treble) for music so I was wondering whether you used that for gaming aswell. Question two. If you were to play story games, what audio mode (or custom EQ) would you use?
Hey BadSeed! Love the videos as always! Looking to upgrade my Astro A50s and just got the Kiwi Orchestra's and hate the ear feel. Was torn between the Maxwell's, TB stealth pro, and Arctis. I only play COD and curious how your review held up! Thanks again! Also found the Stealth Pro for $220 on sale and feel like it's a steal! Edit: The Nova Pro are on sale now for $250
Thanks! Your summary at the end really helped. Maxwell sounds like what I should be considering. Although I'm probably going to wait until they sort out the software.
Been with my audeze Maxwell's for about a year now and by far the best heaset all around I have ever had and I have been through darn near every brands high enders
Have you had any quality control issues? I'm thinking about picking them up but seen quite a few people raising issues like crinkle sounds when moving head or connectivity issues with the dongle.
I bought the Audeze Maxwell yesterday, total end game, not even on the same level as others (no bugs anymore, everything works). And that positioning argument is kind of weak, I would not give up Maxwell level of overall audio quality for a little better footsteps - either you're good or you're not, headphones won't help too much.
I loved my stealth pros right up to the point that within 3 months the mic gave out and turtle beach warranty refused to return my email or answer the phone. They lost my business.
Thanks for the review! I'm more informed but still decision stuck! lol I keep breaking my steel series headsets on the connection to the earcup every 2-3 years.
for anyone wondering on the maxwell clamping issue. you can soft bend/straighten the headset without breaking it to relieve some of that tension. I've done this with my set and I have the wicked cushions on mine (a must have) i like the original cushions it comes with too. but that clamping force will effect the left ear and jaw line. the sound quality is great on the maxwell only thing is that clamp
i just bought the stealth pro and nova pro to do a side by side comparison. The stealth pros win by a long shot, better overall quality of music (mid range) ‘where the nova lacks, the imaging on the stealth pro is the best i’ve ever heard and i’ve been using steelseries since the siberia 840s, the grandfather of the arctis line. although i do think the functionality of the nova pros are much more refined and the comfort is marginally better, i just don’t think it’s worth it for me as i’m a console player and can’t utilize sonar, the stealth pros are a godsend for footsteps tracking so if you are looking for a competitive advantage, go turtle beach!
Sonar is now available for console users. Arctis has step by step instructions on their site. I still think I may wait for the Sony Pulse Elites with the Planar drivers.
@@chasen432 The only thing Steelseries did was make just some Sonar EQ-profiles work on consoles, if I'm not mistaken, not the entire Sonar thing. If Steelseries did do more, please let me know. If they did make Sonar fully usable on consoles, it would be a dream.
My main concern with the maxwells is the weight. I only play single player games so i want a headset for that and the maxwells sound like thats it. But then the weight comes in to play. The stealth pros sre allready chunky enough.
Love your videos as allways! I have one question :) what headphones/headset do you think is the best for cod only. I got artis nova pro right now. My budget is around 400$ and I use glasses. And the only thing that I care about is the sound (footsteps...)
Love these reviews. ive been really enjoying the sound and features on the steel series. love the dual USB C ports in the back so i can connect it to my work monitor and my gaming rig and flip flop super easily. also love that when the headset is off the speakers are automatically connected without fiddling with settings in windows but dang they are not that comfy with glasses. might have to try the other headsets but i just love that basestation!
Does the Nova Pro WIreless use USB-A or USB-C ports on PS5 and Series X consoles? If it's USB-C, that could be a problem for couch co-op when two people try to each use use their own Nova Pro Wireless and their own dac on 1 PS5 simultanuously, right?
Hey guys I have a question about Maxwell gaming headsets. It looks like they have personalized spatial audio? Is that correct? Like how Creative does with their SXFI app and taking pics of your face and ears? I think Apple is doing that now too with their new headphones.
I was looking for a headset that would work on both Xbox Series X + PS5. I have Astro A50 for my PC, so I wasn't in the market for a PC headset. I bought the Nova Pro at first. It was comfortable and lightweight. The sound was pretty good overall. I usually don't like Steelseries audio profile, but this one seemed a lot better. Then I also bought the Stealth Pro and they are significantly better for consoles than the Nova Pro. They sound great, work perfectly across Xbox + PS5, as well as PC. Glad I grabbed a pair! I returned the Nova's and am going to put my A50s up for sale, the Stealth Pros are going to be my universal headset!
Wow, you really cooked on this one. The editing was by FAR the best I've ever seen from you. Hoping you continue down this path, it makes the video watching experience so much more enjoyable while still maintaining that "BadSeed" feel.
The headset itself is a bit scary price wise, but damn the performance is clearly there. I also love that you contextualized this headset alongside other fan favorites in its range. Answers the "this or that" question that users are certainly going to ask when looking at this headset. Love it
You went off, great work man. Top shelf
Appreciate you man. 🤝
@@badseedtech We appreciate you more !
For real. How Brian doesn't have AT LEAST 500k subs is beyond me! The production quality is better than some channels twice his size. I've been watching for at least 3-4 years now, and the glow up is insane.
I tried the turtle beach stealth pro and they were great and clear but I ended up returning them. I just received the Audeze Maxwell for my xbox and man, the sound is phenomenal and I can hear footsteps and other sounds that I have never heard before.
So you couldn’t hear foot steps good with the stealth pro ?
@@LifeWithWildBillim curious too
@@prexxzorstealth is way better for footsteps. I’ve had both.
@@bullitt8986 out of the box? or doing eq? if u did q could u share both bc i just bought to see which i like more
@@bullitt8986bro I’m a R6 player and I need the best headset for hearing footsteps I mean when they crouch or they break barricades and … I want the best headset. Do you have any recommendations? Right now I’m using Steelseries arctis pro wireless but I think it’s not that good to hear every sounds in the game
Man I just got my Maxwell today. So stoked on the build quality. Audeze stood behind there product though. They replaced my mobius three times cause they snapped. Then this last time they sent me a Maxwell. Love it
i have the penrose and it snapped. but my warranty expired. hopefully audeze can get me a replacement still
Just ask them straight up if you can have a maxwell it worked for me and a friend of mine. my warranty was long gone. @@clave2049
y send my audeze maxwells back never buy from them ,and u got 3 with problems and never learn ? 😂😂😂
@tordatfalviciprian5775 I had 3 problems with the mobius not maxwell. Then they gave me maxwell for free when they came out. The maxwell are dope
Yeah, I damaged the planar driver in the left ear of my maxwells, and they replaced them for free even though it was out of warranty. Great company from my experience.
So I had to rewatch this video as my son was looking into some good headphones to use with his Xbox and PS5. This was a great comparison and as he is using this for both consoles and his cellphone he went with the Turtle Beach headset. He has had it for 1 day now and he is enjoying it. Thanks for the in depth review and the comparison. I was going to have him look into the Steel Series headset and remembered that you did this video. It really helped his decision. Keep up the good work!
Wow, Brian, you continue to bring the house with each and every video! You seriously dominate with the quality of your videos. The editing is just perfection that you somehow manage to top time and again. And your reviews are seriously top notch. My favorite thing about your reviews is you continue to tie in and compare to previous devices you've reviewed and alter your ranking accordingly all the while dropping little updates to those previous reviews as you learn, change your mind, or the product/software updates in some way. It's really hard to express just how good a job you do on each and every video. God tier, bro!
I and many others have had issues where the settings do not save on the Stealth Pro. It’s one of the reasons why I returned it. Love your reviews and it’s awesome you give Joe a shout out.
yeah it totally destroys a product. i just returned the razer v2 pro 2023's due to the mic monitoring disrupting the balance, the sound only comes out the left ear piece when you enable mic monitoring...
ALWAYS love your attention to detail Badseed. I feel like I've learned all I need to know if I should ever need one of these sets, or even when I go to try any other headset I'll know what to look for. Great work.
I always love a good comeback story. I haven’t heard of Turtle Beach in years, and even back then they weren’t very effective.
Great video and quite accurate on the info. I would slightly clarify your remark about swapping batteries on the Stealth Pro though. There is no manual intervention required outside just physically changing the batteries. The headphones power back on automatically and is ready for sound after about 6 seconds. As for sound quality, I am in no way shape or form anything close to an audiophile but you are quite correct that the Maxwell sounds better than either of the others. However, if I were grading them on a scale of overall musical sound quality vs positional sound quality in games, the distance in accuracy for the Stealth Pro is greater than the distance in music quality for the Maxwell. Then again, that could just be my untrained ear for music quality. As for the Nova's, I just hated the way they fit. They annoyed me to no end.
Insanely good video B! Really enjoyed this new style you brought in this edit, feels refreshing for sure. Good to see turtle beach get seriously back into the audio game and bring a heavy hitter with these. Price is a bit hefty but seems like its worth it for someone who does switch from console to PC often. Great breakdown!
Fantastic video and great editing work here. I just ordered the Maxwell and sending back the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless I got last week. Fingers crossed but your video confirms I probably made the right decision between the Stealth Pro and the Maxwell!
Was it the correct decision after these past months?
@@thesaltyonion4899 1000% absolutely yes.
I went with the Maxwell specifically for the same reason as yours. I want one headseat that could do it all. Music and games.
One thing worth mentioning is the Xbox version of the Turtle Beach works perfectly and fully wirelessly on both Series X and PS5 by just switching the slider. One of the only headsets that does it (and why I sold my old steel series to buy it)
Wow the Maxwell mic sounds AMAZING when you move it to the side (for a gaming headset mic)
Thank you for the most informative video on not only the Maxwell and Arctis but more specifically the Turtle Beach Stealth Pro. This is by far the best video on RUclips for anyone considering the Stealth Pro. I recently purchased my Stealth Pro headset and was looking for EQ settings for Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2 but I learned so much more that I did not know about the Stealth Pro headset! Thanks again for all the info, I know it takes a lot of time and effort to research these products and produce and edit these videos. You are very much appreciated!
Thanks man! Really appreciate the kind words!
You still got the Stealth Pro?
That "Get Settled In" was smoooooth
Thanks for this review. My friends on Xbox have mentioned my mic sounded very bassy and muffled on my Maxwell's. I do a lot of broadcast television production and we are always on comms. I've always been used to keeping the mic pretty close to my mouth. After seeing your review I tried moving the boom much further away than I would ever normally keep it and it sounds MUCH better. I thought at this distance, it would sound hollow or distant, but it picks me up just fine and really reduces the amount of low end. It definitely doesn't sound as muffled. I wish Audeze gave clear instructions to put the boom a good 4-5 inches from your mouth for best results. Overall, I really love the headset. Thanks again. 🤙🏻
They actually recommend 2 inches away from your mouth with the mic straight ahead (silver grill facing toward your mouth) and slightly below the bottom lip. They’re very specific haha. But like you said, a couple extra inches may not hurt.
Great review and I really appreciate the comparisons between the three headsets. Definitely gonna be picking up the Maxwell one of these days
I have the Arctis Nova Pro with the wicked cushions replacements. It is the most comfortable headset I've ever used out of the couple dozen I've tried. Without the wicked cushions though, the Nova Pro hurts the ears after awhile.
As someone who uses only "audiophile grade" headphones and IEMs, you have me SERIOUSLY considering trying out the Maxwell. I have always been intrigued about having a wireless headphone when I play games, and this may just be the time to try it. Thanks for the vid man!
I was pleasantly surprised by the Maxwell. I own a AKG 701 but it doesn't sound as good as the Maxwell. What blows me away every time is the detail even at the highest volume. Highly recommended!
It's just inaccessible
@@christiansargent6053 You can now order for the January production cycle, it is a small company (less than 50 employees). 🤷♂
@@christiansargent6053wdym
I used to own astros a50 mic went out
I will say they sounds about the same but you get more features on the turtle beach plus you can custom the EQ from your phone
This is probably one of the best comparison reviews on RUclips. Really good editing, concise but detailed, and just simply entertaining.
I'm very surprised to see typical low quality gaming brands finally starting to realise that good audio actually matters to a certain segment of gamers.
Also cool to see your shout-out to Joe. His channel has been quite helpful with dialing in my Nova 7 with aftermarket pads and he's just a chill watch overall. Appreciate you both.
I have both the Maxwell and Stealth Pro. I’m very impressed with the spacial audio/soundstage of the the Stealth Pro.
Which one is the overall winner in your eyes? I ordered the stealth pro for Xbox/pc, but was torn between that and Maxwell. My current is tb stealth 700, and I think it's good, but the clamp force is pretty tight, so I'm hoping the pros are slightly better.
@@Rueges i never had the Stealth Pro but tested a good dozen of Others in the price range of 200 ~ 400 €, and compared them to my MMX 300 2. Gen plus SoundblasterX G6. All of them disappointed badly. Since yesterday i have the Audeze Maxwell, and after updating the Firmware on the Dongle and Headset... they instantly sent my MMX 300 & SBX into retirement. I also have no problems with locating Sounds/Footsteps... Its great there too. Blown away, to have finally found something that sounds better than my wired setup.
Those 90mm Planar-Drivers just nail the whole rest of the competition in the price range of up to 400 €. They are brilliant sounding beasts.
I have been on the fence and watching reviews on Maxwells v Stealth Pro v Nova Pros and you did a good job clarifying how the soundstage is wider and the imaging is more finely tuned on Stealth Pros. Been using Gen 3 Astro A50s for the last 5 years and back in the day for Call of Duty 5 I had a pair of X41s and boy those things dominated with their 5.1 imaging. I tried a turtle beach product before my Astro A50s and ended up returning them because it didn’t feel as superior as how the X41s sounded from years before. Glad to hear they have revamped their customization software and features allowing for a great experience for FPS players and becoming a competitive figure in the headset marketplace again. Astro was the name of the game for too long.
I had tested them both. Imo I like the sound from the Arctis nova pro better. I like how it’s a little litter and microphone can be retractable back into the headset . I bought the Steelseris arctis nova pro .
The Stealth Pro seems to fit EXACTLY what I'm looking for in a wireless gaming headset. I plan to use this headset primarily for Call of Duty and the thing I need the most is the ability to sound whore or pinpoint the source of gunshots and enemy footsteps so I can react quicker, music quality, eq, and all the other little stuff doesn't matter as much to me, I just need a headset that gives me the highest quality sound for gaming, bonus points for being glasses friendly as well. Now I just need to see a comparison between Astro A50 vs Stealth Pro.
If imaging and soundstage are important to you, just get a regular pair of audiophile headphones. $20 Koss KSC75’s crap on wireless “gaming” headphones. They’re also great for glasses
Bro. I’m telling you order a sound blaster g3, a 10ft usb c, and the pc38x. 100% worth the cord. Prob like $150 total.
@@Bennyblades44 I agree Pc38x are good, and I personally like the Sennheiser 560s is even better
@@Bennyblades44doesn’t when for Xbox? The g3
You won't be disappointed I use mine on the ps5, Xbox and pc. Games music and movies every day since they released & they are definitely worth it I got the Xbox version so I could use them on the ps5 too & it's worth every bit of the $360 I spent!
For a PS5 only user, no pc, would you recommend the Arctis Nova Pro wireless or the Stealth Pro?
The battery swap is a game changer. I can't even consider anything else after using the Arctis Pro Wireless for the last three years.
I would definitely pick the maxwell if I ever need a wireless headset
would be a waste for me as i have sony xm5's for music - chose the stealth pro's over the maxwells for this reason
Great headset by Turtle Beach 💪🥳👍. Great comparison between the major competitors too. It’s great to see TB bringing back sone of its A-game!
I got mine at the end of April & use them for everything games movies & music. I'm using them right now watching this video while I play gta 5 waiting for my brother to join my session. I love them!
You’re the best reviewer around and it’s not even close. Thank you for your insight!
Great video. I'm gonna HAVE to get the Maxwell. GadgetryTech mentioned, that music through bluetooth and game sound from PS, could be done if the headset was connected to the controller - you'd lose the microphone though.
This review was by far the best i found. I had a lot of questions about game chat mix that you covered that no one else seems to touch on. You sir have gained a subscriber.
This was so well produced. Excellent editing, clear and concise speaking, you brought numbers and data, and gave us your opinion at the end while being unbiased up until then. Youve got me as a subscriber. Thanks for this!
I use the Nova Pro Wireless and I’m pretty set on it. The Turtle Beach did interest me but I personally love Sonar for my PC. I integrate it with my PC Panel Pro and have great audio control. Whenever I’m playing DMZ and someone is hot-micing, I use the PC Panel Pro to selectively turn down the chat volume on COD to turn down in game coms and still hear my group in discord. I feel like the Turtle Beach and the Maxwell can also use this for mixing and chat control if you are willing to spend abit more for either a basic PC Panel or a PC Panel Pro. Great vid tho, answered my question about the Turtle Beaches 👌
This is a very interesting setup&configuration, I always love creativity and thank you for sharing this here! this is lovely.
How do you configure this to work hand in hand with SteelSeries Sonar?
I remember from trying to combo Sonar with other devices/software(elgato wavelink, voicemod etc) that Sonar kept being like "F*** you, I'm the one in charge!" and kept pushing itself to be default every PC restart, or in some cases there were weird hiccups, and bugs because Windows (11, mind you?) get confused as every software controlling the audio trying to push commands here and there.
j'ai le Nova Pro Wireless je suis passé sur le turtle beach pro je vais essayer pour le mixe de son tchat et jeux voir la comparaison
@@avinin1337 I have Sonars virtual drivers as default and removed all other sound devices disabled. In the mix tab in Sonar app I put whatever device I want to be assigned with that driver ( I have my Nova Pro Wireless as the device).
@@avinin1337 but in the case of other softwares, I nested them into sonar, so for Nvidia Broadcast, I made my actual mic go through there and then routed Nvidia broadcast to my Steelseries Sonar Mic Driver.
I wish the Maxwell had wireless simultaneous Bluetooth. Being able to play Xbox with music playing from my phone is a big requirement for me.
Just found your channel because i am looking for new headphones / headsets.. I want something new besides my MMX300 and DT 770 Pro.
Very nice content! And damn.. that beard is GODLIKE.
i bought my nova pros thanks to your reviews- they're pretty great but steelseeries sonar is a buggy hot mess, forcing you to use their virtual audio devices as windows default, none of which can be turned off
I just got the Steelseries headset and was dissapointed, ive messed with the EQ for hours and havent gotten anything good for how i like my games to sound. Thanks for this review just oreder the other 2 headsets to try and im def returning the Steelseries. Good video brother 👍🏻👍🏻
So which one did you like? Maxwell or stealth pro?
Op pls respond
Ive had my Maxwell's for only a few days now and all the negative things you said about the software have been fixed. The EQ works perfectly from the PC app now I can adjust it to my liking and it hasnt crash or reverted to default at all. Everything just works and the sound is on another level and the other two headsets shouldn't even be considered in conversation with the Maxwell. Sound quality above all everything else is just a bonus after that. Atmos works well with Overwatch I can pin point enemies location and makes the game feel more open.
Bought two pairs of Turtle beach stealth pro following this review, reason for buying two pairs. I seen a TON of people complaining about various issues right out of the box on these headsets. One pair, complete brick out of box will not pair with the transmitter, no solution for that. TB will just tell you to "reset" it pressing the button inside the little hole on the backside of the transmitter. The bluetooth did connect to my phone but that's not what I actually purchased these for. The second pair at least connected with the transmitter, but then when trying to use it with dual source, was having bluetooth drop out or getting a crazy hissing noise from the headset which seemed to be completely random.
Currently testing PS pulse elite, and they do sound great and do a great job with imaging, but they have dropped connection multiple times just in the first day requiring me to get up unplug the transmitter and replug it back in. I was aware this was an issue but most people reported that it was only happening if you had a PS5 slim, which I do not. I am going to try and run an extension on the usb to get it further from the system to see if maybe the drives inside are causing interference.
So my stealth pros mic gave up the ghost today. I’ve had this headset for less than a year. For a $300 plus headset I do expect more use out of it. Disappointing really and this is how I got to watching this video. How is the durability of the audeze compared to the stealth pros?
I would usually go for these higher end models. But I just got the Cloud II wireless on sale for $60 and that might be the best deal I’ve ever gotten on a gaming product. I think I might be set. Still enjoyed the review though!
Dang that’s like 50% off. Who is running that sale
I have the Arctis Nova Wired, and they are really impressive. And I have a pretty decent amount of audiophile gaming headset and headphones cans, from Beyerdynamic, Drop, Sennheiser, and Audiotechnica. Most of them if not all, I bought after watching your videos, even the Arctis Nova
I am rocking an audiotechnicha ath-ad700x, do you think these would be better for gaming or should i stick with my audiotechnica
I’ve had my nova pro for about a year, I’ve had astro a50 and pulse 3d, turtle beach etc. I like the battery change and the fact I can have it plugged into both console and pc without swapping cables. I like the sound but let’s be honest if your playing warzone2 or mw2 the sound is awful on those games full stop no matter what headset you got 😂
It blows my mind that you dont have multi millions of subscribers. You absolutely deserve it and I wish you happiness and success in all your endeavors man, thanks for the great videos, S tier editing as well.
Love to include the fact about the software, I absolutely hate Steelseries' software it was the reason I returned the nova pros. I don't want to have something running in the background processing my sound while I play. I want to set it up and then disable the software.
Crazy high production value man, love it.
Jeez, you made me excited about a headset. Your genuine reaction and feelings towards the turtle beach was felt through the screen. Great video! The editing, the professionalism, but also the realism was all great. Nothing felt forced or artificial. Amazing job, I subbed just because of this video
Yo thanks so much, man! Really glad you enjoyed the video.
This is the exact comparison I needed to finally decide to get the Maxwell over the Stealthpro, thx :)
Another awesome and very helpful video like most all your videos. There is a slight beeping sounds coming from your video though. I heard it the most at the end of the "Bluetooth & Battery" and in the "Chat Mix" segments.
Im definitely considering this headset. Thanks for the review. For me the non simultaneous bluetooth kills me for maxwell…I was also burned by the penrose
I am not sure if you get the whole picture. The Maxwell can connect your phone and your Dongle at the same time, but it can only play one of them. So if you are gaming and get a phone call, the Maxwell will switch to the phone and afterwards back to the dongle. I think it is important what you want to do. If you are listening to music or audiobooks while playing, that won't work.
And maxwell would cost me 120€ more with worse performance in gaming. No, thanks audeze. I guess the Pulse elite will be the better value with planar magnetic drivers and simultaneous Bluetooth
Extremely high quality review, subscribed and liked!
Glad to see you comparing the wireless distance, a lot of reviewers seem to omit that.
Excellent review, not too long and you hit all the points of each headset without any bias, very refreshing!
Great video! Thanks for all the insights. However, I need your advice. I'm looking for a pair of gaming headphones (80% of the time) with a good microphone that I can occasionally use during bus/plane trips with good audio quality, noise isolation and preferably with the ability to hide the microphone. Budget is not an issue. What do you think is the best recommendation?
I really feel when it comes to gaming headsets, there should be two different lists. One for competitive and another for immersion. Competitive, hence the name, gives better feedback as to the imaging of footsteps and the shots while immersion is for a theater like experience for single player games that helps with explosions and surround sound bass.
The suspension headband set up on the old elites was king in comfort.
For $300 they should have that.
I have been scratching my head for days trying to decide, thank you! I rarely, if ever listen to music with headphones. I only play Apex and Fortnite and I play on Console. Turtle Beach it is! SUBSCRIBED
new style with edits and text on screen looks great. Great info in the vid as always. I ordered a Maxwell a few days ago and I still think thats going to be my go to coming from dac/amp better audio grade stuff.
You’re just getting better and bette Brian! Editing, production quality… you set the bar so high.
Nobody ever mention how headphones (no matter if they are wired or wireless) sound for MOVIES and MIXING (not a studio grade level more like mixing audio as a video editor freelancer). I want my headset to sound amazing with movies/series, good enough with mixing so that I know 90% of people could enjoy what I create without thinking it sounds weird or too bassy or too agressive on the high end etc., great with music and good enough with music.
Mainly play shooters on PS5 so i was torn on what to buy and ended up with the Stealth Pros. Best Buy had 2 sets open-box for only $170 each. Was allowed to open in store and the one I got had everything included and still had all the plastic on the headset. It was obviously never even used. I was given a free 90 day warranty if anything goes wrong so i got them. They work perfectly so far and definitely feel like a cheat code at times. So easy to detect enemies locations early on.
Hi somehow I'm still struggling with headphones overall so which headphones is the good or best part like mic or ANC?
I own this headset and I've been using it for about a month and still watched this, I just love your videos man. It was pricey but absolutely worth it for me.
I've started using turtle beach 12 years ago and my favorite game was CrossFire's Ghost Mode, because it was just so good, I got kicked so many times accused of cheating lol just because I could hear exactly where the enimies were. Yeah they' were really good at making gaming gear and I'm glad to hear they still are. I bought the Stealth Pro after one of your videos.
Fantastic review thank you so much. This has helped me decide to go for the Stealth Pro purely for my gaming. Thank you 🤝🏻
Did you buy them? If so, How is it?
@BadSeed Tech Bro you smashed it again with this video. I love your reviews. Respect from London UK
I’m one of those who only cares about the imaging performance in a headset and as long as it sounds good enough for casual gaming as well, it’s a winner for me. I tried the Turtle Beach Stealth Pro and I have to say to my hearing when compared to my well EQ’d Nova 7 with the official SteelSeries leatherette ear pads they were equal in imaging and the Nova 7 has an overall better sound quality as well. I used the old Arctis Pro Wireless for 3 years and it was the best ever, but now that the majority of top headsets have over 30 hours battery, not having the swappable batteries doesn’t bother me anymore and in my opinion the Nova 7 is still the best value headset. Really good sound quality, solid imaging, solid battery life, solid wireless connection
The best Turtle Beach headset for FPS in my opinion is still their Elite Pro 2 headset and to my hearing the only Turtle Beach headset the superhuman hearing actually makes a difference, but it’s a wired headset
I also recently bought the original Truthear Crinacle Zero IEM and wow I love them for FPS games
Thanks for the comparison and your personal opinion at the end. It really helped me out. Looking into the Maxwell for some time now.
I would definitely love to see a comparison from you about the 2023 blackshark v2s versus these headphones. I'm looking to buy some and I'm debating between the blackshark and the nova pro (wired). I currently own the wired Arctis Pro so im not sure on what to go with. I'm not particular attached to these so i have no qualms about switching brands, just want a headset with good sound and a good mic.
Mic hands down best "gaming" headset microphone on the newest Blackshark. I hope other companies follow suit, the mic quality on it shows these headsets like this don't end to be dog shit. I.mean studio mic is just exponentially better and will last years, so not debatable but if someone wants the next best thing on a "gaming" headset the 2023 backshark mic hands down.
After watching loads of these. Your final thoughts sold me, Maxwell it is.
These reviews never disappoints 👌
I was missing your videos 😭😭
The Razer Blackshark V2 Pro mic is Great. Sounds better than the ones tested here. Either way, great vid. Great work.
Great review, looking at buying the Maxwell. Thanks for the help!
You have chosen wisely.
Glad I stumbled across your video. Amazing job. Look forward to checking out more of your content.
Bro these turtle beaches are really interesting with DTSX
-Feel
-Neutral Clear Drivers with an emphasis on bass
-Audio Imaging
-EQ
Im depressed I didn't switch sooner from Astros.
Perfect video. All of it relevant and so well edited, appreciate your work - thank you!
Turtle Beach Stealth Pro's just landed at almost all online and retail outlets for $299 for both Xbox and PlayStation versions. Just a heads up.
Okay I watched whole video, liked and subbed. Please tell me which of the 3 has the best mic for chatting in CoD. Clearest sound, least background noise?
The Audeze Maxwell is on a completely different level compared to all the others. By far better, clearer and more detailed sound thanks to the 90mm Planar-Drivers. Passive background noise reduction is also excellent. Only the mic is mediocre... but in exchange everything else is 11/10.
I just tested Razer Barracuda Pro, Arctis Nova Pro Wireless and, Corsair Virtuosu XT Wireless, Astro A50 and even some Sony and Bose Headphones and compared them all to my MMX 300 2. Gen including SoundblasterX G6... and none of the mentioned Headphones/Headsets was even getting close to MMX 300 & SBX G6. They all sounded really bad. Since 24 hours i am testing the Audeze Maxwell... and compared to that, my MMX 300 & SoundblasterX G6 sound noticeable worse... The Maxwell is also able to get louder, than my MMX 300 with SBX G6 set to high gain (600 ohm).
That Maxwell more than surprised me how good it is, only because of the bigger and better drivers. Bass is zero muddy, but rich at the same time. And because it is not muddy, so many tiny details can be heared, and everything just sounds so highres additionally thanks to 24bit/96khz support.
PS: And the best, the Audeze Maxwell has everything build into the Headset. No Station or anything needed, plus it has 10 switchable EQ-Presets of which you can change and save 4 to your own liking. They then work with every device you connect the Maxwell to. Switchable directly on the Headset or via Phone App.
I have been waiting many years to finally find better sounding wireless Headsets compared to MMX 300 & SBX G6, tried many different brands from price range 200~400€, and only the Maxwell was able to deliver an very noticeable better sounding audio quality/clearity/detail.
They are technically too cheap for how awesome they sound.
Thanks to these i hear footstep so much better. Thanks to the crisp details and high res audio i can also spot enemies to a range, where i would have heard almost nothing on my MMX.
Buy the Maxwells while they still exist.
Im disgusted at how bad nova pros sound and nobody seems to agree. Tried 3. They are tinny trash hype
I've got an older Turtle Beach Stealth 450. The headband broke at the right ear. This is a very common failure mode, and I was able to get it back together with some 3D printed parts. It's not great, and will fail again at some point, so I'm looking to replace them eventually.
I primarily use a standalone mic (HyperX QuadCast), and prefer wireless but don't really care about Bluetooth.
I actually like the virtual surround stuff on the Stealth 450. It's a DTS X virtual 7.1 setup. It may just be that I'm very used to it, but it's really easy for me to pickup sound and direction in games.
At work I've got a SteelSeries Arctis of some sort. I really like the "air weave cushion" or whatever ear cups. I also like the ski goggle headband, but that's in comparison to the busted headband on the Stealth 450.
I've been looking at the Arctis 7X as a replacement, but so far I haven't pulled the trigger. I don't know if the flagship $300+ models from any brand make sense to me, but I'm also not sure if the Arctis 7X is the right choice (at around $150, I think)
I'm absolutely willing to spend more on quality, and I'd focus more on build quality, comfort, and audio quality with an emphasis on games (and a focus on good spatial presentation). The dual simultaneous wireless / chat mix, wired + wireless, ANC, and other features don't mean much for me. The replaceable batteries are huge, though.
Any advice?
You don’t need sonar program to customize the eq. You can do it on the base station on Arctic Pro
Great review and thanks for your time and focus.
I believe Sonar is now available for consoles as well finally.
'BadSeedTech. When you said in the review that stock standard audio mode gives you the best directional audio in gaming did you mean that you use "Signature sound' mode when gaming. Before that you said that you used 'bass and treble boost' (-2 steps from treble) for music so I was wondering whether you used that for gaming aswell.
Question two. If you were to play story games, what audio mode (or custom EQ) would you use?
Hey BadSeed! Love the videos as always! Looking to upgrade my Astro A50s and just got the Kiwi Orchestra's and hate the ear feel. Was torn between the Maxwell's, TB stealth pro, and Arctis. I only play COD and curious how your review held up! Thanks again! Also found the Stealth Pro for $220 on sale and feel like it's a steal!
Edit: The Nova Pro are on sale now for $250
Thanks! Your summary at the end really helped. Maxwell sounds like what I should be considering. Although I'm probably going to wait until they sort out the software.
Been with my audeze Maxwell's for about a year now and by far the best heaset all around I have ever had and I have been through darn near every brands high enders
Have you had any quality control issues? I'm thinking about picking them up but seen quite a few people raising issues like crinkle sounds when moving head or connectivity issues with the dongle.
@@kagon3962 nope I did on the Penrose but its only if you over stretch the plastic Maxwell is great
I bought the Audeze Maxwell yesterday, total end game, not even on the same level as others (no bugs anymore, everything works). And that positioning argument is kind of weak, I would not give up Maxwell level of overall audio quality for a little better footsteps - either you're good or you're not, headphones won't help too much.
I loved my stealth pros right up to the point that within 3 months the mic gave out and turtle beach warranty refused to return my email or answer the phone. They lost my business.
Thanks for the review! I'm more informed but still decision stuck! lol
I keep breaking my steel series headsets on the connection to the earcup every 2-3 years.
for anyone wondering on the maxwell clamping issue. you can soft bend/straighten the headset without breaking it to relieve some of that tension. I've done this with my set and I have the wicked cushions on mine (a must have) i like the original cushions it comes with too. but that clamping force will effect the left ear and jaw line. the sound quality is great on the maxwell only thing is that clamp
also the app has been fixed as of this post.
i just bought the stealth pro and nova pro to do a side by side comparison. The stealth pros win by a long shot, better overall quality of music (mid range) ‘where the nova lacks, the imaging on the stealth pro is the best i’ve ever heard and i’ve been using steelseries since the siberia 840s, the grandfather of the arctis line. although i do think the functionality of the nova pros are much more refined and the comfort is marginally better, i just don’t think it’s worth it for me as i’m a console player and can’t utilize sonar, the stealth pros are a godsend for footsteps tracking so if you are looking for a competitive advantage, go turtle beach!
Sonar is now available for console users. Arctis has step by step instructions on their site. I still think I may wait for the Sony Pulse Elites with the Planar drivers.
@@chasen432 The only thing Steelseries did was make just some Sonar EQ-profiles work on consoles, if I'm not mistaken, not the entire Sonar thing. If Steelseries did do more, please let me know. If they did make Sonar fully usable on consoles, it would be a dream.
My main concern with the maxwells is the weight. I only play single player games so i want a headset for that and the maxwells sound like thats it. But then the weight comes in to play. The stealth pros sre allready chunky enough.
Love your videos as allways! I have one question :) what headphones/headset do you think is the best for cod only. I got artis nova pro right now. My budget is around 400$ and I use glasses. And the only thing that I care about is the sound (footsteps...)
try VZR model ones
He’s back!!
Love your work bother.
Thanks so much man. Had to take a little hiatus to learn a new editing software. This one was fully produced in Davinci Resolve.
@@badseedtech Resolve is an awesome tool to know.
Love these reviews. ive been really enjoying the sound and features on the steel series. love the dual USB C ports in the back so i can connect it to my work monitor and my gaming rig and flip flop super easily. also love that when the headset is off the speakers are automatically connected without fiddling with settings in windows but dang they are not that comfy with glasses. might have to try the other headsets but i just love that basestation!
Does the Nova Pro WIreless use USB-A or USB-C ports on PS5 and Series X consoles? If it's USB-C, that could be a problem for couch co-op when two people try to each use use their own Nova Pro Wireless and their own dac on 1 PS5 simultanuously, right?
Hey guys I have a question about Maxwell gaming headsets. It looks like they have personalized spatial audio? Is that correct? Like how Creative does with their SXFI app and taking pics of your face and ears? I think Apple is doing that now too with their new headphones.
I was looking for a headset that would work on both Xbox Series X + PS5. I have Astro A50 for my PC, so I wasn't in the market for a PC headset. I bought the Nova Pro at first. It was comfortable and lightweight. The sound was pretty good overall. I usually don't like Steelseries audio profile, but this one seemed a lot better. Then I also bought the Stealth Pro and they are significantly better for consoles than the Nova Pro. They sound great, work perfectly across Xbox + PS5, as well as PC. Glad I grabbed a pair! I returned the Nova's and am going to put my A50s up for sale, the Stealth Pros are going to be my universal headset!
good to know - im waiting for stealths to arrive - xbox only for me. I have other cans for TV/Music so im hoping the stealth pro's hit the spot
Which version of the Stealth Pro did you buy?
@@VRBH1 Xbox, as it works on Ps5 + PC also.
Geez, the boom mic sounds amazing for a headset mic.
This is a great review video. I really appreciate this level of detail. Thank you.
Really appreciate your work, always a ton of data. Dictation and cadence are top notch. TY