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Apple Announced AirPods Max Two Years Ago Today
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I have a love/hate relationship with mine, they sound great and when they work they're great. But I constantly have connection issues, one ear cup dropping out sound, factory resetting them every time I pick them up, and that sometimes doesn't fix the issue... Im putting it down to being on the beta program for my iPhone, which im rolling back from later today, just too buggy!
I’m getting one on day-one, whenever the 2nd-gen comes out
Apple's AirPods Max were announced two years ago today, marking the company's first push into the high-end over-ear headphones market under its own brand name.
Rumors about Apple's work on a pair of high-end headphones, at the time believed to be called the "AirPods Studio," heated up throughout 2020. They were announced abruptly via an unexpected press release on December 8, 2020 and went on sale the same day. Orders started arriving to customers one week later on Tuesday, December 15.
The AirPods Max offer many popular AirPods features such as the H1 chip, easy pairing, Active Noise Cancellation, Transparency, automatic switching, Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking, but in a premium over-ear design for the first time. They also offer a headband made of a flexible mesh canopy, replaceable magnetic earcups, a Digital Crown for volume control, a button for switching between ANC and Transparency, and a Smart Case for storage and to put the headphones into a low power state.
Demand for the AirPods Max was high immediately after launch, with shipping estimates that stretched out several months. Initial reviews of AirPods Max were favorable, applauding the headphones for being "more than enough to compete with other high-end headphones." While the recommended retail price remains at $549, the AirPods Max are often available with discounts up to around $100.
The AirPods Max have also been subject to criticism since their launch, including for their price relative to rival sets of high-end over-ear headphones, the design of the Smart Case, condensation inside the earcups, poor battery life (something that was later fixed via a software update), and, most recently, ANC strength being reduced over time.
While the AirPods Max are now two years old, there is no sign of a new model despite a growing number of upgrades and features that could come to the headphones. In May 2021, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that Apple was not actively working on second-generation AirPods Max, and talk of a color options refresh for the device seems to have diminished. The most recent mention of a second-generation model was Gurman's claim in October that the next version of AirPods Max will feature USB-C and launch "by 2024."
Article Link: Apple Announced AirPods Max Two Years Ago Today
i hope the next update will bring a power button
shoulda got that apple care bro
I scored a pair of the blue ones from an audiophile last year for $300, shipped. They were only three months old and in perfect condition. They may not have suited his tastes, but I love them!
Do you still have AppleCare?! I just got a replacement for my original pair that was acting up a month before the end of my AppleCare
If you go to NYC, you see them more than you see AirPods (not the pros), and in London you see them even more.
My wife loves these. I tried them this weekend to listen to tv and wow so comfortable.
Id like a more obvious texture/indicator where buttons are and a way to configure what taking them off does on the apple tv (i.e. I don't want to necessarily pause the show because maybe its just an ad or something)
Id like a more obvious texture/indicator where buttons are and a way to configure what taking them off does on the apple tv (i.e. I don't want to necessarily pause the show because maybe its just an ad or something)
At the airports they're everywhere, but not so much outside. I understand that, I never take mine outside the house except for traveling. A lot of that traveling is still done with my Airpods Pro, and the Max's are packed and unpacked as my home away from home audio setup at the hotel or wherever I'm going.
Fully agree. While I have the SG ones, the mesh is aging. It's ok really, these headphones are on my head hours every day, so that they wear is fully appreciated. But in all fairness there should be spare headbands to be bought from Apple. I have yet to replace the cushions that they have for sale, no need for that, they are still in great condition. So why not the other soft part?
I hope that Apple will start offering headband replacements for a reasonable (lol) cost, because right now it is a €300++ cost to replace the entire headphone if you approach the Apple Store with this problem. And that is of course just plain silly.
Two years and they’re still heavy and ugly AF! Not to mention the lack of included extras (like a useful case and a 3.5mm cable).
As much as I hate Bose, their 700 headphones have more Apple-like design and build than the AirPods Max.
As much as I hate Bose, their 700 headphones have more Apple-like design and build than the AirPods Max.
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This piece of crap is in desperate need of updating. Aux power mode, USB-C, a proper case, and a power button, in that order. Get it done.
I've seen people wearing these at the gym. For that amount of money I wouldn't want to sweat / ding them up.
I returned mine, one of Apple’s biggest failures of late. They are too heavy & the case is almost like a parody. That price for a non-pro pair of headphones is pathetic. I’m a musician but I’m not an audio snob who only likes flat frequency headphones in my everyday music listening, so I do like the sound signature but wish there were a “pro-mode” or something to make them actually useful in a studio. Having to use a pair of studio monitors, those, and then my AirPods Pro for on the go is just too much. AirPods Max don’t really have a use case for me. I don’t want to bring around multiple pairs of big over ear headphones. If I’m doing serious listening I use my studio monitor headphones, if I’m on the go or just enjoying music I use my AirPods Pro.
I cannot do earbuds for long sessions. It just hurts my ears. These have been the best headphones. They replaced my $400 Sennheiser I had back from 2015 til I got these day one.
These have been my most favorite OTE headphones! AirPods Pro have their place, but it’s nice to not have earbuds in your ear for 1 - 3 hours at a time. MR acts like 2 years makes these headphones geriatric aged.
I read “Apple Announced AirPods Max Two Today”. Now I’m sad 😭
I see them more and more lately around London. Still not as common as Sony, Bose, etc though.
Maybe it's a bit like the Apple Watch. Saw hardly any for years and then all of a sudden they were everywhere!
If you're in the UK or EU, and the product is faulty (not damaged), you can make a claim under consumer protection laws regardless of warranty status.
It’s not that easy, though. In Germany e.g you have two years of „Gewährleistung“ which is kind of a „guarantee“ by the manufacturer but six months after purchase there is a „shifting of the burden of proof“ which kind of means that you’re either in need of the sellers goodwill or that you have to prove yourself that the defect (whenever it really occurred) happened due to a defect that the product likely already had the day you made the purchase. It’s often pretty complicated or even impossible to prove that so ultimately it’s often down to the goodwill part
Might work after the manufacturers warranty already has expired but you can never really rely on it. So, something like Apple Care can definitely be worth it