Price aside, the best way to judge is to hear each one yourself and connect to your iPhone or whatever device you listen to your music. You can also determine the comfort and weight while you listen. As for ANC, it may be difficult to listen to see how effective it is because most likely you're not in an environment that would have noise such as the ones you find annoying or distracting. Most likely, most users look for ANC who often travel by plane where it is more noticeable and more long-term, depending on time of flight, and this is where having one is important. Keep in mind, some headphones, such as Bose and Sony, have apps for the headset where it has an equalizer to adjust the sound to suit to your taste but the most likely you may not be able to do that at the store. If you can't use the app, the other option may be changing the pre-set EQ like that found in the iPhone under Music. With the current situation, remember to find out the return policy before making that purchase.
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Comparison: AirPods Max vs Sony XM4, Sennheiser Momentum and Bose NC 700
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Will admit I don't like the metal.
I'd rather have plastic. A high quality plastic, but plastic nonetheless.
Every material has it's reason for being used.
Headphone should be light, and as you are taking them off, putting them down, perhaps knocking together to be able to withstand damage.
Making metal headphones simply for the sake of it, is the wrong engineering approace.
Apple should use the most appropriate material for the job.
This is where that idiot IVE kept doing things wrong, as a designer as opposed to an actual product engineer.
They tend to do things, as statements or because they can to stand out.
That's great for art etc, but not in the real world.
And why we have phones with slippery fragile glass backs
I'd rather have plastic. A high quality plastic, but plastic nonetheless.
Every material has it's reason for being used.
Headphone should be light, and as you are taking them off, putting them down, perhaps knocking together to be able to withstand damage.
Making metal headphones simply for the sake of it, is the wrong engineering approace.
Apple should use the most appropriate material for the job.
This is where that idiot IVE kept doing things wrong, as a designer as opposed to an actual product engineer.
They tend to do things, as statements or because they can to stand out.
That's great for art etc, but not in the real world.
And why we have phones with slippery fragile glass backs
as usual, the apple fanbois will buy if it has a apple logo attached to it, and the people who are try justifying it are being labeled one way or another. people are entitled to their opinion, its called freedom of speech, try it out sometimes.
It doesn't even have the apple label.
pretty sure it has apple logo on it somewhere, next to whatever strong print they have underneath the cup or what not.
You mean just like the above.
Just pointing out the irony. Seems like the APM are a typical Apple minimalist design and they are not for everyone.
You missed one category Dan, serviceability, which of those for can the battery be replaced?
Would have liked to see the Apple Watch charging dongle snap on to the side of the headphones instead of a plug.
Maybe a firmware update will add the low power mode by a long process.
Apple is notorious with all their AirPods of not providing an off switch without storing them in a case.
Would have liked to see the Apple Watch charging dongle snap on to the side of the headphones instead of a plug.
Maybe a firmware update will add the low power mode by a long process.
Apple is notorious with all their AirPods of not providing an off switch without storing them in a case.
So you call IVE an idiot because you don’t like his designs? Seems like he did many things right and gave apple a direction.
The small AirPods need a case or they would be lost in minutes, they would only be able to be charged for 4 hours. You can't compare these over the ear with in ear in anyway.You missed one category Dan, serviceability, which of those for can the battery be replaced?
Would have liked to see the Apple Watch charging dongle snap on to the side of the headphones instead of a plug.
Maybe a firmware update will add the low power mode by a long process.
Apple is notorious with all their AirPods of not providing an off switch without storing them in a case.
I call him an idiot because he does not live in the real world where real things need to get done.
He lives in the arty type world, where you can mess with things, for messing sake, and even make things worse often from a real-world point of view as you think it looks cooler.
If you wanted to build a tank, or a warship, or dig a hole in the ground you'd not want IVE involved.
If you wanted a building or bridge with an arty style that looks cool from a stylistic point of view, then sure get him involved.
This article is proof that MR is biased to a fault.
No. Maybe one of the chips inside?
AirPods Max Teardown
The name “AirPods” can now refer to either tiny little e-waste disasters or cavernous, over-ear Max headphones. With a name like AirPods, we had to...
www.ifixit.com
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Going back means selling it to make a few quick bucks, hard to take it seriously.
Because you disagree with his designs is not a reason to call him a name. It’s a reason for you NOT to buy apple products however. Apple is about art as much as function. Not everyone will agree on that philosophy and for that reason competition is good.
Agreed. I also wouldn’t want an army tank designer designing an iPhone.
Nobody gonna mistaken it for Sony or AKG 😂No. Maybe one of the chips inside?
No.
AirPods Max Teardown
The name “AirPods” can now refer to either tiny little e-waste disasters or cavernous, over-ear Max headphones. With a name like AirPods, we had to...
I don’t see the irony, I didn’t call out anyone who’s opinion different from mine,You mean just like the above.
Just pointing out the irony. Seems like the APM are a typical Apple minimalist design and they are not for everyone.
No, like the white corded original EarPods, they are different enough from everything that they don’t need a logo. So, anyone buying these with the intent of sporting the logo are going to have to put the logo on themselves. Maybe from the ones that come with OTHER Apple products? THAT’S WHY THEY MAKE THE STICKERS!!! IT ALL FALLS INTO PLACE NOW!
No headphone jack.
Heavier.
Worse Battery life.
No NFC and worse non-Apple support.
No USB C.
Terrible case.
No power button.
Several hundred dollars more expensive.
IMO they are ugly too.
the last picture in the article looks like a b cup size bra
or a sleep mask
oh yeah... its a headset case
all 4 brands make good stuff - choose wisely
or a sleep mask
oh yeah... its a headset case
all 4 brands make good stuff - choose wisely
The problem I see with these headphones is there is no option for a corded connection. The most useful place for noise canceling headphones is on a flight, and often rather than content from your iPhone or iPad, you watch a movie from the built in screen on the seat back. So how do you get the sound? Travel with 2 sets of headphones?
I also agonized over headphones and tested Bose 700's, Sony XM3's, and Sennheiser MW3. I agree that the sound of the MW3 to me had more clarity, better soundstage, and more pleasing (tighter) bass. I lost my Momentum 2's on a plane which is why i was in the market, so maybe I was used to that sound profile, but to me the difference was reasonably significant. I bought Momentum 3's, but two issues made me send them back for the XM3's. The case is huge, ridiculously huge, bigger than the MW2's, and didn't fit well in my backpack. I travel (or used to travel) a lot, and the Sony's were just far more compact. Also, the MW3's had a quirk where I turned my head, and the music would pause. I updated the firmware, tried to turn off that feature, and I just could not make that super annoying behavior go away. Typical Sennheiser - terrible software and great sound (I have the same type of issues with a Sennheiser headset at work).
I've recently been looking at the Audeze Mobius ($400) and the HiFiMan Ananda BT ($999), both are bluetooth and probably should be on the list to look at if somebody's going to think about dropping $550 on APM's. Reviews are great, but it's a shame you can't try them anywhere without buying.
I guess in that vein they also don't do 0 to 60 very well also. These aren't for everyone. Apple figured out their target demographic and I guess if your list of (perceived )negatives is longer than the positives, one isn't in the target demographic.
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And I spent way too much time last night trying to find a picture of the headphones I had, and couldn't. I was surprised. They had a plastic frame, and a blue foam donut that, as I remember it, had an open center. The ear cans slid up and down on a rail with indentations, so it was a pretty simple design. I don't remember the headband having any padding. I think these, in your picture, came out just after those did. For the cheesy deisgn, the ones I remember were pretty awesome. *shrug*