One of our very favourite Xbox headsets of recent years has come from Audeze. It’s the Maxwell, whether that be the one we reviewed in late 2023 in Ultraviolet form, or the new Wasabi flavour. It’s a killer headset that looks as good as it sounds, only very slightly letdown by a flimsy detachable mic boom.
But can the Audeze Maxwell be bettered? Dekoni Audio certainly thinks so as they release their Audeze Maxwell Elite Sheepskin ear pads to the market. While not an essential purchase, these ear pads offer an upgrade for those seeking enhanced comfort and sound quality, making them a worthwhile consideration if you have some spare cash or need replacement pads.
The Dekoni Audio Audeze Maxwell Elite Sheepskin ear pads are not game changers. For that to be the case, they’d have to be able to elevate an already brilliant product to stratospheric new heights. But they don’t do that, mostly as they are just here to replace the standard ear pads that come as default on the Maxwell, as Dekoni look to increase both comfort and sound. Again, we found the Maxwell to already be right up there with some of the most comfortable headsets on the market, providing excellent sound straight out-of-the-box.
What you get with the Dekoni pads is an all-black pair of ear pads, crafted with high-density, heat-activated memory foam and covered in glorious lambskin leather, ready and willing to be attached to your Maxwell headset. They do so by delicately clipping and twisting into place (clockwise to remove, anti-clockwise to reattach) with right and left pads easily distinguishable.Â
From there, and while visually similar to the standard Audeze Maxwell ear pads, the Dekoni pads offer a slight improvement in comfort. The plush padding and memory foam create a luxuriously soft feel, ensuring hours of comfortable wear. And while not drastically different from the standard offering, the enhanced comfort can, just about, be felt.
Similar goes for the audio. Dekoni Audio promise that these will improve on the sound delivered via the headset they are attached to. And perhaps if you’re a full-on audiophile, you’ll be able to spot the most minute of changes. For us, we’ve been gaming with the Maxwell for over a year, and have consistently been amazed by the sound it delivers. That’s not changed with the Dekoni Audio Elite Sheepskin pads in place; neither positively nor negatively.Â
With a delicate cloth piece covering the internals of the Maxwell, there’s absolutely nothing to stop the finest gaming audio from being pumped straight to your brain. And there’s hardly any leakage either – we’ve played with volume levels high and have had zero issues from others in the same room complaining. Perhaps that is due to the memory foam of the Dekoni pads molding themselves to our head and ears.
It all means that whilst it’s nice to see Dekoni Audio giving gamers the opportunity to mod their headsets to their own liking, these are far from essential pieces of kit. In fact, a purchase should really boil down to what you want from life, and what you want from your gaming sessions. If you’ve the cash spare, and fancy a mod to your Audeze Maxwell or have found yourself battering existing pads through use, fill your boots and be left in the knowledge that you’ll be happy with your purchase. But don’t fret if you decide to run standard – these are a nice option to have, but certainly not essential.
In fact, if you didn’t know you had the Dekoni Audio Audeze Maxwell Elite Sheepskin ear pads installed, you would be extremely hard pressed to tell. Whether that is a good or bad thing, taking into account the brilliance already in place with the Audeze Maxwell, will be a personal call.
Huge thanks go out to Dekoni Audio for providing their Maxwell Elite Sheepskin ear pads for reviews. Grab a set from Dekoni direct. Expect to pay around $79.99.
