Audeze Maxwell 2 vs Asus ROG Kithara: Which is the better audiophile gaming headset?

The Audeze Maxwell 2 and the ROG/HiFiMan Kithara may both be the only audiophile-tuned gaming headsets in town, but comparing them is an apples-to-oranges affair. The Maxwell 2 is a closed-back design, while the Kithara features an open-back design, so there will be points of comparison that won’t be remotely close. Let’s break it all down.

What’s it like to use the Audeze Maxwell 2 compared to the ROG Kithara?

Despite both having planar magnetic drivers, one issue with the Maxwell 2 is that there’s a slight rattle when walking with it, caused by a loose mute switch in the mute position. It’s a non-issue when sitting still at home, but worth knowing about. There’s also an audible noise floor on the Maxwell 2 that shows up during quiet passages in a song, a noticeable but minor annoyance. The Kithara’s open-back design means the noise floor depends on the noise floor of your environment.

The Maxwell 2 is the heavier of the two at 567g, while the Kithara weighs 420g. Both have quite a bit of heft by most standards, but the ROG Kithara is noticeably lighter. Despite being lighter, the Kithara puts a bit of pressure on the top of your head, and the clamping force is on the looser side. The Maxwell 2 also has a wider headband increases the contact area and mostly negates the feeling of weight on your head. It’s not a commuter headset, though it can double as one in a pinch.

The Kithara’s headrest is straightforward, with the notched adjustments. On the other hand, adjusting the Maxwell 2 is an absolute pain. I had to pull the strap completely off the pins by force, and there are only three adjustment points. The upside is that once it’s set, it won’t slip out of position. It’s a once-and-never-again scenario, but adjusting it is horrendous. Both headsets use pleather ear pads by default, and both start to cause discomfort after around 4 hours.

The Kithara ships with a second set of velour ear pads in the box, which are noticeably more comfortable and push that threshold past 6 hours without discomfort. The pleather is the main point of concern on the Maxwell 2, not because it’s immediately uncomfortable, but because it traps heat. It’s fine in the cold, but once you’re indoors for a few hours, it starts sticking to your skin.

Do the Audeze Maxwell 2 or ROG Kithara have more features?

The Audeze Maxwell 2 automatically has more features than the ROG Kithara. The Audeze Maxwell 2 has a dedicated app that allows you to adjust the sidetone and game chat balance, the microphone boom microphone noise cancellation strength, as well as create four custom EQ on top of the included presets.

Despite the ROG Kithara offering a USB-C DAC, it doesn’t connect to ROGs armoury crate app. It does have a trick up its sleeve, where the microphone and audio outputs are separated, preventing cross-talk between the two signals. A feature that the ROG Kithara has over the Audeze Maxwell 2: you can swap the connectors on the terminations. Another extra feature is that there’s a second pair of earpads that can be used to make the ROG Kithara more comfortable to your tastes.

How do the Audeze Maxwell 2 and ROG Kithara connect?

There’s a huge gap between the two, with the Audeze Maxwell 2 capable of connecting both wired and wirelessly. The only connection available on the ROG Kithara is wired analogue, but it offers a better array of connectors than the Audeze Maxwell 2.

The ROG Kitara comes with the regular headset cable with a microphone; it instead has a regular auxiliary cable with 3.5mm, 4.4 penteconn, and 1/4-inch swappable terminations. On the other hand, the Audeze Maxwell 2 has a wired USB-C port and a 3.5mm jack. The leg up is that the Audeze Maxwell 2 supports both Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz wireless connections. The 2.4GHz wireless dongle is used over Bluetooth because 2.4GhHz provides better latency.

Will the battery life of the Audeze Maxwell 2 be a problem compared to the ROG Kithara?

Since the Audeze Maxwell 2 is primarily a wireless headset, you may have to worry about charging them. Despite requiring a battery, the Audeze Maxwell 2 via the 2.4GHz wireless USB-C  dongle has a battery life of 63 hours and 13 minutes in our testing. If you do run out of battery, it won’t be for long, and in my experience, it lasts an entire workweek. That’s using it roughly more than 8 hours a day.

However, with the ROG Kithara will tie you to your desk because it only supports a wired connection. There are Bluetooth DACs that let you use the ROG Kithara without tying yourself to the desk, but they come with a cost: latency.

How bothersome is the open-back ROG Kithara vs the passive isolation of the Audeze Maxwell 2?

I’ll say neither is the best at blocking noise, though the Audeze Maxwell 2 wins by default. If you’re using an open-back, you want your environment to be as quiet as possible. Using open-back headphones in a noisy environment can cause volume pumping, which can overwhelm ambient noise and lead to hearing loss. The Audeze Maxwell 2 doesn’t have ANC and relies on passive isolation to block out noise, making it a step up compared to the ROG Kithara. If you’re in a horribly noisy environment, you’ll want active noise canceling, which you’ll have to wait for with the upcoming Audeze Maxwell 2 with ANC.

Do the Audeze Maxwell 2 sound better than the ROG Kithara?

Sound quality will be subjective, but each has its strong points. For those who are more into competitive gaming, it will depend on the type. For busy, cluttered sounds prevalent in MOBA or Battle Royale games, the Audeze Maxwell 2 is better, as it’s easier to separate sounds. If you want more accurate spatial width in tactical shooters or extraction shooters, you’ll want the ROG Kithara. For those that are into casual gaming, chose which ever is going to be a lot more comfortable

Objective Measurements

Both the Audeze Maxwell 2 and the ROG Kithara have similar frequency responses and closely follow the SoundGuys preference curve, with the main difference in the bass. The bass is more prominent on the Audeze Maxwell, making it friendlier for those who aren’t used to a more audiophile taste. On the other hand, the ROG Kithara is much closer to our studio curve, making it much more versatile, as it can double as a studio headset.

How would most people rate the sound from 1 to 5?

Looking at the MDAQS of both the Audeze Maxwell 2 and the ROG Kithara are pretty close. The Timbre scores indicate that most people would prefer the Audeze Maxwell 2’s sound to the ROG Kithara’s. The noticeable differentiation is in the Immersiveness score. People would rate the Audeze Maxwell 2 higher for its ability to place sounds in 3D space.

Do the Audeze Maxwell 2 or ROG Kithara have a better microphone?

The microphones on both are good. If you’re in a noisy environment, the win goes to the Audeze Maxwell 2, which can remove ambient noise from the microphone. The microphone on the ROG Kithara sounds much clearer, but it clips easily. If you’re typically loud when gaming, it’s something to avoid. However, you can check out the samples below to make your own verdict.

Audeze Maxwell 2 microphone demo (Ideal conditions):

Audeze Maxwell 2 with Noise reduction microphone demo (Ideal conditions):

ROG Kithara microphone demo (Ideal conditions):

Audeze Maxwell 2 microphone demo (Office conditions):

Audeze Maxwell 2 with Noise reduction microphone demo (Office conditions):

ROG Kithara microphone demo (Office conditions):

Audeze Maxwell 2 vs ROG Kithara: Price and availability

Both headsets came out in 2026, with the Audeze Maxwell 2 priced at  $329.99 and the ROG Kithara undercutting it at $299. Personally, that $30 difference is negligible to me, but it might make all the difference depending on which format makes more sense for you.

Audeze Maxwell 2 price history

ASUS ROG Kithara price history

Should you get the Audeze Maxwell 2 or the ROG Kithara?

Both the ROG Kithara and the Audeze Maxwell 2 are great gaming headsets. However, the choice will depend on your environment and the games you play.

If you’re looking for a closed-back headphone that sounds closer to the ROG Kithara, check out the original Audeze Maxwell. It’s pretty much the same headset as the Audeze Maxwell 2, minus the AI noise removal and a more comfortable headband.