Are you returning your AirPod Max’s?

[Bluetoot-]

We have all read the news regarding Apple Music and the incompatibility between the Max’s and lossless audio.

AirPods Max Won't Directly Support Lossless Apple Music Over Lightning

Earlier today, we confirmed that AirPods, AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max will not support lossless audio over Bluetooth because of Bluetooth...

www.macrumors.com

There are probably some among us who have recently purchased Max’s (I got a rather good deal at Best Buy).

I’ve been trying these out with Tidal for schlitz and giggles and these sound pretty good to me. They’re obviously not better than some baller headphone with the necessary amps, etc.

I guess it all depends on your use case; is the wireless and noise cancelling way more important than superior fidelity?

What do you think you will (or would) do?

Ladies up in here tonight: no fighting!

 

[bsamcash]

Yep. Just returned them earlier today after that article came out. I know I'm to blame for buying them before Apple made an official statement, but I was so sure that they would allow lossless audio over at least USB C to lightning on their 550USD headphones. Kind of a slap to the face of the customers.

 

[UBS28]

I'm pretty sure most people here did not buy these headphones with the idea that it supports high-resolution audio. If so, that is up on them because Apple has clearly stated that these support AAC bluetooth codec.

Besides, the Apple AirPods Max are not very good, not something I would use for high-resolution audio.

Maybe someday Apple will come out with a new Apple Pro Max that supports a new bluetooth codec that can handle 192kz / 24-bit.

 

[Htsi]

As much as I expected lossless to work, there isn’t another over east headphone that competes with the APM, so I’m keeping mine. A bigger slap on the face is HomePod’s not supporting lossless either

 

[asr113]

Haha no way am i returning mine, they're bloody fantastic! The sound qaulity is superb and fun to listen to. The integration with my apple products is perfect. The comfort is spot on for me ... i can wear for hours without discomofort or heat build up. I'm a little bit gutted about the lossless situation, however i bought them for the quality of the sound out of the box with the standard AAC... i really don't need a tiny increase in perceptable sound quality (if any at all). They sound far superior to other headphones ive tried (Sony XM3, Bose 700, B&W PX7) and those were through a dragonquest DAC and MQA stream from Tidal. All returned.

In fact i listen to and enjoy more music now than every before. I'm looking forward to trying music in spatial audio!

 

[Traverse]

I am not. I think people are grossly overestimating the impact that lossless audio makes in most situations. Further, I don't think a large portion of the AirPods Max audience purchased these headphones with the intent to listen to lossless audio. Even using the 3.5mm to Lightning adapter, I believe the AirPods still have an internal DAC and also do quite a bit of audio processing to optimize the sound that an audiophile would never approve of.

Most people are physically unable to hear the difference. Those that can would have to be using higher-end headphones with a good DAC/AMP setup in a quiet room to notice the detail, which is likely only a small portion of the time. This niche of a niche that can appreciate lossless probably doesn't own AirPods or doesn't use them for critical listening.

I used to be a super noob audiophile and spent close to $1,000 on a setup only to realize it was a hassle and that I really couldn't tell a meaningful difference most of the time. What I've gathered from browsing audiophile Reddit and forums like Head-Fi is that many of these audiophiles listen to the equipment, not the music. Heck, sometimes I plug in my effortless Apple wired EarPods into an iPod classic, sit down, and throughly enjoy a playlist. As long as someone is enjoying the experience, obsessing over bitrates and additional equipment isn't sensical - unless that's where you derive your enjoyment.

 

[Absrnd]

**** no !
everybody knows that Bluetooth does not support high res audio, and I was not expecting it to do so.
The max is still one of the best Bluetooth headphones out there

 

[Marshall73]

No chance, I love mine and doubt I would notice any difference with lossless. I am looking forward to more spatial audio support for the 'big room sound' from a set of cans.

 

[TiggrToo]

Where the Max’s sold advertising they could do lossless out the box? Where you able to use the Max’s to listen to Tidal out the box?

The answer to both of these is an emphatic NO!

So this is a huge storm in a teacup.

 

[Expos of 1969]

I hope we see some reboxing videos.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Sold mine awhile ago

 

[Expos of 1969]

Sold mine awhile ago

Regret getting them in the first place?

 

[turbineseaplane]

Regret getting them in the first place?

Couldn't get the comfort where I wanted it.

If I had, and I still had them, I'd be really annoyed that they weren't designed with the new Apple Music higher quality tiers in mind. At the price premium they are charging, an APM owner should expect they'd have been considered - if not outright designed with HQ Apple Music in mind specifically.

 

[BreakingKayfabe]

I bought and returned them during the month of December.

 

[Expos of 1969]

I bought and returned them during the month of December.

Good move.

 

[Cashmonee]

Those that expected the APM to support lossless or hi-res audio did not research very much beforehand (and therefore would not likely notice the difference anyway). While some may have held out hope for some of that Apple voodoo to magically allow lossless or hi-res audio over bluetooth, to me it never seemed possible and was not one of the reasons I bought them.

 

[bsamcash]

Those that expected the APM to support lossless or hi-res audio did not research very much beforehand

The expectation was that they could support lossless at least wired through USB C via a firmware update. These are pricy cans. But when Apple announces that their flagship headphones will never support high quality audio is inexcusable.

 

[ZeChild]

I'm keeping them, there was no way they'd do lossless audio from the start, it'd be great if they did but to get the best out of that APM's haven't ever been the way to go, if you want that level you have to invest in a good DAC/Amp and a high end set of headphones, nothings changed in that APM's are great bluetooth headphones but that's all, I'm more looking forward to spatial audio and Dolby Atmos, sound quality can get better and better to the point you can't hear the difference, but hearing what was stereo before coming from left right and up might make this better than any spec bump in bitrate, at least that's the way I see it🤗

 

[turbineseaplane]

It is incredible how many people are giving Apple a pass on not being more forward looking and not having their rather expensive flagship over ear headphones ready to be compatible (at least through a software update) with their own new Apple Music Hi-Res/Lossless.

I'm sorry, some of you folks are carrying water for them that is way beyond what you should be.

 

[DoubleFlyaway]

I had never heard of lossless audio until yesterday, so no.

 

[Cashmonee]

The expectation was that they could support lossless at least wired through USB C via a firmware update. These are pricy cans. But when Apple announces that their flagship headphones will never support high quality audio is inexcusable.

What would have given you that expectation? They have never been able to work over USB-C. Further, the only CODEC they support is AAC and the way it is supported means that will be the only CODEC they ever support. Again, if you expected these to support lossless or hi-res audio, you did not really do much research. Further, no Bluetooth headphone supports lossless audio. I am not sure why anyone thought APM would.

It is incredible how many people are giving Apple a pass on not being more forward looking and not having their rather expensive flagship over ear headphones ready to be compatible (at least through a software update) with their own new Apple Music Hi-Res/Lossless.

I'm sorry, some of you folks are carrying water for them that is way beyond what you should be.

Again, what you are talking about simply is not possible and anyone who thought otherwise just didn't research well. No one is carrying Apple's water.

Understanding Bluetooth codecs

Want to know more about wireless audio? Take our crash course in Bluetooth codecs, bitrate, standards, and uses from SBC to LDAC and more.

www.soundguys.com

 

[Bluetoot-]

Well, I guess I should respond, too. I won’t be exchanging them. I knew what I was buying and, with my degraded hearing, they are perfectly fine for me. In fact, more than fine. Movies sound awesome with spatial audio. It’s like a surround sound system without the mess. The noise cancelling is also outrageous which I think is their biggest selling point; why it has its own shiny button.

 

[fncd]

Mine arrived last. . . . Wednesday I think? Either way, it was right between the rumor articles and then the announcement. Am I bummed out that they don't support it? Sure, because why not, right? That being said, I've done the lossless audio test that was linked in one of the many articles and the results were pretty much "you could get this many right, even if you just guessed at them", so probably lossless would be wasted on me. Overall, I think they sound better than my XM-3 did, and those were using LDAC (which I personally found to not be that reliable).

I'm looking forward to some more spatial audio and (the dream) that one day it'll make its way to the AppleTV with video.