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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Audeze Maxwell is an over-ear headphone with great build quality, excellent battery life, and a boom microphone, making it ideal for immersive experiences, gaming, and TV/video due to its superior sound quality and virtual surround capabilities, but it's less portable and has a high price point. The Bowers and Wilkins Pi7 S2 are in-ear earbuds, more portable, with a stemless design and good noise isolation, and offers active noise cancelling, which is better for air travel and use during exercise, plus it supports wireless charging and is sweatproof, but has a shorter battery life and isn't as suited for critical listening or gaming. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Audeze Maxwell
- Very good for music
- Very good for phone calls
- Excellent for gaming
- Very good for TV and video
- Excellent for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the Bowers and Wilkins Pi7 S2
- The Bowers and Wilkins Pi7 S2 has no clear advantages over the Audeze Maxwell.
Key differences
Music
8.4
7.5
The Audeze Maxwell is very good for music, while the Bowers and Wilkins Pi7 S2 is good.
Gaming
9.0
5.3
The Audeze Maxwell is excellent for gaming, while the Bowers and Wilkins Pi7 S2 is poor.
Phone Calls
8.7
5.2
The Audeze Maxwell is very good for phone calls, while the Bowers and Wilkins Pi7 S2 is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
9.4
5.6
The Audeze Maxwell is excellent for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Bowers and Wilkins Pi7 S2 is poor.
TV and Video
8.9
6.0
The Audeze Maxwell is very good for TV and video, while the Bowers and Wilkins Pi7 S2 is only fair.
Noise Reduction
6.0
8.3
The Bowers and Wilkins Pi7 S2 is very good for noise reduction, while the Audeze Maxwell is only fair.
Battery
78.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Audeze Maxwell has 78 hours of battery life. The Bowers and Wilkins Pi7 S2 has 5 hours of battery life.
Cost
$299
$127
$50
$100
$150
$200
$250
$300
$350
$400
The Audeze Maxwell has a price of $299 and the Bowers and Wilkins Pi7 S2 costs $127.
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Key similarities
Build Quality
9.0
8.9
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Audeze Maxwell to have excellent build quality, while the Bowers and Wilkins Pi7 S2 has very good build quality.
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How the Audeze Maxwell and the Bowers and Wilkins Pi7 S2 compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Audeze Maxwell | Bowers and Wilkins Pi7 S2 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$299 | $127 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Audeze | Bowers and Wilkins | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | January 1, 2023 | January 1, 2023 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired + Wireless | Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 8.4/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 8.7/10 | 5.2/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 9.1/10 | 5.4/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 8.9/10 | 6/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 6.3/10 | 6.3/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 78 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | No | Yes | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 2 Hours | 0.75 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5.3 | 5 | |
Case Battery Life | |||
Case Battery Life | N/A | 13 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | No | Yes | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 6/10 | 8.4/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | N/A | No | |
Android App | |||
Android App | Yes | Yes | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 8/10 | 7/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 9/10 | 8.9/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | N/A | Large | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 498.9 Grams | 7 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Boom | Integrated | |
Shopping
Audeze Maxwell
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Dig into reviews and images
Sound Guys
Christian Thomas | August 2023
"Despite a few caveats, the Audeze Maxwell is one of the best-performing gaming headsets on the market and should top the ranks for a few buyers — provided the budget (and neck strength) is there. Gaming headsets have their work cut out for them, and their audience is historically unkind to performance flaws. If you’re an older gamer with some cash to blow, you should be pleased with the Audeze Maxwell."
Bowers and Wilkins Pi7 S2
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Dig into reviews and images
Engadget
Billy Steele | March 2023
"While the overall sound quality is great, these earbuds fall short in terms of battery life, customization and ANC performance. Bowers & Wilkins’ ability to consistently deliver pristine sound isn’t enough to make up for what the Pi7 S2 lacks, which is unfortunately quite a bit."
Get a great deal on the Audeze Maxwell or the Bowers and Wilkins Pi7 S2
About Audeze
Audeze is an, award-winning, American premium headphone manufacturer based in California. Founded in 2008, their products are developed around aerospace materials technology first used by NASA and are widely used by enthusiasts and professionals alike, not only in the fields of music and sound engineering but also in e-sports and the health industry.
About Bowers and Wilkins
Bowers and Wilkins is a British audio equipment manufacturer with a focus on innovation and product development. It was founded by a couple of real-life James Bonds, the co-founders John Bowers and Roy Wilkins, who met while working for MI6 during World War II. The company keeps being favored by enthusiasts due to their sound quality, craftsmanship and signature aesthetics.
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Why trust us
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec earbuds & headphones team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest earbuds or headphones information and makes it digestible for you.
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About the Earbuds or Headphones team
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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