Gurman: Apple Not Working on Second-Generation AirPods Max, But Has Considered New Colors

[cpfoto2005]

If only Jobs were still around to say no.

Jobs was certainly a visionary, but there were things he should have said "no" to, including:

• Power Mac G4 Cube (base price = $2,800 in today's dollars). I still have one that I picked up cheaply at a garage sale. Love the design, but a failure on a number of points.
• Hockey puck mouse
• iTools
• Ping
• iPod Hi-Fi ($465 in today's dollars)

 

[fromsixtozero]

Yes, people buy them. And, wouldn’t you know it, people love them. I’ve had the Sony’s, Bose, and AirPods Max. To me there’s no contest if you have all Apple products. Love the Max.

I still dont get it, they are just headphones, so what is it to love more when at least sony is functionally/ comfort wise clearly the same or better but like 300 bucks cheaper? I mean I love iPhone,because it has for me the best OS, UI, apps, icloud etc… but headphones? And not even the best ones, for 3x more? When you have it physically on your head it, you cant even see it is not apple maybe for some people it is important that other people see it though…

 

[bluespark]

Yeah, I had the WH-1000XM3s before and know what you're talking about. It's mostly fixed with the XM4s, however, because they can connect to 2 devices simultaneously. So no more need for device switching, they just handle it automatically.

(By the way: the trick with the XM3s was to hold down the power button for several seconds to put them into pairing mode. That will disconnect them from any device they're connected to so you can manually connect from the device you want.)



I'd recommend at least trying some on next time you're in an Apple Store. That's what sold me on them. They just feel so nice and high-end quality compared to the cheap and plastic feel of Sony's. The audio quality and NC is pretty amazing too.

In any case, even if Apple aren't working on a follow up to the AirPods Max, I'm sure some of the technology from them will make its way down into other Apple/Beats products sooner or later.

This is a quality post, and I will take your advice. Thanks.

 

[lyunmac]

Apple sells millions of iPhone yearly so they have the user base already. If they wanted to make these mainstream they should have sold it at a lower price. Same with the HomePods. Clearly these are luxury devices and they don't mind if these don't overtake Sony, Bose, etc. They have the user base now if they want to dominate the headphone sector like they did with earpods they need to lower the price. Regular people (non tech enthusiasts or audiophiles) will spend on expensive iPhones (status symbol, flex, brand loyalty) but when it comes to listening to music they're fine with their wired headphones or earpods.

 

[iDento]

Oh please. They’re a couple hundred dollars more than much of the competition.

I bought a pair in January, and it was a splurge but it was worth it. I spend hours a day using them and the noise cancellation is incredible at isolating me from extraneous noise.

The competition isn’t for the general public either.

 

[femike]

Cheaper colours?

 

[Ghost31]

the price of the max killed it. It’s like they didn’t even try to be competitive. Just “meh. You’ll pay it so we’ll charge it”. Yeah? Well the goal should’ve been to price it more aggressively so it would gain more market share, have more people using it and enjoying it and use it as a “halo effect” device to get people into the ecosystem. Like regular AirPods

 

[mackcat]

I tried them for the first time at the Apple Store a week ago and knew I had to have them, as much as I didn't want to buy them.

Previously I had tried the Sony WH-1000XM4, which had annoying touch controls and sounded very bass-heavy and bloated to me. Then, I tried the Bose QC35 II, which are extremely comfortable and sound decent, but not particularly great, IMO.

To me, the sound quality of the AirPods Max is a league or two above the Bose. They really sound amazing. I really like not having to turn them on and off or pair them with devices. I put them on, and they just work. Hallelujah! My only complaint about them is comfort, and this is where I question their value somewhat.

I can forgive them being heavy, and I can forgive them being bulky, but what I really dislike is how much they move around on my head if I would like to lay on my side or have my head in any position but upright.

 

[Vangeli]

Don’t the Max and the Pros have such horrible durability; prone to failure after only a couple months? I’d rather they fix that and all the other oddities with these than just release new seasonal colors on a flawed design.

 

[x-evil-x]

Apple need to learn to stop charging crazy prices when the general public wouldn’t pay that, half a grand for headphones lol

These aren’t for typical people obviously. AirPod pro’s are already too much for the typical person but they sell well. These are meant for a different kind of person.

 

[amartinez1660]

You know what? I have the Sony WH-1000XM4, and while they're certainly decent headphones, the buttons are one of the most annoying parts of it. Especially the ON/OFF button. They take ages to turn on and off, and make annoying beeping and "bluetooth connected!" talking noises while doing so. In terms of usability, having them turn on automatically when you pick them up and put them on is a big improvement.

I plan to buy the AirPods Max soon. The only thing putting me off a bit is the price.

I went rip-band-aid mode on them. Order, pay, pick in store all in under 1hr. Impulsive? Yes. Financially irresponsible? Maybe, depends on each’s situation.
But after that it has been the single most used pair of headphones for me, worth it.

Long rant:
I used them for work, for music listening, for watching movies on the AppleTV, podcasts, etc. I have them on me hours on end sometimes without noticing them for the most part… the only time I don’t wear them and use AirPods Pro instead is for working out and outside activities.
They are indeed overpriced and it’s sad that MAYBE it could have been a “perfect” product if they didn’t Apple-engineer-around too much: the case (which I use anyways since it does the job), the wired needs the special cable (I don’t see myself connecting them wired ever though), the price and “lossless” talk recently which just subtracts from the value of it in the consumer’s eyes even if it would make no difference at all.
But for me it didn’t feel like a waste of money at all, far far from that.

 

[gtg465x]

I think I would go with the B&O Beoplay H95s over the AirPods Max if I wanted some ultra-premium wireless headphones. https://www.bang-olufsen.com/en/us/headphones/beoplay-h95?variant=beoplay-h95-greymist

From the comparisons I’ve read, they look and feel more premium, sound as good or better, are foldable, come with a nice hard case, customizable eq, can be connected to two devices simultaneously, and have better battery life.

Pros of the AirPods Max would be easier pairing, spatial audio, and a little better ANC.

 

[DarthDon]

True, the problem is you can’t compare the two. I’m stuck literally in one place with my sennheisers. Then I have my $300 Sennheisers hooked up my $200 amplifier. Now I’m up to $500. Oh, and they’re open back, and yes I love the open back sound. The problem is my wife complains because she can hear it, I can hear the dogs barking my wife yelling and everything else in the background. My AirPods Max fix almost all of those problems, all the while offering the best sound quality I’ve ever heard in a pair of wireless cans. And if I want better quality, I can just buy the cable. I can use my AirPod Max is sitting on my porch on a nice cool evening enjoying the outside weather. Can’t do that with my sennheisers.
AirPods max are certainly not for everyone. But anyone that compares them to wired , non noise canceling headphones is ridiculous

there are a few wireless headphones from Sennheiser. momentum 3 is much better and costs less. thought that was understandable.

 

[DarthDon]

Audio quality and what each individual hears is ridiculously subjective. Which is why there are so many different headphones, HiFi components and speakers, all with different sound signatures, we don’t all hear the same thing.

As someone with a bit of a headphone obsession I’ve spent months listening to and comparing the APM with a lot of different wireless and wired setups.

When it comes to wireless listening, I think the APM are very impressive. Throw in the seamless switching, spatial audio, ANC and whatever else Apple decide to throw in with updates and I’m a happy customer.

But we don’t all like the same thing, thankfully. Variety and choice is crucial to the advancement of any product. That way we get to buy the ones we like, the ones that suit each individual. I love my HiFi equipment, but some friends just don’t like the “warm” sound I prefer, that doesn’t make me, or them wrong. We’re all right, simply because of how we perceive the sound.

Which really makes comparisons between different people and products impossible.

true - but in pure stereo quality the Sennheiser momentum are truly the better Joyce. I heard both - apple and them - and a was blown away. but it needs to have very good hearing and concentration to teach the ears.
and they cost just 2/3 of apples cans.

 

[Nuno Lopes]

I have both the XM4 and the APM. I consider the APM much better at everything but the portability and at instances pure comfort. APM was simply not designed for portability.I guess Apple reasoning for that is … get the AirPods Pro for that specific purpose.

One thing I never see reviewers taking into account is the APM surround sound abilities, Dolby Atmos, it’s simply excellent for an wireless headphone. The XM4s and the likes aren’t simple able to cope with it … just stereo. Yet this is rarely if ever mentioned in the comparisons.

The frustrating part of the APM is that it could be the best at all this, if they prioritized portability just a a tad more rather then style. Gen2 probably.

 

[Steve Adams]

I hate to say this but apple isn’t the brand we all once knew and loved, they keep making products that don’t do well, and upgrades are never that great, I think they focus more on other stuff now days than making great products

Yep, like milking their customers of every last dollar for sub par junk.

 

[ignatius345]

I can forgive them being heavy, and I can forgive them being bulky, but what I really dislike is how much they move around on my head if I would like to lay on my side or have my head in any position but upright.

Yeah, that's the weight, unfortunately. There's no getting around it. When you're upright that headband (and the significant amount of clamping force) supports them pretty well -- but in any other position the weight pulls them off your ears.

The weight is my only beef with these things, really -- and if Apple compromised the build quality a bit with some lighter plastic (gasp) I'd probably jump on it.

I went rip-band-aid mode on them. Order, pay, pick in store all in under 1hr. Impulsive? Yes. Financially irresponsible? Maybe, depends on each’s situation.
But after that it has been the single most used pair of headphones for me, worth it.

Same. All this whining about the price (from people who will never buy them) when at the end of the day if you use something a TON and it works really well, the extra couple hundred that gets you a stellar piece of equipment is well worth it. With my wife and I working from home in a smallish apartment, having a really nice pair of headphones is worth the extra few hundred bucks over the cost of a pair of Bose or whatever.

 

[ignatius345]

I still dont get it, they are just headphones, so what is it to love more when at least sony is functionally/ comfort wise clearly the same or better but like 300 bucks cheaper?

LOL, someone with a $400 Android phone is saying about your $1000 iPhone "I don't get it, it's just a phone"

 

[fromsixtozero]

LOL, someone with a $400 Android phone is saying about your $1000 iPhone "I don't get it, it's just a phone"

maybe, but there are way more differences comparing iphone vs android and headphones vs apple headphones, my point is that airpods are so similar to for example sonys, yet they cost 3x more and are objectively worse in some critical aspects. Headphones isnt about OS or UI or icloud ecosystem, its just a thing you have on your head playing great sound. Why pay 3x more?

 

[modernmoments]

You know what? I have the Sony WH-1000XM4, and while they're certainly decent headphones, the buttons are one of the most annoying parts of it. Especially the ON/OFF button. They take ages to turn on and off, and make annoying beeping and "bluetooth connected!" talking noises while doing so. In terms of usability, having them turn on automatically when you pick them up and put them on is a big improvement.

I plan to buy the AirPods Max soon. The only thing putting me off a bit is the price.

I have the XM4s. And I tried the AirPods Max. Here’s my thoughts on them.

For XM4s:
XM4s are a little more comfortable because they’re plastic and lighter.
The case is infinitely better and the fact that they’re foldable.
Very good noise canceling.
LDAC
I love that they come with the headphone cable and the adapter for planes.
They feel more durable. Like I’m not afraid to chuck them on my bed or handle them a little rougher.
Customizable EQ

For AirPods Max:
Audio quality is just superb. Amazingly clean, with solid bass.
Great build quality.
Top notch noise canceling.
Transparency mode is infinitely better than the XM4s. So natural.
I personally like the controls of physical buttons and the crown way better.
As someone with larger ears, they fit over them terrific.
I actually find them very comfortable for my head. The cushions since they’re more canvas than leather don’t get my ears as warm.

In summary, I did return the AirPods, because for half the price, the XM4s are 85% of what the AirPods are and in some ways better (better case, LDAC, foldable, more durable). I already had the XM4s when I bought the Airpods. That being said, if I never bought the XM4s and made a decision for either or at the time, I would probably pick up the AirPods. I personally prefer them over the XM4s, just hard to buy another pair on top of that. Plus, if I had the AirPods, I’d have to buy that other case from WaterField Design (another $99).

I still might buy them again…

 

[modernmoments]

I disagree I used to get so excited at every new product launch but the last few years even software as well hasn’t been exciting I think they have gone away from products and more other stuff

To an extent I agree, but I also think a big reason why releases aren’t exciting is because with online leaks, we know exactly what’s coming out before it comes out. WWDC is the only one that still brings some excitement because software usually isn’t completely leaked.

 

[Nuno Lopes]

I have the XM4s. And I tried the AirPods Max. Here’s me thoughts on them.

For XM4s:
XM4s are a little more comfortable because they’re plastic and lighter.
The case is infinitely better and the fact that they’re foldable.
Very good noise canceling.
LDAC
I love that they come with the headphone cable and the adapter for planes.
They feel more durable. Like I’m not afraid to chuck them on my bed or handle them a little rougher.
Customizable EQ

For AirPods Max:
Audio quality is just superb. Amazingly clean, with solid bass.
Great build quality.
Top notch noise canceling.
Transparency mode is infinitely better than the XM4s. So natural.
I personally like the controls of physical buttons and the crown way better.
As someone with larger ears, they fit over them terrific.
I actually find them very comfortable for my head. The cushions since they’re more canvas than leather don’t get my ears as warm.

In summary, I did return the AirPods, because for half the price, the XM4s are 85% of what the AirPods are and in some ways better (better case, LDAC, foldable, more durable). I already had the XM4s when I bought the Airpods. That being said, if I never bought the XM4s and made a decision for either or at the time, I would probably pick up the AirPods. I personally prefer them over the XM4s, just hard to buy another pair on top of that. Plus, if I had the AirPods, I’d have to buy that other case from WaterField Design (another $99).

I still might buy them again…

I think you may have missed to factor in the APM surround sound capability and performance, totally missing from the XM4. If you had, probably 65%? Try to watch an Dolby Atmos movie with it, it blows.

The more I listen the APM the more the sound out of XM4s feel muddy.

I agree with it’s hardly justifiable to keep both.

 

[ntr7ptr]

I think that Apple just don’t update his audio lineup as often as others devices. The second gen AirPods was 99% the same than the original one, and we are waiting for the real gen 2 of everything. Gen 2 HomePod, AirPods, AirPods Pro, AirPods Max. I think that there is room for improvement regarding APM, and I’m sure that a gen 2 will come in a few years. That said, AirPods Max is a very niche market, and Apple doesn’t have any incentive to invest full R&D in these headphones, as I think it will never be as popular as regular AirPods

I think you're right. I have these, and I love them. But at this price for headphones, I'd be super mad if they came out with a significantly improved product every year. They should last several years, so why update them so often? Heck, my Beats Studio Wireless from 7 years ago are still going strong. I only got the Air Pods Pro Max so I could talk on the phone wirelessly, and the seamless integration to all my devices. I get that a lot of people won't spend this much money on them, fair. But for those who do, no need to update them every year.

 

[astrocramp]

You know what? I have the Sony WH-1000XM4, and while they're certainly decent headphones, the buttons are one of the most annoying parts of it. Especially the ON/OFF button. They take ages to turn on and off, and make annoying beeping and "bluetooth connected!" talking noises while doing so. In terms of usability, having them turn on automatically when you pick them up and put them on is a big improvement.

I plan to buy the AirPods Max soon. The only thing putting me off a bit is the price.

I bought the Airpods Max after thinking about upgrading my XM3's to XM4 because of the multi device support. Still have the XM3's as well as a few other sets.

I do like the Airpod Max, they are more comfortable, sound stage "feels" more open than Sony, and controls are nice and easy. I think the Sony's are very close and arguably better in some areas with the sound - a bit more punch in midrange where Apple seems to fade a bit. A few issues I have with them - the Airpods are ridiculously heavy, I don't like how the metal part of the cups rub together when you are not wearing them (without the case), and the case is more than an aesthetic and functional joke, it smells terrible. I had to set it aside as it quite literally smells like urine. They should have had some way to outgas them before packaging.

My favorite wireless headphones for sound is actually the Sennheiser Momentum 3 I bought last year, but the controls were just so incredibly bad I returned them to get the XM3's.

If I had to do it over I may have gone the Sony XM4 route for compactness, or maybe auditioned some of the less popular wireless headsets from Audeze or Hifiman. In my ears the APM's aren't $200 better than the XM4's, I'm reasonably happy with them just not blown away like I had hoped for the price.

 

[Applecool78]

nice