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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want a headset you can also take into work calls, choose Maxell ANC Headphones; if you need headphones built to survive a kid, choose iClever BTH20. Both run 40mm dynamic drivers and both offer active noise cancellation, but they are aimed at completely different people. One is an adult office/travel set with a detachable boom mic. The other is a kids' travel headphone with a volume cap and a seriously long battery. Here is how I'd split them.
• Maxell ANC Headphones — biggest strength: a detachable boom mic plus a built-in mic, which turns a wireless headphone into something you can actually talk on.
• Maxell ANC Headphones — biggest trade-off: battery life is modest at 10 hours with ANC on and 15 hours with it off, and there's no wired fallback jack.
• iClever BTH20 — biggest strength: battery life is enormous — 60 hours with ANC off and 35 hours with ANC on — plus a 3.5mm cable when the battery does run down.
• iClever BTH20 — biggest trade-off: it's designed and sized for kids aged 3 and up, so adults who want a boom mic for meetings will be looking in the wrong place.
• Pick Maxell ANC Headphones if you want one pair for music, podcasts and hands-free calls.
• Pick iClever BTH20 if you're buying for a child and want durability, a volume limit and a battery that outlasts a long trip.
The Maxell set is an on-ear, over-ear-cup design in black plastic, and the headline trick is the microphone. There's a detachable boom mic for virtual meetings and a built-in mic for hands-free calling. That combination is genuinely useful if you bounce between listening to music and jumping on a call without swapping devices. The boom arm comes off when you don't need it, so you're not walking around with a stalk hanging off your head all day.
On the audio side, Maxell uses 40mm high-fidelity dynamic drivers covering 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz, and the ANC is rated to cut roughly 20dB of outside noise when it's switched on. That's a meaningful drop in steady background rumble — think a train, a fan, an open-plan office — not a magic silence button. Controls are touch-based media control, and the connection is Bluetooth 5 with a 10-meter range. Charging takes about 2 hours. The included protective case is a nice touch if you're carrying it between home, school and the office.
Here's who should buy it: adults who want a single wireless headphone for music, podcasts and calls, and who value the detachable mic more than marathon battery life. Here's who should skip it: anyone who needs all-day playback on a single charge, anyone who wants a wired option as a backup — there's no headphone jack here — and anyone shopping for a young child, because this isn't built or tuned for that.
The iClever BTH20 is a kids' travel headphone, and the spec sheet reads like it was written by someone who has watched a child drop things. It's an over-ear design in purple, built from ABS, leather and POK with BPA- and PVC-free materials, and the reinforced internal structure is specifically aimed at two classic failure points: buttons wearing out and sound dropping on one side. Earmuffs rotate 90 degrees and the headband adjusts across 10 levels, which is the practical difference between "fits for a year" and "fits until they outgrow it."
Audio-wise it also runs a 40mm dynamic driver with a 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz range and 32-ohm impedance — same driver size as the Maxell, different tuning priorities. The headline safety feature is the iClever Sound Refiner with an 80dBA volume limit, which caps output while trying to keep the sound balanced rather than just muffled. ANC is on board too, with touch controls. Bluetooth 5.4 gives a more stable, lower-power connection, and the battery is the standout: 60 hours with ANC off, 35 hours with ANC on, and a 10-minute USB-C charge that buys about 5 hours. There's also a 3.5mm jack and an included audio cable, so a dead battery doesn't end the trip.
Buy it if you're equipping a child aged 3 and up for flights, car rides or school, and you want volume limiting, durability and a battery that doesn't need babysitting. Skip it if you're an adult who wants a boom mic for calls — that's not what this is — or if you want a neutral, adult-oriented tuning rather than a kid-safe one.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for work calls and meetings → Maxell ANC Headphones. The detachable boom mic is the deciding feature; iClever has no boom mic at all.
• Best for a child aged 3+ → iClever BTH20. The 80dBA volume limit, 90-degree rotating cups and 10-level headband are purpose-built for kids.
• Best for durability against drops and bends → iClever BTH20. Reinforced structure, reinforced buttons and tougher materials are called out in the design.
• Best for a wired backup option → iClever BTH20. It has a 3.5mm jack and ships with an audio cable; the Maxell is wireless-only with no jack.
• Best for a low-hassle top-up charge → iClever BTH20. A 10-minute USB-C charge gets you about 5 hours; the Maxell needs roughly 2 hours for a full charge.
• Best for adult music and podcast listening with occasional ANC → Maxell ANC Headphones. 40mm drivers, ~20dB of noise reduction and touch media controls suit that job fine.
• Best for a hard protective case → Maxell ANC Headphones. It ships with one; the iClever listing doesn't mention a case.
If you're weighing cost, check the current price on Amazon for both — this comparison is about fit, not figures.
In my opinion, the right pick comes down to one question: who is wearing them? If it's you, and you want one wireless headphone that handles music and hands-free calls, I'd buy the Maxell ANC Headphones. The detachable boom mic is a real advantage you can't fake, and 40mm drivers with 20dB of ANC cover everyday listening well.
If it's a child, I'd buy the iClever BTH20 without hesitating. The 80dBA volume limit, kid-sized adjustable fit, reinforced build and 60-hour battery are exactly what a parent needs, and the 3.5mm cable removes the dead-battery panic on a long flight. Two different jobs, two different winners.
FAQ
what is 40mm driver in headphones
A 40mm driver is the circular speaker unit inside the earcup, measuring 40 millimeters across. Both headphones here use a 40mm dynamic driver, which is a common size for over-ear and on-ear models because it can move enough air for decent bass without making the cups huge.
what are 40mm drivers in headphones
which driver is best for headphones
There's no single "best" driver size. Larger drivers generally move more air and can produce stronger low end, while tuning, enclosure design and impedance matter just as much. The iClever BTH20, for example, pairs its 40mm driver with 32-ohm impedance and a volume-limiting circuit, which changes the result more than driver size alone.
is 40mm driver good for headphones
Yes — 40mm is a solid, widely used size that handles full-range listening well, which is why both of these models use it. Whether it sounds good to you depends on the tuning and the fit; the Maxell leans toward immersive full-range sound for music and calls, while the iClever prioritizes safer, balanced output for kids.
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