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We never would be able to convince Apple of that sadly. Still if the Sony WH-1000XM5 can sell for $399. Apple should have listed the AirPods Max at the most at $449.99 not $549.99. Then sales could have made the headphones very competitively priced.
If Sony can get away with selling cheap plastic for $399, then $499 seems like a fair price for the Max.

That said, I think both of them are being too greedy… Sony should have kept its price at $349 and Apple should have introduced the Max at $449 (with lossless support… even though most people can’t tell the difference, it would have justified it for many).
 
this headphone is too heavy and have awful "features". from an audiophile's perspective, if they fixed these two issues, it's ultimately not a bad deal. because from a sound quality wise, only the bluetooth Ananda can beat it.
 
The problem of Headphones is low bluetooth quality.

They either increase the throughput, or the cable will keep that edge.
 
Still to expensive.

If it's so expensive I'm afraid to use it day to day because it might break, or I might lose it, or it might get swiped then I admit I'm not the "target audience" for this product. Which is fine.
 
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Easy pass. Have bought and returned twice to give them a chance. Hopeful for V2 to be good.

What put you off them, if I may ask? For me I've tried them in a few times in the Apple Store and been very impressed. But the lack of a good travel case, and the price, keeps putting me off.

Happy Sony XM4 user here but got my eyes on an upgrade.
 
Meanwhile in the UK:

John Lewis has the silver AirPods Max on offer for £429 (down from £549)
Amazon has the space grey (and maybe other colours?) at £469
 
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Still to expensive.

If it's so expensive I'm afraid to use it day to day because it might break, or I might lose it, or it might get swiped then I admit I'm not the "target audience" for this product. Which is fine.
I use mine outside and inside. I have Apple care so if they break I can get them replaced. I’ve attached an airtag to the case in case I can’t find them.
 
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My AirPods Max (pictured in my avatar) have held-up very well over almost 1.5 years. Structurally these things could last another 10 years. I connect the cable to my iPhone for 'lossless' playback.
Same. Been using mine for 2.5 years now, daily. Since working from home they're on my head like half the day for conference calls, music, media, etc. And at night I pop them back on to use with my Apple TV so I can crank up the sound without bothering my family or neighbors. Spatial Audio is absolutely insane for this. I honestly find myself more eager to watch stuff just because the sound is so immersive. I paid full price for them, but they've easily paid for themselves in the use and enjoyment I've gotten out of them.

And there's almost no wear on them. I've washed the earpads a few times* and wiped down the headband as well since it's white and picks up dirt easily -- but other than that there's no discernable wear on the earcups or even the earpads, and the controls are as smooth as they were on day 1. I don't baby them, either. My kid has taken a crack at them, dropped them on the floor, popped the earpads off. I've thrown the into my bag with the included case (corny looking but protects the most vulnerable parts while taking up a lot less room.) By contrast I have a pair of older Bose I've used the same amount and the same way that look like trash. Earcups frayed, plastic creaking. They keep soldiering on, but it ain't pretty.

People kvetching about the price have NUMEROUS other options out there, but nothing will keep them from whinging about the existence of these headphones they don't want to buy. Fine, don't! Buy the Sonys you think are a better deal for you. They're probably great too. I wouldn't know and don't care, because I probably won't have to buy new headphones for quite a few years.

* They can be machine washed, in my experience, without any issues. Cold water, gentle cycle. I put them in a little mesh washing bag to keep them together. Don't put them in the dryer. The foam hangs onto moisture, so give it a solid day of air drying.
 
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What put you off them, if I may ask? For me I've tried them in a few times in the Apple Store and been very impressed. But the lack of a good travel case, and the price, keeps putting me off.

Happy Sony XM4 user here but got my eyes on an upgrade.

Travel case and while the sound is good, it’s just not worth it for price, plus lack of USB-C. The weight can be jarring too.

To each their own though. Just not for me and seems not for the masses either.

More preferred the XM4 I have too.
 
Travel case and while the sound is good, it’s just not worth it for price, plus lack of USB-C. The weight can be jarring too.

To each their own though. Just not for me and seems not for the masses either.

More preferred the XM4 I have too.
The masses aren’t interested in spending more than $100 on a pair of headphones.
 
Love mine, will get one for dad before they’re discontinued.
I got mine replaced this march, and the fresh battery and headband feels great.
 
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