Is the Audeze Maxwell 2 ANC worth the upgrade from the Focal Bathys?
Verdict
Meaningful upgrade
The Audeze Maxwell 2 ANC scores 9.5 points above the Focal Bathys. That's a real improvement, though not the kind you'd notice on every track. The gains are concentrated in noise cancelling (6.8 to 8.5) and calls (8.1 to 9.0). You do give up ground on value (7.4 to 6.5). On paper: battery life 30 h to 40 h, bluetooth 5.1 to 5.3 and driver size 40 mm to 90 mm. Worth checking: weight goes 350 g to 560 g and full charge time goes 90 min to 120 min. It's also $370 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.
- Sound9.29.3
- Noise cancelling6.88.5
- Battery7.68.0
- Calls8.19.0
- Value7.46.5
Spec differences
Only where the two genuinely differ - everything they share is omitted.
| Spec | Bathys | Maxwell 2 ANC | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery life | 30 h | 40 h | |
| Codecs | SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX Adaptive | SBC, AAC, LC3, LC3plus, LDAC | |
| Weight | 350 g | 560 g | |
| Bluetooth | 5.1 | 5.3 | |
| 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 | 15 Hz - 22 kHz | 10 Hz - 50 kHz |
About this verdict
Direction matters here: this page answers "Bathys to Maxwell 2 ANC". 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.