Audeze has never made headphones the easy way. While most of the industry chases smaller drivers and lighter footprints, Audeze doubled down on planar magnetic technology — the same driver architecture found in reference-grade studio and audiophile headphones — and put it inside a wireless gaming headset. The result was the Maxwell and, later, the Maxwell 2: headphones that gamers, streamers, and music lovers all reached for because they simply sounded like nothing else in the category.
The one thing missing was active noise cancellation. Now it isn't. The Audeze Maxwell 2 ANC is available now!
What's Actually New Here
The headline feature is obvious — ANC — but the more interesting engineering story is how Audeze implemented it. Planar magnetic drivers are prized for their flat, accurate frequency response, and that response typically changes the moment you introduce noise-cancelling circuitry. Audeze's stated goal was to avoid that trade-off entirely: the frequency response is designed to stay consistent whether ANC is on or off, so the tuning you hear isn't compromised by the feature meant to make listening easier.
Under the hood, it keeps the same 90mm planar magnetic drivers, Fluxor™ magnet array, and Fazor™ phase management that made the standard Maxwell 2 stand out, paired with an adaptive hybrid ANC system (feedforward and feedback microphones) rated up to 35dB of noise reduction, plus a transparency mode. It also carries over SLAM™ for deeper, more controlled bass, and FILTER™ AI noise removal to keep your voice clear on calls and streams.
The Specs
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Drivers: 90mm planar magnetic, Fluxor™ magnet array, Fazor™ phase management
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Frequency response: 10Hz–50kHz | Max SPL: >115dB | THD: <0.1% @ 100dB
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ANC: Adaptive hybrid (feedforward + feedback), up to 35dB reduction, with transparency mode
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Spatial audio: Dolby Atmos® (Xbox version) / Tempest 3D (PlayStation version), with head tracking
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Connectivity: USB-C wireless dongle (ultra-low latency, up to 24-bit/96kHz), USB-C wired, 3.5mm analog, Bluetooth 5.3 (LDAC, LE Audio, LC3, LC3plus, AAC, SBC, Auracast, Multipoint)
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Battery: 1,800mAh — up to 40 hours with ANC off / 35 hours with ANC on; fast charge to 25% in 20 minutes, full charge in ~2 hours
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Microphone: Detachable hypercardioid boom mic with pop filter, FILTER™ AI noise removal
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Weight: ~560g
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Compatibility: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, plus PlayStation or Xbox depending on version
Who It's For
The Maxwell 2 ANC is built and marketed as a gaming headset, but the driver technology underneath is the same planar magnetic engineering behind Audeze's reference headphones. It's an easy entry point for gamers who care about music fidelity, or music listeners curious what planar drivers sound like without a four-figure price tag — and ANC makes it just as compelling for open offices, shared spaces, or commuting.