Is the Audeze Maxwell 2 worth the upgrade from the Focal Bathys MG?
Verdict
Meaningful upgrade
The Audeze Maxwell 2 scores 5.7 points above the Focal Bathys MG. That's a real improvement, though not the kind you'd notice on every track. The gains are concentrated in battery (7.7 to 9.5), value (6.2 to 7.5) and calls (7.8 to 9.0). On paper: battery life 30 h to 80 h, bluetooth 5.2 to 5.3 and battery life (anc on) 30 h to 35 h. Worth checking: weight goes 350 g to 560 g and full charge time goes 90 min to 120 min. It's also $1170 cheaper, which makes this an easy call. Worth doing if you're replacing anyway; harder to justify as a pure upgrade if what you have still works.
What actually changes
Sub-scores both products have, on the same 0-10 scale. Bars extend right for a gain, left for a loss.
- Sound9.69.5
- Battery7.79.5
- Calls7.89.0
- Value6.27.5
Spec differences
Only where the two genuinely differ - everything they share is omitted.
| Spec | Bathys MG | Maxwell 2 | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery life | 30 h | 80 h | |
| Codecs | SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX Adaptive | SBC, AAC, LC3, LC3plus, LDAC | |
| Weight | 350 g | 560 g | |
| Bluetooth | 5.2 | 5.3 | |
| Battery life (ANC on) | 30 h | 35 h | |
| Full charge time | 90 min | 120 min | |
| Driver size | 40 mm | 90 mm | |
| Microphones | 8 | 2 | |
| Driver | 40 mm dynamic | 90 mm planar magnetic | |
| Frequency response | 10 Hz - 22 kHz | 10 Hz - 50 kHz |
About this verdict
Direction matters here: this page answers "Bathys MG to Maxwell 2". 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.