For me, I'll give them a try because I want great sounding headphones with ANC and maybe most importantly, the H1 chip(s). These ease of use swapping between my Apple devices (iPhone, two iPads, two MacBook Pros, Apple TVs, and a menagerie of MacBooks and Airs - oh god, typing all of that out has me examining how much money I'm spending with them) is critical for me. Manually going through and pairing headphones makes me not want to bother using them. I'd use my AirPods Pro more if they were a bit more comfortable (love the sound, ANC, but not the seal-sensation)
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Comparison: AirPods Max vs Sony XM4, Sennheiser Momentum and Bose NC 700
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Everything about this is subjective. I know many people that cannot tell the difference between $20 headphones and $500 ones.
I got these simply because I need to replace my aging Sennheiser wireless headphones I got 5 years ago for $375. Every other day I need to clear out my pairing list since I have so many devices and there is a limit to the pairing list. These AirPods Max will eliminate that for me. Plus all the reviews I have seen have said the sound stage is far superior than a lot of similar headphones.
I have the V-moda cross fade 2 codex edition and the px7’s, I just got the AirPods Max today, they sound better, wider sound stage than the other two.. specifically the mids kill them.. The AirPods Max are simply amazing..
I too would like to see some more higher end products from B&O as well. Bowers and Wilkins I have to admit I am unfamiliar with.
This is why I need these AirPods Max. I simply cannot wear both AirPods or AirPods Pro for more than 20 minutes without my ears hurting. If I am on a long call for example, I need to take one of the AirPods out and then swap ears every 10/20 minutes. Even if I only have 40 minutes of comfort with these new headphones, that is still twice what I can do with the AirPods or AirPods Pro.
You can turn off voice prompts for the NC700 in the Bose Music App, I agree it can get annoying
I hate that you can't get rid of the 3 Favorites and just have a disable/enable ANC option for the button as I don't really care for the transparency option. I have to manually set ANC off in the App which is annoying, because 0 in the favorites is actually just transparency mode and not ANC off.
I like the look of the Sony XM3/4 better and they definately do have better slightly better ANC (at least for me) but bought the NC700 because of the better mics/call quality and I didn't have the patience to wait for the XM4 which I hoped would have better voice/call quality but looks like they didn't really improve there.
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So glad I got I tried the APMs. The Sonys are miles ahead. Amazing. IMHO.
You can, in fact, modify eq settings of AirPods Pro and max, through audio accessibility settings.
At $550, the AirPods Max are quite a bit more expensive than noise cancelling headphones from other companies like Sony and Bose, many of which are highly rated. In our latest YouTube video, we compared the AirPods Max to the Sony WH-1000XM4s, the Bose NC Headphones 700, and the Sennheiser Momentum Wireless to see if they're worth the premium price tag.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
All three of the competing headphones are available at $350 retail, but oftentimes, there are sales. With the Sony XM4's, for example, you can get them on sale for $280, which is a steal for the functionality. The Bose 700s are going for about $340 right now, and the Sennheisers are about $300.
When it comes to design, the AirPods Max look and feel like $550 headphones thanks to the aluminum cups and the mesh ear cushions, and while aesthetics are subjective, they're arguably the most unique of the bunch. The Bose 700's have a classy, futuristic look and the Sennheisers have more of a retro flair. The Sony headphones are the most basic, but are overall fine.
Sony XM4s
We think the AirPods Max are the best looking headphones of the bunch followed by the Bose and Sennheiser headphones with Sony coming in last, but it's also worth noting that the AirPods Max are heavy and are in fact the heaviest of the bunch.
Bose NC Headphones 700
Comfort is also super subjective and is going to depend on each person's head shape, ears, and size. Most people have found the AirPods Max to be comfortable, but some find the weight to be unbearable. With their plastic design, the Sony headphones are the lightest of the bunch for those who want less weight.
Sennheiser Momentum Wireless
We found the AirPods Max to be most comfortable, followed by the Sennheiser headphones, the Sony headphones, and then the Bose, which are also somewhat heavy and have smaller earcups. That said, it's all quite close.
When it comes to buttons, Apple did a good job with controls for the AirPods Max with the Digital Crown and toggle for activating ANC, but we'll never understand why there's no power button or the strange case choice. The AirPods Max case is not protective, it doesn't look good, and it's all around the worst case that comes with any of the headphones.
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.
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.
Our videographer, Dan, goes into much more detail on each of the different headphones, so make sure you watch the full video for a complete picture of the similarities and differences.
All of the headphones we've covered are excellent options, and choosing between them will depend on your budget and your personal tastes. We think for most people, the AirPods Max may not be worth that premium price tag because there are other great headphones that are much more affordable available, but the AirPods Max are certainly at the head of the pack and when it comes down to it, we prefer them over the competing options.
Article Link: Comparison: AirPods Max vs Sony XM4, Sennheiser Momentum and Bose NC 700
At $550, the AirPods Max are quite a bit more expensive than noise cancelling headphones from other companies like Sony and Bose, many of which are highly rated. In our latest YouTube video, we compared the AirPods Max to the Sony WH-1000XM4s, the Bose NC Headphones 700, and the Sennheiser Momentum Wireless to see if they're worth the premium price tag.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
All three of the competing headphones are available at $350 retail, but oftentimes, there are sales. With the Sony XM4's, for example, you can get them on sale for $280, which is a steal for the functionality. The Bose 700s are going for about $340 right now, and the Sennheisers are about $300.
When it comes to design, the AirPods Max look and feel like $550 headphones thanks to the aluminum cups and the mesh ear cushions, and while aesthetics are subjective, they're arguably the most unique of the bunch. The Bose 700's have a classy, futuristic look and the Sennheisers have more of a retro flair. The Sony headphones are the most basic, but are overall fine.
Sony XM4s
We think the AirPods Max are the best looking headphones of the bunch followed by the Bose and Sennheiser headphones with Sony coming in last, but it's also worth noting that the AirPods Max are heavy and are in fact the heaviest of the bunch.
Bose NC Headphones 700
Comfort is also super subjective and is going to depend on each person's head shape, ears, and size. Most people have found the AirPods Max to be comfortable, but some find the weight to be unbearable. With their plastic design, the Sony headphones are the lightest of the bunch for those who want less weight.
Sennheiser Momentum Wireless
We found the AirPods Max to be most comfortable, followed by the Sennheiser headphones, the Sony headphones, and then the Bose, which are also somewhat heavy and have smaller earcups. That said, it's all quite close.
When it comes to buttons, Apple did a good job with controls for the AirPods Max with the Digital Crown and toggle for activating ANC, but we'll never understand why there's no power button or the strange case choice. The AirPods Max case is not protective, it doesn't look good, and it's all around the worst case that comes with any of the headphones.
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.
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.
Our videographer, Dan, goes into much more detail on each of the different headphones, so make sure you watch the full video for a complete picture of the similarities and differences.
All of the headphones we've covered are excellent options, and choosing between them will depend on your budget and your personal tastes. We think for most people, the AirPods Max may not be worth that premium price tag because there are other great headphones that are much more affordable available, but the AirPods Max are certainly at the head of the pack and when it comes down to it, we prefer them over the competing options.
Article Link: Comparison: AirPods Max vs Sony XM4, Sennheiser Momentum and Bose NC 700
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
9:47 min in, he said that he wishes he could have an option for noise cancelation off instead of just a choice between transparency mode and noise cancelation. If you go into Bluetooth settings for your headphones, you can switch that button to give you a choice of all three options, Noise cancelation on, Noise cancelation off, or transparency.
If it does not support HiRes audio, it’s not worth $550. Loser.
Haven’t reviewers learnt anything from the success of the iPhone? There is a section of the population who will pay for build quality and seamless experience.
When i bought andromeda iem from campfire last year, i will never forget what it felt like the first time i heard it. Clarity, the sound, the texture, the sound stage... i thought i could never justify the price but it did. Actually one of the best purchase i have ever made.
i had qc35ii before i got andromeda, was always underwhelmed by it. Ppl keep saying how xm3 was great and so was xm4 i was always tempted to get it. But i knew what i expected of them coming from wireless cans.
so i decided to buy 6xx earlier this year. It was good, but i never got emotional like the first time i got andromeda. But it’s somewhere sitting in my drawers.
So finally i got myself a APM. Was I blown away? No. Very compressed sounding when you listen to classical music, Like with andromeda, it feel likes u can feel the vibration of string just like someone is playing besides you. Changed the settings to balanced-strong. Better textures but noise becomes too loud. This is actually what i expected of bluetooth headphone.
Am I keeping it? It’s comfy enough, sounds not too bad but don’t expect the best. And winter is gonna get cold and i need earmuffs.
tbh, i think i’m growing on its sound signature, but this isn’t going to blow you away.
by the way, sound stage is much better than qc35 ii. U hear most instruments, but not like in live performance quality.(classical) it has pretty clear separation of sounds but it’s just like the sound is really not true instrument sounds. Kind of muddy
i had qc35ii before i got andromeda, was always underwhelmed by it. Ppl keep saying how xm3 was great and so was xm4 i was always tempted to get it. But i knew what i expected of them coming from wireless cans.
so i decided to buy 6xx earlier this year. It was good, but i never got emotional like the first time i got andromeda. But it’s somewhere sitting in my drawers.
So finally i got myself a APM. Was I blown away? No. Very compressed sounding when you listen to classical music, Like with andromeda, it feel likes u can feel the vibration of string just like someone is playing besides you. Changed the settings to balanced-strong. Better textures but noise becomes too loud. This is actually what i expected of bluetooth headphone.
Am I keeping it? It’s comfy enough, sounds not too bad but don’t expect the best. And winter is gonna get cold and i need earmuffs.
tbh, i think i’m growing on its sound signature, but this isn’t going to blow you away.
by the way, sound stage is much better than qc35 ii. U hear most instruments, but not like in live performance quality.(classical) it has pretty clear separation of sounds but it’s just like the sound is really not true instrument sounds. Kind of muddy
One thing still needs to be tested and it’s audio performance. Still there are no proper performance testing of this APM. Also you are forgetting that if the battery dies, you cannot use the headphone with wire only, where others can. And in audio alone, Apple can never beat Sony and it’s a fact.
Exactly. I emailed them to do a comparison that included the PX7s. Maybe not mainstream enough?
Except Sony XM4's sound quality is ridiculously bad, at least for audiophiles that is.
There have been plenty of headphone reviewers on YouTube do pretty extensive IRL comparisons for the ANC and Sony came out the victor each time. Do as you please with that info...
Rename post headline to "AirPods Max vs. The Fuglies" pls thx
I'm such a fan of the aesthetic of these. I hate to admit that I barely even care what they sound like… because the Internet is forever.
I'm such a fan of the aesthetic of these. I hate to admit that I barely even care what they sound like… because the Internet is forever.
Yes! The Sennheiser HD 424s! Awesome cans: