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AirPods Max Get Rare $99 Discount on Amazon, Available for $449.99
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As I've gotten older and accepted that my hearing is degrading (as it does for all of us), it's another reason I'm way past caring about "lossless audio" on the listening end.
My iTunes library is still nearly all Lossless just so I have the highest possible source for the future and to down convert off of ... but on the listening side, I honestly can't tell the difference between lossless and 320 AAC/MP3
Thing is, you can get better audio without “spatial” encoding by simply listening to better tuned transducers. There are many choices in the $200-$500 range that have a naturally large soundstage without having to resort to Apple and Dolby’s software layer. The main reason they push “Spatial Audio” and “Dolby Atmos” is that it makes low cost gear sound “better” than it would with straight stereo encoding.
I still find Spatial Audio on music tracks to be a gimmick and mostly not enjoyable
To me it ruins the original mix of songs I'm very familiar with
I don't get it at all
But hey -- everyone enjoys different things, so ... 🤷♂️
To me it ruins the original mix of songs I'm very familiar with
I don't get it at all
But hey -- everyone enjoys different things, so ... 🤷♂️
Not entirely true, unless you consider Sony XM5s and Bose QCs etc to also be drastically overpriced. Those are both great headphones, but you can’t compare their build quality and materials (mostly plastic) to that of the AirPods Max, made of machined aluminium and stainless steel. The difference in construction/materials certainly justifies the extra $150 or so.
While getting the iPad Pro yesterday at the Apple Store, there was another shopper bought the AirPods Max.
Yes, spatial audio doesn’t make much sense for music - unless you’re into really trippy ambient stuff, perhaps.
It’s fantastic for films, however! And much cheaper than investing in a fancy surround-sound speaker system at home.
Yeah, I love my Sony XM4s, especially for travel. Even the Sony XM5s don’t fold up as compact as the XM4s do!
I have lusted after the AirPods Max for a long time but held off for exactly the reasons you mentioned. Hoping that the AirPods Max 2 fixes more than just the lack of USB-C.
Maybe its just my pair i got used, but the APM felt cheap to me. I feel like they sound better than my bose qc35 and sony xm, and yes the materials are solid but it still felt cheaply built. The ANC button wiggles pretty freely (without pressing it) and the knob has a cheap feeling twist to it IMO. the buttons feel "loose" if that makes sense. Maybe b/c whoever had them before me was hard on them and this is the only pair ive ever had an up close with. Otherwise, I feel like they sound the best of the 3 brands ive mentioned.
Here’s just a small selection of sub $500 headphones:
Best Headphones Under $500
Best Over-Ear Headphones Under $500 Looking for the best headphones under $500? Audio46 offers a carefully selected range of top-rated over-ear headphones, earpieces, and headsets for those who want premium sound without overspending. Whether you need the best earpiece in this price range for...
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I’m listening to the Hifiman Edition XS right now via a FiiO BTR 7 and a Sennheiser AptX HD adapter on my iPhone. They’re so much better sounding than AirPods Pro that they’re not even in the same league. No, they’re not for working out and they’re not for wearing at a coffee shop. They’re for listening to music. But I assure you, there are plenty of closed back cans that also sound fantastic in this price range and while the AirPods’ integration with the Apple ecosystem is nice it doesn’t really add that much that you can’t achieve with other better sounding products.
I’m continually surprised at how many of these I see at our gym every day.
Ah, yes, the Scampods Max with their Condensation Gate issues and asinine pricing.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I’m just repeating what I’ve seen previously on MacRumors, or at least what I remember having seen.
Still $250 overpriced. My audio-technica ATH-M50X headphones are $150 and have some of the best production I've heard in dozens of headphones. Read: Apple's profit margin is MASSIVE. Their airpod pros are legit... but these are $150-200 drivers selling for $500. They look like something out of a Ridley Scott movie made in the 1970's too.
Hoping heavily for a pricier and better Version coming this year. Currently I am using my sony mx4 and I like them but having washable earpads, the net and better bluetooth connectivity with my mac, ipad, iphone and upcoming apple tv does sound great.
But there still things they need to s
1. usb-c instead of lightning
2. aux, because my ps5 can‘t do bluetooth, my pc can’t do bluetooth, I want to use the airpods also offline and I want to be able to add a mic so I can use them easily on my work laptop
3. beeing able to shut it off without a ugly case and use it even offline (with worse audio doesn‘t matter)
These are my must needs.
But there still things they need to s
1. usb-c instead of lightning
2. aux, because my ps5 can‘t do bluetooth, my pc can’t do bluetooth, I want to use the airpods also offline and I want to be able to add a mic so I can use them easily on my work laptop
3. beeing able to shut it off without a ugly case and use it even offline (with worse audio doesn‘t matter)
These are my must needs.
it's legitimately a "we don't want to make these" price.
Like the full size HomePod. “Oh! You actually want to buy one of these?? Okay?”
I got my Sony XM4s refurbished for $250 last year. These are just over priced.
Yep, the Sonys are the best at noise cancellation tech. By far. I have the WH1000XM4. They're lighter, more comfortable, comparable sound quality with the Airpods Max. They also have audio and USB-C jacks, airplane plug adapter, and they fold flat, and the cups fold up to fit into the included case. Did I forget to mention they're well over $100 cheaper? Only two colors, though. And the app is an Android port.
The biggest improvement they need is better sound quality for music i.e. better drivers and perhaps tuning. They are very average for music.
For general multimedia use across multiple devices within the Apple ecosystem they are probably the best you can get. They are excellent to use for these purposes, though, as previously said, sound quality for music is not good enough for the price.
For general multimedia use across multiple devices within the Apple ecosystem they are probably the best you can get. They are excellent to use for these purposes, though, as previously said, sound quality for music is not good enough for the price.
