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What we think
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Updated April 11, 2024·
If you value exceptional sound quality and are using them mostly at home, the Audeze Maxwell with its superior overall sound, build quality, and active noise cancelling might be the better choice. They're also wireless with a very long battery life, suitable for music, calls, and especially gaming due to low latency. However, if budget is a significant concern and you're looking for a simple, wired solution for casual listening, the Sony MDR-ZX110 is much less expensive with decent sound for music and a portable design. Keep in mind, the Sony doesn't have active noise cancelling or wireless capabilities. 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
- Very good for air travel
- Excellent for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the Sony MDR-ZX110
- The Sony MDR-ZX110 has no clear advantages over the Audeze Maxwell.
Key differences
Music
8.4
7.6
The Audeze Maxwell is very good for music, while the Sony MDR-ZX110 is good.
Gaming
9.0
5.9
The Audeze Maxwell is excellent for gaming, while the Sony MDR-ZX110 is poor.
Phone Calls
8.7
3.0
The Audeze Maxwell is very good for phone calls, while the Sony MDR-ZX110 is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
9.4
4.3
The Audeze Maxwell is excellent for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Sony MDR-ZX110 is poor.
TV and Video
8.9
6.9
The Audeze Maxwell is very good for TV and video, while the Sony MDR-ZX110 is only fair.
Noise Reduction
6.0
5.3
The Audeze Maxwell is only fair for noise reduction, while the Sony MDR-ZX110 is poor.
Battery
78.0 Hours
N/A
The Audeze Maxwell has 78 hours of battery life. The Sony MDR-ZX110 does not have a battery.
Cost
$299
$10
$0
$100
$200
$300
$400
The Audeze Maxwell has a price of $299 and the Sony MDR-ZX110 costs $10.
Build Quality
9.0
6.0
The Audeze Maxwell has excellent build quality, while the Sony MDR-ZX110 has only fair build quality.
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How the Audeze Maxwell and the Sony MDR-ZX110 compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Audeze Maxwell | Sony MDR-ZX110 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$299 | $10 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Audeze | Sony | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | January 1, 2023 | July 1, 2015 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Headphones | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired + Wireless | Wired | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 8.4/10 | 7.7/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 8.7/10 | 3/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 9.1/10 | 5.9/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 8.9/10 | 7/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 6.3/10 | 3.9/10 | |
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 | |
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 | 6/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 8/10 | 5.5/10 | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 498.9 Grams | 119.9 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."
Sony MDR-ZX110
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Audio.org
Audio.org | December 2022
"My opinion about Sony MDR ZX110 is they are the best budget headphones of Sony with top-class sound. Clear vocals, great bass, and balanced sound with low sound distortion. The treble could be sharper, but it's ok. 30 mm neodymium dynamic drivers give clear and precise audio, and an inline remote with a mic give decent call quality. Closed-Back Design also helps to improve sound performance."
Get a great deal on the Audeze Maxwell or the Sony MDR-ZX110
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 Sony
Sony is a multinational corporation, based out of Japan, with over 75 years of experience in the consumer electronics industry. In the audio market, Sony has been a trendsetter several times throughout its history. In 1979 they released the first-ever portable music player, the Sony Walkman, followed by the Discman 20 years later. Today, Sony is one of the leaders in the wireless headphone and earbud market, especially in terms of Active Noise Cancellation technology.
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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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