Over-Ear
Audeze Maxwell 2
88Outstanding
$330
Full review dataAudeze Maxwell 2 vs Pamu Explore: which should you buy?
Specs, scores and condensed review verdicts for the Audeze Maxwell 2 vs Pamu Explore, 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
- Pamu Explore
HearWiki score
88
-
Sound
9.5
-
Battery
9.5
-
Calls
9.0
-
Value
7.5
-
Price (USD)
$330
$200
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?
New platform
Audeze Maxwell 2 (2026) against Pamu Explore (2020). 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 None.
- Maxwell 220266 yr newer
- Explore2020
What differsMaxwell 2Explore
- Bluetooth
- 5.3
- 5.0
- Top codec
- LC3
- aptX HD
- LE Audio (LC3)
- Yes
- No
- ANC type
- Adaptive
- None
Platform
Level on: USB-C.
Specifications
Maxwell 2Explore
- Type
- Over-Ear
- Over-Ear
- Price (USD)
- $330
- $200
- HearWiki score
- 88
- Not scored
- Released
- 2026
- 2020
- Availability
- Sold new
- Discontinued
- Driver
- 90 mm planar magnetic
- 40 mm dynamic
- Driver type
- planar
- dynamic
- Driver size
- 90 mm
- 40 mm
- Drivers per side
- 1
- -
- Frequency response
- 10 Hz - 50 kHz
- -
- Bluetooth
- 5.3
- 5.0
- Codecs
- SBC, AAC, LC3, LC3plus, LDAC
- SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD
- Multipoint pairing
- Yes
- -
- Battery life
- 80 h
- 27 h
- Battery life (ANC on)
- 35 h
- -
- Full charge time
- 120 min
- -
- Quick charge
- -
- 10 min → 5 h
- Active noise cancelling
- Yes
- No
- ANC type
- adaptive
- -
- Transparency mode
- Yes
- -
- Companion app
- Yes
- -
- Custom EQ
- Yes
- -
- Wear detection
- No
- -
- Controls
- buttons
- touch
- Weight
- 560 g
- -
- Detachable cable
- -
- Yes
- USB-C
- Yes
- Yes
- Connector
- -
- 3.5 mm
- 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.
Pamu Explore
The PaMu Explore is a $199 over-ear wireless headphone with 40mm dynamic drivers, Bluetooth 5.0, and support for aptX HD alongside SBC and AAC. It offers a long 27-hour battery life, quick charging, touch controls, and a detachable 3.5mm cable for wired use, though it relies on passive isolation rather than active noise cancellation. This model is a solid choice for listeners who prioritize codec flexibility and battery endurance over ANC.
- Pro:Supports aptX HD for high-quality wireless audio
- Pro:Long 27-hour battery life with 10-minute quick charge for 5 hours
- Pro:Detachable 3.5mm cable provides wired flexibility
- Con:No active noise cancellation, only passive isolation
- Con:Single microphone may limit call clarity
- Con:Price point is moderate for features offered
Summaries are AI-condensed and paraphrased from published reviews and specs - not original hands-on testing. More on our method.
Compare something else
Swap either side out, or start again from the picker.