Is the Audeze Maxwell 2 ANC worth the upgrade from the Skullcandy Crusher® 1080 ANC?
Verdict
Meaningful upgrade
The Audeze Maxwell 2 ANC scores 9.8 points above the Skullcandy Crusher® 1080 ANC. That's a real improvement, though not the kind you'd notice on every track. The gains are concentrated in sound (7.6 to 9.3) and calls (8.2 to 9.0). You do give up ground on value (8.5 to 6.5) and battery (9.5 to 8.0). On paper: driver size 36 mm to 90 mm. Worth checking: battery life goes 60 h to 40 h and weight goes 374.2 g to 560 g. That costs $189 more, or about $19 per point of score - reasonable value for the jump. 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.
- Sound7.69.3
- Noise cancelling8.18.5
- Battery9.58.0
- Calls8.29.0
- Value8.56.5
Spec differences
Only where the two genuinely differ - everything they share is omitted.
| Spec | Crusher® 1080 ANC | Maxwell 2 ANC | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery life | 60 h | 40 h | |
| Weight | 374.2 g | 560 g | |
| Battery life (ANC on) | 50 h | 35 h | |
| Driver size | 36 mm | 90 mm | |
| Microphones | 6 | 2 | |
| Wear detection | Yes | No | |
| Driver | 36 mm dynamic | 90 mm planar magnetic | |
| Frequency response | 20 Hz - 20 kHz | 10 Hz - 50 kHz |
About this verdict
Direction matters here: this page answers "Crusher® 1080 ANC 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.