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Apple's AirPods Max Weigh 384 Grams, Heavier Than Most Competing Over-Ear Headphones

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Apr 12, 2001
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Anyone who owns a pair of over-ear headphones will tell you that the weight of the headset can make a big difference to the listening experience. Especially if you're wearing headphones for several hours straight, weight starts to have a real impact on overall comfort.

airpods-max-b.jpg

Apple's new AirPods Max over-ear headphones weigh 13.6 ounces (384 grams), which might not sound like much, but that's relatively heavy compared to many premium over-ear headphones on the market. For comparison, below is a list of stated weights for some of the current market-leading rivals:
  • AirPods Max - 13.6 ounces (384.8 grams)
  • Audeze LCD-1 – 8.82 ounces (250 grams)
  • Beyerdynamic Amiron Wireless – 13.4 ounces (380 grams)
  • Bose 700 – 8.78 ounces (249 grams)
  • Bose Quiet Comfort 35 II – 10.93 ounces (310 grams)
  • Sennheiser PXC 550-II – 8 ounces (227 grams)
  • Sony WH-1000XM4 – 8.96 ounces (254 grams)
As you can see, Apple's AirPods Max are the heaviest in the list, and substantially heavier in most cases, with only Beyerdynamic's Amiron Wireless studio headphones approaching the same heft at 13.4 ounces (380 grams).

It'll be interesting to see how the ergonomic design of the AirPods Max compensate in this regard. Apple has used a "breathable knit mesh" for the headband, designed to distribute the weight evenly and reduce pressure, and the ear cups are cushioned with memory foam to provide comfort and a seal to improve sound quality. Whether Apple has actually managed to adequately balance the weight across the headband and cups so as to minimize wear fatigue, won't be answered until the reviews start coming in.

AirPods Max cost $549 and are available to order on Apple's website, with availability beginning December 15.

Article Link: Apple's AirPods Max Weigh 384 Grams, Heavier Than Most Competing Over-Ear Headphones
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2020/12/08/apple-airpods-max-weigh-384-grams-heavy/
Last edited:
JediStarWars

JediStarWars

macrumors regular
Oct 26, 2015
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They look great, I hope they sound great, and I applaud Apple for this innovation. HOWEVER, The price point is completely wrong. Audiophiles know they can get better audio quality for far less. $399 would have been the sweet spot. But at this price, it’s better to wait for the next version and lower price point.
 
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adamw

adamw

macrumors 6502a
Sep 22, 2006
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I hope these will fit well, and the weight is so balanced that it won't really be an issue.
 
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LeadingHeat

LeadingHeat

macrumors 65816
Oct 3, 2015
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JediStarWars said:
They look great, I hope they sound great, and I applaud Apple for this innovation. HOWEVER, The price point is completely wrong. Audiophiles know they can get better audio quality for far less. $399 would have been the sweet spot. But at this price, it’s better to wait for the next version and lower price point.
Click to expand...
How do you know you can get better audio quality elsewhere? Have you tried these yet? Sounds like they poured some serious engineering into these.
 
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oneMadRssn

oneMadRssn

macrumors 603
Sep 8, 2011
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Are those really competing headphones? I think B&O and the like are really more competing in that price range.
 
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MidwestMacGuy

MidwestMacGuy

macrumors regular
Oct 31, 2012
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JediStarWars said:
They look great, I hope they sound great, and I applaud Apple for this innovation. HOWEVER, The price point is completely wrong. Audiophiles know they can get better audio quality for far less. $399 would have been the sweet spot. But at this price, it’s better to wait for the next version and lower price point.
Click to expand...
Don't talk about what you think you know about audiophiles. Here's a list of six audiophile headphones with the lowest price of $1,299 and going up from there. http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/a-survey-of-six-high-end-headphones/
 
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iPhaithful

iPhaithful

macrumors regular
May 5, 2010
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darkcompass said:
Where have you seen a review saying that the Sonys are better than these?
I'd like to read.
Click to expand...
There isn’t a review, but out the gate the Sony’s have some advantages based on what you’re looking for. The noise cancellation has been superior, they have transparency modes, not really sold on Siri integration but I can see where it’s a plus. Since I have the AirPod pros, I can imagine that spatial audio on the Max will be amazing. It’s just not enough to warrant the price point I don’t think. Plus I’m not an audio engineer so I can’t accurately speak on it, but I believe high fidelity and lossless audio works better with wired headsets currently....but not a lot of consumers even have that quality of music produced from Apple Music, Spotify, etc. Tidal has it but.....who uses Tidal really?
 
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