Deals: AirPods Max on Sale for $449 in Every Color ($100 Off)

[ToxicBlue]

I have twice tried to fall in love with them but ultimately found them less comfortable than my Sony XM3s with no discernible difference in sound quality. The biggest downside of the Sony’s is lack of multipoint, which I guess the XM4s added. But the Sony’s also pack up so compactly. So despite my fandom for all things Apple, I just could not justify them.

I have both and agree with you about the confort but for me there is a big difference in sound quality, the mic also makes a huge difference between those two when using them for video calls. I'm quite happy with the AirPods max, still wish they had ubc-c though.
The thing I hate is battery life, feel they lose a lot of juice even when not in use and that means in some occasions when I want to use them, the battery level is low even when I haven't use them for days.

 

[guzhogi]

Don’t care much for lossless, my ears don’t notice the difference beyond 320kbps.

I probably couldn't tell the difference, either, and I doubt I'll care even then, but I'd like to at least have the option.

 

[bookofxero]

Still not interested. I'll wait for the new version with USB Type C charging connectors and possibly a new wireless chip for way better wireless sound quality.

USB-C, a way to turn them off (!), and better beamforming on the headset mic(s).

 

[yegon]

I probably couldn't tell the difference, either, and I doubt I'll care even then, but I'd like to at least have the option.

Oh yeah, unless they were drastically reduced in price, I wouldn’t necessarily buy them now given lossless came to Apple Music without an extra fee on top. But had them since launch, zero regrets.

Plus, I use them for music the least tbh. Main use is for video on iPad, Apple TV and podcasts/calls on iPhone.

 

[WiiDSmoker]

Got mine at $479 and was surprised to find that I was really happy with them. They are a bit heavy and took some getting used to comfort wise. But, they absolutely sound better than the QC35ii I own and the NC700 I tried.

It looks at $449 they’re $170 over the current sales price of the QC45 (I don’t have experience with the Sonys or I’d use that as a benchmark). To me they’re worth that much more for a few reasons:

1. The build & materials. These are just solid. They look much more expensive. Nice and worth some money. I didn’t think I’d care about this til I had them in hand, and then I said, wow, these are niiice.
2. Sound quality definitely better, more detailed although I do find vocals slightly veiled in comparison.
3. I *like* that they don’t fold up. Multi-axis folding leads to a more fiddly feeling pair of headphones. Sure the Bose and Sony fold up smaller but they’re still bulky folded. I’m still inclined to use my AirPods Pro when traveling.
4. Spatial audio is a definite nice to have. I rarely use it for music, but I do like it for video.
5. I enjoy that there’s no power button. One less thing for which to manage (and forget) state. They have plenty of battery life. I will admit I haven’t put them away for a long while and then picked them up again - perhaps in that case of infrequent use one would want a power button. But this in itself is testament to how good I find the APM to be.

They are noticeably better than my other means of listening to music (Sonos One system, AirPods Pro) and I find myself using them way more than I expected to. Transparency mode helps with that too since I can wear them while doing chores in which I still want some environmental awareness.

Sounds like confirmation bias.

 

[44267547]

This is a steep discount. I am a huge fan of my XM4’s, but my biggest concern with the Studios, is two fold:

1.) I’ve heard that they can grip your head so tightly, that it causes discomfort after about 30 minutes.

2.) Several members have mentioned the ‘weight’ being pretty substantial with these, where they can be fatiguing from wearing them for too long.

For me, price isn’t always relative for buying a quality product. However, comfort is.

 

[Chicagoblah]

people complaining about the price dont even bother looking at audiophile grade stuff lol

 

[Coffee50]

I'm thinking of picking up a pair now...been on the fence for a bit, but thinking of just giving it go! They seem like they would be great with Apple TV, so I'd definite use them for that.

I've actually only seen 1 person in the wild wearing them. Does anyone here travel with them or primarily just use them at home?

I feel like the second gen might be around the corner, but seriously thinking I'll take the plunge and grab a pair this evening!

 

[4jasontv]

people complaining about the price dont even bother looking at audiophile grade stuff lol

Which would be a great point if these were audiophile grade. I would compare these to AT, but that's unfair given the limitations of the Max.

 

[Chicagoblah]

Which would be a great point if these were audiophile grade. I would compare these to AT, but that's unfair given the limitations of the Max.

Which model?

Till I have to travel for work again im looking at closed backs, of course im used to my lcd-x so prob not going to enjoy anything but eyeballing the Dan Clark Aeon Noire they look pretty great for travel minus the dap/amp id have to lug with it. Im done with IEMs.

 

[diamornte]

I feel sorry for anyone who unwittingly buys these, not knowing these are 2 year old technology that will be deemed obsolete in a few months when Version 2.0 comes out.

 

[sos47]

i guess, next iteration has uwb support. that means losless wireless max 24bit at 96khz.

 

[Chicagoblah]

I feel sorry for anyone who unwittingly buys these, not knowing these are 2 year old technology that will be deemed obsolete in a few months when Version 2.0 comes out.

how often do you replace your speakers?

 

[jimbobb24]

$200 off and we have a deal

 

[smaffei]

Scooped these up in space gray on the last sale at Amazon. Love them.

I love them too. Spatial audio is great!

 

[smaffei]

Now go to your local Target. Have them price match and then use the Target credit card to get an extra 5% off.

 

[FattiesGoneWild]

I don't understand why they didn't use a long press on the ANC button to turn them off. The standby time is ridiculously short without a dedicated off feature. At $550, a 3.5mm cable isn't even included and even then, you can't charge and listen via the cable at the same time. No EQ settings. It's no wonder retailers keep discounting them.

Given all the other Apple products I have (Macs, iPhones, watch, iPad), I would have loved to pick these up but there are too many drawbacks, just like the original Home Pods. Just a poorly developed product IMO.

In comparison, the Sony WH-1000XM4 are just better in every way. They have an on/off button. You can listen to them and charge at the same time. A 3.5mm cable is included in the box. Plastic makes them incredibly light. EQ in the Sony app. It's a no-brainer.

Nope. I have the Sony MX4’s and Pro Max’s. No bias here. I definitely like and believe the Max’s are better. Including comfort and sound. Added bonus if you are in the Apple eco system as well. It’s a no brainer and get the full benefits.

 

[warriors2017]

Nope. I have the Sony MX4’s and Pro Max’s. No bias here. I definitely like and believe the Max’s are better. Including comfort and sound. Added bonus if you are in the Apple eco system as well. It’s a no brainer and get the full benefits.

I'm tempted to get the AirPod Max to replace my broken Beats Studio. The plastic parts keep breaking as I go through my second pair. I'm thinking the Sony plastic might break eventually as well.

 

[Mity]

Nope. I have the Sony MX4’s and Pro Max’s. No bias here. I definitely like and believe the Max’s are better. Including comfort and sound. Added bonus if you are in the Apple eco system as well. It’s a no brainer and get the full benefits.

I think you quoted the wrong person regarding bias.

As for the ecosystem, it's moot due to the many inconveniences of the product and very few benefits. I don't listen to music every day so I need to have an on/off switch. I don't want to plan ahead of time to make sure I have a charge. The product manager made a mistake and given the consistent $100-$130 off, we know the sell-through isn't high.

Even the presentation is stupid. Apple could've at least provided a decent case.

 

[jbachandouris]

Best Buy has that price and I have a $50 reward certificate so $150 off.

$150 off too much is still too much.

 

[Macaholic868]

Still overpriced in my opinion.

Agreed. They look slick but to me it’s the second coming of the HomePod, only way more overpriced, and in my view will probably be discontinued within the next year. This is from somebody who bought a HomePod and loves it. You’re not going to find a speaker that puts out that kind of sound and integrates into the echo system in that manner but it was expensive and I get why it never took off. I just don’t see how this product has a different outcome. They have to be priced at $299 to even consider it.

 

[4jasontv]

Nope. I have the Sony MX4’s and Pro Max’s. No bias here. I definitely like and believe the Max’s are better. Including comfort and sound. Added bonus if you are in the Apple eco system as well. It’s a no brainer and get the full benefits.

What do you mean by 'added bonus if you are in the Apple eco system? That's a requirement, not a bonus. You aren't plugging the Max into an Amp. You aren't using them with android or Windows. But fine, you have a MacBook Pro or iPad and AirPod Max and have to carry two chargers. Really?

But that's ok because they are waterproof... no?

But that's ok because the battery can be replaced... no?

But that's ok because the battery can be turned off... no?

But that's ok because they rotate for wearing them around your neck... no?

So, besides the two subjective statements about comfort and sound, how are they better?

 

[FelixDerKater]

$349 or $379 makes sense.

 

[unfunfionn]

I ridiculed them for ages, and the way some APM owners on here acted made that all the easier. But then I bought them 2 months ago because my taxman was able to write them off for me since I'm a contractor working from home with a neighbour doing construction work. In the end I paid €220 for them, just €20 more than what I got from reselling my Sony XM4s. And they're great. Worth €600? No. Worth €450? No. But if you can get them for under €350, I think they're worth that.

The Sonys looked better, are lighter and had a nicer, more useful case. But the APM sound much better. The Sonys have an app with lots of customisation options, but I didn't need this for the APM because they sound great out of the box. Connectivity on the Sonys was really bad and ultimately the reason why I sold them. It's not perfect on the APMs, but it's a night and day improvement. The smart case is useless and I just dumped it on a shelf. I bought a better case on Amazon that also has the sleep magnets in it. Mostly I have them on a stand, and the battery life is still excellent. I charge them probably once every 4 days on my lunch break.

 

[makingmark]

Sounds like confirmation bias.

On the contrary, I wanted to return them since I already had perfectly good headphones in the QC35ii. Confirmation bias is when you interpret things in favor of your prior belief. I doubted they were worth it when I bought them because no doubt they’re expensive, even on sale.