Over-Ear
Audeze Maxwell 2 ANC
88Outstanding
$430
Full review dataAudeze Maxwell 2 ANC vs HiFiMAN HE 560 V4: 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 560 V4
60Average
$480
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 7 of 7 measures.
- Audeze Maxwell 2 ANC
- HiFiMAN HE 560 V4
HearWiki score
88
60
Sound
9.3
7.8
Noise cancelling
8.5
-
Battery
8.0
-
Calls
9.0
-
Value
6.5
-
Price (USD)
$430
$480
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 HE 560 V4 (2016). The Audeze Maxwell 2 ANC edges ahead on platform, but only just: ANC type Adaptive against None.
- Maxwell 2 ANC202610 yr newer
- HE 560 V42016
What differsMaxwell 2 ANCHE 560 V4
- ANC type
- Adaptive
- None
Platform
Specifications
Maxwell 2 ANCHE 560 V4
- Type
- Over-Ear
- Over-Ear
- Price (USD)
- $430
- $480
- HearWiki score
- 88
- 60
- Released
- 2026
- 2016
- Availability
- Sold new
- Discontinued
- Driver
- 90 mm planar magnetic
- 75 mm planar magnetic
- Driver type
- planar
- planar
- Driver size
- 90 mm
- 75 mm
- Drivers per side
- 1
- 1
- Frequency response
- 10 Hz - 50 kHz
- 15 Hz - 50 kHz
- Impedance
- -
- 45 Ω
- Sensitivity
- 115 dB/mW
- 90 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
- none
- Weight
- 560 g
- 375 g
- Detachable cable
- -
- Yes
- USB-C
- Yes
- -
- Connector
- -
- 6.35 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 560 V4
The HiFiMAN HE 560 V4 is an open-back planar magnetic headphone that delivers a mostly neutral, technically capable sound, though it may require EQ to bring out its best bass response. It is praised for being lightweight and comfortable, offering strong value at discounted prices, but its treble can occasionally come across as sharp, and the build quality on newer units feels less premium. This wired model includes a balanced connection option and detachable cable, making it a flexible choice for desktop setups.
- Pro:Very comfortable and lightweight design
- Pro:Excellent technical performance and low distortion
- Pro:Near-neutral tuning that responds well to EQ
- Con:Treble can be overly sharp at times
- Con:Bass is light without equalization
- Con:Build materials and headband feel less premium on newer versions
Summaries are AI-condensed and paraphrased from published reviews and specs - not original hands-on testing. More on our method.
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