Over-Ear
Audeze Maxwell 2 ANC
88Outstanding
$430
Full review dataAudeze Maxwell 2 ANC vs HiFiMAN He-R9: 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 He-R9
54Average
$300
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 He-R9
HearWiki score
88
54
Sound
9.3
7.0
Noise cancelling
8.5
0.0
Battery
8.0
2.0
Calls
9.0
4.0
Value
6.5
6.0
Price (USD)
$430
$300
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?
New platform
Audeze Maxwell 2 ANC (2026) against HiFiMAN He-R9 (2024). The Audeze Maxwell 2 ANC is the newer platform here: Bluetooth 5.3 against 5.0, LE Audio (LC3) and ANC type Adaptive against None. It also adds Multipoint pairing.
- Maxwell 2 ANC20262 yr newer
- He-R92024
What differsMaxwell 2 ANCHe-R9
- Bluetooth
- 5.3
- 5.0
- LE Audio (LC3)
- Yes
- No
- ANC type
- Adaptive
- None
- Multipoint pairing
- Yes
- No
Platform
Everyday features
Level on: Top codec, USB-C.
Specifications
Maxwell 2 ANCHe-R9
- Type
- Over-Ear
- Over-Ear
- Price (USD)
- $430
- $300
- HearWiki score
- 88
- 54
- Released
- 2026
- 2024
- Availability
- Sold new
- Still sold new
- Driver
- 90 mm planar magnetic
- 50 mm dynamic
- Driver type
- planar
- dynamic
- Driver size
- 90 mm
- 50 mm
- Drivers per side
- 1
- 1
- Frequency response
- 10 Hz - 50 kHz
- 15 Hz - 35 kHz
- Impedance
- -
- 60 Ω
- Sensitivity
- 115 dB/mW
- 100 dB/mW
- Bluetooth
- 5.3
- 5.0
- Codecs
- SBC, AAC, LC3, LC3plus, LDAC
- SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, LDAC
- Multipoint pairing
- Yes
- No
- Battery life
- 40 h
- 8 h
- Battery life (ANC on)
- 35 h
- -
- Full charge time
- 120 min
- -
- Wireless charging
- -
- No
- 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
- 328 g
- Water resistance
- -
- none
- USB-C
- Yes
- Yes
- Connector
- -
- 3.5 mm
- 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 He-R9
The HiFiMAN HE-R9 is a closed-back wireless over-ear headphone with a pronounced bass-forward sound signature that prioritizes low-end impact over neutrality. It offers versatile connectivity with Bluetooth 5.0 supporting multiple high-quality codecs, plus wired options including a balanced connection, but its specialized tuning and modest battery life make it a niche pick for bass lovers rather than a versatile all-rounder.
- Pro:Powerful, bass-heavy tuning with satisfying low-end punch
- Pro:Supports high-resolution wireless codecs including LDAC and aptX HD
- Pro:Includes both wireless and wired connectivity with a balanced option
- Con:Sound signature is far from neutral, making it unsuitable for mixing or critical listening
- Con:Treble can become piercing or harsh at times
- Con:Battery life is relatively short at 8 hours
Summaries are AI-condensed and paraphrased from published reviews and specs - not original hands-on testing. More on our method.
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