Many know Audeze as an audio company that started developing audiophile-grade headphones nearly two decades ago, creating planar magnetic headphones like the LCD-X and LCD-2 that have grown to become absolute cult classics in the head-fi space.
In 2018, Audeze brought its audiophile prowess into the gaming market with the introduction of the Mobius, a beloved gaming headset and then took everything it learned from the Mobius and poured it into the Maxwell which, in 2023, became its best-selling product ever. Now, after successfully releasing a sequel, the Maxwell 2, in early 2026, Audeze has announced its new flagship, and an acknowledgment of its competitive lead: the Maxwell 2 ANC.
The engineering problems Audeze solves
An enormous amount of work went into building noise canceling technology that works well with full-range planar drivers. In most other headphones, noise canceling can change the way they sound. This is particularly true of planar drivers, which tend to be larger and less efficient, but output a smoother bass response and better overall sound in return.
The Maxwell 2 ANC, thanks to careful measurement and tuning, boasts a frequency response that’s nearly identical whether ANC is on or off, a massive accomplishment and a unique differentiator across the industry.
In fact, you’ll want to enable ANC all the time because it’s so good. I’ve spent the last few days using the Maxwell 2 ANC to play games, listen to music, and everything in between, and I’ve found them comfortable to wear for long periods, particularly with the ventilated headband and plush earpads. The company’s own lab measurements show the headphones beating rivals like the Razer BlackShark 5 and SteelSeries’ Elite in the low-mids, and staying competitive with more audio-focused headphones like the Sony WH-1000XM6 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra.
The “ANC” moniker is not just a checkbox feature paired with a price bump. “Our customers loved the Maxwell 2, but they kept telling us they wanted to completely block out the world without sacrificing our signature planar sound,” said Sankar Thiagasamudram, CEO of Audeze. “With the Maxwell 2 ANC, we’ve achieved the holy grail of gaming audio. We didn’t just add noise cancellation; we engineered a system that maintains absolute acoustic precision whether ANC is on or off. Whether you’re competing on a noisy esports stage or mixing spatial audio in a studio, this headset delivers total immersion without compromise.”
The technology advantage
Back in 2018, the gaming headset market was wide open and Audeze, which had been building high-end audiophile headphones that often crossed the $1,000 mark, saw its opportunity to bring its planar magnetic driver tech down to a more accessible price point, and to a whole new demographic: gamers.
The Mobius was designed with similar planar magnetic drivers to those in the company’s much more expensive and high-end headphones. These drivers pass electric signals through a circuit over ultra-thin film diaphragms suspended in a powerful magnetic field to produce sound waves. The difference here is in how bass is accurately generated, without much of the distortion you get with traditional dynamic drivers.
On top of that, stuffing planar magnetic drivers into a pair of closed-back gaming headphones seemed like an unexpected move, but it’s one that immediately set Audeze apart from every other gaming audio company.
Audeze hasn’t exactly stopped evolving its approach to gaming audio. In 2020, the Penrose added wireless connectivity, running lossless low-latency audio over a 2.4GHz dongle with optional Bluetooth, crossing over to the console space with official Sony PlayStation and Microsoft Xbox support.
The true sea change came in 2023 with the release of the Audeze Maxwell. Packing massive 90mm planar drivers, it offered basically every feature a gamer could want: 80-hour battery life, Dolby Atmos support with real-time head tracking, 24-bit/96kHz hi-res audio support, and more. It immediately became an industry sensation for its sound quality, design, and massive feature set.
Early in 2026, Audeze refined the package with the Maxwell 2. The included dongle allows for wired-like performance over the air, practically eliminating latency. The headphones introduced Audeze’s SLAM technology, which allows for deeper, richer bass while delivering smoother mids and treble across ANC and passive-only wearing.
The design and refinement process is evident throughout Audeze’s entire lineup of headphones. Yes, it starts with audio quality, but it ends with immersion built on a solid foundation.
The PlayStation vote of confidence
Years ago, Audeze made a bet that it could adapt its industry-leading planar technology to make the gaming experience better. Five years later, that bet paid off when Sony, makers of PlayStation, acquired Audeze to integrate its planar driver tech into its growing line of first-party headsets, including the Pulse Explore and Pulse Elite.
Since then, the company has continued to work independently, working with PlayStation engineers to improve the next generation of audio technology. For many gamers, Maxwell 2 offers an upgrade path for PlayStation users looking for the cutting edge of audio quality and features.
The start of the Maxwell 2 ANC era
Audeze’s Maxwell 2 ANC is the next step in that evolution. But rather than slap standardized ANC on the Maxwell 2, Audeze worked from the ground up to develop a specialized noise cancellation system that works in perfect harmony with the audio the planar magnetic drivers are capable of.
The hybrid ANC is engineered around providing depth and clarity to the details that get otherwise missed – footsteps and directional sounds. It doesn’t drown out or distort audio like a lot of headphones tend to do, which would make for a lackluster experience. Paired with the company’s SLAM processing and a top-end 24-bit/96kHz transmission rate on PC, consoles, and other devices, the Maxwell 2 ANC feels like an appropriately massive step forward born of the company’s ambitions.
Even with the impressive hardware the Maxwell 2 can bring to the table, it doesn’t look like Audeze plans on stopping anytime soon. Since that initial gaming headset in 2018, after a decade of audio experience to begin with, Audeze has launched products that look like they offer generational improvements, not just spec bumps.
The Maxwell 2 ANC starts at $429 and is available for purchase now.
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