Is the Sony WH-1000XM4 worth the upgrade from the Audeze Maxwell 2 ANC?
Verdict
Downgrade
The Sony WH-1000XM4 actually scores 13.1 points below the Audeze Maxwell 2 ANC, so on aggregate review consensus this is a step backwards. The gains are concentrated in battery (8.0 to 8.5). You do give up ground on calls (9.0 to 6.1) and value (6.5 to 4.2). On paper: weight 560 g to 254 g and wear detection. Worth checking: battery life goes 40 h to 38 h and codecs goes SBC, AAC, LC3, LC3plus, LDAC to SBC, AAC, LDAC. It is at least $114 cheaper, so the lower score comes with a saving. Only worth it if a specific feature above matters more to you than overall quality does.
What actually changes
Sub-scores both products have, on the same 0-10 scale. Bars extend right for a gain, left for a loss.
- Sound9.38.0
- Noise cancelling8.58.2
- Battery8.08.5
- Calls9.06.1
- Value6.54.2
Spec differences
Only where the two genuinely differ - everything they share is omitted.
| Spec | Maxwell 2 ANC | WH-1000XM4 | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery life | 40 h | 38 h | |
| Codecs | SBC, AAC, LC3, LC3plus, LDAC | SBC, AAC, LDAC | |
| Weight | 560 g | 254 g | |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 | 5.0 | |
| Battery life (ANC on) | 35 h | 30 h | |
| Full charge time | 120 min | 180 min | |
| Driver size | 90 mm | 40 mm | |
| Wear detection | No | Yes | |
| Controls | both | touch | |
| Driver | 90 mm planar magnetic | 40 mm dynamic | |
| Frequency response | 10 Hz - 50 kHz | 4 Hz - 40 kHz |
About this verdict
Direction matters here: this page answers "Maxwell 2 ANC to WH-1000XM4". The other direction is a separate question with a different answer. Scores blend published review verdicts across over-ear and shift as new reviews land, so a marginal call today may not be one next quarter.