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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize high-fidelity audio for music listening, gaming, and watching TV, the Audeze Maxwell, despite its premium price, offers better overall sound quality and scores high in scores related to gaming and TV watching, as well as music listening. However, they are bulkier and not optimal for exercise or travel due to their size and lower portability score. On the other hand, the Sennheiser HD 400S is more budget-friendly, slightly better for calls and meetings, marginally more comfortable, and lighter in weight, making them a more portable option suitable for a variety of everyday uses, though they don't offer wireless connectivity. 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
- Excellent for gaming
- Very good for TV and video
- Very good for air travel
- Excellent for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the Sennheiser HD 400S
- The Sennheiser HD 400S has no clear advantages over the Audeze Maxwell.
Key differences
Music
8.4
7.1
The Audeze Maxwell is very good for music, while the Sennheiser HD 400S is good.
Phone Calls
8.7
8.2
The Audeze Maxwell and Sennheiser HD 400S are both very good for phone calls, though the Audeze Maxwell is somewhat better.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
9.4
7.6
The Audeze Maxwell is excellent for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Sennheiser HD 400S is good.
TV and Video
8.9
7.6
The Audeze Maxwell is very good for TV and video, while the Sennheiser HD 400S is good.
Noise Reduction
6.0
5.3
The Audeze Maxwell is only fair for noise reduction, while the Sennheiser HD 400S is poor.
Battery
78.0 Hours
N/A
The Audeze Maxwell has 78 hours of battery life. The Sennheiser HD 400S does not have a battery.
Cost
$299
$50
$0
$100
$200
$300
$400
The Audeze Maxwell has a price of $299 and the Sennheiser HD 400S costs $50.
Build Quality
9.0
8.5
The Audeze Maxwell has excellent build quality, while the Sennheiser HD 400S has very good build quality.
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Key similarities
Gaming
9.0
8.6
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Audeze Maxwell to be excellent for gaming, while the Sennheiser HD 400S is very good.
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How the Audeze Maxwell and the Sennheiser HD 400S compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Audeze Maxwell | Sennheiser HD 400S |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$299 | $50 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Audeze | Sennheiser | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | January 1, 2023 | January 1, 2019 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Headphones | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired + Wireless | Wired | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 8.4/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 8.7/10 | 8.2/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 9.1/10 | 8.7/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 8.9/10 | 7.7/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 6.3/10 | 4.2/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 78 Hours | N/A | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | No | N/A | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 2 Hours | N/A | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5.3 | N/A | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | No | No | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 6/10 | 5.3/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | N/A | No | |
Android App | |||
Android App | Yes | N/A | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | Yes | N/A | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 8/10 | 8.5/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 9/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 8/10 | 8.4/10 | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 498.9 Grams | 213 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Boom | Integrated | |
Waterproof Rating | |||
Waterproof Rating | 0 | 0 | |
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."
Sennheiser HD 400S
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Headphone Dungeon
Jim | August 2022
"Sennheiser has done it again. The HD 400S performs well beyond its price range and is one of the better budget model headphones I’ve tried. It has very few bells and whistles and offers a simple means of listening that still delivers amazing clarity and quality. If you need a good first pair of headphones or need something that you can take out of the house, then the HD 400S is definitely for you."
Get a great deal on the Audeze Maxwell or the Sennheiser HD 400S
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 Sennheiser
A family-owned company, Sennheiser is a German, high fidelity, audio equipment manufacturer founded in 1945. Their consumer audio division is now owned by the Swiss hearing aid and cochlear implant manufacturer Sonova. Sennheiser offers a wide variety of, very high quality, audio equipment solutions, from headphones to earbuds, full sets of monitoring speakers, amplifiers and microphones. They also make what is widely regarded as the best, and most expensive, headphones in existence, the HE-1 Orpheus, costing a whopping $59,000 dollars.
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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
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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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