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I always enjoy ready this comment because it makes me feel like I have a really strong head/neck. I wear them all day, everyday and barely feel them.

I think the number one issue is price, it just keeps what is a very good Apple accessory out of range of a huge chunk of Apple users.
Same. Initially I found them uncomfy, but once I put the band further back on the top of my head they suddenly became comfy.
 
Being headsets i am missing the comparison of microphone quality. Many people now care more about this as remote working has become very common.
 
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You can use the APM with a lightning to 3.5mm adapter.
So you can change the digital signal at the music source to analog to send it up the cable, then the lightning adapter changes it back to digital so the circuitry can change it back to analog to run the speakers?

Or you can just let bluetooth mangle the music in digital format before the final conversion to analog.
 
So you can change the digital signal at the music source to analog to send it up the cable, then the lightning adapter changes it back to digital so the circuitry can change it back to analog to run the speakers?

Or you can just let bluetooth mangle the music in digital format before the final conversion to analog.
So what's your point? You don't have AirPods Max? I do. Connecting the cable does make a difference. I do hear music closer to "lossless" with the cable. The timbre of instruments is better. When many instruments play together it is noticeable lossless is better. In BlueTooth a sound may sound like noise but with the cable it doesn't.
 
So what's your point? You don't have AirPods Max? I do. Connecting the cable does make a difference. I do hear music closer to "lossless" with the cable. The timbre of instruments is better. When many instruments play together it is noticeable lossless is better. In BlueTooth a sound may sound like noise but with the cable it doesn't.
The point you inadvertently made is that bluetooth music mangling is even more thorough than I suspected, and really is worse than doing a double conversion. Now I know to stay far away from Apple's headphones. Though to be fair I probably would not notice the difference while mowing the lawn.

And the adapter is another $10 on to Apple's price.
 
The point you inadvertently made is that bluetooth music mangling is even more thorough than I suspected, and really is worse than doing a double conversion. Now I know to stay far away from Apple's headphones. Though to be fair I probably would not notice the difference while mowing the lawn.

And the adapter is another $10 on to Apple's price.
The Max don't mangle music. They're not reference cans, nor are they marketed as such. The sound signature is rather pleasant overall, to be honest.
 
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How do you review a product comparing it to the AirPods Max and not mention its inclusion of an analog audio input?
You don’t. This review/comparison is a desperate reach to compare an overpriced, mediocre Apple product and compare it to a superior, cheaper product, to somehow try to make the Apple product seem better than it is.

Silly review.
 
I was initially very disappointed that the XM5's can no longer fold down like the XM4's, but if you look at them side by side (YouTube time stamp 6:19), the footprint of the folded down 4's aren't considerably smaller than the 5's. Though the new case does seem to be a bit bigger than previous generation. The new ones are also likely more durable since the hinge of the XM4's seemed to be a frequent point of failure.

I agree that comfort/weight is the most important factor for headphones, especially for extended listening periods, which is why I never even considered the APM's.

Huge fan of the new Sony redesign though, they look so much sleeker and minimal compared to the XM4's. Just ordered a pair of the XM5's for my upcoming vacation to Asia. I'm sure they'll fare well during my ~16 hour flight.

Also, in the video you mention that the AirPods Max are often on sale, but didn't mention that the XM4's can also be regularly found for less than $300. Great deal if the new features and redesign doesn't matter much to you.
 
"but the ‌AirPods Max‌ still have the classier, higher-end look"

The materials are more high end, but I think I prefer the look of the Sony. There's something about the AirPods max that looks odd to me.
Same. These comparisons are useful, but there are some pure opinion statements that one could take issue with. I think the Sonys look much better than the APM's (again, my opinion), and I think plastic makes tons of sense for this particular application.

Coming from the Sony XM3's, though, my big question is whether Bluetooth paring is much better, because that is a huge weakness of the XM3's.
 
There is one problem with Sony XM5. From a distance it looks like you're wearing a couple of bars of soap over the ears. People may stare or refuse you service.

AirPods Max can play bass heavy music like a pro. It is the realtime equalizer doing its thing if you don't think you're getting enough bass; you're hearing what the sound engineers want you to hear.

arguably the airpdods max are more bar-soap shaped imho. Oval and long. The slim and long style with big headband makes the Max's a bit goofy looking. I think these looks better than any headphones out there.
 
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How do you review a product comparing it to the AirPods Max and not mention its inclusion of an analog audio input?
Agree with that. Apple not including the 3.5mm adapter in the box for air travel was massively irritating. I bought two cables before I figured it out it had to be the "special bidirectional" lightning to 3.5mm.

The off switch is also a topic. The flap on my APM case that turns them off has degraded and is easily knocked open in my backpack, so sometimes the headphones don't actually power off. I go back to use them and they are dead. Before i buy another case i'm going to move to the XM5's most likely, assuming the comfort of them is better than APM (which really clamp too tight on my unfortunately large head).
 
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You don’t. This review/comparison is a desperate reach to compare an overpriced, mediocre Apple product and compare it to a superior, cheaper product, to somehow try to make the Apple product seem better than it is.

Silly review.
In the review perhaps he was trying to be nice. "Very light" can also mean it feels like a rip-off, piece of styrofoam, or paper mache.
 
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I remember trying the AirPods max and thinking they sounded bad. I don’t mean they sounded bad for the price, I mean they sounded bad.

I hope they do a lot better on the second attempt.

For the record I have AirPods Pro and think those sound great by comparison.
 
arguably the airpdods max are more bar-soap shaped imho. Oval and long. The slim and long style with big headband makes the Max's a bit goofy looking. I think these looks better than any headphones out there.
The X5 looks like it was modelled after a dog's coiler on the sidewalk.
 
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