Audeze Maxwell 2 vs FiiO EH3 NC: which should you buy?
Specs, scores and condensed review verdicts for the Audeze Maxwell 2 vs FiiO EH3 NC, side by side. Where a product has no HearWiki score yet, not enough reviews have been aggregated to rate it.
Score breakdown
Each axis is a 0–10 blend of what reviewers scored, not a lab measurement.
Audeze Maxwell 2 leads on 5 of 6 measures.
- Audeze Maxwell 2
- FiiO EH3 NC
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?
Audeze Maxwell 2 (2026) against FiiO EH3 NC (2019). The Audeze Maxwell 2 is the newer platform here: Bluetooth 5.3 against 5.0, Top codec LC3 against aptX HD, LE Audio (LC3) and ANC type Adaptive against Hybrid. It also adds Multipoint pairing and Transparency mode.
- Maxwell 220267 yr newer
- EH3 NC2019
- Bluetooth
- 5.3
- 5.0
- Top codec
- LC3
- aptX HD
- LE Audio (LC3)
- Yes
- No
- ANC type
- Adaptive
- Hybrid
- Multipoint pairing
- Yes
- No
- Transparency mode
- Yes
- No
Platform
Everyday features
Level on: USB-C, Custom EQ, Companion app.
Specifications
- Type
- Over-Ear
- Over-Ear
- Price (USD)
- $330
- $200
- HearWiki score
- 88
- Not scored
- Released
- 2026
- 2019
- Availability
- Sold new
- Discontinued
- Driver
- 90 mm planar magnetic
- 45 mm dynamic
- Driver type
- planar
- dynamic
- Driver size
- 90 mm
- 45 mm
- Drivers per side
- 1
- 1
- Frequency response
- 10 Hz - 50 kHz
- -
- Impedance
- -
- 32 Ω
- Sensitivity
- -
- 98 dB/mW
- Bluetooth
- 5.3
- 5.0
- Codecs
- SBC, AAC, LC3, LC3plus, LDAC
- SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX Low Latency, aptX HD
- Multipoint pairing
- Yes
- No
- Wireless range
- -
- 10 m
- Battery life
- 80 h
- 50 h
- Battery life (ANC on)
- 35 h
- 30 h
- Full charge time
- 120 min
- 180 min
- Active noise cancelling
- Yes
- Yes
- ANC type
- adaptive
- hybrid
- Transparency mode
- Yes
- No
- Companion app
- Yes
- Yes
- Custom EQ
- Yes
- Yes
- Wear detection
- No
- No
- Controls
- buttons
- buttons
- Weight
- 560 g
- 293 g
- Detachable cable
- -
- Yes
- USB-C
- Yes
- Yes
- Pad material
- -
- protein-leather
- Connector
- -
- 3.5 mm
- Microphones
- 2
- 4
- Call noise reduction
- Yes
- Yes
- Call NR technology
- AI ENC
- noise-cancelling mic
What reviewers said
Audeze Maxwell 2
No summary yet - we haven't aggregated enough reviews.
FiiO EH3 NC
The FiiO EH3 NC is a wireless over-ear headphone with hybrid active noise cancellation and large 45mm dynamic drivers. It offers a long 50-hour battery life (30 hours with ANC on), support for high-quality aptX codecs, and a customizable EQ via its companion app. While it lacks multipoint and transparency mode, its USB-C connectivity and physical buttons provide straightforward control.
- Pro:Long battery life of up to 50 hours
- Pro:Hybrid ANC for effective noise reduction
- Pro:Supports aptX HD and aptX Low Latency for better audio
- Con:No multipoint connection for multiple devices
- Con:No transparency mode for ambient sound
- Con:Limited to Bluetooth 5.0, not the latest version
Summaries are AI-condensed and paraphrased from published reviews and specs - not original hands-on testing. More on our method.
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