Over-Ear
Audeze Maxwell 2
88Outstanding
$330
Full review dataAudeze Maxwell 2 vs KEF Nothing Headphone (1): 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
KEF Nothing Headphone (1)
77Great
$240
Full review dataScore breakdown
Each axis is a 0–10 blend of what reviewers scored, not a lab measurement.
Audeze Maxwell 2 leads on 4 of 7 measures.
- Audeze Maxwell 2
- KEF Nothing Headphone (1)
HearWiki score
88
77
Sound
9.5
7.4
Noise cancelling
-
8.4
Battery
9.5
8.0
Calls
9.0
6.4
Value
7.5
8.3
Price (USD)
$330
$240
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 KEF Nothing Headphone (1) (2025). The Audeze Maxwell 2 edges ahead on platform, but only just: LE Audio (LC3). The KEF Nothing Headphone (1) answers on convenience features: it adds Wear detection.
- Maxwell 220261 yr newer
- Nothing Headphone (1)2025
What differsMaxwell 2Nothing Headphone (1)
- LE Audio (LC3)
- Yes
- No
- Wear detection
- No
- Yes
Platform
Everyday features
Level on: Bluetooth, Top codec, ANC type, Multipoint pairing, USB-C, Transparency mode, Custom EQ, Companion app.
Specifications
Maxwell 2Nothing Headphone (1)
- Type
- Over-Ear
- Over-Ear
- Price (USD)
- $330
- $240
- HearWiki score
- 88
- 77
- Released
- 2026
- 2025
- Availability
- Sold new
- Sold new
- Driver
- 90 mm planar magnetic
- 40 mm dynamic
- Driver type
- planar
- dynamic
- Driver size
- 90 mm
- 40 mm
- Drivers per side
- 1
- 1
- Frequency response
- 10 Hz - 50 kHz
- 20 Hz - 40 kHz
- Impedance
- -
- 16 Ω
- Bluetooth
- 5.3
- 5.3
- Codecs
- SBC, AAC, LC3, LC3plus, LDAC
- LDAC
- Multipoint pairing
- Yes
- Yes
- Wireless range
- -
- 10 m
- Battery life
- 80 h
- 80 h
- Battery life (ANC on)
- 35 h
- 35 h
- Full charge time
- 120 min
- -
- Quick charge
- -
- 5 min → 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
- buttons
- both
- Voice assistant
- -
- ChatGPT
- Weight
- 560 g
- 329 g
- Case weight
- -
- 264 g
- Water resistance
- -
- IP52
- USB-C
- Yes
- Yes
- Connector
- -
- USB-C
- Microphones
- 2
- 4
- Call noise reduction
- Yes
- Yes
- Call NR technology
- AI ENC
- 4-mic ENC
What reviewers said
Audeze Maxwell 2
No summary yet - we haven't aggregated enough reviews.
KEF Nothing Headphone (1)
The KEF Nothing Headphone (1) is a distinctive over-ear wireless headphone that blends adaptive active noise cancellation with LDAC high-resolution audio support and Bluetooth 5.3 multipoint connectivity. Its 40 mm dynamic drivers and 80-hour battery life (35 hours with ANC enabled) make it a versatile option for both travel and daily listening, while the IP52 rating adds light durability. With a bold design and customizable EQ, it aims to stand out in the mid-range wireless market.
- Pro:Adaptive ANC with transparency mode
- Pro:Excellent battery life up to 80 hours (ANC off)
- Pro:LDAC support for high-resolution wireless audio
- Con:No wireless charging support
- Con:Battery life drops significantly with ANC on
- Con:16-ohm impedance may require more power from some sources
Summaries are AI-condensed and paraphrased from published reviews and specs - not original hands-on testing. More on our method.
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