In the world of wireless gaming headsets, there’s one spec that draws me in like a moth to a flame: battery life. Particularly 100-hour+ battery life. Wireless cans have come a long way in the last decade, but plugging them in all the time is an annoyance. If I can get away with multiple days without messing around with a cable, I usually will.
Which brings me to the Edifier G5 Max. Or the Edifier Hecate G5 Max, if you believe the writing on the box. It’s got an astonishing “are you really sure” battery life spec of 305-hours, which meant I had to give it a look.
And now I’ve got one in my hands, I can confirm the battery life is impressive. Only the original HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless comes close. But the G5 Max, for its $150/$160 price tag, isn’t quite the full ticket in other departments.
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For one, it comes with a remarkably boxy default sound profile, so you’ll want to do some EQ tweaking in the software to sweeten it up. That’s usually no big deal—except the EQ presets are as blunt as a hammer, so you’ll need to play around with the sliders yourself if you want to get the most out of it. The 53 mm composite drivers are actually fairly decent once they’ve been fiddled with, but this is a set that massively benefits from some user assistance.
And for two, it doesn’t have “$150 gaming headset” characteristics. This is a very light set of cans, coming in at just 305 grams. Light is good, but shiny, tippy-tappy ear cup plastics are not. It also looks a bit like a Power Ranger’s codpiece, which will probably split the room.
The clamping force is also very light, to the point where it wants to slip around on my head, and the earpads feel a touch baggy. It’s comfy, sure—but I do have reservations as to how long it will last.
$150 is premium pricing. Does this look, feel, and sound like a premium gaming headset? No, not really. Oh, and the multiple microphones are below par, too. The G5 Max has some good things going for it, but for this sort of cash? I think it lands a little wide of the mark.
The G5 Max is a lightweight, comfortable gaming headset with truly stellar battery life, and for that it should be commended. Unfortunately, the dull microphone and boxy sound characteristics let it down. While it can be tweaked, it’s still a fiddly, slightly cheap-feeling beast that doesn’t justify its $150 price tag.
Buy if…
✅ You want massive battery life: 305 hours worth, says Edifier. I can well believe it, as I’ve still not managed to drain it to zero after several weeks of on/off testing.
Don’t buy if…
❌ You’re not prepared to dive into the settings: Out of the box, the G5 Max has a disappointingly boxy sound profile. The software EQ presets are poor, so you’ll need to get down and dirty with the options to coax it around.
❌ You want a good microphone: This one is dull, slightly muffled, and difficult to tweak, even if Edifier has thrown the kitchen sink at it in terms of software options.
Edifier G5 Max features
|
Operating principle |
Closed back |
|
Connectivity |
2.4 GHz wireless via USB Type-A/Type-C dongle, Bluetooth 6.0, USB Type-C wired |
|
Drivers |
53 mm composite, titanium coated |
|
Frequency response |
20,000 – 40,000 Hz |
|
Mic |
Twin built-in ENC mics, detachable 9.75 mm unidirectional boom mic |
|
Battery life |
305-hour |
|
Weight |
305 g |
|
Price |
The Edifier G5 Max is a wireless gaming headset that tips the scales at just 305 grams. That’s all the more impressive when combined with the battery life, which maxes out at a stated 305-hours. I have no idea why those specs line up the way they do, but it’s a pleasing symmetry at the very least.
In terms of drivers, we’re looking at a pair of 53 mm composite, titanium-coated units with a frequency response of 20,000 – 40,000 Hz. Connectivity options come in the form of a 2.4 GHz wireless dongle (with a nifty little switchable USB Type-C or Type-A plug design), a USB Type-C connection proper, and Bluetooth 6.0.
Add THX Spatial Audio+ support and up to 96 kHz/24-bit wired playback, along with support for the LHDC 5.0 codec for Bluetooth low-latency connectivity, and you’ve got a pretty fully-featured specs sheet. Microphones come in the form of a removable boom mic and two built-in units nestled deep within the internals.
Edifier G5 Max ergonomics
Let’s start with the good. The G5’s headband is remarkably thick and squidgey, which feels very pleasant atop my head. The ear cup armature is solid metal, and has a slightly industrial feel to it that suggests it might last.
It’s also very light, which means wearing the G5 Max for long periods is no issue at all. That being said, the earpads do give me pause for thought. They’re a touch baggy, and while the material covering them is very soft and comfortable, it does seem a little fragile.
The clamping force is also very light. On the one hand, this is good for comfort. On the other, this headset has slipped from my dome more than once while moving around. Differing head sizes will end up with differing experiences here, but the G5 is light-touch enough to make itself an annoyance on occasion.
(Image credit: Future)
The controls are a bit tinny, too. Combined with the clattering plastics used on the outside of the ear cups, this makes the whole endeavour feel a little cheap when you’re adjusting it. And let’s face it, at $150, this headset really isn’t. Cheap, I mean.
Still, it’s very comfortable when you’re in a standard gaming position in front of your PC. Despite the Bluetooth 6.0 connection, though, I’m not sure I’d risk the whole affair slipping from my head while I was outside.
Edifier G5 Max sound
If you simply plug in and go with the Edifier G5 Max, prepare yourself for a very boxy sound profile. While that might be advantageous in certain competitive gaming situations, it’s not particularly nice to listen to for everyday usage.
You can tweak the EQ of this set within the Edifier Hecate app. Unfortunately, the audio presets it comes with are seriously heavy-handed. There are a handful of options for specific games (most of which boost the upper mids and treble to ear-aching levels while eschewing bass almost entirely), while the “bass” music preset itself lives up to its name:
Holy hell, Batman, this looks like a 12-year-old’s first headset EQ. Switching between all of the different options, I couldn’t find one that worked well with the 53 mm drivers to create a balanced sound. Luckily, a little home tweaking can improve the sound profile considerably.
Basic stuff. A little bass boost from neutral, a small 200-300 Hz dip, a little push at the top end to sweeten up the treble. These 53 mm drivers need some work to sound their best, which is unfortunate.
Be prepared to break out the toolbox to warm the drivers up.
I would imagine that most gamers buying a $150 headset would expect it to sound lovely straight from the box, or at least be able to tweak it towards something halfway-pleasant without fiddling with the EQ beyond the given presets.
What the drivers are good at, though, is detail. Multiplayer shooter fans will appreciate their footstep-reproducing ways, and the positioning is very good, particularly with the spatial audio setting engaged. For everything else, though, be prepared to break out the toolbox to warm them up.
As for the microphone(s), they’re also disappointing. The built-in units are dedicated to the Bluetooth connection and sound like every other internal set I’ve ever tested—hollow, but good enough to use in a pinch. Plug in the boom mic, though, and you get… well, it doesn’t improve things much.
Below: An audio test of the G5 Max boom microphone, software settings at default/off.
That’s a pretty dull-sounding capsule if you ask me. You can adjust the microphone EQ independently, but the other software settings are very blunt instruments in their own right. Under microphone settings, you get Mic Volume, Voice Clarity, and Volume Levelling options, none of which do much to get around the characteristics of the capsule itself.
Below: The G5 Max boom microphone, all software settings at 50%/on.
At low settings, the noise-reduction assistance does little to clean up the audio. Turn it up, and digital wash becomes apparent very early on, while the clarity settings add a fair amount of extra sibilance, while also removing a lot of depth.
I’ve heard much better audio quality from much cheaper sets. The sound in general is below average, which isn’t a great look for any headset with a $100+ price tag.
Edifier G5 Max aesthetics
The G5 Max looks good in photos, but in person it’s a bit polarising. The octagonal earcups strike me as a slightly childish design choice, sitting at odds with the large, studio headphone-like headband. The RGB is pleasingly subtle, though, having been reduced to a “H” logo on each earcup.
The boom mic tip also gets the angular treatment, but it’s rather large. You’ll probably stop noticing it eventually, but I keep catching it out of the corner of my eye. Being as sizable as it is, I think Edifier may as well have gone the whole hog and wrapped it in a foam pop filter.
Anyway, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I personally prefer my $150 headsets to look a little more refined (or, dare I say, a little more grown up) than this.
Edifier G5 Max battery life
Ah, now we’re on to the G5 Max’s party trick. 305-hours of battery life is very impressive on paper, and in practice, it’s a seriously handy thing to have. I’ve been testing the G5 Max for the past three weeks and I’ve yet to show it a power cable.
That’s a massive bonus for anyone looking for convenience. It’s such a long battery life, I’d imagine it will come as a genuine surprise when it eventually begs for some wall juice. I still haven’t got there yet, despite leaving the headset on overnight a few times to see if I could make it meaningfully drop.
And I still can’t work out how Edifier has managed to make a headset so light, while still equipping it with such a substantial battery. That’s something akin to a headset magic trick. Top marks in this department, at the very least.
Edifier G5 Max software
Edifier’s Hecate software is perhaps a little basic when it comes to the UI, but there are plenty of features to play with. There’s a parametric EQ, a separate bass boost setting, volume levelling, THX Spatial Audio+ switching—even a separate EQ for the mic. You can also tweak the RGB, adjust the power off settings, switch connection modes, and flip between user profiles for your various adjustments.
I just wish that it was a bit more plug and play. All the options are here to improve some of the G5 Max’s lesser qualities, but the aforementioned sound presets are so ham-fisted, you’ll want to familiarise yourself with all these toggles and sliders pretty early on.
The app is easy enough to use, but be prepared to lean on it to get the most out of this headset. And it did lock itself in an update loop on first install. That might just be a me thing, but it’s worth pointing out that it can feel a touch… rough and ready when it comes to stability. YMMV, is what I’m saying.
Edifier G5 Max value
A $150 MSRP aims this headset squarely at one of the biggest hitters in the space, the Razer BlackShark V3. It’s our top best gaming headset pick—and in all honesty, I don’t think there’s much competition between the two.
The Razer has a more refined chassis design and much better audio straight from the box, and although its microphone is perhaps one of the weaker points of the whole package, it still sounds better than the one you’ll find on the G5 Max. You “only” get 70-hour battery life, but I’d still say that’s plenty.
It’s even lighter, too, at 270 g. And should you wish to go (much) cheaper, there’s always the PowerA LucidSound LS500 to consider. Again, it’s lighter, and again, you only get 70-hour battery life. But listening to the microphone clips back to back, and looking at the LS500’s recipe of capable 50 mm drivers and a comfy chassis design (not to mention more grown-up looks), I know where I’d be saving my cash.
If battery life really is your biggest concern, then I’d point you straight at the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless. It’s also got a weak microphone, but it’s a remarkably solid, comfy, and great-sounding set that can often be found with large discounts. It’s down to $109 at the time of publishing this review. Oh and the battery life stat? 300 hours.
I was expecting more from the Edifier G5 Max. The battery life is impressive, but I think you can do much better elsewhere for less cash. Ultimately, I’d say this set is a good reminder that, when shopping for your next pair of wireless cans, you shouldn’t press the buy button because of one feature alone.
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