I really like the Audeze Maxwell headphones, but it's surprising that not a single reviewer has mentioned the issue with the side tone functionality. There's this annoying crackling sound when there's no audio playing, and honestly, it's unbearable. I reached out to Audeze, and they mentioned it's due to the design of the headphones and considered normal. However, I've never experienced this with even the cheapest headsets I've tried before. I ended up returning my unit, but I'd be open to trying it again if this issue isn't present for you.