Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Apple Selling Ear Cushions in New Colors for the Original AirPods Max

deadspider187 said:
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.
Click to expand...
This is so true. I kinda regret buying this product for all the reasons you said. My headband mesh is also all stretched and Apple won't even replace it without forcing me to buy a brand new pair.
 
lanomds1 said:
This is so true. I kinda regret buying this product for all the reasons you said. My headband mesh is also all stretched and Apple won't even replace it without forcing me to buy a brand new pair.
Click to expand...
The headband is technically replaceable, as it's easily removed. Maybe we can find an aftermarket headband online somewhere?

EDIT: I took a brief look on Ebay, but it looks like pre-owned headbands are selling for $200+ dollars, while brand-new in box AirPods Max's (1st gen) are selling for $200. Doesn't make any sense. I guess just buy headphone that isn't defective by design, or simply buy an (old) new pair every couple of years?

EDIT 2: I found a pre-owned headband with a hole in it for $160. What are these people smoking? In no way is a headband that fails after 6-12 months worth that kind of money. My headband mesh was stretched by using a headphone stand. Another basic fail from the design of these. I have to lay mine on a flat surface in the closet to keep them from getting eventually destroyed by their own weight.
 
Last edited:
HJM.NL said:
Apple has become the company of beads and mirrors. It’s becoming a little bit pathetic.
Click to expand...
They’ve ALWAYS been a little “hippy”. Their first logo was an Apple shaped hole punch of a rainbow and they once released a flower power iMac. Compared to that, single color replacement earcups is downright pedestrian.
 
deadspider187 said:
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.
Click to expand...
Can confirm everything you said about the APM. Since moving from APM to XM4, the only thing I really miss is the phone call integration. APM is excellent at handling phone calls. I ended up getting a very discounted pair of AirPods 2 and now use those for phone calls. Much smoother UX and quicker connection.

Off topic - you can permenantely cure the dandruff with oregano oil. Get some oregano oil caps and take orally once a day on an empty stomach for up to 10 days (but do not exceed 10 days).

Dandruff appears externally, but it originates internally by a mite in your digestive system. The oregano oil will nuke the mite and your external symptoms should clear up shortly after. The mite can also cause other chronic health issues (often cardiovascular) to crop up over time, so really is best to kill it off.

Sugar will exacerbate the symptoms, so try to keep that to as much of a minimum as you can while you're on the oregano oil.

This may also clear up other flaky skin issues, too, if you have them.

It sounds crazy, but I did this to myself and it really does work. Do your own research, ask your doctor if you want, but just know that a solution for this problem exists.
 
Last edited:
Literally no reason to upgrade from the original AirPods Max. Selling the ear cushions separately is good. But price is high.
 
  • Like
Reactions: PlasmStudios
Yeah as an APM early adopter and AVP early adopter, these products suck. too heavy. The price makes me want to cope and continue to use them, but they just collect dust.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back