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AirPods Max Announced Three Years Ago Today

Only had a chance to listen to the Max, B&W Px8 and Bose in store and the Max sounded the most enjoyable. Looking forward to an up to date version.
 
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For everyone complaining about the time line of an update consider this:

-so many want lossless. I don’t see wireless lossless happening soon enough so that means wired. I see that being something apple is willing to do over usb c now that the iPhones have it.
-so many people want a new case and it to be foldable. That would mean pretty much a full redesign. A full redesign takes time(especially when talking about apple) and a full redesign too close to the original release would piss more people off then taking a long time for an update.

Now we might not get lossless and we might not get a redesign. But complaining to this level before concrete details are known is a waste of time and brain space. Talk about first world problems.

Personally I think the following is a realistic hope for an update:

-folding
-better standby mode
-new case
-usbc
-MagSafe
-better IP rating

Personally I think this is what we will actually get for an update:

-folding or new case, not both or at least if we get folding the obvious need for a new case would be fulfilled with a similar design to the current one.
-usbc
-better standby or better battery
-$75(US) price drop.

I would love to see More then that, and I think there is something to be said about using the earcups and head band like watch bands but I seriously doubt it. Power runs through the headband and if we go from just replaceable/customizable earcups to including the band, the third party market is going to want a taste and I do not see apple opening up that power connector in the headband to 3rd parties.

This is just my 2 cents. Personally if I was going to actually get aggravated with apple it would be the lack of use of the magic connector on the iPads beyond the magic keyboard and the fact that they haven’t added a HomePod with a screen to the line up yet(which I think most people that have HomePods would instantly add one to either their kitchen or bedside table if released).
 
I would not be surprised that Apple will do some changes to the AirPods Max, namely:

1. USB Type C connector for improved connectivity and faster charging.
2. Use of two H2 chips for faster wireless connectivity.
3. The introduction of an improved U1 chip so we get wireless lossless audio transmission from U1-equipped iPhones.
 
Sorinut said:
Do these sell very well? I've only ever seen one pair being worn in public, and I'm out and about a lot and fly often.

I see a lot of the over-the-ear Beats line, and Bose of course.
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They're not as portable as standard AirPods and easily ripped off your head and stolen. AirPods Max would lean more towards listening at home. That said, I've still seen a fair number of them in Toronto, just not on the street.
 
zakarhino said:
The condensation issue has to be addressed. I'm scared of using mine because I think I'm going to damage them after 2 hours of use and Apple are quoting a huge amount to get them repaired.
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I ended up buying a set of AirPods Pro that I use when I’m outside and switch to using the AirPods Max when I get to the office/airplane/extended train/bus ride, etc. I definitely prefer the over-the-ear fit of the Max (though the 2nd gen Pros are better fitting than the first gen for my large ears) and prefer the Max for longer term listening. Using the Pros while in transit does have other perks, though, for instance, they’re a lot smaller and will fit in a pocket, and I can wear them with a hat much easier, plus I can charge them with MagSafe (which my normal phone and work phone also support). And the 2nd gen Pros are actually a pretty big upgrade over the OG Pros (volume control, Adaptive noise canceling, conversation awareness, I really wish the Max had the latter two).

But yeah, the condensation issue is frustrating. I’m on my second pair of Maxes and have already had to send those in for repairs once (which is why I started waiting until I was inside to use them). I ended up paying for AppleCare+ for the second pair because of the replacement price.
 
Sorinut said:
I'm probably just not paying attention, then. I was in Echo Park and Hollywood for a week about a month ago and didn't see them.

I see absolute ton of in-ear AirPods, though.
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I’ve been seeing more and more of the Maxes on the NYC Subway over the past six months to a year. Part of that is being on the train more often, part of that seems to be due to a boom in popularity recently (maybe they’ve been on sale at some major retailer recently?). Definitely also saw several on my trip to Philly last Saturday.
 
The only time I wear AirPods Max in public is on the airplane or the airport sitting at my gate. I've seen many people with them on getting on the plane. Personally, if I lived in the city, I would not want to wear them in fear of them getting stolen :)
 
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dturner123 said:
The only time I wear AirPods Max in public is on the airplane or the airport sitting at my gate. I've seen many people with them on getting on the plane. Personally, if I lived in the city, I would not want to wear them in fear of them getting stolen :)
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I think they’ve become something of a status symbol for some people. I saw a guy wearing a pair the other day who hopped the subway turnstile. I reckon if you’ve got money for AirPods Max, you’ve got money to pay for the subway. Of course, a person like that wants to be seen wearing them in public, it’s almost as if there’s not a point (for them) to wear them without being seen.

Honestly, the old Mac head in me wishes Apple hadn’t become so popular! Back when Think Different wasn’t so much a slogan as it was a fact of life for most Mac users. When you had to have some sort of justification for sticking with Apple during the PPC era.
 
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Sorinut said:
Do these sell very well? I've only ever seen one pair being worn in public, and I'm out and about a lot and fly often.

I see a lot of the over-the-ear Beats line, and Bose of course.
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It probably depends where you live. I see the Max fairly often in my city (Toronto), and I also fly as part of my job and see them regularly on my flights, though not nearly as much as the Apple Watch Ultra.
 
I am getting my first this Christmas for a teenage child that agree to pay a considerable amount and get nothing else for Christmas. I dont know how he got obsessed with them but he is and can see nothing else....
 
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Wizard_of_Woz said:
I'm not saying I don't believe you, but I'm thinking you must not be paying close enough attention. The city I live in is smaller than just the two you've mentioned, and far less "techie" and "cosmopolitan" than either of those cities as well. It doesn't make sense that I would see people wearing them almost daily (not many people but one here, one there) and you would see only one pair in public in three years. Anyway, it matters not I suppose.
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I live in L.A. and I have seen at most a handful of people wearing these in public. Tons of Beats and other brands, but not these. I'm only talking about over the ear devices.

I mean AirPods are clearly the King of the headphone world by a huge margin.
 
avheatherim said:
I have these. Their price point is high for no good reason, even with discounts. The only reason I got them is because I came into a little bit of money, saved most of it, and wanted to make a couple stupid purchases.

I have the same complaints as most. The case sucks, they are heavy. The design is a hard MEH. The headband does not sag on mine, but will someday. The battery goes dead way too quickly when not in use. I have had multiple Bose headphones (currently QC45) and the inactive battery life is great. I can leave them untouched for weeks and the battery does not move.

If Apple makes them lighter, adds USB-C, rethinks the headband and maybe a few other design elements (how about folding?), and has a price in the $3-400 range, they will sell and I will be a customer.
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A lot of people making these same complaints all seem to be suggesting, as a solution, that Apple design and release an entirely different set of headphones as a follow-up, and it just doesn't look like they want to do that (or even have a history of doing something like that).

Of all the general issues people have, I think the only one that sometimes bothers me is the weight. Aside from that, I have enough Lightning Apple devices that not having USB-C doesn't bother me personally, and I also wouldn't want the extra bulk of a case, but it's fine that people want those things. In terms of price, ya, it's a big chunk up front, but I've never picked them up, put them on, or even just looked at them on the stand, and ever felt like I paid way too much money for something worth much, much less. They always look and feel premium, and are generally always satisfying to use.
 
dturner123 said:
The only time I wear AirPods Max in public is on the airplane or the airport sitting at my gate. I've seen many people with them on getting on the plane. Personally, if I lived in the city, I would not want to wear them in fear of them getting stolen :)
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This. I think on trains(which isn't really a thing out here) and planes you have a better chance of seeing them, but I would not wear them to walk around in L.A.

I have seen dogs get snatched out of people arms out here. If they are willing to do that, headphones are easy targets.
 
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urahara said:
I had AirPod Max - broken within 20 months.

After that I chose Sony MX-1000-M5 thanks to their much superior voice isolation and background voice reduction. My counterpart on the call can hear me so much clearer and more natural than on Apple.
I am actually surprised how much better Sony MX-1000-M5 is than AirPod Max in this regard.
Looks like Apple dropped a ball here.

I had 2 Beats in-ear pairs - both broken within 12-18 months.
And I still consider AirPods Pro as in ears. Am I crazy for still wanting headphones from Apple?
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Get the AirPods Pro and ditch the rest, if you live in the Apple Universe. They are the best, you can get - using them myself. The newest Sony in ears sond great, but are clumsy to use. over ear Sony are indeed gorgeous, but I do not like, to carry around them.
 
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