Short answer: the Audeze Maxwell. It ranks #96 of 216 over-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 3.8/5, at $329.99. The Sivga Audio Phoenix ranks #120, rated 3.6/5, at $309, $20.99 cheaper, a saving that is not big enough to make up the sound-quality gap.
What the Sivga Audio Phoenix does well: Oratory1990’s measurement gives it a preference score of 72 with a fairly even 2.3 dB standard deviation, and its warm tilt with bass about 2 dB above target suits warm and bassy tastes. Watch for: Low mids sit nearly 3 dB above target, which can thicken vocals and make dense mixes sound slightly muddy, and a 4.3 dB dip near 3 kHz recesses voices a touch.
Buy the Audeze Maxwell. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $20.99 saving on the Sivga Audio Phoenix is not enough to make up the difference.
Still deciding? The full Headphones rankings cover every ranked option.
Specifications Side By Side
| Audeze Maxwell | Sivga Audio Phoenix | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $329.99 | $309.00 |
| Ranked | #96 of 216 in Over-Ear Headphones | #120 of 216 in Over-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | Over-ear | Over-ear |
| Harman Preference Score | 78 (median of 8 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 72 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 1.85 dB standard deviation | 2.28 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.79 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.86 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+2.5 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-3.5 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Connection | Wireless and wired | Wired |
| Back | Closed | Open |
| Driver Type | Planar magnetic | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 x 90mm planar magnetic | 1 x 50mm dynamic |
| Weight | 1.1 lbs (490 g) | 0.7 lbs (296 g) |
| Frequency Response | 10Hz - 50kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 20Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Active Noise Cancelling | No | - |
| Battery Life | 80 hours (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 | - |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, LDAC, LC3, LC3plus | - |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes | No |
| Impedance | - | 32 ohms |
| Sensitivity | - | 103 dB |
Related Headphone Comparisons
How Audeze Maxwell compares with other leading options:
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- Audeze Maxwell vs Austrian Audio Hi-X65
- Audeze Maxwell vs Sony MDR-MV1
- Audeze Maxwell vs Beyerdynamic DT 700 Pro X
- Audeze Maxwell vs Sennheiser HD 490 Pro
Prices on this page were last checked October 11, 2026 at 4:59 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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The Two Headphones In Full
Audeze Maxwell: $329.99 Wireless Amazon eBay
Full Audeze Maxwell review and specifications →
| Released | 2023 (3 years ago) |
|---|---|
| Active Noise Cancelling | No |
| Back | Closed |
| Battery Life | 80 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, LDAC, LC3, LC3plus |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes |
| Connection | Wireless and wired |
| Deviation From Target | 1.85 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Planar magnetic |
| Drivers | 1 x 90mm planar magnetic |
| Form Factor | Over-ear |
| Frequency Response | 10Hz - 50kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Harman Preference Score | 78 (median of 8 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+2.5 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.79 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Weight | 1.1 lbs (490 g) |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
Sivga Audio Phoenix: $309.00 HiFiGo eBay
Pros: Oratory1990’s measurement gives it a preference score of 72 with a fairly even 2.3 dB standard deviation, and its warm tilt with bass about 2 dB above target suits warm and bassy tastes. Treble stays within about 1 dB of target from 3 to 10 kHz, so it never turns harsh. At 32 ohms and 103 dB sensitivity it runs well from a phone or laptop, and it weighs 296 g.
Cons: Low mids sit nearly 3 dB above target, which can thicken vocals and make dense mixes sound slightly muddy, and a 4.3 dB dip near 3 kHz recesses voices a touch. The open back leaks sound and blocks little outside noise. The Audio-Technica ATH-M60x is rated higher for less money.
Full Sivga Audio Phoenix review and specifications →
| Released | 2020 (6 years ago) |
|---|---|
| Back | Open |
| Built-in Microphone | No |
| Connection | Wired |
| Deviation From Target | 2.28 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 x 50mm dynamic |
| Form Factor | Over-ear |
| Frequency Response | 20Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Harman Preference Score | 72 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) |
| Impedance | 32 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 103 dB |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-3.5 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.86 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Weight | 0.7 lbs (296 g) |
EQ preset to match the Harman target
Set a preamp of -5.2 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +4.9 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 143 Hz | -4.0 dB | 0.18 |
| Peak | 8,971 Hz | +2.1 dB | 1.28 |
| Peak | 1,214 Hz | +3.1 dB | 0.64 |
| Peak | 3,160 Hz | +4.4 dB | 4.21 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -0.3 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 4,592 Hz | -2.6 dB | 4.75 |
| Peak | 5,893 Hz | +2.2 dB | 5.71 |
| Peak | 49 Hz | -0.6 dB | 1.65 |
| Peak | 121 Hz | +0.5 dB | 1.62 |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons