Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Apple Announces AirPods Max Over-Ear Headphones With Noise Cancellation, Priced at $549
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Does this not have a power button? From the description, it sounds similar to AirPods, always on unless they’re in the case. I’m interested in these, but not if they have to be always stored in the purse to stop the battery from draining over the course of a few days.
During the shopping season, I took advantage of sales and bought two new pairs of headphones, with the intention of keeping the one that sounded the best. These were the Beats Solo Pros ($169.99), and the Sony XM4s ($279.99).
Really took my time, and every night, I would listen for an hour or two with one, and the next night the other.
After two weeks, the XM4s went right back. You may think I'm insane for that, but there were two things that happened:
1. The XM4s have overall muddy audio quality, which shocked me, to the say the least. The bass was way too over-pronounced, the mids were scooped out way too much. I mean, SO many reviews, professional and non-professional alike, all hail the XM4s as some sort of modern miracle with their price to audio quality ratio. But I really found them extremely lackluster sounding and pretty hard to enjoy as a result.
2. After 10 days or so, I started to get a sound in the left ear that sounded exactly like my ear was clogged with water. Turning off active noise cancelation fixed it, but that's the major selling point of the XM4s. I did everything I could on a software level to reduce or remove this sound, until I did some research and found that it's a common hardware issue due to design defect: eventually, moisture ends up building up to such a level that it leaks into the noise-canceling microphone. For a pair of $279.99 (sale price!) headphones, this is a total dealbreaker.
Surprisingly so, the Solo Pros actually sound WAY better, with a more neutral frequency response curve, and the construction makes them feel so much better made and way less fragile than the Sonys. The ANC isn't as impressive, but at least it actually works without sounding like I'm drowning in the shower.
The one and only problem with the Solo Pros is that my ears hurt after an hour due to the clamping force. I'm still within my return period on those as well, until January 14th, so I'm honestly thinking of returning them and trying these out.
Really took my time, and every night, I would listen for an hour or two with one, and the next night the other.
After two weeks, the XM4s went right back. You may think I'm insane for that, but there were two things that happened:
1. The XM4s have overall muddy audio quality, which shocked me, to the say the least. The bass was way too over-pronounced, the mids were scooped out way too much. I mean, SO many reviews, professional and non-professional alike, all hail the XM4s as some sort of modern miracle with their price to audio quality ratio. But I really found them extremely lackluster sounding and pretty hard to enjoy as a result.
2. After 10 days or so, I started to get a sound in the left ear that sounded exactly like my ear was clogged with water. Turning off active noise cancelation fixed it, but that's the major selling point of the XM4s. I did everything I could on a software level to reduce or remove this sound, until I did some research and found that it's a common hardware issue due to design defect: eventually, moisture ends up building up to such a level that it leaks into the noise-canceling microphone. For a pair of $279.99 (sale price!) headphones, this is a total dealbreaker.
Surprisingly so, the Solo Pros actually sound WAY better, with a more neutral frequency response curve, and the construction makes them feel so much better made and way less fragile than the Sonys. The ANC isn't as impressive, but at least it actually works without sounding like I'm drowning in the shower.
The one and only problem with the Solo Pros is that my ears hurt after an hour due to the clamping force. I'm still within my return period on those as well, until January 14th, so I'm honestly thinking of returning them and trying these out.
Finally someone who talks from engineering and scientific perspective among all these ”audiophiles” who “hear“ bitrates and codecs but have never even done a blind ABX-test. Thanks for enlightening this thread!That's not how neither lossy encoding of lossless files not audio over bluetooth (two different things even though AAC can be used for both) work.
Bitrates simply can't be compared among different codecs, and the only goal of compression to to send artefacts down to inaudible levels (going beyond that is pointless) - something AAC 256 kbps manages to do when it comes to encoding lossless formats for listening purposes and something that AAC 256kbps audio over bluetooth manages to do pretty well... and better than other codecs with a higher bitrate.
Audio over Bluetooth: most detailed information about profiles, codecs, and devices
This article is also available in Russian / ÐÑа ÑÑаÑÑÑ Ñакже доÑÑÑпна на ÑÑÑÑком ÑзÑке The mass market of smartphones without the 3.5 mm audio jack changed headphones industry, wireless Bluetooth...habr.com
The problem being that this is only the theory, and that many devices don't implement AAC well at all (Android phones for example). But Apple is pretty solid at it.
The ultimate guide to Bluetooth headphones: AAC only acceptable on Apple phones
Along with default SBC and Qualcomm's aptX, AAC is a commonly supported Bluetooth codec in the wireless headphone and speaker markets.www.soundguys.com
Besides codec the sheer quality of the BT implementation is just as important. I've managed to produce audible artefacts when playing single tones regardless of the codec and source used on various BT headphones.
It's also completely pointless to listen to a pair of, for example, a un-EQed WH1000-XM4 in LDAC 990 kbps given how rubbish their FR curve is in the first place anyway.
Apple AAC is not a problem. A problem is that AirPods switch to SBC on some devices since they don’t support aptX. A problem is the implementation of AAC encoding on some Android devices. A problem can be a bad frequency response of the headphones (we’ll see soon).
I think the "poor" reply is mainly used in any price related debate when the "poor" person just knocks on the price without any reasonable reason other then its expensive , Apple sell electronics to the avg joe for the most part , so when they do go high end with any product it gets really messy really fast , as avg joe cant justify the price , you can open the 6k monitor thread and you will find the same exact replies , even though apple didnt try to make a monitor for avg joe , Apple are allowed and should be going for highend expensive products ,as those are the products that push R&D to the limit and also creates the famous waterfall in tech , where the Halo features trickle down the stack.
in regards to measure ppl on what they actually write , well most of the replies are not worthy of a reply as they are snarky and immature and basically venting online in a big echo chamber fiesta , ill judge the product when reviews actually comes out (user reviews as well) and we can see how it does vs the competition (in its price range) , its a shame that folks that are no where interested in high end headphones are coming out of the woodwork to bash the product over its price.
I hate to admit it but you are right. I know cause somewhere in the future I might figure out a way to buy them LOL.
Apple today introduced new wireless over-ear headphones called AirPods Max, with key features including high-fidelity audio, Adaptive EQ, Active Noise Cancellation, and spatial audio. Priced at $549, the headphones can be ordered starting today on Apple.com and in the Apple Store app, with availability beginning December 15.
AirPods Max come in five colors, including space gray, silver, sky blue, green, and pink. Apple says the headphones feature a "breathable knit mesh" spanning the stainless steel headband that distributes weight to reduce on-head pressure.
Apple says the ear cups have acoustically engineered memory foam to create an effective seal, and the telescoping headband arms smoothly extend and then stay in place to maintain the desired fit on your head.
AirPods Max feature a 40-mm Apple-designed dynamic driver that is said to provide "rich, deep bass, accurate mid-ranges, and crisp, clean high-frequency extension." Each ear cup is equipped with Apple's H1 chip for "computational audio" to deliver the "highest quality listening experience possible," according to Apple.
Similar to the Apple Watch, AirPods Max feature a Digital Crown on one ear cup for precise volume control and the ability to play or pause audio, skip tracks, answer or end phone calls, and activate Siri voice control. There's also a noise control button for switching between Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode, which lets some outside sound in so you can interact naturally with your surroundings.
AirPods Max feature up to 20 hours of battery life with Active Noise Cancellation and spatial audio enabled — fine print reveals that Apple had volume set to 50% during its testing. Apple says a five-minute charge delivers 1.5 hours of listening time.
As with other AirPods models, AirPods Max have one-tap setup and automatic pairing with all the devices signed in to a user's iCloud account, including the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV. AirPods Max have built-in optical and position sensors that automatically detect when the headphones are on someone's head. Once in place, AirPods Max play audio and can pause once removed, or when the user lifts one ear cup.
Apple's announcement provides more details on audio features:For phone calls and Siri commands, beam-forming microphones help to block out ambient noise and focus on the user's voice.
AirPods Max come with a carrying case called the "Smart Case" and a Lightning to USB-C cable in the box. Apple says the Smart Case puts the AirPods Max in an ultra-low power state that helps to preserve battery charge when not in use.
AirPods Max are launching in the United States and more than 25 other countries and regions, with shipments set to begin arriving to customers on Tuesday, December 15. AirPods Max can be ordered on Apple.com starting today.
Article Link: Apple Announces AirPods Max Over-Ear Headphones With Noise Cancellation, Priced at $549
I have an Apple TVHd and two 4K models. What exactly do you need in an update that software can’t fix
$549 and no wireless charging... SMH. 🤦♂️ 🙄
Apple today introduced new wireless over-ear headphones called AirPods Max, with key features including high-fidelity audio, Adaptive EQ, Active Noise Cancellation, and spatial audio. Priced at $549, the headphones can be ordered starting today on Apple.com and in the Apple Store app, with availability beginning December 15.
AirPods Max come in five colors, including space gray, silver, sky blue, green, and pink. Apple says the headphones feature a "breathable knit mesh" spanning the stainless steel headband that distributes weight to reduce on-head pressure.
Apple says the ear cups have acoustically engineered memory foam to create an effective seal, and the telescoping headband arms smoothly extend and then stay in place to maintain the desired fit on your head.
AirPods Max feature a 40-mm Apple-designed dynamic driver that is said to provide "rich, deep bass, accurate mid-ranges, and crisp, clean high-frequency extension." Each ear cup is equipped with Apple's H1 chip for "computational audio" to deliver the "highest quality listening experience possible," according to Apple.
Similar to the Apple Watch, AirPods Max feature a Digital Crown on one ear cup for precise volume control and the ability to play or pause audio, skip tracks, answer or end phone calls, and activate Siri voice control. There's also a noise control button for switching between Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode, which lets some outside sound in so you can interact naturally with your surroundings.
AirPods Max feature up to 20 hours of battery life with Active Noise Cancellation and spatial audio enabled — fine print reveals that Apple had volume set to 50% during its testing. Apple says a five-minute charge delivers 1.5 hours of listening time.
As with other AirPods models, AirPods Max have one-tap setup and automatic pairing with all the devices signed in to a user's iCloud account, including the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV. AirPods Max have built-in optical and position sensors that automatically detect when the headphones are on someone's head. Once in place, AirPods Max play audio and can pause once removed, or when the user lifts one ear cup.
Apple's announcement provides more details on audio features:For phone calls and Siri commands, beam-forming microphones help to block out ambient noise and focus on the user's voice.
AirPods Max come with a carrying case called the "Smart Case" and a Lightning to USB-C cable in the box. Apple says the Smart Case puts the AirPods Max in an ultra-low power state that helps to preserve battery charge when not in use.
AirPods Max are launching in the United States and more than 25 other countries and regions, with shipments set to begin arriving to customers on Tuesday, December 15. AirPods Max can be ordered on Apple.com starting today.
Article Link: Apple Announces AirPods Max Over-Ear Headphones With Noise Cancellation, Priced at $549
Soon to be seen worn by professional athletes everywhere.
Far too early to call it overpriced until we know how good the sound is
I am concerned about this too. I will definitely try and get them covered on insurance if I buy them on sale.
I really like the headphones but they are expensive and I wonder how they will compare to my Bang and Olfusen second generation H4. It is going to be impossible to try the headphones on before buying them due to the virus which is a problem. Most people will want to try the headphones on for size, comfort and sound before spending £550 on them.
I think these are just the starting point for Apple just like the Home Pod, I bet by this time next year they will have a cheaper version, AirPods mini Or something. I am sure that’s why they started out by calling them Max. I cant imagine these flying off the shelves at that price point. If I were in the market to spend that kind of money on headphones they wouldn’t be a first generation Apple product thats for sure.
Which over the ear headphones, with similar form factors have wireless charging?
Sennheiser PXC 550II is $199.95 on Amazon right now, and Momentum 3 $315. I will be very surprised if AirPods Max matches sound quality of Sennheiser. All the head position tracking feels gimmick to me.
