Audeze Maxwell vs VZR Model One vs SteelSeries Nova Pro Wireless - What's Right for You? 

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Why does this guy not have more traffic. Best reviewer by far.

These are the real competitors, thank you for the in-depth comparison!

Great just-in-time review of all of these headsets. Thank you so much.

I almost gave up on the nova pros but stumbled across your foundation eq setting recommendations and decided to keep em. Thank you.

and THIS is exactly the review and comparison i've been waiting for. Thanks.

love your videos dude! I do so much research whenever I want to buy anything and you condense all of the questions I have into amazingly edited and detailed videos. Amazing

Thanks man. I was leaning towards the Audeze Maxwell and you helped seal the deal.

Good to see an actual comprehensive comparison , much appreciated!

Thank you for the perfect in depth review, I enjoyed every aspect of the review.

More convinced to get the Model One when it was available in Europe at every video you make 😅. Great job as usuall!! Take care and see you on your Discord.

Bro just came across a channel of Many audio reviewers.... your reviews are so clean so precise very OnPoint and now I'm biased towards the products your reviews are very clear and very understandable towards each product... keep up the good work brother I look forward to watching your videos it's refreshing to watch someone good at what they do and is simplistic at the same time... you should definitely have more subscribers and traffic.... much love to you my brother and definitely keep up this good work

Amazing reviews, extremely comprehensive. After watching a bunch of your videos I pulled the trigger on the Maxwells and I am very happy with my purchase, I’ve never had an “audiophile” headphone before and honestly didn’t know what I was missing out on. I can honestly say that my other sources of enjoying music have been ruined by the quality of the Maxwell. My AirPods sound like I’m listening to music through a cardboard box compared to these, I thought my car sounded good (it’s not bad by any means) but wow… superb sound quality from these cans. Keep up the awesome reviews. Liked and subscribed!

Congrat on the channel growth! Would be good to see non gaming headset headphones around this price range added in to the discussion for a more complete comparison for those who are willing to buy their mic separately. As a separate video if you want would be fine, say a price tier oriented video.

Hey I used your footsteps settings and they were absolutely amazing on the Maxwells. Thank you.

Hot tip don't pry the SteelSeries battery cover. Twist it and it'll essentially disengage the magnets off each other and it'll fall off when you give it a tilt. Likewise when reattaching just put it on and spin it until it finds the magnet with the opposite polarity

New fan here! Great review, thank you!

i love your credibility and depth of your reviews, keep going 🔥🔥

Glad to see you haven't forgotten about the VZR Model One, still waiting for an EU release but the competition is indeed ramping up!

Thanks for this review! Just wanted to add that to open the magnetic covers on the arctis nova wireless - just turn the covers until the magnet gets misaligned and the covers fall off - don't need to pry.

Bought the Max. Love your channel!

I bought the VZR headphones due to your review and haven't looked back. They replaced my Sennheiser mmx300, Astro A40 TR. They are the best, Period. The Advantages they give you has brought my KD up 27 points and Climbing. Sound is getting in positional situation to eliminate the Threat. No more hearing sound and looking around at where it's coming from. Thanks G.T.

Will be selling my epos h6pro closed along with my soundblaster gc7 to pick up the Maxwell, i really miss the freedom you get from wireless. Awesome comparison and your review of the maxwell was stellar. You have a new subscriber, keep up the good work.

My guy with the facts here. Killer review once again.

Very good and informative Comparison! Thank you

Wondering how the JBL Quantium 910 compareds. Super excited about the Maxwell. Great review as always. Thank You!

First! Thanks for this! I am currently using the nova pro wireless. From Singapore here...still waiting for the distributors here to receive maxwell so that they can deliver to meeeee

Well done sir!!

Great video!

Dude it’s wildddddd what the model 1 manages to do with physical components alone.

You are really good at describing the technology, functions and sound to something understandable! I've so learned so much after following your channel. Thanks! Do you know if the engineers of the factory sound are the same people that add equalizer options? Since you said Audeze know how they want it to sound. But so many companies make shitty options to the equalizer. They either sound too muddy or too tinny.

Quality video! Glad you put the workhorses together, because these are the top marks I go against. My Model One smoked my Nova Pro Wireless, which is why I didn't mind being wired up. Coupled with the Schiit Hel 2, I can only believe VZR will be the ones to top their own headset. Now, the Maxwell is really pulling at my wallet. I honestly wouldn't say I need it but I know I can be a sound whore, so I chase that unicorn endlessly. It does seem like the Model One and the Maxwell sit at the end of the rainbow, so it's a matter of temptation, if I buy the Maxwell, because I feel I'm already at the gaming audio endgame until VZR tops themselves. I'm hoping they do!

Well I just gave in and placed my order for the Maxwells lol. I hope these companies recognize the trust you’ve built with your community because I wouldn’t have grabbed these if not for your two videos on this headset.

Love your in-depth reviews. Subbed! Question: If you had to pick ONE wired headset (never been a fan of wireless), what headset would you pick? Just got the wired Nova Pro's, ditched the included DAC and paired it with my Sound Blaster AE-7 soundcard and though it sounds pretty good overall... I know there has to be something better... and for sure a better mic since I don't want to have anything extra on desktop.

Would be great if you can do a video to show how to equalize the maxwell to increase footsteps imaging

LOVE these comparisons. Thank you! Quick question - for immersive action/adventure type games, would you go with the Maxwell or Model One. Truly don’t need a mix or any features and would prefer wireless, but not a deal-break if the sound is exponentially better…

Great video as always. To be honest i was pretty unimpressed by the VZR Model One although i didnt get to use it through my audio interface. It just felt really rumbly like muddy bass and not very clean. I love bass but the mobius had way better sounding and punchier bass IMO

Nice review bro . For immersion on the nova pro wireless . What are ur custom equipment settings? Thanks... brotha. Wanted to add as far as the Maxwells and nova pro wireless comparison. Which one has a noticeable wider sound stage on console? My nova pros to me everything is clear but it just sounds like al the sound is so close together . Was wondering if the Maxwell really just surpass the novas in this department for console gaming ? Thanks again

Looking forward to your future video on the Maxell Wicked cushions and EQ.

Video Idea: Rank all headsets you own or have used in the past per caterogry for example rank them for media, gaming etc as well as their mic.

Great review man ❤❤ I’ll stick with my EPOS H3 hybrid PRO but If they release in Australia I’ll grab the Audeze maxwell !! Again thanks joe

Wow this guy is good detail, knows what a gamer wants don't waste time going else where for reviews.

Hey great review! By the way, can i ask you which one is better in comfort between audeze maxwell & razer barracuda pros? I am on a verge of getting one of them.

Waiting for th VZR Model one to be avaible in Canada but looks like I'll be waiting even more since it seems to be sold out in the US at this time.

Just found your channel and love your videos. Quick question...when I use headphones it's for fps only. Currently using Philips SHP9500 plugged into controller on series x. Thinking about getting the VZR's. Would they be better than getting a mixamp or dac with the Philips? And if so would the VZR benefit a good amount from a mixamp. Appreciate any info

Love this! Thank you. Weird question: around 28:53, you're comparing the H3Pro Hybrid to these and said that while you liked the Penrose sound, you had a finicky connection. Did you mean to say "Epos," or do the Maxwell's have an issue with the connection? I just may have missed that in your Maxwell review.

a question for you - audiophiles always mention wired headsets will always sound better than wireless. do you think that's true with the audeze maxwell? thank you! new to your channel and I LOVE it

Really would like the Maxwells. Almost bought the Penrose but then issues started being mentioned. Maxwell's aren't available here in Japan, at least I couldn't see them here. Cash is tight atm after the move here, so I guess I'll have time to save while I wait for them to come here. lol Thanks for these reviews.

Thank you for the comparison. Since you put me on to the Beoplay Portal PS5/PC it’s really been hard to let go of them. I still have the Novas which I use for PC mostly but the Portal comfort is just too amazing, and I’ve grown to love their sound signature. I use it on the PS5. Even with music over Bluetooth it’s a different flavor from my APM but I still really like how it’s so easy on the ears with terrific mids, and the companion app is the best I’ve ever used for a device. My only issue was the overall mic chat performance but I use the wireless mod-mic on the left cup and it’s flawless. The right earcup causes interference but the left works with no issues. Just too comfortable to move on from lol. I also should add I got them on sale so the price wasn’t that bad.

Yo Gadgetry Tech nice video!How does the Steelseries Arctics Nova Pro Wireless compared to Logitech G Pro X Wireless in terms of footstep and directional audio cue? I mainly play Valorant competitively. Thanks in advance! 😊

I have the model one and I am waiting on the maxwell. Fairly new to eq. Could you do an amp/eq setting for fps video? Do you have anything you recommend? I play on ps and Xbox

I've had my arctis pro wireless for 3 yrs and use them daily. Still on original batteries as well. Seriously impressed that they have lasted and held up this long. I ordered the nova pro wireless.i may switch to nova and keep the pros as a backup. Depends which I like better.

how about the Focal Bathys, if you had a chance with that comparing to Maxwell (I am aware the price is wayyy higher), just wondering if the Maxwell can beat Bathys with the price advantage when it comes to music/movies beside just gaming, thx bro

I gotta ask, do I " NEED " a DAC/AMPif I get the VZR model ones? Like is the audio quality gonna sound bad if I don't use it with em or is it only gonna make it slightly better? I only play FPS games and while I do listen to music quite often, the absolute " perfect " sound quality isn't something I really need, as long as the ingame audio, footsteps etc is accurate and it still provides clear audio if I watch movies or listen to music etc. Let me know cause I really don't wanna spend 250-500 euros for that. Please let me know, thanks. Also another thing I gotta ask, I live in Finland ( eu ), can I buy the VZR Model One from amazon? It shows that there's a few in stock for 350 euros and I gotta pay likr extra 100 euros to that for it to be delivered here where I live which is fine, but lmk.

Thank you for the comparison! I think the video speaks for itself, but there's one thing I would like to add regarding the "Simultaneous 2.4GHz and Bluetooth" feature the Nova Pro Wireless supports. Which is that its BT seemingly only supports the SBC audio codec. It's not even mentioned on their specification page. It's the absolute bare minimum and in my humble opinion should never be seriously used for music, movies or games. Should be OK for phone calls. However, albeit anecdotally, codecs like aptX, LC3plus or LDAC will offer an undeniable boost in audio quality. I was interested in a headset that would offer two wireless inputs without sacrificing audio quality. Might take another year or two before we get those in the gaming scene. For now I'll be getting the Maxwell! Thanks again.

Absolutely fantastic video. Now I just please need you to do a follow up after you have eq the audeze. To see if you find it better than the nova pro wireless. Specifically for gaming, imaging and footsteps. As I trust your opinion very highly. I just purchased the nova pro wireless. But I can take it back and swap it for the audeze. I'm a bit confused now. Please help 😂

Consisting content 👌 maxwell 😍

Sound quality wise, for casual portable listening, which is better - Maxwell or Model One?

Great video, indeed. Assuming I don't care that much about the wireless talk, between the epos h6 pro and these maxwells which one would be better considering that I would have to wear them for a long time, and I would have to do a little bit of everything with them from listening to music, to watching videos (and yes even playing games with them, but mostly the other areas)? These maxwells seem great except for the weight issue, because yes as balanced as it can be in my opinion the fact that they weigh twice as much as the epos might be a drawback for several hours of use in a row. Ps. i'm really really really really looking forward to your video on the mmx 300 hoping they will send them to you sooner or later ahah :D, those also attract me very much but it's impossible to find a decent review :(

Thank you, maxwell for sure

Would love to see how you EQ the Model One

my fav audio guy

Did you get the xbox version? I'm wondering if you can play on all systems with that one? Also doesn't "xbox wireless" mean that it connects directly the console without a dongle?

I mostly play Valorant and been looking between the VZR and the Maxwell. Footsteps on that game i know are more focused on the highs. Was wondering if the VZR would still be good for Valorant over the others since its more base heavy? Or does it seperate sound well still?

Could you make a video on how to better equalize penrose for music and movies, please?

Just got my model one on 2/27. What would be good to use for custom eq? Any advice on an eq? FPS heavy gamer. Thanks in advance

Considering getting the Audeze Maxwell, because ..... #Steelseries Nova Pro Wireless with Xbox Series X Maybe it's just me, but I "always" have a hot mic on the Nova Pro Wireless when playing Warzone 2 on the Xbox Series X. While being in game chat with friends, it turns out to be tricky, becuase of my hot mic. So I frequently have to mute the mic on the Nova Pros. I adjusted the CoD in game Audio settings: Mic volume input = no help Added the Mic windscreen = no help ..... and no, I do not eat, or heavily breath into my mic @GadgetryTech, any idea if this is a common issue on Consoles / CoD game Chat with the Nova Pro Wireless, and or any suggestions on how to address this ? Any help/advise/wisdom would be greatly appreciated!

I know this video is old now, but with the Steelseries magentic sides, just spin it, and it breaks the magnet away and makes it 10x easier to get off the earcup.

11:34 I could wear a tire on my head if it produced good enough audio. To hell with comfort lol.😂 my least concern personally. So far awesome video can’t wait to hear the rest

Got the nova pros for 250, are the maxwells worth the upgrade? I am attracted by the improved mic quality. I do like the light weight and features of the nova pros.

Just placed my order for the Xbox version of the Maxwells. Currently using the VZR Model One which is almost perfect from a sound standpoint for me. I like warm sound and bass. I’ve been using the VZRs since September and they are killer. I just want a wireless set that has elite sound. Hopefully the Maxwell delivers

how does the Maxwell handle eq for music. I like lots of bass for certain music and the chart show it has the least amount of bass.

I had the penrose and had to return them because of horrible wireless connection. Literally had to be 3-4ft away from PS5 or I would get pops and clicks every few minutes. My other gripe was the highs. They were painful to my ears very simbilant to my ears. I'm not a huge fan of neutral headphones because of this. Do the Maxwell's have ear piercing highs like the penrose?

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

🙌🏽🔥Awesomeness🔥🙌🏽

I got my fiancée the Nova Pro, and it's definitely the best in my opinion for someone who just wants to play and doesn't want to tinker. The retractable boom mic, the physical "dock" thingy with the knob, the hot-swap batteries, no wires to deal with, the automatic fallback to Bluetooth if you leave the "dock" at home--it's a dream for anyone who "just wants to play." It's also probably the highest-end gaming headset you could get for someone who isn't tech savvy. I got her an ASUS Flow Z13 with the RTX 3080 dock, and she just straight up doesn't ever use the 3080, because docking/undocking is "annoying." But ever since I got them a year ago, she has always had her Nova Pros on for date night, so I can hear her beautiful voice. :] For myself, I'm getting the Maxwell after watching these reviews, and it comes in this week. I'm excited to try it out, as I already have some modded planar headphones that I really like (but they're wired with no mic). I'll let everyone know what I think when I get them! :] EDIT: My short, very personal, review of the Maxwell, as compared to my modded Fostex T50RPs (also planar): Pros: * I love having the boom mic and Filter. It sounds much better than my laptop's mic for meetings, especially in my noisy work environment. * I like not having a wire running down my torso. * They sound great! I noticed something new in a song I like that I hadn't noticed before. I went back to see if I can hear it on my Fostex, and I can, but I hadn't *noticed* it before, if that makes sense. Cons: * They're a bit too big for my head--and the lack of sliders for adjustment means that even trying multiple combinations of "settings" for the headstrap, they still feel ever so slightly off. I could mod this to make them fit better, but the lack of sliders means that as I move my head based on the work I'm doing, I can't adjust them, and that's kinda annoying. * They're more heavy than I'd like. I thought I'd get used to them, but I didn't realize how much I move my head while I work, looking at multiple screens and such. They have so much inertia that I was constantly trying to keep them from falling off when looking around. * They just don't have enough bass for me. I modded my Fostex to enhance bass, and I love them. The Maxwell can be adjusted with onboard DSP, but it's just not the same as having something that physically/naturally produces bass on its own. The software-added bass sounds artificial, if that makes sense. Another thing that isn't really a con, but worth mentioning, is that you can easily mod the Fostex to be semi-open or closed, and you can change that at will. I doubt I could do this to the Maxwell without ruining it. You might say "Clarke! What the hek! You can't just make headphones open or closed at will, they're engineered specifically for the configuration they're in!" But the truth is, while you will definitely hear a difference, I think you'd be lying to yourself if you said you could detect any actual distortion with the naked ear. Not with headphones at this price point with the kind of equipment you'll use them with. It's super nice to close them or open them depending on how it suits the music I'm listening to, but I'm afraid to even attempt dissecting the Maxwell. I just didn't realize how much I liked doing this until I couldn't do it with the Maxwell. Due to the "cons" above, I decided to return the Maxwell. It's possible I could mod the Maxwell to achieve the same results as my Fostex, although I'm not sure--but no matter what, they're heavy, and I don't see that changing. I knew that going in, but failed to take head movement into account. If you won't move your head every 437 milliseconds like I do, then I bet you'll love them. When you take into account the price of the Maxwell and its features, it's seriously amazing--I get the hype! So the reason I'm returning it isn't because it's a bad headset. It's just because I really like how light my Fostex headphones are, and my "open/closed" configuration, and I'm totally willing to lose the good things I had with the Maxwell in return for keeping the good things I have with my Fostex.

I’ve been waiting for the VZR Model One in Canada and even contacted the founder. They said there was going to be an update in a month for two but that was eight months ago. They’re still trying to find a distributor I guess. >_< Really want to hear them with DTSX. 😬😬

Thanks , so if immersion is the top priority for single player , why is better model one or maxwell ?

I used to play the Astro a40s before i switched to pc and then when i switched i bought a pc with a soundcard that apparently did not have an optical. The A40s do not perform nearly as well without optical imo. So my next audio upgrade was the orchestra lite IEM's. I have loved them but as time has went by i thought i was missing out on some directional audio cues so i just bought the VZR's based on your reviews. Imo it has not been a pleasant experience. The bass is way too heavy and outside of footsteps being very clear and the imaging of where they are coming, when i play Apex, and things start to ramp up with fighting, everything gets muddied. It feels like the headphones cant handle all the noises at once so everything kind of becomes the same if that makes sense. I have to also turn my dac up twice as loud compared ro my IEM's in order to get it on the same volume level as the IEM's so they just aren't as powerful. Maybe its a just sound I'm not used to or its a tune not meant for me. I really wanted to like these. I wish i understood how to eq things but in my little experience of using sonar i havent been able to make the VZR's sound any better to me. I'm thinking of returning them and getting the audeze maxwells for neutral sounding experience. I believe the iems i own are a more neutrally tuned so maybe id enjoy them more?

31:22 As much as I like mine, the disconnects and clipping I've been getting through the dongle with mine have ruined enough experiences that I'm really hoping the Maxwell is as solid a connection as you say. I just don't want to have to think about it anymore, especially if the Xbox version works as seamlessly with everything as we hope and I can just quickly plug and play the dongle on any device. Shame about no simultaneous Bluetooth, but least my Portals have a reason to stick around.

Right now I have an audeze penroze that is starting to get old. Mainly play shooters. Now looking for something new. Don't like audio settings, just plug and play. Which one would you recommend for xbox? Confused between the maxel and the steelseries. There is also a good offer here in the Netherlands for the Bang and Olfsen, which makes them the cheapest at the moment.

Hey how would you compare the sound quality on the Maxwell to the HyperX Cloud Orbit S/Audeze Mobius?

Thank you for making such a great video, I recently encountered a problem I would like to ask, I have a h6pro open so I want to buy a gsx 1000 gen 2, but I heard that the sound quality of the adueze maxwell is also good, so I am thinking now should I Which one is better to buy? My first choice is the music sound quality, then the game pace, and then the wireless. Do you have any opinions?

Hi! How much better the arctis nova pro sounds compared to the blackshark v2 pro? Would you say it's much better? Is it compatible with devices such as apple TV through bluetooth ?

This comment will probably get swept under the rug but I just wanted to ask, is the arctis nova pro wireless actually good for gaming? I've had mine for a good while now and the base headset out of the box just sounds terrible, like I'm listening to my game through a tin can phone. I've tried adjusting all the eq and everything but no luck. Is it a me problem? all the "preset" eq's for games just don't do anything for it, and it makes games just unplayable bad because my gunshots and sfx are deafening while enemy footsteps and gunshots are super quiet and impossible to tell how far they are or in which exact direction. I got them at an acceptable sounding quality but recently the app deleted and got rid of my custom settings making me realize just how bad the base headset is, which I feel shouldn't be a problem. Is my headset broken or is there something I'm doing wrong? should I just return mine and get the Model one instead?

How would you compare the Maxwell to the Penrose in terms of sound? Is it worth the upgrade? I know the Maxwell somewhat fixed all the build and conection issues of the former product, but maybe the price cut makes it worth it now.

While I think the "I can't believe I can't hear that vacuum" is neat, it has little impact on why I would want to buy a gaming headset or any headset, headphones or iem. I'm also surprised how many people care about the ability to do 3 different things at the same time they are playing a game. I think most people are playing in relatively controlled environments and focused on gaming and not all the extras. And that unfortunately, is what you're paying for with the more premium models.

would you mind sharing your EQ-settings on the novas?

How would the audeze maxwell compere to the hifiman sundara? they're near the same price, one is just wired and one is for gaming.

Just got my Maxwell today. I love how much better built they are than the mobius. The Maxwell is built like a tank

I just ordered a Vzr model one, it’s supposed to be here Monday. I currently have the Nova Pro Wired, I also have a Mayflower arc mk2. I mainly play fps, so I am looking for directional awareness and foot step audio. Any suggestions for a dac/amp? I am on Ps5 and also have a audio extractor connected so I have the ability of optical. Is the Mayflower probably the best I can do on console? Or is there something better I would look at?

How does the h6pro open acoustic stack up against the vzr model 1? Both paired with the schiit hel2

Hi there. I’m looking for a new wired headset/headphones to go with my Creative Sound BlasterX G6 dac/amp. Do you think the VZR would be a good choice? Are there any others you would recommend? specifically for fps gaming. Thanks in advance 😊

Buy Audeze! I owned steelseries a screw came out that was physically impossible to be put back in causing it to fall apart completely, they refused to help me. Iv had a PenRose x for 2 years they’re shipping me a brand new one because mine snapped over time from its flexibility. Good company

how does maxwell compares to wired Arctis Nova Pros? Does wired nova pro has punchier, fuller sound than wireless maxwell?

hi if i want too hear everything and know exactly where. What do you suggest to buy with A hundred dollars or less? on xbox and i have the recon controller

That give on steelseries, seems like the same problem i had with 4 arctis pro, they broke every time on right yolk connection

I know these are gaming headsets but from what I heard so far in pretty much any review is the mic on the Audeze Maxwell is just crazy good. Might even be a good choice for working from home. Plus I think they could also Excell as a regular pair of headphones for music listening with some degree of ANC. Any comparison on how loud the Audeze get? I had on my PS5 the Razer Kaira Pro and I could never put them to max volume while gaming. More like 70 %. They were just really loud. For music I could put them to like 80%. Are the Audeze as loud?

If you had to choose one of these three which one would you pick?

Everyone who is considering the Nova Pro Wireless needs to pay close attention from 9:52. The ANC knobs Arctis put in there make this headset incredibly uncomfortable after a very short time. The 3rd party cushions ruin the audio, even with the recommended equalizer settings. They are not worth the $350 in my opinion.