Over-Ear
Audeze Maxwell 2
88Outstanding
$330
Full review dataAudeze Maxwell 2 vs Marshall Monitor III: 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
Marshall Monitor III
82Outstanding
$380
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
- Marshall Monitor III
HearWiki score
88
82
Sound
9.5
8.5
Noise cancelling
-
8.1
Battery
9.5
10.0
Calls
9.0
8.5
Value
7.5
8.8
Price (USD)
$330
$380
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
The Audeze Maxwell 2 is 2 years newer, but it is 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 220262 yr newer
- Monitor III2024
Level on: Bluetooth, Top codec, LE Audio (LC3), ANC type, Multipoint pairing, USB-C, Transparency mode, Custom EQ, Companion app.
Specifications
Maxwell 2Monitor III
- Type
- Over-Ear
- Over-Ear
- Price (USD)
- $330
- $380
- HearWiki score
- 88
- 82
- Released
- 2026
- 2024
- Availability
- Sold new
- Still sold new
- Driver
- 90 mm planar magnetic
- 32 mm dynamic
- Driver type
- planar
- dynamic
- Driver size
- 90 mm
- 32 mm
- Drivers per side
- 1
- 1
- Frequency response
- 10 Hz - 50 kHz
- 20 Hz - 20 kHz
- Impedance
- -
- 35 Ω
- Sensitivity
- -
- 117 dB/mW
- Bluetooth
- 5.3
- 5.3
- Codecs
- SBC, AAC, LC3, LC3plus, LDAC
- SBC, AAC, LC3
- Multipoint pairing
- Yes
- Yes
- Wireless range
- -
- 10 m
- Battery life
- 80 h
- 100 h
- Battery life (ANC on)
- 35 h
- 70 h
- Full charge time
- 120 min
- 150 min
- Quick charge
- -
- 15 min → 12 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
- No
- Controls
- buttons
- both
- Voice assistant
- -
- Yes
- Weight
- 560 g
- 250 g
- Water resistance
- -
- none
- USB-C
- Yes
- Yes
- Connector
- -
- USB-C
- Microphones
- 2
- 1
- Call noise reduction
- Yes
- -
- Call NR technology
- AI ENC
- -
What reviewers said
Audeze Maxwell 2
No summary yet - we haven't aggregated enough reviews.
Marshall Monitor III
The Marshall Monitor III are over-ear wireless headphones that deliver a distinctive Marshall-tuned sound and an exceptional battery life of up to 100 hours. They include adaptive active noise cancellation, Bluetooth 5.3 with multipoint, and a durable build, although their ANC performance isn't class-leading.
- Pro:Exceptional battery life up to 100 hours
- Pro:Distinctive Marshall audio signature
- Pro:Adaptive ANC with transparency mode
- Con:Noise cancellation not top-tier
- Con:No water resistance rating
- Con:Only one microphone for calls
Summaries are AI-condensed and paraphrased from published reviews and specs - not original hands-on testing. More on our method.
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