AirPods Max Begin Shipping to Customers Ahead of December 15 Launch

[Syk]

I'm gonna side step here just a little since Sony XM4's keep being mentioned. Does anyone use them with AppleTV 4K for netflix/youtube and is there any lag?
My air pod pros work perfect with it other than can't auto switch between ATV4K and my iPhone.
I had thought about the AirPod Max for watching TV, podcast, etc on the ATV until I got sticker shock and using my airpod pros when out and about or at the gym

 

[iVeritas]

They’d have to soundly beat the Sony XM4s to be worth it at that price.

The Sony XM4s aren’t exactly a high bar to clear in terms of sound quality. Those are some seriously muddy-sounding headphones. Anyone who knows audio knows this. Apple has historically been making relatively accurate sounding headphones. I’d take the most recent Beats Solo Pro or even the AirPods Pro over the XM4s in terms of frequency response. The AirPods Max, sound-wise, will undoubtedly surpass the Sonys. I’m pretty confident as well that they will be the new gold standard in terms of ANC.

 

[jimbobb24]

Apple doesnt do staged embargos for products, either you cannot talk about it or you can, its the Youtubers milking it, they do a first look then a review then 2-3 follow up pieces touching on whatever highlight or contentious topic that comes up, and serious publications wait to publish a veredict after using it for more than 30 minutes...

They all have talked about sound quality on one way or another, they just have not gone deep with it...

CNET specifically says Apple told them they could not do a full review yet.

 

[artfossil]

I don’t know who will buy these headphones but they have money to burn.

Some of these purchasers are mindful (or even frugal) consumers who find music to be a source of joy.

 

[carletonguy]

The Sony XM4s aren’t exactly a high bar to clear in terms of sound quality. Those are some seriously muddy-sounding headphones. Anyone who knows audio knows this. Apple has historically been making relatively accurate sounding headphones. I’d take the most recent Beats Solo Pro or even the AirPods Pro over the XM4s in terms of frequency response. The AirPods Max, sound-wise, will undoubtedly surpass the Sonys. I’m pretty confident as well that they will be the new gold standard in terms of ANC.

Exactly. Apple isn’t competing with the Sonys. The Sonys sound like crap to my ears, and the Beats already compete with them. Apple is aiming higher, and likely pricing under what other premium audio lifestyle brands change. I’ll get my on launch and can’t wait to stack them up against the B&W and B&O products, which seem more in line with this tier of headphone.

 

[jkincheloe]

Exactly. Apple isn’t competing with the Sonys. The Sonys sound like crap to my ears, and the Beats already compete with them. Apple is aiming higher, and likely pricing under what other premium audio lifestyle brands change. I’ll get my on launch and can’t wait to stack them up against the B&W and B&O products, which seem more in line with this tier of headphone.

That's exactly what these news outlets need to understand. AirPods is now an ultra-premium audio line. Beats is now the cheaper lineup.

 

[Realityck]

The Sony XM4s aren’t exactly a high bar to clear in terms of sound quality. Those are some seriously muddy-sounding headphones. Anyone who knows audio knows this. Apple has historically been making relatively accurate sounding headphones. I’d take the most recent Beats Solo Pro or even the AirPods Pro over the XM4s in terms of frequency response. The AirPods Max, sound-wise, will undoubtedly surpass the Sonys. I’m pretty confident as well that they will be the new gold standard in terms of ANC.

This is Apple’s first headphones you know, outside any Beats headphone since that company’s acquisition. I seen earphones from Apple but not headphones in the history mentioned in wiki. See this Article

 

[MrMacintoshIII]

This is an aside, but I like my duocharger. I dont consider it a mistake at all. It beats the competition for travel by a wide margin (besides price lol). I do agree they are not for everyone, or maybe even for many, but for those that need/want them, they are great. Just saying.

I admit they do seem excellent except for the price, and I will be getting them secondhand on eBay like I did the Apple Watch official stand, eventually. Good deals to be had on open-box Apple stuff there a while after launch.

 

[MrMacintoshIII]

You are taking some flak from others over your reasoning, and I find myself agreeing with you on several items but in the end saying, good enough for me. So agree to disagree.

But I wanted to thank you for a very well thought out list that we can at least discuss. 95% of people these days just throw out their biased opinions without anything to back them up. Your list made me think. So thank you.

I agree I am going to miss the palm to cup momentary transparency gesture, its great for those that sit in the emergency row and need to interact with flight attendants. And there is no defending that case. But other than that, I am looking forward to seeing what they can do.

My personal preference would have been USB-C as well, but its not a deal breaker. What is your beef with lightening anyway? Sincerely curious. From an engineering standpoint it works great, is solid, and has never let me down. If your objection is marketing, i.e. evil apple for pushing its own technology... shrugs. Okay. Doesn't bother me. Apple is entitled to make a profit. It may also be there was already a lightening to 3.5 mm jack adapter from Apple and they didnt want to confuse things with a USB-C to 3.5 mm jack adapter. If there was zero way of getting a wired signal, that might have been a deal breaker.

As for fast charging... eh, no thank you. fast charging means degrading your battery faster. You dont get something for nothing. I dont use it even on devices that have it, but then, I am good at planning ahead. I have never ran out of power with any of my devices.

My personal beef with Lightning is that Apple themselves have historically pushed USB-C, way earlier than most, at the cost of many ports, so then why are they sticking with Lightning when nearly every other Apple product I have is exclusively USB-C or wireless? Why the delay? I personally hate to have multiple types of charger cables, and Lightning is the final holdout for me. It’s a minor nitpick at this point, and potentially something I can get over, but for now I’m enjoying USB-C and how it can charge nearly everything I have now.

 

[subjonas]

It’s only crazy because it’s Apple and everyone feels like Apple owes them something for some odd reason. Everyone is saying they would “totally buy these if they were $300/$400”. Just goes to show they are highly sought after, but even with alleged great sound and superior build quality, the masses think Apple should give them away for free.

It’s just really weird honestly Lol.

I sort of understand the instinct to complain about price, but yes logically it makes no sense. Generally, in a free market, companies should price a product to gain as much profit as they think they can get away with. If it’s selling well, that means they chose the right price. There is no other moral constraint (unless it’s a basic need like medicine). If it doesn’t sell well, that means they didn’t price correctly and they’ll be forced to discontinue the product or bring the price down on their own. So verbal complaints are really irrational. I only understand it on the level of venting frustration.
Either way I pretty much always ignore comments on price, as you can’t really engage in a meaningful discussion or debate because value is subjective. It’s like talking about favorite colors.

 

[mackya99]

I'm gonna side step here just a little since Sony XM4's keep being mentioned. Does anyone use them with AppleTV 4K for netflix/youtube and is there any lag?
My air pod pros work perfect with it other than can't auto switch between ATV4K and my iPhone.
I had thought about the AirPod Max for watching TV, podcast, etc on the ATV until I got sticker shock and using my airpod pros when out and about or at the gym

I purchased the XM4's when they were first released, and I had to return them due to the audio lag while watching videos.

 

[Realityck]

I purchased the XM4's when they were first released, and I had to return them due to the audio lag while watching videos.

XM4's dropped aptX compared to XM3's. So that contributes a lot to audio lag when paired with some devices. So AirPod Max is optimized for Apple's AAC Bluetooth codec.

This comment from Reddit sums this issue up.

The XM4 can use the AAC codec, but is optimized to use DAC or LDAC which is Sony's proprietary codec. Given that the AAC codec prioritizes bit rate over sound quality, the XM4 should not have much lag when using the AAC codec, but it is not optimized to use that codec as FYI.

 

[moabal]

I am not seeing anything on the UPS website while referencing my cell phone number. I am supposed to get it in the next few days. Anyone have luck?

 

[jimbobb24]

Some of these purchasers are mindful (or even frugal) consumers who find music to be a source of joy.

No argument there and everyone prioritizes their money differently. Your point is well taken. I love music but the price is way way out of my range. But that doesn’t mean there are not people for whom this is a trivial expense or even a big expense that they deem worth it. Sorry if it came across as overly harsh.

 

[ignatius345]

glaring flaws:

1) It has no USB-C...

I still have very few things that charge with USB-C. My MacBook and... I think that's actually it. My Apple portable stuff is all Lightning (iPhones, iPad, ATV remote, magic trackpad and keyboard and mouse).

Sadly, the other big connector in my house? Micro USB. THAT is truly a connector from hell and the one we should all be focusing our collective rage onto. I'm not in the habit of replacing things "just because" so I have things like an Anker portable phone battery, and a couple of bluetooth speakers, and a bluetooth adapter for my old Bose QC15s, and my wife's Jabra exercise earbuds, and a portable charger for my camera's battery that all charge via -- you guessed it -- effing micro USB.

But these are all solid, working electronics with plenty of life left in them and I'm not about to blow hundreds of dollars (and dump things into landfill needlessly) to replace all this stuff just because it uses a lame, mono-directional old connector to charge. Lightning is a dream by comparison because you can plug it in any which way.

So yeah, I'm sure eventually I'll be living in that wonderland where everything charges off One Cord To Rule Them All, but we ain't there yet, and the lightning cable is pretty damn far down my list of annoyances charging-wise.

 

[827538]

Remember the iPod shuffle 3rd gen that is a sleek aluminum but has no buttons? This feels like that, a well crafted device but with questionable user functionalities. I bet by next year or two that we will see a cheaper SE version that has a more traditional case/power switch, minus the fancy materials.

A simple power toggle would've made these cans a lot more usable, or some sort of sensor to turn them off. I just can't get over how stupid this case is for basic functionality. AirPods fit into my pocket with ease. I'm not carrying round a big piece of fabric in my pocket just to turn these off.

 

[ignatius345]

If you’re sure you’re going to return them then don’t buy them.

If you were smart you'd realize that each return means a pair of refurb'd ones will be available down the road.

I also have an order in and, given the price and the fact that in store try-ons are nigh on impossible right now, will be using it as a trial period. Odds are, I'll convince myself to love them and regard the money as "spent" -- but if something really sticks in my craw, I hate to break this to you, but I'll send them back.

 

[ignatius345]

Remember the iPod shuffle 3rd gen that is a sleek aluminum but has no buttons? This feels like that, a well crafted device but with questionable user functionalities. I bet by next year or two that we will see a cheaper SE version that has a more traditional case/power switch, minus the fancy materials.

I wonder if the power thing will be as much of an issue as people think. If they go into some kind of sleep mode and draw a negligable amount of power, would this be that big a deal? I'm sure when they start shipping we'll hear from people what the power draw is when inactive.

 

[827538]

I still have very few things that charge with USB-C. My MacBook and... I think that's actually it. My Apple portable stuff is all Lightning (iPhones, iPad, ATV remote, magic trackpad and keyboard and mouse).

Sadly, the other big connector in my house? Micro USB. THAT is truly a connector from hell and the one we should all be focusing our collective rage onto. I'm not in the habit of replacing things "just because" so I have things like an Anker portable phone battery, and a couple of bluetooth speakers, and a bluetooth adapter for my old Bose QC15s, and my wife's Jabra exercise earbuds, and a portable charger for my camera's battery that all charge via -- you guessed it -- effing micro USB.

But these are all solid, working electronics with plenty of life left in them and I'm not about to blow hundreds of dollars (and dump things into landfill needlessly) to replace all this stuff just because it uses a lame, mono-directional old connector to charge. Lightning is a dream by comparison because you can plug it in any which way.

So yeah, I'm sure eventually I'll be living in that wonderland where everything charges off One Cord To Rule Them All, but we ain't there yet, and the lightning cable is pretty damn far down my list of annoyances charging-wise.

Macbook
PS5 controller
Sony A7R IV camera
Sandisk external SSD

The only devices I have that don't support USB-C is my iPhone and AirPods. It's frustrating not being able to move completely to one capable, especially for traveling, I have to carry two different cables.

 

[827538]

I wonder if the power thing will be as much of an issue as people think. If they go into some kind of sleep mode and draw a negligable amount of power, would this be that big a deal? I'm sure when they start shipping we'll hear from people what the power draw is when inactive.

I hope that is the case, otherwise these will be a pass for me.

 

[ignatius345]

The only devices I have that don't support USB-C is my iPhone and AirPods. It's frustrating not being able to move completely to one capable, especially for traveling, I have to carry two different cables.

Oh god. You have to carry a second cable when travelling? Sorry to hear that, man. Must be rough.

 

[kycophpd]

Apple stores aren’t doing SOP right now. And I can’t think of another product that had a 14 week lead time from pre order day forward. But who knows. Good luck.

Just an FYI, store pick up is now available to be selected. It wasn’t three hours ago. This means there will be stock available tomorrow at some stores. Better be quick.

 

[FHoff]

Just an FYI, store pick up is now available to be selected. It wasn’t three hours ago. This means there will be stock available tomorrow at some stores. Better be quick.

Great go get em. Mine are being delivered tomorrow.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

I wonder if the power thing will be as much of an issue as people think. If they go into some kind of sleep mode and draw a negligable amount of power, would this be that big a deal? I'm sure when they start shipping we'll hear from people what the power draw is when inactive.

Yeah, it’s the same H1 in the AirPods Pro that, if I take them off at night and don’t put them in the case, the next morning (more than 4 hours later) they still have charge. Just because they stay in “active ready” for two hours doesn’t mean that when you put them back on, if you had 20 hours to start with, now you only have 18. The case likely puts them into a deeper sleep (where it’s saying don’t even ping the wireless connection), but I doubt you lose any appreciable amount of power when it’s just sitting on your desk.

 

[G5isAlive]

CNET specifically says Apple told them they could not do a full review yet.

Where?

airpods-max-hands-on-we-tried-apple-549-dollar-noise-canceling-headphones-were-impressed

I couldn't find that in the text, they do say it is just initial impressions, and they even go on to do a comparison, which some claimed they were not allowed to do.. But maybe it is somewhere in the video? I did listen to it...

"I spent some time comparing these to Sony's WH-1000XM4 and Bose's Noise Cancelling Headphones 700, which aren't cheap but cost a lot less than the AirPods Max. As I said, the AirPods Max offer better sound and noise canceling. They're just more articulate headphones than both the Sony and Bose, with more refined, richer sound. It's not a huge difference, but they do perform better overall."