Hi everyone! Lately I have been interested in buying the AirPods Max, but I’m not sure if I should buy them at this point in their lifecycle. I assume the next generation is going to be released soon, but I’m just curious if they’re worth picking up for around $350 right now? I have AirPods Pro 2s that I use at the gym right now but if I get AirPods Max could I use them at the gym? Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks.
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AirPods Max worth purchasing now?
- Thread starter Djones96
- Start date
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I kind of expect the same. The current generation is still very good, though, and $350 is a good price. I recently sold my first gen Max because I seldom used them. My AirPods Pro fulfill all of my needs.
Some individuals have said it’s gonna come out this year but most say it’s gonna come out sometime mid next year or even in 25 so I said the heck with it. I bought one and I’m very happy with it. If one comes out later and if it’s, much much better than what I’ve got then I’ll get that one but I don’t really see a need over the one I have now since it meets my needs.
I've had mine almost since launch, I would buy them instantly again if they broke. They're really good. I've just found more ways of listening to some of my music with the (stupidly expensive and should have been included) 3.5 mm Lightning cable.
My only problem is the sagging headband netting, which Apple furiously do not carry as a readily available spare part. Hopefully they'll start repairing that once enough headphone nettings fail. But this fault would not hinder me from buying them again, not at all.
My only problem is the sagging headband netting, which Apple furiously do not carry as a readily available spare part. Hopefully they'll start repairing that once enough headphone nettings fail. But this fault would not hinder me from buying them again, not at all.
I have such mixed feelings on the Max. On one hand, with the Balanced mode in Accommodations, I genuinely find them detailed and balanced enough to edit video and music with. The noise cancelation and transparency modes aren't even close to matched by anything else. They're pretty comfortable, look great, and built like a tank.
On the other hand, I can't help but feel that, while I do use them almost daily, they aren't a good investment. I have a bunch of Audio Technica and Sennheiser headphones that I know will last me a lifetime, and without the ability to use them as normal headphones when the battery dies, I know these will eventually be a paperweight.
There's also big repairability issues while they're software-supported -- getting inside to change the batteries and drivers is a nightmare, to my knowledge there is no way to replace the rapidly-wearing headband. The magnetic ear cups are a nice touch but I wish they'd applied that mentality everywhere else. They're built incredibly well, but battery wear and headband wear are inevitable for any headphone. I'd hate for these to become e-waste.
They're also horrible for travel. They're heavy, they don't fold, the case is awful. I have traveled with them and once you're actually on a plane they drown it out better than anything else, but dealing with them the rest of the time sucks so much I just stick with my Pro 2s these days.
Overall, if you keep them at your desk and you're going to get value out of the far, far superior tuning, noise cancelation, and transparency modes to anything else on the market, I think they're worth it at a discounted price. That's how I use them, and if they broke, I'd probably buy them again. But if you want a new daily driver or a travel companion, I'd honestly rather go with the new Beats that dropped a week or so ago.
On the other hand, I can't help but feel that, while I do use them almost daily, they aren't a good investment. I have a bunch of Audio Technica and Sennheiser headphones that I know will last me a lifetime, and without the ability to use them as normal headphones when the battery dies, I know these will eventually be a paperweight.
There's also big repairability issues while they're software-supported -- getting inside to change the batteries and drivers is a nightmare, to my knowledge there is no way to replace the rapidly-wearing headband. The magnetic ear cups are a nice touch but I wish they'd applied that mentality everywhere else. They're built incredibly well, but battery wear and headband wear are inevitable for any headphone. I'd hate for these to become e-waste.
They're also horrible for travel. They're heavy, they don't fold, the case is awful. I have traveled with them and once you're actually on a plane they drown it out better than anything else, but dealing with them the rest of the time sucks so much I just stick with my Pro 2s these days.
Overall, if you keep them at your desk and you're going to get value out of the far, far superior tuning, noise cancelation, and transparency modes to anything else on the market, I think they're worth it at a discounted price. That's how I use them, and if they broke, I'd probably buy them again. But if you want a new daily driver or a travel companion, I'd honestly rather go with the new Beats that dropped a week or so ago.
I wouldn’t bother with the Max as it stands.
It’s wireless-first, and it requires a charge to use even in wired. You can’t use a USB cable for wired listening while charging. You need the case to more reliably put it in low power mode and there is no easy on/off switch. I find that to be a minus in terms of user experience.
With that money, I’d much rather buy the new Beats over-ear instead.
It’s wireless-first, and it requires a charge to use even in wired. You can’t use a USB cable for wired listening while charging. You need the case to more reliably put it in low power mode and there is no easy on/off switch. I find that to be a minus in terms of user experience.
With that money, I’d much rather buy the new Beats over-ear instead.