Audeze has launched the Maxwell 2 ANC, the noise-canceling version of the Maxwell 2 it released back in January 2026. The company calls it the world’s first full-range planar headphone with active noise cancellation, and it’s leaning on one specific trick: the frequency response stays consistent whether ANC is on or off. If you liked the Maxwell 2’s planar sound but wanted to shut out the room, this is Audeze’s answer, and you’ll pay a $100 premium for it.
❗Price: $429
Where to Buy: Audeze
This is the version a lot of Maxwell fans have been holding out for, since neither the original nor the standard Maxwell 2 could actively block a noisy room. Audeze’s pitch is that you get that cancellation without giving up the planar sound the line is known for.
What’s New: ANC on a Planar Headphone
The headline change is active noise cancellation, the one feature the original Maxwell and the standard Maxwell 2 never had. Audeze pairs a hybrid ANC system with a transparency mode for when you want the room back. The company says benchmark tests show class-leading reduction in broadband noise that outperforms typical ANC gaming headsets, though that’s Audeze’s own testing rather than independent measurement.
Consistency is the bigger claim here: Audeze says the Maxwell 2 ANC holds the same frequency response whether ANC is on or off, which is the thing planar fans care about more than raw cancellation depth. If that holds up in testing, it sidesteps the usual ANC tradeoff where switching cancellation on reshapes the sound.
Pricing and Availability
Here’s where it gets pricey: the PlayStation version runs $429 and the Xbox version is $449. Both sit exactly $100 above the non-ANC Maxwell 2, which matches how Audeze frames the ANC model. Every model works with Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and Nintendo Switch.
Audeze lists the headset as in stock now, and it went on sale July 17, 2026.
Planar Drivers, SLAM, and FILTER
The Maxwell 2 ANC keeps the 90mm Audeze planar magnetic drivers that the line is built around. Two branded technologies carry the rest of the sound pitch. SLAM is Audeze’s label for what it describes as more dynamic bass with deeper frequency extension, and FILTER is its AI noise removal for voice, aimed at cleaner mic pickup on calls and in matches.
There’s also built-in head tracking with auto-calibration, which Audeze positions for spatial imaging in professional audio work, not only gaming. Audeze’s official spec sheet lists battery life at 40 hours with ANC off and 35 hours with ANC on, powered by an 1800mAh lithium-polymer cell. The one detail Audeze still hasn’t spelled out is full wireless codec support, so that piece has to wait.
Weight Went Up, Not Down
The original Maxwell shipped at 500 grams, heavy enough that weight became its main knock. Audeze’s spec sheet puts the Maxwell 2 ANC at 560 grams, 60 grams more than that, so this isn’t the model that fixes the line’s comfort complaint. What the company leans on instead is a wide, ventilated headband and spacious earpads meant to spread the load over long sessions.
Comfort and ANC pull in the same direction here: a headset you can wear for a full session is one whose noise cancellation you’ll actually use. At 560 grams, that comfort hardware carries real weight, so it’s the number to weigh against lighter ANC gaming headsets before you commit.
Where Things Stand
The Maxwell 2 ANC gives Maxwell 2 owners and planar holdouts the one feature the line was missing, and Audeze’s on-or-off consistency claim is the part to watch. The open items now are narrower, mainly full wireless codec support and how the class-leading ANC claim holds up beyond the company’s own benchmark. At $429 to $449, it’s a clear step up in price over the standard Maxwell 2, so the value case rests on how much the ANC and mic work deliver day to day.
❗Price: $429
Where to Buy: Audeze
We’ll update this piece once Audeze fills in the missing specs and once we’ve had the headset on a scale and on our heads. For now, the noise cancellation and that consistency claim are the reasons to pay attention.
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