AirPods Max Customer Impressions: Premium Design and Competitive Sound Quality, Can Feel Heavy on Ears and Smart Case is Useless

[falainber]

They can be used wired. There is a lightning to 3.5mm (1.2m length) that Apple sells in both black and white for $35. When you add the headphones to cart, it's a suggested purchase. https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MXK22AM/A/lightning-to-35-mm-audio-cable-12m-white

While not ideal, I suppose this means the $9 lightning to 3.5mm adapter can also be used, if one already has a 3.5mm cable.

This cable is also a very cheap DAC. Not something you want to use with high-end headphones (unless you have no clue).

 

[amartinez1660]

I’m so sick of the price shock.

High quality headphones can cost well over $550. It’s all going to be down to the sound. People that buy high end headphones will judge their worth.

Wow man, I don’t understand the barrage of downvotes your comment received.

Your comment was akin to pointing out constant complaints the likes of “I can’t believe Tesla’s latest car costs $70K, it should be $35K and I’ll buy it!!” (yet the damn thing is constantly out of stock). I totally agree with you, yes, they might be very expensive, and some Apple products are (sometimes beyond not useful): like a spec-out Mac Pro, the XDR display or the damb Mac Pro Wheels... if they are too expensive, don’t buy them? What’s going on with this specific product that has received so much price complaints echo-ing?

 

[amartinez1660]

I am thinking about getting these but I'm waiting until there is an option to turn them off without a case or there's some evidence regarding battery drain. That case will never get used with how I would use them.

I think like a commenter mentioned not long ago, they feel so premium and nice that it’s possible to not feel comfortable leaving them on a table or hanging them by the headband or similar... the risk of scratching them would be enough.
They do go off on their own, however I don’t know if it is by just not wearing them (and somehow it knows) or making sure that no audio is being sent to them.

 

[5105973]

I didn't speak to you that way. Don't speak to me that way. And you were complaining, not making conversation. You have a list of concerns over a pair of headphones and only because it's Apple that you are scrutinizing them left right and sideways. You can choose B&O, Sony or Bowers & Wilkins if Apple's cans concern you so much.

Oh good lord I wasn’t complaining I was discussing with someone else some points they made and you know very well how you were speaking to me. What makes you think I have anything against Apple? Most tech I own is made by Apple. I wouldn’t be on this forum if I didn’t like Apple. I think these headphones look like a nice buy. Just possibly not for me. I need to see them in the store first.

Seriously what is wrong with people these days? Biting my head off for what? Disloyalty to Apple?

And if, for the sake of argument I had been complaining, so flipping what? That’s like 80% of the content around here. But I’m not, different people made different observations and I remarked on them.

 

[5105973]

I bought them. They are expensive. They have a lot of tech in them.

Sound quality? Music sounds really good but you won't get the full picture of what these things can do until you play a movie with these on.

Listen to Lord of the Rings or something with a lot of high end sound texture (through Apple TV 4K) and you will hear partially why these cost what they do.

In addition, the fact that they effortlessly work with and switch between my iPhone 12 Pro, my M1 Mac and my Apple TV 4k is very nice and is actually why I much prefer them vs Sonys or Bose wireless headphones.

Are they as good as comparably priced Sonys or Bose? I think so but they are a lot better than all the Beats headphones, they don't pop out of my ears easily like my AirPods Pro do (they are also a lot more comfortable over long periods than in-ear buds) and in the end I am not disappointed in the purchase. Is the "smart case" dumb? Yes. Should these have been cheaper? Meh, sure I would have preferred to pay $100 or $200 less but I'm gonna keep my pair and enjoy them.

Yeah it sounds like they move with ease in the ecosystem. Did you find the weight uncomfortable? I know that’s highly subjective but at this point user comments are all most of us will have to go on for awhile and it’s nice to get a range of different opinions.

 

[Rogifan]

Ones that aren’t scared of Apple

he’s praised iPhone 12 Mac and Apple Watch.

Unlike Apple sheep he’s quite honest and blunt.

people are scared of not getting that next device to review if they’re Black listed.

So again, anyone who has good things to say about this product are just Apple sheep scared of not getting Apple products to review?

 

[clerkpalmer]

They can be used wired. There is a lightning to 3.5mm (1.2m length) that Apple sells in both black and white for $35. When you add the headphones to cart, it's a suggested purchase. https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MXK22AM/A/lightning-to-35-mm-audio-cable-12m-white

While not ideal, I suppose this means the $9 lightning to 3.5mm adapter can also be used, if one already has a 3.5mm cable.

Someone reported that the dongle does not work meaning that any ios device without a 3.5 mm jack is not compatible. I haven't verified personally but this was the report. If true it's another ridiculous limitation on the Max.

 

[clerkpalmer]

Who the f is Max Whinebach?

This is pretty funny. He is established tech blogger and is very reputable. At least look him up before you criticize. Jeez. Google is your friend.

 

[G5isAlive]

Don't invest too much time in trying to reason with these trolls coming out of the woodworks. Your experience with the Airpods Max provides useful information for people actually looking to purchase wireless headphones.

I recently purchased the Sony MX4s on sale after doing quite a bit of research online. However, I have the same issues with them as others have previously mentioned: average ear cup size, average call quality, small soundstage, overly warm sound & plasticky build. It's sort of like a jack of all trades and master of none (other than ANC). However, in that price range I'm not going to get much better from similar competitors (ex. Bose 700, QC 35 II or Razer Opus) in reviews I have read online. It looks like the Airpods Max have larger ear cups, bigger soundstage & better build quality. Can you give me your thoughts on the following?

1. Do the Airpods Max get uncomfortable in a shorter period of time then the MX4s? I think the larger ear cups will help but I'm wondering if the big difference in weight negates that advantage.

2. Is the microphone call quality on par or significantly better than the MX4s?

3. How do you plan to pack those headphones when travelling? From the looks of it, I would not feel comfortable just putting them in my backpack like the MX4s.

Thanks again for providing valuable feedback to the community.

Thanks for the encouragement. As you know from the thoroughness of your research, numbers can take you only so far. In the end, comfort and sound experience is going to be very subjective and personal. Pre-Covid I travelled a lot for work, 30 trips a year, often for up to 15 hours at a time. So earphones were a big part of that ever since 2000. I would keep a pair until i broke it. I found the versions to be more iterative than revolutionary so the specifics didnt matter. All of them made my ears feel warm and hence not terribly comfortable. All of them had so so sound quality compared to my wired cans or surround sound systems. But all of them were reasonable with noise cancellation. They fit the role for use on airplanes, but only airplanes. In the last couple of years I had been using AirPods more for convenience and comfort (can walk on and off the plane with them on), but would swap over in flight for noise cancellation until the AirPod Pro..and then would only swap when i was going to sleep (didnt trust the AirPods to stay in my ear). I share all that so you know where i am coming from. Convenience and noise cancellation.

The MX4 was the best of that genre, but never used them off the plane. They just didnt give me the convenient experience or sound quality i wanted.

To your specific questions:

1) I have only worn the Max for 4 hours. In that time my ears never felt warm or pressured, so that was better than the MX4. But they were heavy obviously and if i focused on it, i would be aware of that weight. Most of the time the sound quality held my attention tbough. So in this short trial, comfort wise, those things balance out for me. So your instincts were right. I dont think people will buy the Max solely for comfort. It certainly was not twice as comfortable per se than the MX4.

2) Call quality, hands down, I will be using the Max on conference calls, but did not use the MX4 because sound and convenience wise they didnt measure up compared to my AirPod Pros. I tested the Max on a couple of calls before risking them on a conference call today. The worked automatically, noise cancellation improved my listening experience, and likewise, people on the other hand said i came in tack sharp. Overall better than the AirPod Pros, which worked well for me. So yeah, noticeable difference for me compared to the MX4.

3) Packing. Yep, I have concerns. But then again I wouldnt carry my MX4 sans case. I need to get a travel case for the Max And have no doubt the marketplace will come up with one. In the meantime, my overhead bag (eBag Pro Slim Laptop professional) has a separate pocket up front that I will put only the Max in (with its scratch resistant case). I dont worry about crushing it per se, but i would not want to test pushing something on the mesh at the top. Just like i dont put keys in my pocket with my phone. I take precautions naturally with my gear. Clearly this is not ideal, but I weigh the negatives against the positives and in this case have decided to travel with the Max, mostly because of the sound quality. Blows me away. But the convenience of connecting with my devices plays a big part too.

 

[nicolas_s]

This cable is also a very cheap DAC. Not something you want to use with high-end headphones (unless you have no clue).

It's not a DAC. The Lightning side of the cable is plugged into the AirPods Max, and the 3.5mm side is plugged into the audio source, this means the signal that comes out of the audio source is already analogic.

The audio source can be a high-end DAC, so using this cable is totally relevant if you want the best sound quality possible.

 

[Baymowe335]

Wow man, I don’t understand the barrage of downvotes your comment received.

Your comment was akin to pointing out constant complaints the likes of “I can’t believe Tesla’s latest car costs $70K, it should be $35K and I’ll buy it!!” (yet the damn thing is constantly out of stock). I totally agree with you, yes, they might be very expensive, and some Apple products are (sometimes beyond not useful): like a spec-out Mac Pro, the XDR display or the damb Mac Pro Wheels... if they are too expensive, don’t buy them? What’s going on with this specific product that has received so much price complaints echo-ing?

People here constantly disagree with me, but I’ve been proven right more times than not. I also get a lot of agrees. I think if your views are polarizing, you are closer to the truth.

People complain about price Bc they really don’t know the market and $550 “feels” expensive for headphones when you’re not completely aware of what’s out there.

 

[ReiszRie]

No. The best headphones on the market are the few types universally used by audio engineers who work in studios or location sound recording. None of these people pay $500. The industry standards tend to be $100 or less. High priced headphones are for home users who are more gullible.

You might think you need $500 headphones but the guy who mastered the recording almost certainly did not think so. Which are the "best" professional headphones? It really depends on the industry. The TV and motion picture industry uses a certain model Sony and a couple of different AKG are the most common in the music business.

Oddly, this is not the same as speakers. Pros working in a studio will be happy to outspend the average consumer when it comes to speakers by the same huge amounts

That isn't actually correct.

some high quality studio monitoring headphones can go in the thousand dollar range e.g Focal Clear Professional (https://www.focal.com/en/pro-audio/monitoring-speakers/professional-headphones/clear-professional) but there usually isn't a need to as music is mastered with the expectation that it is listened on generic mass consumer products and not high fidelity equipment.

Also, many sound engineers do not master solely on headphones, they use headphones when they needed that isolation (e.g on set) or to check the sound when played on portable devices.

So all in all, the headphones sound engineers uses are not "the best" by any margin, they're merely the most neutral.

 

[Baymowe335]

If by High quality you mean stainless steel and aluminum, sure. Even Apple promotes the aesthetic first before sound quality on their own website. But in regards to high fidelity, even w/ Bluetooth 5.0, these will not hold a candle to wired cans that cost just as much if not less. If you want to just have another Apple product the price is irrelevant, however for the money, these are not worth it.

Have you listened or tested them? Or even seen a review with objective measurements?

Im willing to leave open the possibility that these perform very well and reserve judgment until then.

My defense of Apple is that we need more info before bashing price because there are headphones that cost more. Again, wired isn’t necessarily an advantage, even if they produce great sound. Apple is clearly trying to check more boxes and might have done so very well.

 

[827538]

Someone reported that the dongle does not work meaning that any ios device without a 3.5 mm jack is not compatible. I haven't verified personally but this was the report. If true it's another ridiculous limitation on the Max.

Sounds odd as Apple specifically state it works in their support documentation. Maybe something needs an update?

 

[ReiszRie]

People here constantly disagree with me, but I’ve been proven right more times than not. I also get a lot of agrees. I think if your views are polarizing, you are closer to the truth.

People complain about price Bc they really don’t know the market and $550 “feels” expensive for headphones when you’re not completely aware of what’s out there.

Well true that, here I am staring at my 1.5k headphones and thinking to myself that $500 headphones in the audiophile world are actually considered.... cheap and a steal 🤣

 

[falainber]

It's not a DAC. The Lightning side of the cable is plugged into the AirPods Max, and the 3.5mm side is plugged into the audio source, this means the signal that comes out of the audio source is already analogic.

The audio source can be a high-end DAC, so using this cable is totally relevant if you want the best sound quality possible.

So, it's a regular cable that costs $35? Was it made by Monster Cable or something?

 

[mashinhead]

I just recieved my pair and the only thing I cared about was sound quality and I also believe this the only thing that would justify the price. And they do sound good....but fall short in the area of bass. Which makes these to be honest disappointing because for this price I'm expecting perfect sound balance. In short, are they great sounding headphones. Yes they are. Are they worth $550. Honestly no. Not because they aren't really really good. But cos they just fall short of perfect. Which seems like they are sooo close to.

But this is also a very initial thought. So maybe with time I'll feel a bit different.

However, I think Apple has one last ace up its sleeve for these. And that's what they are going to do with the quality of the music on Apple Music

 

[ReiszRie]

When I got into knowing more about recording, I was expecting everything to be very expensive. The 'best' studio speakers (monitors) were the NS10m's by Yamaha. Not expansive at all. A friend of a friend was having a party, and they said that I should come and see his speaker system. I was curious, and asked why I would give a rip. 'Because they cost over $60,000!' They were kinda like the huge Klipsch speakers I used to see when I was young, only they had an exposed 'thing' on top that looked like a hood ornament for a cheesy car. The sound was good, but not worth the money. I thought they were a Linear brand, or something. The speakers cost more than his house! Well, back in high school my car stereo was more expensive than the car it was installed in, so... But still. People will spend HUGH money of things they *think* either make them look cool, or are better than what everyone else has. It's silly, but...

Its fine that not everyone gets behind the high-fidelity hobby when it comes to audio

NS10m shouldn't cost anywhere near 60k, its on average $600 per set > https://reverb.com/p/yamaha-ns-10m-studio-monitors (either your friend got ripped off or he was trying to impress you), it is however a vintage discontinued studio monitor and therefore rare to find one in good working condition with an undamaged cabinet.

Studio monitors are neutral by design to reveal any and all mastering flaws so it actually wouldn't sound good to most people as people would prefer warmer harman tuned sound signature or a bassy V-shaped sound signature.

High-fidelity speakers are expensive for its micro/macro-dynamics, resolution and frequency neutrality.

 

[Suckfest 9001]

I’m so sick of the price shock.

High quality headphones can cost well over $550. It’s all going to be down to the sound. People that buy high end headphones will judge their worth.

Dude with AppleCare it’s almost 1000 in Canada. Headphones that cost this much sound much much better

 

[SSDGUY]

I am not defending the case, agree 100% not great for traveling and I no doubt will be replacing it with a third party case made for travel. BUT. I took my Max off at one point and put it on the desk, and immediately got nervous about the aluminum cans getting scratched and instantly understood Apple's case. It was just designed for keeping the cans from being scratched during routine use. Nothing more, nothing less. Given how many people complain about their phones and watch scratching I see where Apple was coming from. I expect to be called a fan boy for not totally roasting Apple over it, but I am typing this while listening to a movie and just blown away by the soundstage, and so just don't care that much about the case. It will protect it enough sitting at home.

I'm not sure I'd like headphones that I have to be so careful about scratching that I have to have the case nearby. The stainless is a great look but IMO everyday use demands common sense practicality.

 

[SSDGUY]

Again, many people can’t tell the difference between $10 wired earbuds and $500 over the ear cans.

These headphones are made for studio guys and audiophiles...and there are plenty.

Unless Apple's sound enhancement modeling includes a flat response setting, such customers won't bite. I'll wait for reviews from said audiophiles and studio guys.

 

[Frixos]

Again, many people can’t tell the difference between $10 wired earbuds and $500 over the ear cans.

These headphones are made for studio guys and audiophiles...and there are plenty.

After using my Bose QC 35 II for a couple of months, I thought to myself that the sound wasn't much better than the 10 year old $60 Sennheiser headphones I had used previously. I then put on my Sennheiser and was shocked; I had gotten so used to my Bose I had forgotten how much better they were.

All that to say, I hope people could tell the difference between these Apple headphones and low tier headphones (I do realize your comparison is hyperbole)

 

[ReiszRie]

Unless Apple's sound enhancement modeling includes a flat response setting, such customers won't bite. I'll wait for reviews from said audiophiles and studio guys.

likely not studio guys but definitely more towards audiophiles

 

[nicolas_s]

So, it's a regular cable that costs $35? Was it made by Monster Cable or something?

There are way more expensive 3.5mm cables.

 

[ian87w]

I’m so sick of the price shock.

High quality headphones can cost well over $550. It’s all going to be down to the sound. People that buy high end headphones will judge their worth.

I agree. It's hilarious seeing people being "shocked" at the price, as if they've never seen headphones that expensive before. Bang & Olufsen ANC headphone costs $800. That's the market Apple is after.