Adding active noise cancellation to the Audeze Maxwell 2 sounds like an obvious win. It was already one of the best wireless gaming headsets I’d ever used, so surely implementing ANC is only going to make it better? Well, it’s not all good news, as the ANC model has much shorter battery life. This makes choosing between the two versions less straightforward. After two weeks of testing the PlayStation model on PS5, with the latest firmware installed and the standard version available for direct comparisons, here is my review.
Quiet, please
The UK has been very warm during my testing, meaning I’ve often had a fan running at maximum while gaming. Switching on ANC made that constant hum virtually disappear, while passing traffic became much less noticeable. Sudden bangs still came through, as expected, but steady background noises were handled very well.
Happily, ANC didn’t appear to cost the headset any of its audio performance. Moving between both Maxwell 2 models revealed no obvious change to bass, clarity, spaciousness, or directionality. I didn’t notice any distracting hiss, either. There is a touch of that familiar underwater feeling, much like with AirPods Pro, but it didn’t bother me.
Transparency mode is perfectly functional, although voices have a slightly processed quality. I could hear myself speaking and still hold a conversation without removing the headset.
No detail lost
Sound quality remains superb. The planar magnetic drivers produce clean, controlled audio with excellent separation. I experimented with the app’s 10-band EQ but soon returned to the stock profile for the bulk of my testing. It already sounds great and I suspect that is how most buyers will use it.
Call of Duty and Apex Legends were my main competitive tests. Towards the end of an Apex match, players often begin crouch-walking to minimise the noise they make. Those small cues can expose an enemy’s position, and the Maxwell 2 ANC made them easy to locate while also silencing my nearby fan. This is where the upgrade made the most sense to me, as I still remained competitive in those noisier environments.
The microphone is fine for talking to teammates, and I received no complaints about clarity. I would still use a dedicated microphone for YouTube videos or Twitch streams, but it does the job here.
The trade-offs
At 560g, the Maxwell 2 ANC is undeniably heavy when held in the hands. However, the headband does a solid job of distributing that weight. There is a touch more clamping force, but I had no comfort problems across sessions lasting around two hours.
Battery life is the bigger sacrifice. Audeze rates it for 35 hours with ANC active and 40 hours with it disabled, whereas the standard model offers over 80 hours. My charging routine meant this wasn’t a big issue, but ANC needs to matter to you for that reduction to make sense.
Disclosure: Review sample provided by Audeze.
Final Verdict
At $429 for the PlayStation version and $449 for the Xbox variant, the Audeze Maxwell 2 ANC costs $100 more than the standard version. If you regularly game with distracting background noise, it could be worth the investment. Otherwise, I’d save the money and take the longer battery life. Either way, both versions deliver some of the finest wireless gaming audio available.
Positives and Negatives
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Exceptional planar magnetic sound quality
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Excellent active noise cancellation performance
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Precise competitive positional audio
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Effective weight distribution despite heft
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Useful ten-band EQ customization
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Clear microphone for team communication
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Exceptionally heavy 560-gram design
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Battery life drops substantially
