Over-Ear
Audeze Maxwell 2 ANC
88Outstanding
$430
Full review dataAudeze Maxwell 2 ANC vs Sony WH-1000X The ColleXion: 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
Sony WH-1000X The ColleXion
80Outstanding
$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
- Sony WH-1000X The ColleXion
HearWiki score
88
80
Sound
9.3
8.9
Noise cancelling
8.5
8.6
Battery
8.0
6.8
Calls
9.0
8.4
Value
6.5
5.8
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
Both shipped in 2026. The Sony WH-1000X The ColleXion edges ahead on platform, but only just: Bluetooth 6.0 against 5.3. It also adds Wear detection.
- Maxwell 2 ANC2026
- WH-1000X The ColleXion2026
What differsMaxwell 2 ANCWH-1000X The ColleXion
- Bluetooth
- 5.3
- 6.0
- Wear detection
- No
- Yes
Platform
Everyday features
Level on: Top codec, LE Audio (LC3), ANC type, Multipoint pairing, USB-C, Transparency mode, Custom EQ, Companion app.
Specifications
Maxwell 2 ANCWH-1000X The ColleXion
- Type
- Over-Ear
- Over-Ear
- Price (USD)
- $430
- $600
- HearWiki score
- 88
- 80
- Released
- 2026
- 2026
- Availability
- Sold new
- Sold new
- Driver
- 90 mm planar magnetic
- 30 mm dynamic
- Driver type
- planar
- dynamic
- Driver size
- 90 mm
- 30 mm
- Drivers per side
- 1
- 1
- Frequency response
- 10 Hz - 50 kHz
- 4 Hz - 40 kHz
- Impedance
- -
- 48 Ω
- Sensitivity
- 115 dB/mW
- 103 dB/mW
- Bluetooth
- 5.3
- 6.0
- Codecs
- SBC, AAC, LC3, LC3plus, LDAC
- SBC, AAC, LC3, LDAC
- Multipoint pairing
- Yes
- Yes
- Battery life
- 40 h
- 32 h
- Battery life (ANC on)
- 35 h
- 24 h
- Full charge time
- 120 min
- 210 min
- Quick charge
- -
- 5 min → 1.5 h
- Wireless charging
- -
- No
- Active noise cancelling
- Yes
- Yes
- ANC type
- adaptive
- adaptive
- Transparency mode
- Yes
- Yes
- Companion app
- Yes
- Yes
- Custom EQ
- Yes
- Yes
- Wear detection
- No
- Yes
- Controls
- both
- both
- Voice assistant
- -
- Google Assistant
- Weight
- 560 g
- 320 g
- Water resistance
- -
- none
- USB-C
- Yes
- Yes
- Model code
- -
- WH-1000XX/W
- Microphones
- 2
- 12
- 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.
Sony WH-1000X The ColleXion
The Sony WH-1000X The ColleXion is a premium over-ear headphone that pairs sophisticated styling with robust active noise cancellation and a comprehensive feature set, including LDAC support and Bluetooth 6.0. While its sound is detailed and refined, the tuning leans bright, and its high price tag makes it more of an evolution than a standout value. Battery life is solid but not class-leading for the cost.
- Pro:Excellent active noise cancellation
- Pro:Rich feature set with LDAC and Bluetooth 6.0
- Pro:Detailed, refined sound quality
- Con:High price limits overall value
- Con:Treble-heavy tuning may not suit all listeners
- Con:Average battery life for the price
Summaries are AI-condensed and paraphrased from published reviews and specs - not original hands-on testing. More on our method.
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