Apple - AirPods Max - Space Gray

Love the sound and how sleek they look. Great connectivity with all Apple products.

Disclaimer: Fully invested in the Apple eco-system but also fiddle around with other OSes and devices. Sound quality: These have great sound for Bluetooth headphones. They are crisp and have great bass. Sony's have sounded muddy to me anytime I've listened to them. Sure, they hit hard but it distorts and muddies everything up. Bose do not have good bass thump but have great performance on classical music. These hit the sweet spot on both ends. Yet, it isn't perfect. They simply do not get loud compared to other headphones. I'm not going to knock them to much for this fact. Comfort: I've been wrestling with this item on my headphone list. These are heavy and I definitely have head fatigue. I'm sure this isn't the case for everyone but for me they simply are too heavy for long periods of wear at this point. I'm going to give them a few more days to see if things improve, if it doesn't then I'll be returning them. Eco-System: if you aren't fully in the Apple ecosystem stay away. You can pick up good enough Bluetooth headphones for far cheaper. Case: well it's not much of a case. It's bad. If it is anything like the Apple keyboards for iPad Pros then it will age disastrously. Verdict: At $550 before tax, the AirPods Max have great sound quality for Bluetooth headphones, I've wanted to love them but I find myself reaching for my AirPods Pro far more frequently due to their portability and comfort. They have a great build quality but it is the choice of materials that make them uncomfortably heavy. As a result, I believe these are a premium product that only the true Apple loyalist will embrace fully. As for this tech lover, I simply am not sold on these due to comfort and price.

“Wow.” That’s the first and most prominent thing that comes to mind...over and over. I know they cost more than most of their competitors, but for me, they are absolutely worth it. I own the Sony M4s, Shures, Yamahas, Masters and Dynamic, Nuraphones and Bowers and Wilkens and the AirPods Max bests them all...by a lot. I can’t believe how crisp and tight the sound is. The spatial separation is phenomenal and the bass is just right. Plus, there is zero distortion at any volume I’ve tried. I’ve started listening to all my old favorite songs from years ago and it’s like hearing them for the first time. I’m seriously impressed. Yes, the storage case is virtually useless but for me, the build materials and attention to detail of the AirPods Max are unparalleled in the wireless ANC segment. Plus, as I mentioned, the sound is stunning. They are also very comfortable and I do not notice the extra weight at all. Since their introduction, I have been a huge Sony 1000MX supporter and have owned each iteration. But now, the AirPods Max are my go-to-daily’s.

These are excellent headphones; they have superb sound quality, stellar noise cancellation, decent bass, and they look very unique. I would easily rate these a 5/5 but there are a few very major setbacks that compelled me to return them at the end of the day. First off, the case SUCKS! I don’t know what they were thinking when they decided to release these headphones at $550 with a case like that! This case is flimsy, barely covers the headphones, offers no protection and it is just plain ugly, the case alone devalues these headphones by at least $50. Another setback is the bass; the bass is subpar at best. It is decent but headphones like Sony MX4 or Bose NC700 have way better bass. The headphones are also VERY heavy! You absolutely know that you’re wearing them the whole time you do wear them and it sucks. Last but not least that price is DISGUSTING. Again, these headphones are excellent but could easily be better. Are they worth the $550 price tag? ABSOLUTELY NOT. For about $200 less you can get other headphones better than these. I do very much like what they’re selling here and look forward to seeing the necessary improvements in their next pair.

Very good design, comfortable, excellent noise isolation and cancellation. Mic works better than my Bose QC 35ii and Surface 2. Spatial audio is awesome, and I love the auto-connect to my Apple devices. I do not feel the weight of the cans on my head or ears; in fact, because of the weight distribution, they feel better than my Bose and Surface 2 headsets. For audio quality, they are more even across ranges than the Bose. The Bose are much heavier on bass, with Apple being more balanced. If you LOVE bass, then Apple may disappoint a little. Otherwise, the Apple headsets are very comparable in sound quality and clarity. The Surface headphones, while pretty good, don't really compare and, for me, are better used for general computer audio. The smart case has been widely panned, but I'm okay with it (except that the silver headset comes with a white case, which means it's gonna get dirty!). I can see throwing it into a suitcase, wince it doesn't add the bulk of the typical case. Overall, a nice set of headphones. Sound is on-par with my Bose QC 35ii, but more balanced.

There has been much said about these headphones, most by people who’ve never actually used them. I agree that $550 is quite a bit for a pair of BT over-the-ear headphones when you compare to the Sony and Bose models, at least on “paper”. But then you get them, open the box, feel the quality, pair with ease, and hear for the first time. Then you realize they sound this good, and yet still will sound better once they are properly broken in after significant hours of usage. - Spatial works amazingly well. - Noise Cancellation is superb. - Transparency mode sounds like it’s live. - Digital Crown works just right. - Quality is worth more than $550 The case sucks. It’s the downside to the AirPods Max outfit; and seriously Apple owes us all an apology, and a free case once they get rid of this stupid one! Overall, the soundstage is amazing and I’m listening to tracks I haven’t listened to for awhile, just to hear the music again. I’d recommend Amazon HD music, and a hardwire connection for best results. That being said, the Bluetooth transfer quality with Amazon HD music is quite good, with Apple Music a close second. Highly recommend, if you have it in your budget.

Good not great. 3.5/5 overall Comfort: Heavy (3/5.) Build quality: Soild! Best on the market. (5/5) Sound quality: HiFi for sure but max loudness is too quiet!!! (4/5) Value: Easily overpriced by $200 (1/5) iOS integration/distinguishing factors: ANC is extremely good and spatial audio is the best I’ve heard in headphones (5/5) Has a truly ugly and useless case that should be leather not silicone and actually protect the more than half a grand headphones! This is the first Apple product I can’t recommend. Mostly the price point but also the features won’t be noticeable to most over a pair of AirPod Pros for far less money.

All I can say is WOW!!! For a 1st generation, Apple pretty much hit this out of the park. If the price point was $400-$450, this would have easily gotten a 5 Star. There are a few cons that I want to point out on these. Price is the biggest con with these. I cannot justify paying $550 + Tax for a pair of headphones for a typical non audiophile user. As a normal consumer, $400 is pushing the upper limits for a pair of headphones, but because this is Apple, they priced these higher than normal because they can actually get away with it. The other cons are the case and not having a 3.5mm adapter if you want to plug it into an airplane or computer. First off, both of these are not deal breakers for me, it would have been nice for them to include a 3.5mm jack, but being that it's Apple, they will find any way they can to squeeze consumers for every last penny. The case does what it needs to for the most part. I am concerned that the mesh part of the head band is not protected at all since that's the most vulnerable part. But, this will lead 3rd parties to come up with a protective sleeve or cover for it. The AirPods Max are heavier than the competition due to the aluminum & stainless steel material used here. Apple did not cut corners when they designed this and I am glad because they do not look or feel cheap at all. Starting to see why they charged $550. They look classy in a throwback kind of way. The ear cups and head band don't protrude out and pretty much follows the curvature of your head. Despite it being heavier, the mesh band does a great job at spreading the weight out as to not develop any pain at the crown of my head. The clamping design on the ear cups will bear most of the weight. The ear cushions are nice and soft and I did not feel my ears getting hot or sticky like the leatherette ear cups on the competitions. Even though I didn't feel any pain on the crown after hours of usage, I did notice that my neck was a little sore. If that's the case, you can just lie down or lean your head back on to a pillow or something. As for the sound, these are the best sounding headphones I have owned. My go to prior to this was the B&W PX7's. I really like the sound on these because it was balanced and clean without too much bass to muddy up the sound. The Sony XM4's would be great if they were the only headphones on earth, but they are not and I am not too much of a fan of their sound signature. I feel they are a little too warm and bass heavy that muddies up the mid's and highs for me. They too also got hot after wearing for a while. The AirPods Max are well balanced with just the enough bass to give the song a little life. Although, I did wish there was a little bit more sub-bass for the rumble effect. But all in all, the sound on these are so clean and does not distort even at max level. The sound separation are so great that I am able to hear more instruments on these than any other headphones I've tried. If you have an iPhone, you can go in and change the settings around to boost the soft sounds. You can do this by going into Settings/Accessories/Audio/Visual/Headphone Accommodations. I have my set at Balanced Tone and Moderate. If you have the money to spend and in the Apple eco-system, these will be the best money spent for your ears. Just keep in mind that out of the box, they might not sound great, but after some burn in time, you will start to appreciate what Apple has done with these.