Over-Ear
Audeze Maxwell 2 ANC
88Outstanding
$430
Full review dataAudeze Maxwell 2 ANC vs HiFiMAN Arya Stealth: 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.
Over-Ear
HiFiMAN Arya Stealth
81Outstanding
$600
Full review dataScore breakdown
Each axis is a 0–10 blend of what reviewers scored, not a lab measurement.
Audeze Maxwell 2 ANC leads on 6 of 7 measures.
- Audeze Maxwell 2 ANC
- HiFiMAN Arya Stealth
HearWiki score
88
81
Sound
9.3
9.1
Noise cancelling
8.5
-
Battery
8.0
-
Calls
9.0
-
Value
6.5
9.2
Price (USD)
$430
$600
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?
Half a step newer
Audeze Maxwell 2 ANC (2026) against HiFiMAN Arya Stealth (2021). The Audeze Maxwell 2 ANC edges ahead on platform, but only just: ANC type Adaptive against None. It also adds USB-C.
- Maxwell 2 ANC20265 yr newer
- Arya Stealth2021
What differsMaxwell 2 ANCArya Stealth
- ANC type
- Adaptive
- None
- USB-C
- Yes
- No
Platform
Everyday features
Specifications
Maxwell 2 ANCArya Stealth
- Type
- Over-Ear
- Over-Ear
- Price (USD)
- $430
- $600
- HearWiki score
- 88
- 81
- Released
- 2026
- 2021
- Availability
- Sold new
- Still sold new
- Driver
- 90 mm planar magnetic
- 130 mm planar magnetic
- Driver type
- planar
- planar
- Driver size
- 90 mm
- 130 mm
- Drivers per side
- 1
- 1
- Frequency response
- 10 Hz - 50 kHz
- 8 Hz - 65 kHz
- Impedance
- -
- 32 Ω
- Sensitivity
- 115 dB/mW
- -
- Bluetooth
- 5.3
- -
- Codecs
- SBC, AAC, LC3, LC3plus, LDAC
- -
- Multipoint pairing
- Yes
- -
- Battery life
- 40 h
- -
- Battery life (ANC on)
- 35 h
- -
- Full charge time
- 120 min
- -
- Active noise cancelling
- Yes
- No
- ANC type
- adaptive
- -
- Transparency mode
- Yes
- -
- Companion app
- Yes
- -
- Custom EQ
- Yes
- -
- Wear detection
- No
- -
- Controls
- both
- -
- Weight
- 560 g
- 430 g
- Detachable cable
- -
- Yes
- USB-C
- Yes
- No
- Balanced connection
- -
- Yes
- Microphones
- 2
- -
- Call noise reduction
- Yes
- -
- Call NR technology
- AI ENC
- -
What reviewers said
Audeze Maxwell 2 ANC
No summary yet - we haven't aggregated enough reviews.
HiFiMAN Arya Stealth
The HiFiMAN Arya Stealth is a refined open-back planar magnetic headphone that delivers excellent resolution, a wide soundstage, and precise imaging for its price point. It builds on the original Arya with a lower 32-ohm impedance and updated Stealth Magnet technology, offering a lively and spacious presentation. While it excels technically, it has a lighter bass response and a noticeable midrange dip, and the build quality feels less premium than its acoustic performance suggests.
- Pro:Excellent detail retrieval and resolution
- Pro:Spacious, well-defined soundstage
- Pro:Precise imaging for instrument placement
- Con:Bass impact is weaker than expected
- Con:Noticeable midrange dip around 1 kHz
- Con:Build quality feels less premium than sound quality
Summaries are AI-condensed and paraphrased from published reviews and specs - not original hands-on testing. More on our method.
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