Expert’s Rating
Pros
Cons
Our Verdict
AirPods Max deliver in the audio section , and are some of the well - designed and built Consumer earpiece you’re able to buy . But they cost manner more than is justified , especially as they do n’t include a right case nor a 3.5 mm audio cable .
Best Prices Today: Apple AirPods Max
Apple ’s modish expansion of the AirPods brand is a solidification of large over - the - ear wireless headphones . The AirPods Max look expectant , sound groovy , and are quite comfortable despite their heavy weight . They ’re also $ 549 , a hard toll to absolve when the challenger ( primarily theSony WH-1000XM4and theBose 700 ) are around $ 200 to $ 250 less .
In some style , the AirPod Max give you what you pay for . Build quality is unmatched at any price , and there are some cunning design fanfare . But there are also a few compromises deserving noting , like a “ Smart Case ” that is anything but .
For those embedded in the Apple ecosystem , the AirPods Max will be worth considering when they ’re on sale for $ 449 or less , but it ’s otherwise hard to rationalise the cost tag , and those who regularly dip outside Apple ’s mathematical product ecosystem should probably face at choice .
The ultra-minimalist look of the AirPods Max stands out in a crowded market. Everyone will know what they are at a glance.
For more advice read our comparability of theAirPods Max vs other over - spike headphones .
Design and comfort
It comes as no surprise that Apple design a curing of headphones that see fantastic and is made from premium textile . But Apple does n’t always knock it out of the park with ergonomics . ( I ’m looking at you , Apple TV remote . ) fortuitously , AirPods Max are both great - looking and a joy to use .
Apple ’s Modern headphones just evidently look better than any other you ’ve used . mention the smooth mat conclusion on the Al close - back earpieces , the stainless brand rods in the ring , the o.k. mesh of the capitulum pad and “ canopy ” headband — it all works together to create a sleek and minimalist look that frame nearly all other headphones to ignominy , even those that be a lot more .
The ultra - minimalist look of the AirPods Max abide out in a crowded market place . Everyone will live what they are at a coup d’oeil .
The ultra-minimalist look of the AirPods Max stands out in a crowded market. Everyone will know what they are at a glance.
multitude willnoticeyou’re wearing AirPods Max , even though they oddly do n’t have an Apple logotype anywhere .
All that alloy prepare them a lot heavier than similar headphones , as much as 50 per centum heavier at 384 grams ( the Sony XM4s and Bose 700s both count just over 250 g ) . Apple has done such a good task maximize comfort with the soft , deep , breathable capitulum pads and the mesh canopy headband that the weight does n’t rag you at all . There ’s a bit more clamping force than I ’ve experienced on most other consumer radio headphones , but that too is mitigated by the grand pinna pads .
AirPods Max are anything but heavyset . They do n’t close up up at all , only turn bland .
AirPods Max are anything but compact. They don’t fold up at all, only turn flat.
endeavor to operate or work out with these on , or just wrick your head quickly , and you ’ll on the spur of the moment find all that weight . No matter , as these are not at all fret or water system repellent , so you should n’t be doing anything more active than a brisk walkway in them anyway .
The controls are great , too . Apple avoided mite controls ( everyone with a hoodie rejoice ! ) , opting instead for a digital crown like that on the Apple Watch along with a individual clit , both on the top of the right earphone . The tip is gratefully much larger than that on the watch and controls volume and playback : tick it once to play / pause , twice to decamp forward , three time to pass over back , press and hold to conjure Siri . you could even countermand the direction of the wheel if you get yourself grow the book up every clip you want to turn it down . The clitoris toggles between disturbance - cancelling and transparency mode , or turns stochasticity cancelling off if you enable that choice in Bluetooth configurations . The controls are simple-minded , intuitive , unobtrusive , and attractive ; everything you want in a distich of headphones .
The command are simple , nonrational , and unobtrusive . Just what you want in a good distich of headphones .
The controls are simple, intuitive, and unobtrusive. Just what you want in a good pair of headphones.
Despite the unreasonable weight unit , AirPods Max look not bad , feel great , and have excellent control . I assume them for hours without discomfort , with and without glass , which is more than I can say for other consumer wireless headphone .
If there ’s a downside , it ’s the fact that these headphones charge only with a Lightning connector and have no 3.5 millimetre headphone jack input ( as with many products , Apple does not include a power adapter in the box , only a USB - C to Lightning cable ) . If you want to use these to mind to an in - escape movie , or to lossless audio frequency from your electronic computer or a headphone amp , or you ’re editing video and want to eliminate the latency of Bluetooth , you ’ll have to corrupt a separate and grossly overpriced$35 Lightning to 3.5 millimetre cable . For the Mary Leontyne Price , the AirPods Max shouldabsolutelyinclude this .
The pinna cushion are magnetically bind . The mind is that , as they bust down over time ( as find to all headphone ear cushions ) , you may simply purchase a new pair for $ 69 and snap them right on . That ’s an absurd overcharge for some fabric - wrapped memory foam and a few magnets , but competing headphones offer no resort for replacing wear - out cushion , and $ 69 is a lot cheaper than put back your headphones !
Apple loves its magnets! Snap-on earpads are easy to replace when they wear out.
Apple make love its magnets ! Snap - on earpads are easy to interchange when they wear out .
That not-Smart not-Case
We ca n’t quite call the AirPods Max a invention victory , though . It send with something Apple calls a “ Smart Case ” which is neither smart nor a case . It ’s awful . Reallyawful . Ill - conceive and poorly do , it ’s in the running for the bad accessory Apple ’s ever ship , sharing rarified strain with the “ hockey game Robin Goodfellow ” mouse and Apple TV Siri remote .
Thanks in part to its satiny metallic element structure , the AirPods Max do n’t really fold up at all . The earpieces merely turn sideway , and that ’s it . The Smart Case is a individual piece of flimsy plastic material that has been fold up to form little pockets that you slip the earcups into , then fold the top over .
The so - called Smart Case will do nothing to protect your headphones in your bag .
The so-called Smart Case will do nothing to protect your headphones in your bag.
It ’s small and light , but that ’s about all it has going for it . It does n’t protect your $ 550 headphonesat all . The band , with its canopy mesh , is all let out to get caught on rubble in your bag , or squeeze . There are huge unresolved spline at the bottom of the pouch , so they effectively do nothing to keep random bag item from scraping up your earcups . There ’s a little cutout on the right side for the Lightning connector , so you could charge in the typesetter’s case , but it ’s kind of cockeyed when there arehuge gapsall over the place .
Putting them in the case and folding over the magnetic tizzy immediately put the AirPods Max into a variety of low - power mode to save up battery , though the Bluetooth receiving set will stay active for 18 time of day so thatFind Mywill continue to work . If you alternatively just put the earphone down on a table or something and do n’t touch them , they ’ll go to a low - ability mode after 5 bit , with the Bluetooth radio participating for 72 hours ( again , for Find My support ) .
To sum up up , the Smart Case :
The AirPods Max haveninemicrophones, behind tiny slits all around the edges.
Whatever Apple ’s product development and blessing unconscious process it , it failed miserably here . This sort of embarrassing dust should never make it to market place . as luck would have it , it ’s not a critical component and can be more or less ignored .
Sound quality and noise cancelling
AirPods Max are extremely well designed and crafted ( aside from the Smart Case , which is the opposite of that ) , but that think nothing if they do n’t fathom great . as luck would have it , they ’re a delight for your ears . Audio breeding stands shoulder joint - to - shoulder with the best tuner Bluetooth headphone , and the active noise cancelling is perhaps the best I ’ve ever heard .
The audio visibility of the AirPods Max is not studio apartment - grade . You should not bear a matted frequency reception curve . Apple has tune the AirPods Max to hike bass and mid - in high spirits frequence a number , which most listeners will probably find quite pleasing . The bass has kick when it ’s call for , and it ’s blank with no twisting , but it does n’t have the overpowering thumping of Sony ’s XM4s or most Beats headphone , for model . These are n’t going to vibrate your skull , if that ’s what you ’re looking for .
The AirPods Max haveninemicrophones , behind tiny twat all around the edges .
I ’m strike by how remarkablyconsistentthe sound quality is . Most earpiece change tone depending on exactly how they ’re sitting on your spike , or how loud you have the mass crank up . AirPods Max finagle to vocalize exactly the same no matter how they ’re shifted on your head , and whether you have them set low in a still room or cranked loud alfresco . If this is the “ adaptive EQ ” thing in Apple ’s marketing copy , it really works .
Overall sound reproduction quality is on par with other in high spirits - closing premium Bluetooth headphone , though with a slightly different character . It ’s a short more natural and inert , and likely to be pleasing to all types of attender . If you ’re a serious audio nerd , eff that these are not expire to vie with the $ 1,500 open - back wired headphones and $ 400 pre - amp you heed to FLAC files with , nor is it meant to .
Noise - cancelling quality , however , is a stinger above the rest . The AirPods Max are notquiteas adroit at eliminating extremely regular sound like strain conditioners as the reigning - champion Sony XM4s , but they ’re far upright at clearing by more irregular sounds like dealings , ecumenical office disturbances , or backcloth blab .
Most gamey - ending stochasticity cancel headphones have some sort of transparency way that leaves stochasticity delete dynamic but uses the microphones to pipe up in a bit of outside sound , so you could carry a ready conversation or discover other important sounds around you . Apple ’s transparency mode is lite eld ahead of everyone else ’s . It sound more vindicated , natural , and normal than any other dissonance - cancel headphones I have ever used . It ’s almost like not jade earphone at all , except you could still hear your music .
The mike works just hunky-dory for earphone calls or hands - gratis “ Hey Siri , ” but there ’s nothing particular about it — the microphone audio is dependable , but not “ oh my god ” good .
Apple says you may expect the bombardment to last for 20 hours of listen time with interference cancelling enabled , which is good but not better than the contender . I found the companionship ’s idea to be pretty exact . charge is degenerate , too : just 15 minutes on a canonical 5 - watt power adapter take me from 20 to 44 percent . nightlong battery drain , withoutthe dread Smart Case , was only about 3 percentage . you’re able to hear to the phone while charging without any buzzing , hiss , or distortion , a exploit not every pair of wireless headphones can force off .
For Apple users only
While there ’s a lot to like about the AirPods Max , you probably should n’t even consider them if you do n’t do most all your listening on an Apple product of some sort . If you ever want to apply your Bluetooth phone on an Android phone or a Windows PC , the AirPods Max will mould as standard Bluetooth gimmick , but you ’re going to miss out on a lot .
The ace - easy conjugation is a well - known AirPods feature by now , but consider that hands - barren help support only exploit with Siri , too . There ’s no way to adapt features like reversing the digital crown dial without an Apple twist . With iOS 14 and macOS Big Sur , AirPods can mechanically switch from one Apple machine to another when you depart meet audio somewhere else . It ’s incredibly commodious .
One of the cool features of the AirPods Max ( and AirPods Pro ) is Spatial Audio , whereby Dolby surround is rub down into a sort of faux-3D healthy phase . It even reorientate itself as you turn your chief . It ’s an awing party trick , but it presently only works with iPhone and iPad , which is a total thriftlessness . How often do you watch surround - sound moving picture on those devices ? Apple desperately needs to bring Spatial Audio support to Apple idiot box and the Mac . Until then , it ’s an awesome feature with such limited practical consumption that it ’s hardly a rationality to take AirPods over other headphones .
The best noise-cancelling wireless headphones?
Are the AirPod Max the honest wireless haphazardness - cancelling phone you may corrupt ? For those who trust on the Apple ecosystem , yes . They extend sound quality on par or even slightly good than their rival , and ranking disturbance - cancelling .
Is that deserving paying almost double the Mary Leontyne Price , though ? You ’re definitely perplex something for that price premium . The materials and build character put other consumer headphones to shame . If you desire to “ flex ” your fiscal success with a pair of quality headphones that everyone will instantly recognize , and recognize the high price , AirPods Max are for you .
But there are a host of licit drawbacks worth deliberate . The expectant weight and lack of sweat / waterproofing do them all but useless for doing grounds work or working out . If you want to plug into a 3.5 millimetre diddlysquat , you have to buy a separate $ 35 cable . The Smart Case is without magnification one of the poorest - project and gravely - made products Apple has ever ornament us with . One of the cool features , spatial audio , does n’t work with Macs or Apple TV .
It ’s upsetting to think that such expensive wireless disturbance - cancel headphones basically require you to buy a third - party case and an overpriced 3.5 mm cable , both of which should be included .
The AirPods Max occupy a strange no - man ’s land of both terms and quality . They ’re more expensive than , and more premium than , competing consumer wireless noise - set off headphones like the Sony XM4s or Bose 700s . But they do n’t offer reasoned quality up to the banner of more expensive audiophile headphones , like those from Sennheiser or Focal .
It would be easier to recommend them despite their shortcomings if Apple include the 3.5 mm overseas telegram , a right showcase , and charged $ 100 less . You ’d still be paying a exchange premium over competing products from the likes of Bose or Sony , but with material and make quality to vindicate it . This is a good Cartesian product , but the crossroad of what you pay off and what you get is way off the patsy .
