Over-Ear
Audeze Maxwell 2
88Outstanding
$330
Full review dataAudeze Maxwell 2 vs Audeze Maxwell 2 ANC: which should you buy?
On aggregated review scores the Audeze Maxwell 2 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 - Outstanding overall at around $329.
Score breakdown
Each axis is a 0–10 blend of what reviewers scored, not a lab measurement.
Audeze Maxwell 2 leads on 5 of 7 measures.
- Audeze Maxwell 2
- Audeze Maxwell 2 ANC
HearWiki score
88
88
Sound
9.5
9.3
Noise cancelling
-
8.5
Battery
9.5
8.0
Calls
9.0
9.0
Value
7.5
6.5
Price (USD)
$330
$430
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?
Same generation
Both shipped in 2026. These are the same generation of hardware - nothing in the radio, the codecs or the noise cancelling separates them. Nothing separates them on convenience features either, so the choice comes down to tuning and price.
- Maxwell 22026
- Maxwell 2 ANC2026
Level on: Bluetooth, Top codec, LE Audio (LC3), ANC type, Multipoint pairing, USB-C, Transparency mode, Custom EQ, Companion app.
Specifications
Maxwell 2Maxwell 2 ANC
- Type
- Over-Ear
- Over-Ear
- Price (USD)
- $330
- $430
- HearWiki score
- 88
- 88
- Released
- 2026
- 2026
- Availability
- Sold new
- Sold new
- Driver
- 90 mm planar magnetic
- 90 mm planar magnetic
- Driver type
- planar
- planar
- Driver size
- 90 mm
- 90 mm
- Drivers per side
- 1
- 1
- Frequency response
- 10 Hz - 50 kHz
- 10 Hz - 50 kHz
- Sensitivity
- -
- 115 dB/mW
- Bluetooth
- 5.3
- 5.3
- Codecs
- SBC, AAC, LC3, LC3plus, LDAC
- SBC, AAC, LC3, LC3plus, LDAC
- Multipoint pairing
- Yes
- Yes
- Battery life
- 80 h
- 40 h
- Battery life (ANC on)
- 35 h
- 35 h
- Full charge time
- 120 min
- 120 min
- Active noise cancelling
- Yes
- Yes
- ANC type
- adaptive
- adaptive
- Transparency mode
- Yes
- Yes
- Companion app
- Yes
- Yes
- Custom EQ
- Yes
- Yes
- Wear detection
- No
- No
- Controls
- buttons
- both
- Weight
- 560 g
- 560 g
- USB-C
- Yes
- Yes
- Microphones
- 2
- 2
- Call noise reduction
- Yes
- Yes
- Call NR technology
- AI ENC
- AI ENC
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