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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you're looking for a premium listening experience and are willing to invest more, the Sennheiser HD800S offers superior overall sound quality and an unparalleled soundstage, making them excellent for music and TV. These headphones don't come with a microphone, have open-back design enhancing natural sound but allowing noise in, which could be a concern if used in noisy environments. On the other hand, the Audeze Maxwell, while significantly less expensive, still provides very good sound quality with the convenience of both wired and wireless options, a built-in microphone, and sound customization through an app. These are closed-back, better for noisy environments, and have a longer battery life, making them versatile for different uses, though they may be bulkier and heavier than the HD800S. 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 phone calls
- Excellent for gaming
- Very good for air travel
- Excellent for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the Sennheiser HD800S
- Best in class for music
- Best in class for TV and video
Key differences
Music
8.4
9.9
The Sennheiser HD800S is best in class for music, while the Audeze Maxwell is very good.
Gaming
9.0
7.5
The Audeze Maxwell is excellent for gaming, while the Sennheiser HD800S is good.
Phone Calls
8.7
5.0
The Audeze Maxwell is very good for phone calls, while the Sennheiser HD800S is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
9.4
8.1
The Audeze Maxwell is excellent for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Sennheiser HD800S is very good.
TV and Video
8.9
9.7
The Sennheiser HD800S is best in class for TV and video, while the Audeze Maxwell is very good.
Noise Reduction
6.0
2.5
The Audeze Maxwell is only fair for noise reduction, while the Sennheiser HD800S is poor.
Battery
78.0 Hours
N/A
The Audeze Maxwell has 78 hours of battery life. The Sennheiser HD800S does not have a battery.
Cost
$299
$1,400
$150
$200
$250
$300
$350
$400
The Audeze Maxwell has a price of $299 and the Sennheiser HD800S costs $1,400.
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Key similarities
Build Quality
9.0
9.0
The Audeze Maxwell and Sennheiser HD800S both have excellent build quality.
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How the Audeze Maxwell and the Sennheiser HD800S compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Audeze Maxwell | Sennheiser HD800S |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$299 | $1,400 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Audeze | Sennheiser | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | January 1, 2023 | December 1, 2015 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Headphones | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired + Wireless | Wired | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 8.4/10 | 10/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 8.7/10 | 5/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 9.1/10 | 7.6/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 8.9/10 | 9.7/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 6.3/10 | 4.5/10 | |
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 | 2.5/10 | |
Android App | |||
Android App | Yes | N/A | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | Yes | N/A | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 8/10 | N/A | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 9/10 | 9/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 8/10 | 10/10 | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 498.9 Grams | 371.9 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Boom | N/A | |
Waterproof Rating | |||
Waterproof Rating | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Audeze Maxwell
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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 HD800S
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Sound Guys
Christian Thomas | March 2023
"The cans offer stellar sound quality, comfort, and good maintenance options—so they're an easy recommendation if you have the cash and the need for the last headphones you'll buy for years."
Get a great deal on the Audeze Maxwell or the Sennheiser HD800S
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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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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