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Updated January 10, 2024·
If audio quality for music is your priority, the Audeze Maxwell with its planar driver and LDAC support offers superior sound but comes at a premium price. It's also better for TV and video due to its virtual surround feature but has a heavier build, which may not be ideal for exercise or travel. Conversely, the Razer Hammerhead True Wireless is more affordable and has a lightweight design, making them suitable for use during exercise and more portable. They offer good sound quality and have a game mode for lower latency, beneficial for gaming. Noise isolation is slightly better with the Razers, but they lack active noise cancelling, unlike the Maxwells. Both have decent battery life and microphone quality, but if you need a wired connection option or plan to use them extensively for calls, the Maxwells with their detachable cable and boom mic might be the better investment. 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 Razer Hammerhead True Wireless
Good for exercise
Key differences
Music
8.4/10
6.6/10
The Audeze Maxwell is very good for music, while the Razer Hammerhead True Wireless is only fair.
Phone Calls
8.7/10
5.4/10
The Audeze Maxwell is very good for phone calls, while the Razer Hammerhead True Wireless is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
9.4/10
5.6/10
The Audeze Maxwell is excellent for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Razer Hammerhead True Wireless is poor.
TV and Video
8.9/10
7.9/10
The Audeze Maxwell is very good for TV and video, while the Razer Hammerhead True Wireless is good.
Noise Reduction
6.0/10
8.1/10
The Razer Hammerhead True Wireless 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 Razer Hammerhead True Wireless has 5 hours of battery life.
Cost
$299
$100
$50
$100
$150
$200
$250
$300
$350
$400
The Audeze Maxwell has a price of $299 and the Razer Hammerhead True Wireless costs $100.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Audeze Maxwell to be excellent for gaming, while the Razer Hammerhead True Wireless is very good.
Build Quality
9.0/10
8.7/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Audeze Maxwell to have excellent build quality, while the Razer Hammerhead True Wireless has very good build quality.
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How the Audeze Maxwell and the Razer Hammerhead True Wireless compare to other earbuds and headphones
"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."
"This latest set is more “Pro” than not in both looks and features: they offer active noise cancellation, a low-latency gaming mode, and have switched to a in-ear design with silicone tips. Just like many of the company’s laptops and gaming accessories, the 2021 Hammerhead True Wireless include Razer’s full Chroma RGB system. It makes for what Razer calls “the ultimate wireless earbud flex.”"
Get a great deal on the Audeze Maxwell or the Razer Hammerhead True Wireless
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 Razer
Razer is an American-Singaporean hardware manufacturer aimed specifically toward the gaming market. They manufacture a very wide array of gaming laptops, tablets, phones, peripherals and, of course, headphones and earbuds both wired and wireless. Since 2016, Razer has owned the THX suite, aimed at quality assurance of audiovisual systems such as speaker sets, video game consoles and even movie theaters.
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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
Joe Golden, Ph.D
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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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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Luis Torres
Earbuds and Headphones Expert
Luis is a Mexico-based headphones expert. He’s been making headphone recommendations for five years and has close to 100 pairs in his personal collection.