Audeze Maxwell 2 ANC Xbox

For two generations, Audeze planar gaming headsets have offered everything except one thing: a way to shut out the surrounding hubbub. The Maxwell 2 ANC fills that gap by becoming the brand’s first headset to feature active noise cancellation, without altering the sound signature that made the range renowned. This version is tailored for Xbox consoles.

Audeze’s first noise cancellation system

The chosen system is hybrid and adaptive: microphones pick up ambient noise both outside and inside the earcups, then generate a counter-signal that reduces disturbances by up to 35 dB, especially continuous low frequencies (PC fans, air conditioning, activity in a gaming room). Audeze describes this module as aerospace-grade technology.

What sets this approach apart: the response curve remains identical whether noise cancellation is active or turned off. On many headsets, enabling ANC changes the bass and upper frequencies, shifting audio cues. Here, the position of footsteps or a weapon reload does not change, a detail that matters in competitive gaming. A transparency mode lets outside sounds through when you need to remain aware of your surroundings, and noise cancellation settings can be controlled by voice or from the app.

The Xbox version and its Dolby Atmos license

The Maxwell 2 ANC comes in two versions, PlayStation and Xbox, identical in hardware except for one detail: the included USB-C wireless dongle. The one supplied with this version is recognized by Xbox consoles, which do not accept just any generic USB audio device. In practical terms, this dongle enables the ultra-low-latency wireless connection between the headset and an Xbox console.

A second advantage specific to this version: a free Dolby Access app license, valid on Xbox and Windows. Dolby Atmos playback is therefore unlocked with no additional purchase, whereas the PlayStation version relies instead on Sony’s Tempest 3D. The 3.5 mm analog headphone output and mixing between game audio and chat voice remain available on console.

The sound of 90 mm planar drivers

The principle of planar drivers differs from that of conventional moving-coil speakers: a thin diaphragm crossed by conductive circuits is moved evenly across its entire surface, between two magnet arrays. The intended result is low distortion (less than 0.1% at 100 dB) and bass that remains controlled even at high volume. Here, the diaphragm reaches 90 mm in diameter, a rare size for a headset, powered by N50 neodymium magnets and Audeze’s proprietary Fluxor magnetic array.

The brand adds its SLAM acoustic management, a system of vents that channels air behind the diaphragm to extend lower into the bass without making it muddy. Two balanced 1.4 W amplifiers, one per ear, power the whole system, with a stated frequency response of 10 Hz to 50 kHz and a digital signal processed up to 24-bit / 96 kHz over the wireless or USB-C connection.

Detachable microphone and AI voice filtering

For communications, a removable boom microphone clips onto the earcup, with a pop filter and hypercardioid pickup pattern that captures voice from the front while rejecting sounds coming from the sides. FILTER AI Noise Removal processing eliminates background disturbances (keyboard mechanics, fan noise) at the press of a button, without drowning out the voice.

With the microphone removed, the headset switches to internal beamforming microphones to remain available in chat, handy when listening to music or when you do not want the boom in the way. Pickup is more basic, sufficient for voice chat but not for demanding streaming.

Spatial audio and head tracking

The headset features self-calibrating head tracking: motion sensors anchor the soundstage in space, so a source remains in place when you turn your head, as in a real room. The feature works in compatible applications: the Embody Immerse Gaming Hive tool for PC games and Dolby Atmos Renderer for content creation.

Spatial playback is delivered through Dolby Atmos on Xbox and Windows, unlocked immediately on this version thanks to the included license. Outside supported applications, sound returns to conventional stereo, as head tracking then has nothing to position.

Staying connected to multiple devices

Four ways of connecting the headset coexist: the low-latency USB-C wireless dongle for gaming, Bluetooth 5.3 for on the go, a wired digital USB-C connection, and an analog 3.5 mm jack. Bluetooth supports a wide range of codecs: high-resolution LDAC, AAC, SBC, plus LE Audio’s LC3 and LC3plus, with Auracast for joining a shared broadcast and multipoint for keeping two devices paired at once.

The most useful everyday feature is simultaneous playback from a wired source and Bluetooth. You can follow game audio through the dongle while staying on a Discord call through your phone, without switching between connections. The USB-C connection also handles game/chat mixing directly from the headset.

Comfort and battery life for long sessions

The widened, ventilated headband distributes weight across the head, and the new memory-foam earpads seal better around the ear, helping passive noise reduction. The Maxwell 2 ANC still weighs 560 g, a high figure for a headset: the planar drivers and their magnets explain it, and very long sessions will feel it despite the careful weight distribution.

In terms of endurance, the 1800 mAh battery lasts around 40 hours without noise cancellation and 35 hours with it, as the ANC function takes its share. A twenty-minute charge restores a quarter of the battery, and two hours are enough for a full charge. The magnetic ReSkin side plates can be removed and replaced by hand to change the headset’s appearance, with designs sold separately.

Technical specifications

Audio

• Headphone type: closed-back circumaural (over-ear)
• Driver technology: planar magnetic
• Driver diameter: 90 mm
• Diaphragm: Uniforce
• Magnets: N50 neodymium
• Magnetic structure: Fluxor
• Waveguide technology: Fazor
• Acoustic management: SLAM
• Frequency response: 10 Hz – 50 kHz
• Maximum sound pressure level (SPL): > 115 dB
• Total harmonic distortion (THD): < 0.1% at 100 dB
• Integrated amplification: dual balanced 1.4 W amplifier
• Spatial audio: Dolby Atmos, Tempest 3D Audio, dynamic head tracking (compatible applications)

Audio performance

• Maximum resolution: up to 24-bit / 96 kHz
• Latency: ultra-low in USB-C wireless mode
• Game / Chat mix: yes (depending on platform)

Noise cancellation

• Technology: active noise cancellation (ANC)
• Maximum attenuation: up to 35 dB
• ANC processing: aviation-grade technology
• Transparency mode: yes

Microphones

• Main microphone: detachable
• Polar pattern: hypercardioid
• Voice processing: FILTER™ AI Noise Removal
• Noise reduction: intelligent AI ambient noise suppression
• Built-in microphones: yes, with beamforming

Connectivity

• Proprietary wireless: ultra-low-latency USB-C dongle
• Bluetooth: version 5.3
• Bluetooth profiles: Auracast, LE Audio, LC3, LC3plus, LDAC, AAC, SBC
• Multipoint connection: yes
• Digital wired connection: USB-C
• Analog connection: 3.5 mm TRRS jack

Battery and power

• Technology: lithium-polymer
• Capacity: 1800 mAh
• Battery life
  • Up to 40 hours (ANC off)
  • Up to 35 hours (ANC on)
• Fast charging
  • 25% in 20 minutes
  • Full charge in approximately 2 hours
• Power supply: USB-C (5 V / 1.8 A max.)

Compatibility

• PC / Mac
• Xbox
• Nintendo Switch 2
• iOS smartphones and tablets
• Android smartphones and tablets

Application

• Compatible Audeze application: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android

Comfort

• Wider, ventilated headband
• Memory foam ear pads
• Interchangeable magnetic side plates (ReSkin)

Physical specifications

• Weight: 560 g

Box contents

• Audeze Maxwell 2 headset
• Detachable microphone with pop filter
• Low-latency USB-C dongle
• USB-C to USB-C cable (1.5 m)
• USB-C to USB-A adapter (0.3 m)
• 3.5 mm TRRS analog audio cable (1.2 m)

Proprietary technologies

• 90 mm planar speakers
• Fluxor Magnetic Array
• Fazor
• SLAM Acoustic Management
• Uniforce Diaphragm
• FILTER AI Noise Removal
• Active noise cancellation up to 35 dB
• Head tracking for spatial audio
• Bluetooth LE Audio and Auracast
• High-resolution audio up to 24-bit / 96 kHz