Is the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro worth the upgrade from the Audeze Maxwell 2?
Verdict
Downgrade
The Sennheiser HD 490 Pro actually scores 6.4 points below the Audeze Maxwell 2, so on aggregate review consensus this is a step backwards. It loses ground on sound (9.5 to 8.6). On paper: weight 560 g to 260 g. Worth checking: active noise cancelling goes Yes to No and driver size goes 90 mm to 38 mm. And it costs $100 more for a lower score, which is hard to justify on the data alone. 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.
- Sound9.58.6
- Value7.57.4
Spec differences
Only where the two genuinely differ - everything they share is omitted.
| Spec | Maxwell 2 | HD 490 Pro | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active noise cancelling | Yes | No | |
| Weight | 560 g | 260 g | |
| Driver size | 90 mm | 38 mm | |
| USB-C | Yes | No | |
| Controls | buttons | none | |
| Driver | 90 mm planar magnetic | 38 mm dynamic | |
| Frequency response | 10 Hz - 50 kHz | 5 Hz - 36.1 kHz |
About this verdict
Direction matters here: this page answers "Maxwell 2 to HD 490 Pro". 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.