Comparison: AirPods Max vs Sony XM4, Sennheiser Momentum and Bose NC 700

[0920872]

In terms of sound quality, the AirPods Max sound fantastic, but again, choosing one set of headphones over the other really comes down to preference. We thought the AirPods Max had the most balanced sound experience of the bunch. The Sennheiser headphones really did poorly compared to the others, but the Bose and Sony headphones both sounded great, though leaned toward being bass heavy. That said, all of the headphones except the AirPods Max have adjustable EQ settings so they can be tweaked to your liking.

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This will come as no surprise, but when it comes to Active Noise Cancellation, the Sony XM4's and the AirPods Max win out. Sony has always been the best at noise cancellation, and the AirPods Max are truly competitive. All of these options have solid ANC capabilities, though, and it's a close call.

These are headphones, yet sound quality is covered like it's secondary. What reviewers should really cover are:
1. Is there wired (i.e. analog input) playback?
2. Can you change noise cancellation level?
3. Did you compare them with ANC off as well?

These are the things that matter. ANC always comes with a compromise in sound quality (both with frequency response and dynamic range). If you want to tell whether the sound quality difference is due to ANC or because some of these are just better headphones, you need to do the testing with ANC off as well.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

They do look impressive. But is there a objective way to test headphones? Didn't someone come up with a fake head that would test headphones?

I remember, in the 80's, buying a pair of Sennheiser headphones that were just foam, bare foam, and a plastic speaker holder, and frame, and they were actually pretty amazing. The only reason I pitched them was because the foam literally fell apart due to, likely, exposure to so much sweat and skin oils over the years. I was a little devastated. But time marched on, and I've had a lot of headphones over the years.

If I had the money, I'd probably buy these for something to do.

As a teen, I used to sit and play album after album and listen for the subtle nuances in each track. It was a treat to catch the occasional voice from the control panel as the volume dropped at the end of a track, or hearing the many utterances in Dark Side of The Moon, and so many other albums. The days of hearing those comments, or the nuances of the people talking as part of a song are probably nearly completely gone. It's sad. (Please don't delete this for being unrelated. I spent hours as a bored teen in a three cow town, listening for 'easter eggs')

I think I still have an old pair of Sennheiser headphones. They were supposed to have a 'non-detachable cable', but turns out that the cable does detach, leaving two razor sharp prongs. Oh, those were back in the cabled days. But I love my Ear Buds, Air Pods, Air Pod Pros, and even the PowerBeats Pro's (although the left one was at 3% when I grabbed them, again)

Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!

 

[Apple_Robert]

Why does the article say “We tested...we thought... etc” when speaking of the headphones? The video only shows and states Dan did the testing. Did other MR staff take part in the testing? If not, why use “We” ?

 

[richard371]

Sound is subjective. I went into the Sony MX4 app and set a custom EQ for what I like and am blown away. Sounds bit better the the APM IMHO.

 

[Jefe's MacAir]

Price
Weight (385 grams!)
Case

Three pretty objective reasons these are a no go. The price really being the biggest factor. And if you already own one of the other sets...

Also, I've had the AirPods Pro for nearly a year and I'm very unhappy with the glitches and this concerns me with the Max. The NC really impresses me though.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Sound is subjective. I went into the Sony MX4 app and set a custom EQ for what I like and am blown away. Sounds better the the APM

I don’t think Sony offers Spatial Auido, though. Now that I have it with the AirPods Pro, I would like to have a nice pair of hp that offered the ability. At the moment, the AirMax is overpriced for my buying trigger.

 

[BootsWalking]

As usual, the people who actually have these love them, and the people who have to justify not getting them, are hating on it. No one is making you buy these. It’s ok to sit this one out.

I love mine and the case is slim and easy to use. I look forward to what Apple has in store for the AirPods Max line.

Actually I've read, listened, and watched quite a few balanced reviews about the AirPods Max and the world is not quite as binary as you make it out to be. They are universally praised for their sound quality but several have pointed out comfort issues for longer-duration listening and how the value is just not there. Glad you are enjoying yours though.

 

[nutmac]

These are headphones, yet sound quality is covered like it's secondary. What reviewers should really cover are:
1. Is there wired (i.e. analog input) playback?
2. Can you change noise cancellation level?
3. Did you compare them with ANC off as well?

These are the things that matter. ANC always comes with a compromise in sound quality (both with frequency response and dynamic range). If you want to tell whether the sound quality difference is due to ANC or because some of these are just better headphones, you need to do the testing with ANC off as well.

1. Yes, via Lighting to 3.5mm Audio Cable, such as Apple's $35 cable (not to be confused with Lightning to 3.5mm Headphone Jack Adapter) or one of many cheaper $10-15 varieties from Amazon and others. It will eliminate the latency.
2. No. The setting is either on, transparency, or off.

 

[LEDOLPH]

These have convinced me an Apple TV with spatial audio is coming. I don’t think the A10X fusion in the 4K can handle it (the iPad Pro 12.9 2nd gen can’t muster it and it has the same chip). And listening to a decent surround mix on the Maxes is seriously impressive. A lot of reviewers have missed out that it’s not just about calls and NC quality and the audio profile. It’s that these are made to jump seamlessly across devices and sources (voice , music , surround) in an APPLE ecosystem and perform brilliantly. And they do that and then some (for a price and with an inadequate case and without a hard wired lead included 😉). Android users are best served elsewhere. Feature for feature what other headphones can do everything these can this well? And like the Homepods I’d also expect the feature set to improve with software updates.

 

[richard371]

I don’t think Sony offers Spatial Auido, though. Now that I have it with the AirPods Pro, I would like to have a nice pair of hp that offered the ability. At the moment, the AirMax is overpriced for my buying trigger.

Spatial audio is cool. Im 99.9 percent music. ill use my AirPods pro if I need spatial audio. Its a joke honestly. It waves the sounds from left to right to give you an allusion sound is all around.

 

[dannyyankou]

I have the wired Sennheiser Momentums and they are very comfortable and sound great.

 

[0920872]

1. Yes, via Lighting to 3.5mm Audio Cable, such as Apple's $35 cable (not to be confused with Lightning to 3.5mm Headphone Jack Adapter) or one of many cheaper $10-15 varieties from Amazon and others. It will eliminate the latency.
2. No. The setting is either on, transparency, or off.

WTF. $550 and you have to pay $35 to get a jack? For this money you get a Sony XM3 AND a HD6xx and if you're lucky even a decent mobile headphone AMP/DAC.

 

[0920872]

I have the wired Sennheiser Momentums and they are very comfortable and sound great.

I have Wireless Momentum 2 and Wired Momentum 1. Momentum 2 wireless is very similar in wired operation just bigger earpieces with better quality foam and maybe slightly better bass dynamics as a result. I think Momentum Wireless 3 is mainly an upgrade on ANC. AFAIK it has 2-3 different ANC settings, and this is why I suspect the "muddiness" described is due to the ANC setting used.

 

[PickUrPoison]

I like Sennheiser as a brand but with that size adjustment wheel these things look like they’re straight out of the ‘70s.

 

[artfossil]

I want these so baddddd. I just need to figure out how to set up a GoFundMe

“Wishing DOES make it so.”
(I hope you’re able to get these.)

 

[Moonlight]

Why are they not comparing them to their only true rivals, Dolby Dimensions headphones?

 

[iBluetooth]

I like the AirPods Max but the Sony M4s arrived today. Far better then the AirPods for me. Lighter, more comfy, and all the analog adapters needed for DJing, flying etc. The AirPods are going back immediately. This is coming from an Apple Fanboy. The Sonys are far superior IMHO. I have spoken.

Have you heard the sound from the mic's when your talking on the Sony M4s. It's just plain horrible canny sound and doesn't fit a headphone in this caliber. I wonder how they can have great reviews when such a basic but important flaw is clearly audible.

 

[0920872]

I like Sennheiser as a brand but with that size adjustment wheel these things look like they’re straight out of the ‘70s.

View attachment 1697211

Yup. Never very sexy, but they are impossible to destroy in exchange.

 

[SSDGUY]

I'm guessing there are sensors on these cans, like on Airpod Pros? If so, seems Apple could add a firmware update to have them automatically turn off when removed for say, 30 seconds.

 

[Ds6778]

I don’t see how it’s a fair comparison, the AirPods handily win IMO. Even if we set aside “sound quality,” which is entirely relative to the listener, the Max still wins. Let’s be honest, no one thinks these sound bad, we all know the audio is stellar. My reasoning for the Max comes down to the list below:

The Best Transparency Mode.
Premium Design.
Top Notch ANC.
Amazing Spatial Audio.
Modular Ear Cushions.
Dual H1 Chips.
Superior Mic Quality.
Settings/Configuration Built Into IOS/iPadOS.
Guaranteed Software Support.
Multi Device Switching.

 

[I7guy]

I like the way the review was done...good job.

 

[strayts]

The Airpods Max are just simply not worth TWICE the price of the Sonys, which perform better anyway at noise cancellation.

 

[69Mustang]

As usual, the people who actually have these love them, and the people who have to justify not getting them, are hating on it. No one is making you buy these. It’s ok to sit this one out.

I love mine and the case is slim and easy to use. I look forward to what Apple has in store for the AirPods Max line.

Seems that not everyone is as enamored as you. Guess it ain't just haters hatin'.

I like the AirPods Max but the Sony M4s arrived today. Far better then the AirPods for me. Lighter, more comfy, and all the analog adapters needed for DJing, flying etc. The AirPods are going back immediately. This is coming from an Apple Fanboy. The Sonys are far superior IMHO. I have spoken.

According to DS6778 you're wrong.

 

[vladi]

I don’t see how it’s a fair comparison, the AirPods handily win IMO. Even if we set aside “sound quality,” which is entirely relative to the listener, the Max still wins. Let’s be honest, no one thinks these sound bad, we all know the audio is stellar. My reasoning for the Max comes down to the list below:

The Best Transparency Mode.
Premium Design.
Top Notch ANC.
Amazing Spatial Audio.
Modular Ear Cushions.
Dual H1 Chips.
Superior Mic Quality.
Settings/Configuration Built Into IOS/iPadOS.
Guaranteed Software Support.
Multi Device Switching.

For being Blutetooth only headphones they lack any kind of quality streaming codec such as LDAC or aptX HD.

 

[Ds6778]

For being Blutetooth only headphones they lack any kind of quality streaming codec such as LDAC or aptX HD.

99% of individuals buying these don’t even know what “codec” is.

Also: https://www.soundguys.com/ldac-ultimate-bluetooth-guide-20026/