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AirPods Max received a disappointingly minor update this week, to the point that many customers who already own the headphones might not see the value in spending another $549 just for a USB-C charging port and new color options.

AirPods-Max-Space-Gray-and-Purple-Feature.jpg

If you want to change up your AirPods Max at a lower cost, however, ear cushion sets in the new Blue, Orange, Purple, Midnight, and Starlight color options are available to purchase on a standalone basis for $69 on Apple's online store. Apple says the ear cushions are compatible with both the Lightning and USB-C versions of the AirPods Max.

This will inevitably lead to some quirky color combinations, such as AirPods Max with a red headband and purple ear cushions. Have fun!

Article Link: Apple Selling Ear Cushions in New Colors for the Original AirPods Max
 
I guess this means I can get ear cushions in different and wildly clashing colors? It's time to make some daring (and potentially horrifying) fashion choices. :cool:
 
Moved in to XM4. Took too long to update this product line, even with something soo minor, that my first gen pair failed.

XM4s are much lighter on the head.
 
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AirPods Max is a joke product, like the mouse that needs to be flipped over to be charged, it doesn't make any sense.


They are supposed to be portable, but they are very heavy, don't fold, and their "case" is not even a half-sleeve. They have no power button. Noise cancelation is good, but not particularly better than the AirPods Pro 2. The battery life on the Max is competing with bottom-tiered ANC headphones with only 20 hours of battery life. Even the updated ones announced yesterday have only Bluetooth 5.0. There is no cable for listening to stereo audio on a plane. They also have the old H1 chip in the updated model for some inexplicable reason, and there is no AirTag-like support for Find My.


The headband mesh is not like Herman Miller quality mesh, it stretches, gets very loose, and doesn't return to it's original strength, leading to two metal bars resting directly on the top of the wearer's head. I have a lot of dandruff, and the headband mesh is the exact density to collect dandruff while making it nearly impossible to clean out of the headband. Likewise, the ear pads, while comfortable, absorb oil and sweat, and while they can be cleaned relatively easily, they never quite feel the same as brand new. The Max’s are heavy. Very heavy. When I first bought mine, about two weeks in I started getting nerve pain in my neck and arms. It took me a few days to figure out it was the headphones. Once I went back to my old headphones, which are significantly lighter, the nerve pain went away.


The audio quality is ok, but nothing special, and certainly not worth $550. If you don’t need the portability, you can purchase a cheap DAC/Amp stack and a pair of Sennheiser, AKG, Sony, or other headphones and they will sound much better. If you really need portability, the AirPods Pro 2’s are half the price. If you want portable over the ear headphones, try the Sony XM3’s, XM4’s, or the Bose QC headphones. They sound similar enough, while being cheaper, having more battery life, and generally being better all around than the Max’s. If you care about sound quality while still being portable, try Audeze’s wireless headphones.


I have found exactly one purpose for these headphones. Mowing the lawn. If you have to spend an hour or two mowing your lawn, and can use hearing protection, but still want to listen to music and listen for notifications/calls, these are it. These are the headphones for you.


If you are still interested in them, buy a completely beat-up pair for under $200. They are maybe worth $250 at best brand new. They don't function well as your only pair of headphones.
 
My theory on why the Pro Max headphones will always be an afterthought from Apple... they're not supported for use with the Vision Pro. If they're not making the Spatial Computing/AVP entertainment experience better for customers, it's basically DOA.
 
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My theory on why the Pro Max headphones will always be an afterthought from Apple... they're not supported for use with the Vision Pro. If they're not making the Spatial Computing/AVP entertainment experience better for customers, it's basically DOA.
How in the world would anyone be able to wear them at the same time? That would be right around 1KG of weight on your head and neck!
 
How in the world would anyone be able to wear them at the same time? That would be right around 1KG of weight on your head and neck!
That's exactly my point. Because you physically cannot use APM with AVP, the APM will never get any love from Apple. The AirPods Pro on the other hand....
 
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That's exactly my point. Because you physically cannot use APM with AVP, the APM will never get any love from Apple. The AirPods Pro on the other hand....
There is zero reason for these products to ever coexist, other than simply being part of the Apple ecosystem. I'm not sure I understand your reasoning. Why would Apple have bothered to release the APM as a standalone product 2-3 years before the release of the AVP if the AVP would going to sideline the APM's?
 
I have found exactly one purpose for these headphones. Mowing the lawn. If you have to spend an hour or two mowing your lawn, and can use hearing protection, but still want to listen to music and listen for notifications/calls, these are it. These are the headphones for you.

I use my airpod pros with the ANC on for this exact purpose. ANC is nowhere near as good as my Bose QC20's, but I definitely don't want a wire dangling when trying to start the mower.
 
That's actually somewhat on par with other medium to high-end headphone cushion replacements direct from the manufacturer, like Sennheisser.
Bose are frequently compared against the AirPods Max. Replacements from them are $34.00

It doesn't matter if it's for the QuietComfort 35, QuietComfort 45, or QuietComfort Ultra.

Regardless of who is selling them, $69 for ear cushions is ridiculous.
 
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There is zero reason for these products to ever coexist, other than simply being part of the Apple ecosystem. I'm not sure I understand your reasoning. Why would Apple have bothered to release the APM as a standalone product 2-3 years before the release of the AVP if the AVP would going to sideline the APM's?
So they can sell it for a few years, gauge customer reaction, and watch it die on the vine. It's not a given that 5+ years ago, the APM product team even knew enough details about the final form factor of the AVP to align the (lack of) inter compatibility.
 
Bose are frequently compared against the AirPods Max. Replacements from them are $34.00

It doesn't matter if it's for the QuietComfort 35, QuietComfort 45, or QuietComfort Ultra.

Regardless of who is selling them, $69 for ear cushions is ridiculous.
I mentioned Sennheiser because they were the most recent pads I have purchased and used for myself. They run around $60 +tax & shipping. Before that I bought a pair of replacement pads for my Focal Clears, which were over $80. I think instead of expecting $60+ pads as the norm, they should all come down to ~$30. My point is, $69 is not outside the realm of normal ear pad replacement costs. We can both cherry-pick the cheapest and most expensive ones, but Apple's current pricing is not an outlier when comparing to the cost of the APM's.
 
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