Over-Ear
Audeze Maxwell 2 ANC
88Outstanding
$430
Full review dataAudeze Maxwell 2 ANC vs Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2: which should you buy?
On aggregated review scores the Audeze Maxwell 2 ANC comes out ahead with a HearWiki score of 88. The full breakdown - sub-scores, specs and what reviewers actually said - is below.
Our pick: Audeze Maxwell 2 ANC - Outstanding overall at around $429.
Score breakdown
Each axis is a 0–10 blend of what reviewers scored, not a lab measurement.
Audeze Maxwell 2 ANC leads on 5 of 7 measures.
- Audeze Maxwell 2 ANC
- Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2
HearWiki score
88
85
Sound
9.3
9.5
Noise cancelling
8.5
8.0
Battery
8.0
8.5
Calls
9.0
7.0
Value
6.5
5.5
Price (USD)
$430
$800
Generation & platform
The scores rank quality. This is the other question: is the newer one actually newer technology, or the same platform in a new shell?
Mixed generations
Both shipped in 2026. Neither is straightforwardly newer: the Audeze Maxwell 2 ANC brings LE Audio (LC3) and ANC type Adaptive against Hybrid, while the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 answers with Top codec aptX Lossless against LC3. The Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 answers on convenience features: it adds Wear detection.
- Maxwell 2 ANC2026
- Px8 S22026
What differsMaxwell 2 ANCPx8 S2
- Top codec
- LC3
- aptX Lossless
- LE Audio (LC3)
- Yes
- No
- ANC type
- Adaptive
- Hybrid
- Wear detection
- No
- Yes
Platform
Everyday features
Level on: Bluetooth, Multipoint pairing, USB-C, Transparency mode, Custom EQ, Companion app.
Specifications
Maxwell 2 ANCPx8 S2
- Type
- Over-Ear
- Over-Ear
- Price (USD)
- $430
- $800
- HearWiki score
- 88
- 85
- Released
- 2026
- 2026
- Availability
- Sold new
- Sold new
- Driver
- 90 mm planar magnetic
- 2× 40 mm dynamic
- Driver type
- planar
- dynamic
- Driver size
- 90 mm
- 40 mm
- Drivers per side
- 1
- 2
- Frequency response
- 10 Hz - 50 kHz
- -
- Sensitivity
- 115 dB/mW
- -
- Bluetooth
- 5.3
- 5.3
- Codecs
- SBC, AAC, LC3, LC3plus, LDAC
- SBC, AAC, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless
- Multipoint pairing
- Yes
- Yes
- Battery life
- 40 h
- 30 h
- Battery life (ANC on)
- 35 h
- 30 h
- Full charge time
- 120 min
- -
- Quick charge
- -
- 15 min → 7 h
- Wireless charging
- -
- No
- Active noise cancelling
- Yes
- Yes
- ANC type
- adaptive
- hybrid
- Transparency mode
- Yes
- Yes
- Companion app
- Yes
- Yes
- Custom EQ
- Yes
- Yes
- Wear detection
- No
- Yes
- Controls
- both
- buttons
- Voice assistant
- -
- Yes
- Weight
- 560 g
- 310 g
- Foldable
- -
- Yes
- Detachable cable
- -
- Yes
- USB-C
- Yes
- Yes
- Connector
- -
- USB-C
- Microphones
- 2
- 8
- Call noise reduction
- Yes
- -
- Call NR technology
- AI ENC
- -
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