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AirPods Max Get Rare $99 Discount on Amazon, Available for $449.99
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Amen! Apple priced these into territory where they get dogged by far better cans. These are mid-range consumer cans a la Sony XM4/5's and the Bose and Sennheiser equivalents. Had they priced them at $299 they'd have sold far more and made more money on the product even with a smaller price tag.
another alternative is this headset
Review: Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e are the AirPods Max successors I've been waiting for
Late last month, Bowers & Wilkins revealed a new pair of on-ear headphones with the debut of the Px7 S2e. These debut as a more marginal improvement to the standard 2S pair from last year, all while offering some worthwhile improvements along the way. Now after a recent trip and some flight...
9to5toys.com
Use mine every day and have for like 3 years now. One of the best tech purchases I've ever made. I use them with Apple TV a lot (spatial audio ftw) and also on many video calls throughout the day. Sound is excellent, mics are excellent, and the build quality is amazing. Out here in NYC, out of the tech enthusiast bubble of internet forums, I probably see a couple dozen people every single day wearing them on the streets. I've actually even seen counterfeit versions. So, there's an answer to all of you on here who can't afford the price.
But yeah, despite the excellent sound and effective noise cancellation, I have to admit it's a horrible horrible ordeal trying to charge it with one of the five hundred lightning cables I already own. A serious hardship. Eats up like half my day. How do people live like this??
But yeah, despite the excellent sound and effective noise cancellation, I have to admit it's a horrible horrible ordeal trying to charge it with one of the five hundred lightning cables I already own. A serious hardship. Eats up like half my day. How do people live like this??
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They're clearing inventory on these, I've also noticed apple store no longer sells the colored ear cushion replacements.
Either we get a V2 later this year with USB-C or they'll just discontinue it, but I see them everywhere now (especially at gyms) so I am sure its selling well but not at the original MSRP of course. Seems like everyone gets them when theyre on sale for 400-450
I love mine, have been using them daily since 2021, only issue is the mesh has worn out and is no longer tight
Either we get a V2 later this year with USB-C or they'll just discontinue it, but I see them everywhere now (especially at gyms) so I am sure its selling well but not at the original MSRP of course. Seems like everyone gets them when theyre on sale for 400-450
I love mine, have been using them daily since 2021, only issue is the mesh has worn out and is no longer tight
I would also like to purchase these for $99. Otherwise not really. I appreciate and enjoy quality audio to an extent, and can generally tell a difference, but I'm not at the audiophile level and I don't get annoyed by it like I do with other tech that isn't at a certain level of quality. AirPods Pro are just so much more convenient.
If all Apple does with the AirPods Max 2 is swap lightning charging for USB-C charging, that woudl be pathetic. This product is over three years, which is an eternity for upscale wireless headphones. At the very least, they should upgrade the chip, improve the wireless bluetooth so that you can get something close to lossless transmission of CD quality audio, and allow for direct transmission of hi res digital audio to the headphones via USB-C. But there's so much more they could do than that, like improving the spatial audio experience through better "head related transfer function" measurements and higher bit rates for Dolby Atmos files.
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These were great... when they worked. After a year and half, charge lasted only 8 hours and would drain when in the bib... a half year later, I can't get them to work and I can't reset them. I'm back to using my Sony XM3s which still work fine and hold their charge after 4 years. My next purchase will likely be the XM5s.
I'm in a different camp. We have four pairs of these in our family...all but the green color. Love them and they have the cool factor, which our old Bose ones didn't.
Thats weird, the iOS apple store app says unavailable and the product thumbnail is gone
Still expensive, but I got mine for the same discount last year at Best Buy and no regrets.
As an owner, I would say an increase in battery life is probably the most substantial improvement these headphones could receive in a future update, but all anyone seems to care about is USB-C. The headphones have received sonic improvements over the years (to the extent that's possible) through software updates, but even a major redesign – which isn't something Apple is generally known for – likely wouldn't change the sound all the much. Improved noise cancelling might be nice, but current levels definitely aren't lacking. At the end of the day, they're headphones, so people hoping for big changes will likely be disappointed by any second version Apple releases, unless V2 comes at half the price (which, again, is not the Apple way).
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The main thing I really want is for them to get that Adaptive ANC mode that AirPods Pro now have. It's a really great compromise between full noise cancellation and transparency mode.
The battery life on mine steadily declined (as expected) over a couple years until I finally spent the $79 or whatever and had them replace it. I tend to charge them maybe a couple times a week and it's not really an issue most of the time. Still, I hear you, more battery is always better.
If you don't want to buy these so late in their lifecycle, fine.
But let me tell you why Max should fetch a higher price than Bose et al.
Very little plastic, just a bit on the inside of the earcups, and I'm not even sure that isn't some kind of resin.
You can replace the battery ($79 for Apple Certified service, may be able to get it cheaper from a third-party repair shop).
I had a pair of plasticky Bose that fell apart in less than two years. There is also no way to replace the battery to prolong their life, even if they do stay intact. Disposable junk.
Just more plastic in the landfill/ocean destined for your kids' bloodstream.
But let me tell you why Max should fetch a higher price than Bose et al.
Very little plastic, just a bit on the inside of the earcups, and I'm not even sure that isn't some kind of resin.
You can replace the battery ($79 for Apple Certified service, may be able to get it cheaper from a third-party repair shop).
I had a pair of plasticky Bose that fell apart in less than two years. There is also no way to replace the battery to prolong their life, even if they do stay intact. Disposable junk.
Just more plastic in the landfill/ocean destined for your kids' bloodstream.
IMO the Sony XM4 and XM5 both beat these, hands-down. We have so many Apple devices in our home — probably 40+ — and hugely into the entire Apple ecosystem. That said, these have always been a non-starter for me. I would like to like them and can easily afford them ... but a hard pass even at $449.
When it comes to audio, reviews are just suggestions if one is being honest. Everyone hearing, ear shape, etc is different.
Ideally version 2.0 will include lossless, an improved noise canceling, better batter etc. Im not sure where sound quality comes into the picture because it's all so subjective. Some people like the Bower and Wilkins sound profile, some like Sony, some like Bose, some like Bang and Olufsen etc, it's all subjective.
Ideally version 2.0 will include lossless, an improved noise canceling, better batter etc. Im not sure where sound quality comes into the picture because it's all so subjective. Some people like the Bower and Wilkins sound profile, some like Sony, some like Bose, some like Bang and Olufsen etc, it's all subjective.
Why wouldn’t they put the H2 chip and functionality on the next version?
How’s the noise cancellation on the Bose? I’ve been considering getting the Bose QuietComfort Ultra for a while now as I’ve found the noise cancellation on the AirPod Max has somehow mysteriously diminished.
Agreed
I smell a quiet issue with unlicensed patents
(yet another one for Apple I should say)
Because we have different ears and inner ears. And hearing changes ineluctably. Only a tiny fraction of the population can hear the full range generated by such headphones. My audiogram shows a significant loss around 2kHz and, for any reason, AirPods Max seem to sound better. They are just a good match for my ears.