Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
I love mine. Between a Best Buy sale and gift cards I only paid $115 with tax for them. Couldn't pass up a steal like that.
Since I've had them I've rarely used my homepod. I use my APM's for at home listening and my App's for when I'm out and about. The APM's definitely have better ANC, and the transparency mode is good for when I need to walk around my apartment and need to be aware of what's around me.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jprmercado
If the intent is making it portable, i'd rather have the plastic of the Sony, Bose, etc. It's not as if the metal of Max is actually making it more durable in this case. It's just all for show, adding weight, and it doesn't fold up good.
AirPods Max folds flat in its case. It is easy to pack in a backpack. The only issue is its case doesn't cover the mesh part. Not bad if your backpack has a compartment for it.

Yes, the metal cups make it more durable compared to plastic. My Max headphones are 10 months old and still look new.
 
Always kinda wanted a pair, just not sure I'd use them much. I listen on my HomePod when I'm at home working. I don't listen much outside the house, other than in the car and the occasional flight. The price doesn't bother me, I just think they'd spend 99% of their time in the drawer.
 
Always kinda wanted a pair, just not sure I'd use them much. I listen on my HomePod when I'm at home working. I don't listen much outside the house, other than in the car and the occasional flight. The price doesn't bother me, I just think they'd spend 99% of their time in the drawer.
HomePod doesn't have great bass. You need a subwoofer and HomePod doesn't have it...maybe barely because when I had a HomePod (I returned it) bass was weak. AirPods Max have good bass sounds and you're not annoying people around you with the boom-boom-boom from a subwoofer.
 
I love mine, hoping to get another pair for my dad. The ease of use along with their performance is spectacular and the best in any headphone I’ve experienced.
Only wish spare headbands were sold along with the earpads.
I also believe they are a nice gift for the elderly, with No on/off to worry about, or any excessive buttons / touch controls. Feel the same about MagSafe.
Quality innovation that justifies the higher pricing.
 
HomePod doesn't have great bass. You need a subwoofer and HomePod doesn't have it...maybe barely because when I had a HomePod (I returned it) bass was weak. AirPods Max have good bass sounds and you're not annoying people around you with the boom-boom-boom from a subwoofer.
I find the opposite to be true. HomePods have great bass when the room in tiny, like stereo pair in the bathroom. I have been thinking about buying a powered subwoofer and hooking it up to an airport express to reduce the lack of bass in my room.
The AirPod Max on the other hand I find to have less bass than i would like, the bass gets better when wired but still not as good as speakers.
 
The price here in Norway put me off for a while. Not sure what happened (as Apple products are rarely on sale over here), but they halved in price over the year. Picked up a returned sample still in the box for 3000 NOK. Apple still sell them for 7000 NOK (thats 770 USD atm). SO worth it!
 
The allure to buying this was so strong that I almost bought one. I am thankful that I resisted
 
I could swallow the price point on these things if they offered wireless lossless support. However, without that, they are just such overpriced garbage. For half the cost the Sony's, Bose, etc. all perform on par, if not better. Further, these are not portable at all. At least with the other brands they fold into something smaller and easier to pack into your travel bag.

The only game changer Apple could provide here is true wireless lossless support with iOS devices by offer a direct link via WIFI or something.
Wifi, or at least have a USB-C port on them so you can have a wired connection. Also upgrade the DAC on all the products (Macs, iPad/iPhones, headphones) to support full 24-bit/192k lossless. It's embarrassing how none of Apple's products support that.
 
I've really enjoyed the build quality and (when they're working) performance of AirPods Max. But I've owned two pairs over the past year and both have been plagued with repeated problems, requiring multiple repairs and more calls to Apple support than I care to mention, despite light, meticulous use. Even when they're mostly working they can still be temperamental. And the case seems oddly designed at best. In a lifetime of Apple products (starting with my first Apple IIc in the late 70's) the AirPods Max has been the most problematic Apple product I've ever owned. I hope Apple can get it right in the 2022 revision.
 
I wear the blue ones and love them. Great product by Apple.

Like others, I pang for lossless. But not sure the potential battery hit would be worth it or if I’ll really would be able to hear the difference.
 


A year ago today, Apple made AirPods Max available to purchase a week after announcing its first over-ear headphones via a press release on its website.

airpods-max-b.jpg

AirPods Max are Apple's first AirPods branded over-ear headphones and are undoubtedly a premium option for customers looking for over-ear headphones in the market. Rumors had initially indicated the headphones would be called "AirPods Studio," and their launch was deemed "imminent" for the majority of 2020.

AirPods Max feature a knit mesh canopy that's flexible to fit various head sizes. The headphones themselves are entirely metal, resulting in a heavy overall footprint. AirPods Max come in five colors: silver, space gray, pink, green, and sky blue.

airpods-max-colors.jpg

Borrowing innovations from the Apple Watch, AirPods Max feature a Digital Crown for volume adjustment and a press to invoke Siri, as well as a Side Button for toggling on or off Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency Mode. Like all AirPods and select Beats headphones, AirPods Max feature Apple's H1 chip, which powers tight integration with Apple devices, such as easy pairing and automatic device switching.

airpods-max-digital-crown.jpeg

Priced at $549, AirPods Max are not an inexpensive purchase for customers, and other options such as Apple's own Beats line offer significantly more affordable over-ear headphones. Along with their hefty price tag, however, reviews of AirPods Max have been favorable, applauding the headphones for being "more than enough to compete with other high-end headphones."

AirPods Max have received some criticism, though, for the design of the "Smart Case" and poor battery life, the latter of which was patched by Apple in a software update.

airpods-max-in-case.jpg

AirPods Max initially saw very high demand that saw shipping estimates stretch out into months, but since the initial backlog was cleared, they've become much more readily available with third-party retailers sometimes even offering even discounts of $100 or more.

Article Link: AirPods Max Launched One Year Ago Today
Launched a year ago and still WAY overpriced....I've stated before you can buy a pair of Bose Quietcomfort headphones for the price you'd pay for the Apple ones.
 
I wear the blue ones and love them. Great product by Apple.

Like others, I pang for lossless. But not sure the potential battery hit would be worth it or if I’ll really would be able to hear the difference.
You could have bought a pair of Bose Quietcomfort for what you paid for the Apple name and had the same quality.
 
Outside of the initial setup, which removes maybe 2-3 seconds from the initial pairing since you don't have to go into the bluetooth settings area, these aren't any 'easier' or 'better' integrated with iOS compared to any other modern bluetooth capable headphone.
vs sennies MTW V1, normal Bluetooth is ok if you have one device, when you have multiple iOS devices the easy switching is beautiful. One feature I use the most is control center to toggle modes, not possible on any other BT.
I almost got one, but ultimately canceled before it shipped. I couldn't find any info if this would cause problems with those with neck issues. e.g. while I can work seated or standing, while standing, I'll often find my posture having a forward head-tilt. With these rather heavy headphones, I was worried that would to lead to more issues. Apple hasn't heard of users reporting such issues, but I decided to error on the side of caution.

I'd really love the 20 hours of battery life though. I use AirPods Pro, and on meeting-heavy days, I can run out of power. Hoping the next gen of AirPods Pro could give more battery life. Or, perhaps the next gen of the Pro Max could be lighter?
You are right they are heavy and can become a nuisance with that posture.
Sure, it's good. The question is why is it only on-par with Sony and Bose's offerings that are at least $200 less? Which, by the way, pack better, are lighter, offer better battery life, and come with a real case?
Your points are true, yet there are some reasons why I chose these over the others.
Very limiting in their use. You can pretty much only wear them at home / work / airplane. Sound bleeds in from surroundings anywhere else.
No it doesn’t.
Still one of the most underwhelming products apple has released in recent history. Why you would go with these over the latest offerings from Bose or Sony boggles the mind...
Vs Sony or Bose
Have 2 pairs of xm3 to compare to, but I bought them post airpod max purchase.
Lighter, but uncomfortable to wear due to fake leather that doesn’t breathe.
The earcups are washable and easy to replace, I wash them weekly. This is a huge perk for me. It is too risky to try to change Sony earcups. Feels like they will break, so I have not attempted it.
Hygiene is important to me, and these along with only B&O offer this feature.

Build, I broke one pair of the XM3 headband plastic while attempting to expand them with the same force I use on the AirPods. Instant break, still usually but nasty.

Build on Max is stellar.
The controls on Sony suck bad. Too many buttons, then touch for volume and too slow to react to button press.

Control scheme on these is astoundingly simple and tactile. Love it. Way better than competition.

iOS integration along with perks such as real time noise level, spacial audio, easy to change modes with Siri or control center etc etc

All these make for a delightful experience for me and I find other headphones inferior even if they cost less like Sony or more like b&o.
I chased Audio quality when I bought senn momentum true wireless along with AirPods Pro.
Momentum sounded way better but it was the AirPods that got used most and I gave away the senns.
When compared to only Sony/Bose these blow them out of the water for me. I have no doubt b&o flagship will sound better but they won’t give the same user experience as max. Personal choice but don’t diss on a product by ignoring merits.
There are cons like weight and lack of easy to buy headbands or No 3.5mm etc which are valid. But Sony and Bose sound worse, feel worse, and do less than the AirPods max. They are good only to save money or if you have to have a foldable design, which even b700 doesn’t do
 
I would have got a pair but I have the Beats Studio 3. Has anyone gone from those beats to these? How do they differ quality wise?
I've owned several generations of Bose and Sony noise cancelling headphones and in my estimation the ANC in the AirPods Max are class-leading. The build quality of the headphones is also exceptional. However, I fear that the choice to go with aluminum cans is the reason my headphones have had significant problems with condensation frying the electronics over time. This is an issue that I've exchanged notes with senior techs about and they have told me that Apple engineering is aware of this issue.
 
365 days later we are still trying to find the use-case for a $549 Bluetooth Headphone that you can't create content on.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Grolubao
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.