Short answer: a tie on sound quality. Both are rated 3.8/5 (#96 and #92 of 216 over-ear headphones) at nearly the same price ($329.99 vs $328), so choose on features and fit.
The case for the Sony MDR-MV1: The open back has lively, extended treble and a full low end, with sub-bass on target and bass from 60 to 200 Hz about 2.7 dB above, so it delivers real punch for an open design. Watch for: Treble from 6 to 10 kHz is about 4.4 dB above target, with a 6.9 dB peak near 6.2 kHz, so cymbals, sibilance and hi hats can sound sharp or fatiguing.
Buy the Audeze Maxwell or the Sony MDR-MV1 on features: they are rated the same for sound quality at close to the same price.
Want more options? Browse the full Headphones rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Audeze Maxwell | Sony MDR-MV1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $329.99 | $328.00 |
| Ranked | #96 of 216 in Over-Ear Headphones | #92 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) | 78 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 1.85 dB standard deviation | 2.34 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.79 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.42 (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 (-1.4 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 40mm dynamic |
| Weight | 1.1 lbs (490 g) | 0.5 lbs (223 g) |
| Frequency Response | 10Hz - 50kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 5Hz - 80kHz (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 | - |
| Impedance | - | 24 ohms |
| Sensitivity | - | 100 dB/mW |
Related Headphone Comparisons
How Sony MDR-MV1 compares with other leading options:
- Austrian Audio Hi-X65 vs Sony MDR-MV1
- Beyerdynamic DT 700 Pro X vs Sony MDR-MV1
- Sony MDR-MV1 vs Sennheiser HD 490 Pro
- Sony MDR-MV1 vs Sivga Audio Phoenix
- HarmonicDyne Romantic vs Audeze Maxwell
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
Sony MDR-MV1: $328.00 Amazon eBay
Pros: The open back has lively, extended treble and a full low end, with sub-bass on target and bass from 60 to 200 Hz about 2.7 dB above, so it delivers real punch for an open design. At 24 ohms and 100 dB/mW it is easy to drive from a phone, and at 223 g it is the lightest headphone in this group. The preference score is 78, and it ties the Austrian Audio Hi-X65 on rating.
Cons: Treble from 6 to 10 kHz is about 4.4 dB above target, with a 6.9 dB peak near 6.2 kHz, so cymbals, sibilance and hi hats can sound sharp or fatiguing. A 4.1 dB dip near 4.6 kHz can leave vocals less natural. The bass and low mids add warmth that moves it away from neutral, and the open back leaks sound with no isolation.
Full Sony MDR-MV1 review and specifications →
| Released | May 2023 (3 years ago) |
|---|---|
| Back | Open |
| Connection | Wired |
| Deviation From Target | 2.34 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 x 40mm dynamic |
| Form Factor | Over-ear |
| Frequency Response | 5Hz - 80kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Harman Preference Score | 78 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) |
| Impedance | 24 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 100 dB/mW |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-1.4 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.42 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Weight | 0.5 lbs (223 g) |
EQ preset to match the Harman target
Set a preamp of -4.1 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 | +9.7 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 46 Hz | -9.2 dB | 0.37 |
| Peak | 1,722 Hz | +2.8 dB | 0.95 |
| Peak | 4,643 Hz | +9.2 dB | 1.99 |
| Peak | 5,779 Hz | -9.2 dB | 1.50 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -2.2 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 705 Hz | +0.8 dB | 2.45 |
| Peak | 242 Hz | -0.7 dB | 2.04 |
| Peak | 128 Hz | +0.5 dB | 2.09 |
| Peak | 2,955 Hz | -0.9 dB | 4.58 |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons