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

[Idec50]

My question is whether you can use these in Windows to play esport games with truly spatial sound. My guess is not which defeats the purpose outside of movies and TV, particularly when flying (hence the closed-back and noise canceling). I don’t think these are really meant for stereo podcasts and music.

My airpods work for voice recordings and my Sennheiser hd 6xx will be hard to beat for music. You can’t beat open-back for music ... But gaming headphones have notoriously bad audio quality. Having experienced the Homepod and MBP 16” speakers, I have no doubt Apple hit the mark on highly directional audio. I just hope I can actually use it.

Can someone test it?

 

[ericwn]

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

Doubtful in my opinion- I think they are targeted to fans and folks deep into the ecosystem or folks appreciating their convenience. Studio and audiophile use don’t strike me as the focus.

 

[ericwn]

Realiser A16 the world's most advanced 3d audio processor

The Realiser A16 is the world’s most advanced personalised head-tracked 3D headphone processor, rendering 15.1.8ch Dolby Atmos with breath-taking realism.

smyth-research.com

Airpod Max price awkers should check this link.

The general public doesn’t know that Spacial Audio has been out for almost 10 years now but it still cost thousands of dollars. Apple introduced this at a easily consumable level for $550.

The tech is truly marvelous.

But also, the GP and Media needs to understand that they don’t have to buy or be the target audience for everything Apple makes.

People will always judge a product price within their scope of financial capability. It won’t help them to realize that there’s always more stuff that’s even more expensive- nor is that a particular elegant way to justify a product price (other are worse).

 

[macnmac]

Seriously, why can’t you just push in on the volume wheel and have it click on and off? It’s already there and seems to be quite well appreciated.

bc it pauses the music instead, this is so much more important

 

[cmaier]

bc it pauses the music instead, this is so much more important

Press-and-hold one of the buttons to shut off the headphones wouldn’t have killed anyone.

 

[ericwn]

Smart case isn't useless if you live somewhere (Australia comes to mind) where 8 legged things can crawl into the ear pod for a rest just before you pop them on...

Just like any case. They are however useless in any attempt to protect from anything else than insects walking into the cups. Good effort though, 1 use case found.

 

[macnmac]

Press-and-hold one of the buttons to shut off the headphones wouldn’t have killed anyone.

they can always push out a remap so you can adjust the buttons in the future to do whatever you want?

 

[ericwn]

you have seen the price on the H95's right? I own the H9's and the H9i- love them both but I passed on the H95 at that price point.

Decent case though! But we could always get a piece of Tupperware ourselves if needed.

 

[ericwn]

Yeah, I have no doubt these are really good, it's just out of my price range right now. Now, if the Sport comes in with similar specs at a lower price, I might be all over those.

I’m certain they’ll use an opportunity to market something slightly cheaper for mass market.

 

[nicolas_s]

That's what I thought. Which means that when using this cable the signal goes through DAC (player), ADC (cable) and DAC (headphones) again. The outcome is probably worse than with BT stack.

I don't think it works like that.

As far as I know, the Lightning input of these headphones doesn't treat digital audio at all. It seems to only work from an analogic source.

If the input was digital, it could work directly from USB to Lightning (as it is exactly the same has having a mini ADC on the Lightning side), but it doesn't.

The DAC could be used only when the source is Lightning, and bypassed when the source is on the 3.5mm side. We don't know how it's made.

 

[ericwn]

That case thing is hideous. Even the headphones, while not bad, seem un-Apple. Really concerned about Apple's design direction with Jony gone. He got flack with wanting to make thinner iPhones, but his designs were stunning.

I tend to agree. Often times in the past, the design aspect of new products stunned me. This one, I don’t feel the same although it looks nice.

 

[d.best.5205622]

Leave my QC-35 for that? Yeah..right. Without noise cancellation my QC-35 is WAY is quieter than that thing. It’s like being in an actual room without noise cancellation. I’m Apple loyal and love my AirPods Pro. But it pales in comparison when comes to actually listening to music. Not just having the music there in your normal life. Actually critically listening to it. The bass alone. PASS

 

[G5isAlive]

Fair that you'd want a case to protect them from scratching especially with a metal surface, but there are also all kinds of gaps that can get scratched where the case material doesn't cover them. The case looks weird and doesn't do a great job at protecting headphones or keeping the knit headband clean IMO.

I get trying to be minimalist and save space but still a very odd design choice the way they did it. Even if they at least fully covered the ear portions fully I would get behind it a bit more. Wouldn't be surprised if the next gen of these come with a better case design. At least I hope they do.

So, as I said, I was not defending the case, I DO want and will get a better case for traveling for better protection. I AM concerned about jamming things in around it in my pack. Just like I am with my iPad or laptop. I am very very clear on that. And until I get that better case, I will find other ways to take care of it.

But, this is the case we have today. I tend to be a realist and try to figure out how to make things work for me rather than rant about what they are not. Seriously what will ranting get me TODAY? I am NOT going to wait for a potential improvement from Apple on a gen 2 that may or many not be 2 years out. For me, the Max is good enough as is, TODAY. And the case that is provided? Does protect from scratches sitting on my desk from casual abuse. Are there still exposed surfaces on the edges? yes. Is it likely I am going to have something pinpoint those exposed surfaces and cause damage without being deflected by the major portion being covered? nope. Shrugs. So get behind it? doesn't matter if I do or don't. it is what it is. I own the Max. Move forward.

My guess is, like a lot of MR, the many of those calling the case a major fail have zero intention on buying the Max and are looking for a reason not to (besides price lol) or just a reason to pick it apart. Whatever. I fully accept that like my other devices I will take on the additional cost of finding the case that suits me.

 

[G5isAlive]

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.

This. X1000. Thank you.

 

[deevey]

My question is whether you can use these in Windows to play esport games with truly spatial sound. My guess is not which defeats the purpose outside of movies and TV, particularly when flying (hence the closed-back and noise canceling). I don’t think these are really meant for stereo podcasts and music.

My airpods work for voice recordings and my Sennheiser hd 6xx will be hard to beat for music. You can’t beat open-back for music ... But gaming headphones have notoriously bad audio quality. Having experienced the Homepod and MBP 16” speakers, I have no doubt Apple hit the mark on highly directional audio. I just hope I can actually use it.

Can someone test it?

The latency is too high for gaming, unless you are planning on wiring them.

So far no games have been mentioned and the spatial audio feature only works on Apple devices.

Why would you think they are not designed for stereo ? 🤨

 

[deckard666]

Yeah if the latency is anything like -

"Apple's original AirPods had a 274-millisecond latency and the refreshed models that launched with the wireless charging case only have a 178-millisecond lag. The AirPods Pro, on the other hand, have a Bluetooth latency of 144 milliseconds."

Then that much paid for "convenience" will disappear when you have to wire them for gaming...

 

[BeatCrazy]

AirPods products generally don’t cater to audiophile audiences. Great in many other respects of course.

(disclaimer - I'm certain I fit the stereotypical profile of an audiophile)

Audiophiles are often very heavy consumers of music in general. And music lovers can't always be on their couch tethered to their $2K+ dedicated headphone rig. As such, wireless/noise cancelling headphones (i.e. the various flavors of AirPods), can find a comfortable co-existence in the lives of those who fall into the audiophile category.

 

[G5isAlive]

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

I think you are right. There are going to be better sounding headphones out there for equivalent if not less cash. Especially since sound is so subjective for many but the most educated.

I think the people that are going to be happy with these are going to evaluate them over several categories including ease of use, spatial audio, inclusion with their devices, ANC, transparency, quality of build, AND sound. i.e. the AirPod Max isn't your daddy's headphones. Just saying. If you want them to be, you will be disappointed.

 

[G5isAlive]

I find it hilarious that people are defending the weight of these and the ridiculous case by saying "Well these aren't meant for travel, they are meant for home use watching movies." WTF Are you talking about? Are we seriously living in a world where Apple releases WIRELESS noise cancelling headphones and people are claiming that they aren't meant for travel? You have got to be kidding me. Having noise cancelling headphones in my home is absolutely absurd.

I want to wear noise cancelling headphones in place where I actually want to cancel the noise, like in an airport, train, etc. I have never watched a movie in my home wearing headphones. But now I guess that's the main function of AirPods Max. I use my headphones for music in croweded places for long stretches of time sometimes and that's what I expect to get out of the Airpods Max.

Jeez what's next? Apple is going to release the Apple Car and people will claim its only meant to sit in the driveway.

Yeah. Hilarious. But no one said the AirPod Max were not meant for travel. People HAVE said the case is not the best for travel (captain obvious). Deal with it. No one said these were meant just for watching movies. People have said spatial audio works phenomenally well with movies. That's a plus, not an exclusion. Some of us watch movies on planes. Not just home. If you want to rule out using them for anything else, that's on you. I plan to use them while traveling but I am not going to be that person walking through the airport with them on. I will use my AirPod Pro for that. When I get on the plane, I will use the Max.

There is no place that I would use other bluetooth headphones that I would not be comfortable using the Max.

 

[novagamer]

I don't think it works like that.

As far as I know, the Lightning input of these headphones doesn't treat digital audio at all. It seems to only work from an analogic source.

If the input was digital, it could work directly from USB to Lightning (as it is exactly the same has having a mini ADC on the Lightning side), but it doesn't.

The DAC could be used only when the source is Lightning, and bypassed when the source is on the 3.5mm side. We don't know how it's made.

I have the cable and have been using it today - I'm nearly certain the conversion is happening inside the headphones, the cable is identically sized to a normal lightning cable, the wire is just thinner and more flexible. If I had to guess I'd say it might be a specific wiring to trigger the DAC within the headphones vs charging.

A digital update would be awesome. If these could process DSD that would be an incredible value add, but I imagine it's not high on their priority list.

Side note: lossless audio through a good player sounds amazing with these. I stand by saying these are the best closed-back headphones I've ever used. If using them wirelessly it might be important to stay within Apple's ecosystem because I think there could be some processing going on. And turn off the Noise Cancelling / Transparent Audio before you hook them up to a wired player - I'm not sure how to disable it without using an apple device to do so.

Edit: there is definitely a sweet spot with the drivers which is not my experience with most headphones, play around with the position on your head slightly, it makes a big difference.

Edit 2: it occurs to me that these are good enough that Apple could introduce an upper tier of lossless / HD Apple Music maybe as stand alone for $14.99/mo or to get people into Apple One. I really hope they do this.

 

[nicolas_s]

I have the cable and have been using it today - I'm nearly certain the conversion is happening inside the headphones, the cable is identically sized to a normal lightning cable, the wire is just thinner and more flexible. If I had to guess I'd say it might be a specific wiring to trigger the DAC within the headphones vs charging.

A digital update would be awesome. If these could process DSD that would be an incredible value add, but I imagine it's not high on their priority list.

On Max Tech's review, he said that when plugged with this cable, the volume control of the source is independent from the volume control of the headphones, and so you need to adjust the volume on both sides, which looks like full analogic behavior to me.

It looks like the analogic signals goes into the headphones amplifier (since you can adjust the volume on the headphones too).

Have you tested that?

 

[novagamer]

On Max Tech's review, he said that when plugged with this cable, the volume control of the source is independent from the volume control of the headphones, and so you need to adjust the volume on both sides, which looks like full analogic behavior to me.

It looks like the analogic signals goes into the headphones amplifier (since you can adjust the volume on the headphones too).

Have you tested that?

Yes, the source player volume is in distinct from the headphone volume. I turned the headphones to max and then backed down probably to 85% for listening in case it did anything weird for loudness normalization, my source (Pono) was around 75%, there's plenty of headroom but the output on the Pono is very strong.

Even when wired, the digital crown cleverly makes an apple watch style tick when you adjust it and subtly beeps when you hit max volume so it has some 'mechanical' feedback to let you know where you're at.

I don't hear anything weird going on with the DSP actively when wired - I think whatever Apple is doing is not paying attention to the source but is instead modifying the output for the acoustic environment inside the headphones, similar to how the big HomePod will do excellent room correction that you can't even notice unless you shake it around to disable it for a few seconds. This makes me excited for the possibility that these could be used wired for Mixing, once apps like realphones get updated for them to flatten out the frequency response.

 

[ericwn]

(disclaimer - I'm certain I fit the stereotypical profile of an audiophile)

Audiophiles are often very heavy consumers of music in general. And music lovers can't always be on their couch tethered to their $2K+ dedicated headphone rig. As such, wireless/noise cancelling headphones (i.e. the various flavors of AirPods), can find a comfortable co-existence in the lives of those who fall into the audiophile category.

Exactly- as stated they are great in other respects where you’re just a regular consumer, availability, convenience, ease of use etc.

 

[BeatCrazy]

Exactly- as stated they are great in other respects where you’re just a regular consumer, availability, convenience, ease of use etc.

But they also have respectful sound from (this) audiophile's ears. They fall on the "do no harm" side of the scale, not boomy or bloated, nor EQ'd for compressed audio masterings.

 

[happygodavid]

I see all the critique of the headphone case, but I'm wondering; is it really "completely useless?" I can imagine it preventing the shells from getting scratched when they're tossed in a carryon/backpack. Perhaps we've just gotten used to Apple giving more functionality to a case like with the other AirPods.