Audeze Maxwell vs LCD-S20

Which Headphones Are Better?

Products

Audeze Maxwell
Audeze LCD-S20

Tested using Methodology v2.1

Updated Mar 09, 2026 05:57 PM

Amazon.com

Tested using Methodology v2.1

Updated Mar 11, 2026 04:24 PM

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Our Verdict

Audeze Maxwell

Audeze LCD-S20

The Audeze Maxwell is a more versatile gaming headset than the Audeze LCD-S20, but which you'll prefer depends on how you want to use either pair. The Maxwell cans deliver wireless or wired audio, a boom mic, and controls, while the LCD-S20 are purely analog, wired headphones without those extra bells and whistles. Both are planar magnetic-equipped, but the main differences in these similar-looking headphones come down to tuning. The LCD-S20 boast a warmer sound profile with better L/R matching, but the Maxwell's frequency response consistency far outdoes the LCD-S20. For most people, it depends on how you plan to use your headphones.

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Variants

  • Maxwell (Dark Gray - PlayStation)
  • Maxwell (Dark Gray - Xbox)
  • LCD-S20 (Grey)

Check Price

Dark Gray - PlayStation
Maxwell
Amazon.com
Grey
LCD-S20
SEE PRICE
B&H
Dark Gray - Xbox
Maxwell
Amazon.com
Grey
LCD-S20
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
 
Grey
LCD-S20
BestBuy.com
 
Grey
LCD-S20
Audeze
 
Grey
LCD-S20
Walmart.com

Main Differences for
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Full Comparison

Sound

Sound Profile 
 

Sound Profile  

Audeze Maxwell Sound Profile Sample

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Audeze LCD-S20 Sound Profile Sample

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Normalization Frequency 
 

Lock Hz
Lock Hz

Bass Amount 
 

Locked
Locked

Treble Amount 
 

Locked
Locked

Sound Signature 
 

Locked
Locked
Show Text 

Frequency Response Consistency 
 

N/A
N/A

Consistency L  

Audeze Maxwell Consistency L Sample

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Audeze LCD-S20 Consistency L Sample

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Consistency R  

Audeze Maxwell Consistency R Sample

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Audeze LCD-S20 Consistency R Sample

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Std. Deviation 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB
Show Text 

Raw Frequency Response 
 

Raw FR L  

Audeze Maxwell Raw FR L Sample

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Audeze LCD-S20 Raw FR L Sample

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Raw FR R  

Audeze Maxwell Raw FR R Sample

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Audeze LCD-S20 Raw FR R Sample

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Bass Profile: Target Compliance 
 

N/A
N/A

Bass Profile: Target Compliance  

Audeze Maxwell Bass Profile: Target Compliance Sample

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Audeze LCD-S20 Bass Profile: Target Compliance Sample

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RMS Deviation From Target 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB

Low-Frequency Extension 
 

Lock Hz
Lock Hz

Low Bass 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB

Mid Bass 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB

High Bass 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB
Show Text 

Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance 
 

N/A
N/A

Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance  

Audeze Maxwell Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance Sample

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Audeze LCD-S20 Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance Sample

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RMS Deviation From Target 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB

Low Mid 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB

Mid-Mid 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB

High Mid 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB
Show Text 

Treble Profile: Target Compliance 
 

N/A
N/A

Treble Profile: Target Compliance  

Audeze Maxwell Treble Profile: Target Compliance Sample

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Audeze LCD-S20 Treble Profile: Target Compliance Sample

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RMS Deviation From Target 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB

Low Treble 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB

Mid Treble 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB

High Treble 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB
Show Text 

Peaks/Dips 
 

N/A
N/A

Peaks/Dips Graph 
 

Audeze Maxwell Peaks/Dips Graph Sample

SAMPLE

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Audeze LCD-S20 Peaks/Dips Graph Sample

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Peaks 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB

Dips 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB
Show Text 

Stereo Mismatch 
 

N/A
N/A

Frequency Response Mismatch  

Audeze Maxwell Frequency Response Mismatch Sample

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Audeze LCD-S20 Frequency Response Mismatch Sample

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Phase Response Mismatch  

Audeze Maxwell Phase Response Mismatch Sample

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Audeze LCD-S20 Phase Response Mismatch Sample

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Weighted Amplitude Mismatch 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB

Weighted Frequency Response Mismatch 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB

Weighted Phase Mismatch 
 

Lock°
Lock°
Show Text 

Cumulative Spectral Decay 
 

CSD  

Audeze Maxwell CSD Sample

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Audeze LCD-S20 CSD Sample

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PRTF 
 

N/A
N/A

PRTF  

Audeze Maxwell PRTF Sample

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Audeze LCD-S20 PRTF Sample

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PRTF Accuracy (RMS Deviation) 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB

PRTF Size (Avg.) 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB

PRTF Distance 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB
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Harmonic Distortion 
 

N/A
N/A

Harmonics Levels  

Audeze Maxwell Harmonics Levels Sample

SAMPLE

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Audeze LCD-S20 Harmonics Levels Sample

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THD Ratio  

Audeze Maxwell THD Ratio Sample

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Audeze LCD-S20 THD Ratio Sample

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WHD @ 94 dB SPL 
 

Lock%
Lock%

WHD @ 104 dB SPL 
 

Lock%
Lock%

Electrical Aspects 
 

Impedance  

Audeze Maxwell Impedance Sample

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Audeze LCD-S20 Impedance Sample

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Sensitivity @1kHz-1V 
 

N/A
Lock dB SPL

Bluetooth Max SPL 
 

Lock dB
N/A
Show Text 

Virtual Soundstage 
 

N/A
N/A

Virtual Soundstage  

Audeze Maxwell Virtual Soundstage Sample

SAMPLE

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Audeze LCD-S20 Virtual Soundstage Sample

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Head Modeling 
 

Locked
Locked

Speaker Modeling 
 

Locked
Locked

Room Ambience 
 

Locked
Locked

Head Tracking 
 

Locked
Locked

Virtual Surround 
 

Locked
Locked
Show Text 

Test Settings 
 

Firmware 
 

Locked
Locked

Power 
 

Locked
Locked

Connection 
 

Locked
Locked

Codec 
 

Locked
Locked

Test Instrument  

Locked
Locked

EQ 
 

Locked
Locked

ANC 
 

Locked
Locked

Tip/Pad 
 

Locked
Locked

Microphone 
 

Locked
Locked
Show Text 
Design

Style  

Design Picture 2  

Audeze Maxwell Design Picture 2 Sample

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Audeze LCD-S20 Design Picture 2 Sample

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Type  

Locked
Locked

Enclosure  

Locked
Locked

Wireless  

Locked
Locked

Transducer  

Locked
Locked
Show Text 

Comfort 
 

N/A
N/A

Comfort Picture  

Audeze Maxwell Comfort Picture Sample

SAMPLE

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Audeze LCD-S20 Comfort Picture Sample

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Weight  

Lock lbs
Lock lbs

Clamping Force 
 

Lock lbs
Lock lbs
Show Text 

Controls 
 

N/A
N/A

Controls Picture  

Audeze Maxwell Controls Picture Sample

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Audeze LCD-S20 Controls Picture Sample

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OS Compatibility 
 

Locked
Locked

Ease Of Use  

Locked
Locked

Feedback  

Locked
Locked

Call/Music Control  

Locked
Locked

Volume Control  

Locked
Locked

Microphone Control  

Locked
Locked

Channel Mixing 
 

Locked
Locked

Noise Cancelling Control  

Locked
Locked

Talk-Through 
 

Locked
Locked

Additional Controls  

Locked
Locked
Show Text 

Portability 
 

N/A
N/A

Portability Picture  

Audeze Maxwell Portability Picture Sample

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Audeze LCD-S20 Portability Picture Sample

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Lock" (Lock cm)
Lock" (Lock cm)

 

Lock" (Lock cm)
Lock" (Lock cm)

 

Lock" (Lock cm)
Lock" (Lock cm)

Volume  

Lock in³ (Lock cm³)
Lock in³ (Lock cm³)

Transmitter Required  

Locked
Locked
Show Text 

Case 
 

N/A
N/A

Case Picture  

Audeze Maxwell Case Picture Sample

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Audeze LCD-S20 Case Picture Sample

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Type  

Locked
Locked

 

N/A
N/A

 

N/A
N/A

 

N/A
N/A

Volume  

N/A
N/A
Show Text 

Build Quality 
 

N/A
N/A

Build Quality Picture  

Audeze Maxwell Build Quality Picture Sample

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Audeze LCD-S20 Build Quality Picture Sample

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Stability 
 

N/A
N/A

Stability Picture  

Audeze Maxwell Stability Picture Sample

SAMPLE

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Audeze LCD-S20 Stability Picture Sample

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Show Text 

Headshots 1  

Angled Picture  

Audeze Maxwell Angled Picture Sample

SAMPLE

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Audeze LCD-S20 Angled Picture Sample

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Side Picture  

Audeze Maxwell Side Picture Sample

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Audeze LCD-S20 Side Picture Sample

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Headshots 2  

Front Picture  

Audeze Maxwell Front Picture Sample

SAMPLE

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Audeze LCD-S20 Front Picture Sample

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Rear Picture  

Audeze Maxwell Rear Picture Sample

SAMPLE

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Audeze LCD-S20 Rear Picture Sample

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Top  

Top Picture  

Audeze Maxwell Top Picture Sample

SAMPLE

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Audeze LCD-S20 Top Picture Sample

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In The Box  

In The Box Picture  

Audeze Maxwell In The Box Picture Sample

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Audeze LCD-S20 In The Box Picture Sample

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Show Text 
Isolation

Noise Isolation - Full Range 
 

N/A
N/A

Noise Isolation - Full Range Graph  

Audeze Maxwell Noise Isolation - Full Range Graph Sample

SAMPLE

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Audeze LCD-S20 Noise Isolation - Full Range Graph Sample

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Noise Cancelling  

Locked
Locked

Overall Attenuation 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB

Bass 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB

Mid 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB

Treble 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB
Show Text 

Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios 
 

N/A
N/A

Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios Graph  

Audeze Maxwell Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios Graph Sample

SAMPLE

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Audeze LCD-S20 Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios Graph Sample

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Airplane Noise Attenuation 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB

Airplane Noise Isolation Audio 
 

Office Noise Attenuation 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB

Office Noise Isolation Audio 
 

Street Noise Attenuation 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB

Street Noise Isolation Audio 
 

Show Text 

Noise Isolation - Voice Handling 
 

Female Voice 1 
 

Male Voice 1 
 

Female Voice 2 
 

Male Voice 2 
 

ANC Wind Handling 
 

ANC Wind Handling Graph  

Audeze Maxwell ANC Wind Handling Graph Sample

SAMPLE

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Audeze LCD-S20 ANC Wind Handling Graph Sample

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ANC Wind Noise 
 

Leakage 
 

N/A
N/A

Leakage  

Audeze Maxwell Leakage Sample

SAMPLE

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Audeze LCD-S20 Leakage Sample

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Leakage Audio 
 

Overall Leakage @ 1ft 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB
Show Text 
Microphone

Microphone Style 
 

Integrated 
 

Locked
Locked

In-Line 
 

Locked
Locked

Boom 
 

Locked
Locked

Detachable Boom 
 

Locked
Locked

Mic  

Locked
Locked
Show Text 

Recording Quality 
 

N/A
N/A

Microphone Frequency Response  

Audeze Maxwell Microphone Frequency Response Sample

SAMPLE

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Audeze LCD-S20 Microphone Frequency Response Sample

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Recorded Speech 
 

LFE 
 

Lock Hz
N/A

FR Std. Dev. 
 

Lock dB
N/A

HFE 
 

Lock Hz
N/A

Weighted THD 
 

Lock
N/A

Gain 
 

Lock dB
N/A
Show Text 

Noise Handling 
 

N/A
N/A

SpNR  

Audeze Maxwell SpNR Sample

SAMPLE

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Audeze LCD-S20 SpNR Sample

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SpNR 
 

Lock dB
N/A

Noise Gate 
 

Locked
Locked

Speech + Pink Noise Handling 
 

0.0
N/A

Speech + Pink Noise Audio Sample  

Speech + Subway Noise Handling 
 

0.0
N/A

Speech + Subway Noise Audio Sample  

Show Text 
Active Features

Battery 
 

N/A
N/A

Battery Type 
 

Locked
Locked

Continuous Battery Life 
 

Lock hrs
N/A

Additional Charges 
 

Lock
N/A

Total Battery Life 
 

Lock hrs
N/A

Charge Time 
 

Lock hrs
N/A

Power-Saving Feature 
 

Locked
Locked

Audio While Charging 
 

Locked
Locked

Passive Playback 
 

Locked
Locked

Charging Port  

Locked
Locked
Show Text 

App Support 
 

N/A
N/A

App Picture  

Audeze Maxwell App Picture Sample

SAMPLE

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Audeze LCD-S20 App Picture Sample

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App Name  

Locked
Locked

iOS  

Locked
Locked

Android  

Locked
Locked

macOS  

Locked
Locked

Windows  

Locked
Locked

Equalizer 
 

Locked
Locked

ANC Control 
 

Locked
Locked

Mic Control  

Locked
Locked

Room Effects 
 

Locked
Locked

Playback Control 
 

Locked
Locked

Button Mapping  

Locked
Locked

Surround Support 
 

Locked
Locked
Show Text 
Connectivity

Wired Connection 
 

N/A
N/A

Cable Picture  

Audeze Maxwell Cable Picture Sample

SAMPLE

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Audeze LCD-S20 Cable Picture Sample

SAMPLE

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Analog Audio 
 

Locked
Locked

USB Audio 
 

Locked
Locked

Detachable 
 

Locked
Locked

Length 
 

Lock ft (Lock m)
Lock ft (Lock m)

Connector 
 

Locked
Locked

Latency - Analog 
 

Lock ms
Lock ms

Latency - USB 
 

Lock ms
N/A

Recorded Latency 
 

Recorded Latency Connection  

Locked
Locked
Show Text 

Bluetooth Connection 
 

N/A
N/A

Bluetooth Version 
 

Locked
Locked

Multi-Device Pairing 
 

Locked
Locked

Quick Pair (Android) 
 

Locked
Locked

Quick Pair (iOS) 
 

Locked
Locked

Line Of Sight Range 
 

Lock ft (Lock m)
N/A

Latency - SBC 
 

Lock ms
N/A

Latency - aptX 
 

N/A
N/A

Latency - aptX Adaptive (High Quality) 
 

N/A
N/A

Latency - aptX Adaptive (Low Latency) 
 

N/A
N/A

Latency - LDAC 
 

Lock ms
N/A

Recorded Latency 
 

Recorded Latency Codec  

Locked
Locked

AAC Support 
 

Locked
Locked
Show Text 

Wireless Connection (Dongle) 
 

N/A
N/A

Line Of Sight Range 
 

Lock ft (Lock m)
N/A

Latency - Dongle 
 

Lock ms
N/A

Recorded Latency 
 

Show Text 

PC Compatibility 
 

Analog 
 

Locked
Locked

Wired USB 
 

Locked
Locked

Non-BT Wireless 
 

Locked
Locked
Show Text 

PlayStation Compatibility 
 

PS4 Analog 
 

Locked
Locked

PS4 Wired USB 
 

Locked
Locked

PS4 Non-BT Wireless 
 

Locked
Locked

PS5 Analog 
 

Locked
Locked

PS5 Wired USB 
 

Locked
Locked

PS5 Non-BT Wireless 
 

Locked
Locked
Show Text 

Xbox Compatibility 
 

Xbox One Analog 
 

Locked
Locked

Xbox One Wired USB 
 

Locked
Locked

Xbox One Non-BT Wireless 
 

Locked
Locked

Xbox Series X|S Analog 
 

Locked
Locked

Xbox Series X|S Wired USB 
 

Locked
Locked

Xbox Series X|S Non-BT Wireless 
 

Locked
Locked
Show Text 

Base/Dock 
 

N/A
N/A

Type 
 

Locked
Locked

USB Input 
 

Locked
Locked

Line In 
 

Locked
Locked

Line Out 
 

Locked
Locked

Optical Input 
 

Locked
Locked

RCA Input 
 

Locked
Locked

Dock Charging 
 

Locked
Locked

Power Supply 
 

Locked
Locked
Show Text 

Check Price

Dark Gray - PlayStation
Maxwell
Amazon.com
Grey
LCD-S20
SEE PRICE
B&H
Dark Gray - Xbox
Maxwell
Amazon.com
Grey
LCD-S20
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
 
Grey
LCD-S20
BestBuy.com
 
Grey
LCD-S20
Audeze
 
Grey
LCD-S20
Walmart.com

Audeze Maxwell

Audeze LCD-S20

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  1. Comparison

Audeze Maxwell vs Audeze LCD-S20: Main Discussion

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