Over-Ear
Audeze Maxwell 2
88Outstanding
$330
Full review dataAudeze Maxwell 2 vs HiFiMAN HE 400i Ver.2020: 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.
Over-Ear
HiFiMAN HE 400i Ver.2020
65Good
$170
Full review dataScore 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
- HiFiMAN HE 400i Ver.2020
HearWiki score
88
65
Sound
9.5
7.6
Battery
9.5
-
Calls
9.0
-
Value
7.5
6.4
Price (USD)
$330
$170
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 (2026) against HiFiMAN HE 400i Ver.2020 (2020). The Audeze Maxwell 2 edges ahead on platform, but only just: ANC type Adaptive against None. It also adds USB-C.
- Maxwell 220266 yr newer
- HE 400i Ver.20202020
What differsMaxwell 2HE 400i Ver.2020
- ANC type
- Adaptive
- None
- USB-C
- Yes
- No
Platform
Everyday features
Specifications
Maxwell 2HE 400i Ver.2020
- Type
- Over-Ear
- Over-Ear
- Price (USD)
- $330
- $170
- HearWiki score
- 88
- 65
- Released
- 2026
- 2020
- Availability
- Sold new
- Discontinued
- Driver
- 90 mm planar magnetic
- 70 mm planar magnetic
- Driver type
- planar
- planar
- Driver size
- 90 mm
- 70 mm
- Drivers per side
- 1
- 1
- Frequency response
- 10 Hz - 50 kHz
- 20 Hz - 35 kHz
- Impedance
- -
- 35 Ω
- Sensitivity
- -
- 93 dB/mW
- Bluetooth
- 5.3
- -
- Codecs
- SBC, AAC, LC3, LC3plus, LDAC
- -
- Multipoint pairing
- Yes
- -
- Battery life
- 80 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
- buttons
- none
- Weight
- 560 g
- 370 g
- Detachable cable
- -
- Yes
- USB-C
- Yes
- No
- Connector
- -
- 6.35 mm
- Balanced connection
- -
- Yes
- Microphones
- 2
- -
- Call noise reduction
- Yes
- -
- Call NR technology
- AI ENC
- -
What reviewers said
Audeze Maxwell 2
No summary yet - we haven't aggregated enough reviews.
HiFiMAN HE 400i Ver.2020
The HiFiMAN HE 400i Ver.2020 is a budget-friendly planar magnetic headphone that delivers a fast, detailed, and spacious sound, making it a strong choice for critical listening. While its open-back design offers a natural soundstage, the tuning may benefit from EQ to tame brightness and address lighter bass, especially from portable sources. It represents solid value for its price, though it lacks extra accessories and isolation.
- Pro:Excellent detail retrieval and speed
- Pro:Comfortable fit for long sessions
- Pro:Strong value in the sub-$200 range
- Con:Tuning can sound bright on some recordings
- Con:Sub-bass is light, especially from weaker sources
- Con:Open-back design offers no isolation
Summaries are AI-condensed and paraphrased from published reviews and specs - not original hands-on testing. More on our method.
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