Edifier G5 Max review: incredible sound and amazing battery life, held back by a weak mic
Edifier's gaming headset exceeds all expectations
🏆 Review Score: 4/5 – ‘Great!‘
✅ Pros:
👂 Exceptional sound quality
🔋 Amazingly long battery life
🔈 Hi-Res audio support
👍 THX Spatial audio included
🎧 Incredibly comfortable
👏 Works on PC, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, and Bluetooth
🤓 Clever USB-A or USB-C dongle
🌈 Tasteful RGB lighting
📱 Desktop and mobile apps let you dial in your EQ settings
❌ Cons:
😔 No simultaneous Bluetooth and game audio
🎤 Microphone quality is poor
😤 Bluetooth pairing to more than one device is cumbersome
🥵 Earcups aren’t very breathable
😷 Horrible chemical smell when first unboxing
The Shortcut Review
I’m rarely surprised by a product these days, but the Edifier G5 Max admittedly caught me off guard. Despite its rather gamer-centric design language and various technical promises – Hi-Res audio, THX Spatial audio, a staggering 305 hours of battery life in Bluetooth mode – I wasn’t expecting the G5 Max to become the headset I end up using each night once I’d finished my review. But that’s exactly what’s happened.
For a closed-back headset, I was shocked by just how expansive and wide the soundstage was, and how clear, balanced, and detailed the audio sounded. I could hear audio cues in the Resident Evil 2 remake that had previously passed me by, and the shuffling, groaning zombies and stomping heavy feet of Mr. X as he roamed through Raccoon City police station never felt so menacing.
I was shocked by just how expansive and wide the soundstage was, and how clear, balanced, and detailed the audio sounded.
With a little tweaking of the low-end in the EQ, I found myself gravitating towards the Edifier G5 Max instead of my trusty Razer Blackshark V3 Pro – quite an achievement, considering the Blackshark V3 Pro costs $100 more and includes ANC. I even enjoyed the THX Spatial implementation on the G5 Max, which I immediately turned off on the Razer Blackshark V3 Pro as it always sounded overly tinny and artificial.
Edifier G5 Max specs 🛠️
Price: $149.99
Connection: 2.4GHz wireless, USB-A/USB-C, Bluetooth
Weight: 305 grams
Colors: white, black
The Edifier G5 Max may be one of the best-sounding gaming headsets I’ve tested in a while, and I even enjoyed them when listening to music using the supplied preset. Listening on Apple Music to Slipknot’s ‘Duality’, which bombards you with different guitar riffs, vocals, and percussion all at once, came through beautifully, with nothing muddied or overpowered.
The sub-bass is a bit lacking compared to other headsets I’ve tried, and sadly it can’t really be rectified. However, you’re still getting a really well-rounded audio profile that isn’t too bright or drowned out by lower frequencies.
The Edifier G5 Max may be one of the best-sounding gaming headsets I’ve tested in a while.
If all you care about is the audio performance of a gaming headset, then the Edifier G5 Max is pretty easy to recommend. Where it falls down, however, is the headset’s microphone, which I’d describe as average at best. Even though there is a detachable boom mic and a built-in mic, neither delivered a natural-sounding recording during my testing. The mic’s noise gate was also overly aggressive, cutting off the first few seconds of a word when beginning a sentence.
Other nice-to-have features, like simultaneous audio and Bluetooth playback, are also missing, and as comfortable as they are to wear thanks to their super light build and protein leather ear cushions, my head would get noticeably hotter than when wearing other headsets – not ideal during the UK heatwave.
It’s obvious the Edifier G5 Max gaming headset isn’t perfect, then. But its audio does some serious heavy lifting to make it my current daily driver. Read my full Edifier G5 Max review below for more.
A review unit was provided by Edifier.
What I loved about the Edifier G5 Max ❤️
👂 Exceptional sound quality. The sound profile of the Edifier G5 Max is perfect for gaming, with a pleasing balance of low, mid, and high frequencies working in tandem instead of competing against one another. Some gaming headsets can be too bright, too muddy, or deliver a middling sound that satisfies no one. However, the Edifier G5 Max delivers the type of expansive and detailed audio that you usually only get from open-back headphones.
🔋 Amazingly long battery life. I charged the Edifier G5 Max once during my review and apparently still have 80% battery left. Edifier says you can expect up to 305 hours in Bluetooth mode and 227 hours in 2.4 GHz mode at 50% volume with the RGB off, and I believe that to be accurate. Simply put, you won’t have to worry about battery life with these cans.
🔈 Hi-Res audio support. Music lovers can enjoy Hi-Res audio with the Edifier G5 Max, and it’s something that will be more of a selling point now that Spotify has finally caught up with the competition. Listening to my favorite tracks on Apple Music in lossless quality using the default music profile was a real pleasure.
👍 THX Spatial audio included. I haven’t had the best experience with THX Spatial audio in the past, as it’s always sounded far more artificial than Dolby Atmos and DTS Headphone:X. However, the implementation on the Edifier G5 Max sounds fantastic and natural. What’s really nice is that when using the music EQ, THX Spatial is disabled, so you don’t have to keep turning it on and off depending on whether you’re gaming or listening to music.
Music lovers can enjoy Hi-Res audio with the Edifier G5 Max, and it’s something that will be more of a selling point now that Spotify has finally caught up with the competition.
🎧 Incredibly comfortable. At just over 300 grams, the Edifier G5 Max is super light with zero clamping force. My ears fit comfortably in the cups, and the protein leather pads are lovely and soft. The swiveling earcups are also always nice to have, and I found the headset band never moved from the position I wanted after it was adjusted, which can happen on other headsets.
👏 Works on PC, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, and Bluetooth. I tested the G5 Max gaming headset on PS5, PC, and Bluetooth primarily, and it sounded great on every device I connected it to. PS5 owners should go through the 3D spatial audio setup to get the most out of it, as it really makes a difference once you dial in your profile.
🤓 Clever USB-A or USB-C dongle. Most headsets either come with a USB-A or USB-C dongle, but the Edifier G5 Max can work either way. It’s such a simple innovation, but one that means you don’t have to bother with an adapter. You also have more flexibility if you’re running out of USB ports.
🌈 Tasteful RGB lighting. RGB lighting on headsets is really only for streamers’ benefit, but it’s here if you want it. It’s thankfully understated, and you can choose between different settings, colors, and brightness levels.
📱 Desktop and mobile apps let you dial in your EQ settings. Every good headset lets you tinker and tweak its audio profile to your liking, and the Edifier G5 Max is no different. You can change the settings either through the desktop Hecate app or the Edifier ConneX mobile app. There are also presets for specific games to choose from if you’re not comfortable creating your own EQ.
What I disliked about the Edifier G5 Max 💔
😔 No simultaneous Bluetooth and game audio. For the price of $150, I’d have expected the Edifier G5 Max to support simultaneous Bluetooth and game audio. It’s a feature that should really be included at this price.
🎤 Microphone quality is poor. There’s no getting past the Edifier G5 Max’s poor microphone quality. Even when fiddling with the EQ, I couldn’t make it sound pleasing, and the noise gate would often cut off words.
😤 Bluetooth pairing to more than one device is cumbersome. You can’t pair the G5 Max to a new Bluetooth device unless you forget an existing connection. There isn’t a dedicated pairing button, which is rather annoying.
🥵 Earcups aren’t very breathable. They might not have active noise cancelling, but the Edifier G5 Max earcups have excellent passive noise isolation. However, I was getting hotter than usual when wearing headphones, as the earcups aren’t very breathable.
😷 Horrible chemical smell when first unboxing. The Edifier G5 Max absolutely stank of a strong, headache-inducing chemical-like substance when I first unboxed them. The smell was so pungent that I had to leave the headphones on my desk for a day or two before I could start using them. I’ve never encountered this before, and it’s something I hope Edifier can fix in the future, as it’s really unpleasant and doesn’t make a great first impression.
Should you buy the Edifier G5 Max? 🤔
Yes, if…
✅ You care solely about audio and don’t really need a top-class microphone.
✅ You want a wireless headset that barely ever needs charging.
✅ You’re after a gaming headset that sounds great for games and music.
No, if…
❌ You listen to a Bluetooth device when gaming and need simultaneous audio.
❌ You’re someone who likes a lot of bass and sub-bass above all else.
❌ You game in a hot room and need a breathable headset.
Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. He also runs a retro gaming YouTube channel called Game on, boy! Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.