Over-Ear
Audeze Maxwell 2
88Outstanding
$330
Full review dataAudeze Maxwell 2 vs Skullcandy Crusher® 540 Active: 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
Skullcandy Crusher® 540 Active
63Good
$180
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
- Skullcandy Crusher® 540 Active
HearWiki score
88
63
Sound
9.5
6.5
Battery
9.5
7.7
Calls
9.0
6.1
Value
7.5
6.6
Price (USD)
$330
$180
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 Skullcandy Crusher® 540 Active (2025). The Audeze Maxwell 2 is the newer platform here: Bluetooth 5.3 against 5.0 and ANC type Adaptive against None.
- Maxwell 220261 yr newer
- Crusher® 540 Active2025
What differsMaxwell 2Crusher® 540 Active
- Bluetooth
- 5.3
- 5.0
- ANC type
- Adaptive
- None
Platform
Level on: USB-C.
Specifications
Maxwell 2Crusher® 540 Active
- Type
- Over-Ear
- Over-Ear
- Price (USD)
- $330
- $180
- HearWiki score
- 88
- 63
- Released
- 2026
- 2025
- Availability
- Sold new
- Sold new
- Driver
- 90 mm planar magnetic
- 2× 40 mm driver
- Driver type
- planar
- -
- Driver size
- 90 mm
- 40 mm
- Drivers per side
- 1
- 2
- Frequency response
- 10 Hz - 50 kHz
- 20 Hz - 20 kHz
- Impedance
- -
- 32 Ω
- Bluetooth
- 5.3
- 5.0
- Codecs
- SBC, AAC, LC3, LC3plus, LDAC
- -
- Multipoint pairing
- Yes
- -
- Wireless range
- -
- 10 m
- Battery life
- 80 h
- 40 h
- Battery life (ANC on)
- 35 h
- -
- Full charge time
- 120 min
- -
- Quick charge
- -
- 10 min → 4 h
- Wireless charging
- -
- No
- Active noise cancelling
- Yes
- No
- ANC type
- adaptive
- -
- Transparency mode
- Yes
- -
- Companion app
- Yes
- -
- Custom EQ
- Yes
- -
- Wear detection
- No
- -
- Controls
- buttons
- buttons
- Weight
- 560 g
- 312 g
- Water resistance
- -
- IPX4
- Foldable
- -
- Yes
- Detachable cable
- -
- Yes
- USB-C
- Yes
- Yes
- 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.
Skullcandy Crusher® 540 Active
The Skullcandy Crusher 540 Active is a wireless over-ear headphone built for active lifestyles, offering a hefty 40-hour battery, IPX4 sweat resistance, and a foldable design. Its signature haptic bass and comfortable fit make it a solid choice for workouts, though it skips active noise cancellation and relies on passive isolation. With quick charging and Bluetooth 5.0, it balances utility and fun for bass-loving listeners.
- Pro:Powerful, adjustable bass response
- Pro:Long 40-hour battery with quick charge
- Pro:Sweat and splash resistant (IPX4)
- Con:No active noise cancellation
- Con:Fit can feel loose during vigorous activity
- Con:Can get warm during extended use
Summaries are AI-condensed and paraphrased from published reviews and specs - not original hands-on testing. More on our method.
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