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Naming does not matter too much. I am disappointed Sony continues to cheap out in materials - my Mark 2s are so solid compared to my Mark 4s. All else being equal, the power button is actually a fairly big deal and if I were looking for a new pair right now, the Mark 5s would edge out the APMs just on that alone.

ETA: was not a fan of the digital crown control on the APMs for the short time I tried them, either. YMMV.
Been rocking the MX2's for a while now. Still solid and sound great. May upgrade to the MX 5 when the prices start to fall.
 
Does anyone actually pay that price for the Apple headphones? Why buy from the Apple store when you can get them for $450 from places like Amazon? Pricing with the Sony is on par.
My wife paid that much and bought me a pair shortly after they first came out. Best Headphones I’ve ever used and absolutely not too heavy.
 
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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.
I agree, I really think that most people complaining about the weight have never owned a pair.
 
Once I’m paying $300+ dollars for headphones, a fully analog connection is a must. Without it, the headphones are essentially disposable; once the battery dies, they’re useless. (Not to mention the fact that they’ll throw away all the benefits of a high quality DAC)

I tried the APM in store and they sound great, but the lack of an analog connection is a dealbreaker. If the XM5s are equivalent in sound, I may be interested in upgrading from my XM4s if I catch a sale. However I may just hold on in hopes that the APM2 have a off switch and a fully analog connection.
 
Got my preorder from Amazon earlier this afternoon. Much lighter than AirPods Max. Way better ANC for the appliances in my condo. Does not work with PS5 wirelessly though which frustrates the hell out of me.
 
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You do realize you can get a cable for the Airpods Max that will do that too right?
And you can get a third party case that protects the phones too. There is no solution for not being able to turn them off, so they stupidly drain the battery fully when you leave them around, harming battery longevity.

Just as you can buy a $400 stand that allows you to adjust the Studio display (that somehow all other monitor manufacturers manage to include in their design) and you might be able to buy a third party solution that kinda lets you connect more than one computer. The power cord is still non-detacheable though.

There’s a clear pattern to what Apple is doing, and it’s not very nice.
 
Does anyone actually pay that price for the Apple headphones? Why buy from the Apple store when you can get them for $450 from places like Amazon? Pricing with the Sony is on par.

I was at the Apple store last week to have my Apple Watch battery serviced and saw a lady buy a pair of AirPods max, so yes, there are definitely people paying full price for them even as we speak.

Also, while I am aware that Amazon sells them for ~20% off, it’s reviews like this which give me pause.
68582a6cd4c2bf812c7a0ac6f7e8cdb2.png

Not sure how widespread this is, but I imagine that’s how these products can sometimes be sold at a discount.
 
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The AirPods Max are a lot heavier, but it’s because of the premium build quality build. The canopy design helps a lot as it distributes the weight evenly on the top of your head. I always thought the XM4 sounded muddy, the XM5 sounds much better. Still think the AirPods Max sounds better. For AirPods Max owner using it with iphone or ipad: to make the AirPods Max sound even better go to Settings>Accessibility>Audio/Visual>turn on Headphone Accommodation. Makes them sound almost as good as some of my best wired headphones.
 
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The number one problem is the AirPods Max are too heavy. Apple should make an ultra light headset, because Apple is good at lightweight designs. Headsets are like glasses: weight is the most important factor.
Totally agree. At 384g the AirPods Max are a bitter pill to swallow, too uncomfortable for any extended listening. I found the review very subjective also, to say one sounds better or performs better than the other without showing any measurements doesn’t quite cut the mustard when reviewing audio equipment.
 
I was at the Apple store last week to have my Apple Watch battery serviced and saw a lady buy a pair of AirPods max, so yes, there are definitely people paying full price for them even as we speak.

Also, while I am aware that Amazon sells them for ~20% off, it’s reviews like this which give me pause.
68582a6cd4c2bf812c7a0ac6f7e8cdb2.png

Not sure how widespread this is, but I imagine that’s how these products can sometimes be sold at a discount.
Imagine returning activated AirTags
 
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I really cannot believe that we live in a world where people are happy paying half a thousand dollars for headphones. It’s…not normal? Who is buying these? People with limitless expendable income? Seriously. Half a thousand dollars for headphones. Doesn’t anyone question what the mark-up is on these? What the margins are? Doesn’t anyone value the power of the dollar anymore?
 
i'm getting the sony headphones.

£379 vs £549

the airpod max might look nice but not worth the price. would only pay that much if i was a hardcore apple fan and had more money than sense.
 
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I would guess you "tried" the non-working AirPods Max store display unit. I have both. The AirPods Pro do not sound better.
You guessed wrong. It was a friends personal unit. Sound was poor. Could be resolved with eq tuning but much of my library was lacking clarity and the soundstage was unimpressive.
 
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I really cannot believe that we live in a world where people are happy paying half a thousand dollars for headphones. It’s…not normal? Who is buying these? People with limitless expendable income? Seriously. Half a thousand dollars for headphones. Doesn’t anyone question what the mark-up is on these? What the margins are? Doesn’t anyone value the power of the dollar anymore?
I use my headphones everyday, during workday I even use them for more than 8 hours per day (work + gym + at home to not disturb my wife)
If you share an office with other peoples, having good ANC is a must.

So it depends on your usage, if you use headphone only during the weekend it’s hard to justify. But if you use them everyday it’s not harder to justify as a 1000$ smartphone.
Personally, I’d rather have a good headphone and an old smartphone rather than the opposite.
 
I really cannot believe that we live in a world where people are happy paying half a thousand dollars for headphones. It’s…not normal? Who is buying these? People with limitless expendable income? Seriously. Half a thousand dollars for headphones. Doesn’t anyone question what the mark-up is on these? What the margins are? Doesn’t anyone value the power of the dollar anymore?
Fortunately, this is a very "USA" thing, as in, the country with the Upgrade-Subscribe-Abuse lifestyle!

A bit of disposable income, having met the basic near-term needs, and tendency to not think too much about long-term life planning drivee some people in so-called-first-world countries like USA to splurge on gadgets like these.
 
The Sony are sure nice headphone - but for someone in the Apple ecosystem it is impossible to beat the convenience of the AirPods Max.
I once had the XM3 - and the bluetooth switching was a pain in the ass.
Also the AirPod Max build quality and design are on a different level.
 
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I really cannot believe that we live in a world where people are happy paying half a thousand dollars for headphones. It’s…not normal? Who is buying these? People with limitless expendable income? Seriously. Half a thousand dollars for headphones. Doesn’t anyone question what the mark-up is on these? What the margins are? Doesn’t anyone value the power of the dollar anymore?

Life is short.
 
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Interesting how many people in this thread haven’t even used the new Sony’s yet because of their look and accessories think it’s better than another product they likely haven’t experienced either ( APM). You realize headphones are based on sound first then everything else? Sounds like you all are walking around with some Raycons if you’re basing decisions off everything else but sound.

Let’s be real, if you are on this forum and balked at the APM price then you’re not buying these Sony’s either.
I think some people's priorities are like this:

1. Name
2. Are they made of metal?
3. Will people who see me be able to tell I'm using a premium product?
4. Are they Apple?
5. ...
.
.
83. What do they sound like?
 
The core difference between the XM-5’s and the AirPods Max, is the XM’s are a more mature product that really has become refined over every generation. I think one of the my favorite things about the XM’s, is they really don’t feel ‘heavy’ on your head when wearing them, where as with the Max, generally feel like it’s gripping the head way too tight, which gives the vibe that they almost feel heavy on your head. For that alone, the XM’s are preferable for me. And I think it’s really important to remember no matter how ‘good’ the sound quality is, if the headphones you choose are not comfortable, you ain’t wearing them.
 
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