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I have the xm5 and the AirPods max and I like the Sony better. Don’t get me wrong I love the AirPods max but for me it’s the weight of them (yes some say it doesn’t bother them but it does give me fatigue) with the xm5 so far they are lighter and to me more comfortable. Of there was like a sport AirPods max with the same AMC etc I would be all over that.
What about the ear cups? Are they bigger on the Sony's or the AirPod Max's?
 
I like the look of the Sony more. The AirPod Max are so basic looking. Like a base model character before you add any features.
don't know what's your problem , apple's design of a fabulous headphone I especially LOVE canopy spanning the headband is made from a breathable knit mesh, distributing weight to reduce on‑head pressure.

and that beautifully anodized aluminum cups feature a revolutionary mechanism that allows each cup to rotate independently and balance pressure with cool to the touch feeling

and that magnet ear cushion crafted with acoustically engineered memory foam, the ear cushions gently create an immersive seal that is the foundation of incredible sound, love that its a breeze to remove & equip and clean / switch to a new pair of new cushion

lol and AirPods Max are basic looking ??
 
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Sony wins this one. I couldn't care less about the name, and lightweight plastic is better than heavy aluminum for headphones. I'm not wearing headphones as a fashion statement, and Apple needs to learn that plastic is fine for some products, especially those that are going to be on your head for long periods of time. Throw in better battery life, a carrying case that isn't cartoonishly stupid, and a better price, and Sony is the clear winner for me.
lol I am glad that the apple design team aren't some nerd like you
not everyone wants to look like a nerd / gadget dude when they just wanted to simply enjoy technology
 
That’s the trade off. Sony is all plastic, APM is not so it’s your decision.

yea... stupid nerds like that generally don't care about design / material ,
all they talk about are weight. / how long the power gonna last / spec

I don't know why is he even here in this forum

lets hope apple don't find someone like that in charge of the design department in the future

if AirPods max suffer the same fate as HomePod 1.0 I am gonna buy 1 more spare for future sake , I am enjoying it and glad that I have it at this very moment as someone started drilling on their floor , god its so loud and the noise they make is excruciating
 
... and then the XM5's went to update today, and I remembered what I disliked about Sony....
 
Sony manufactures thousands of different types of TVs, speakers, consoles, etc etc…it’s impossible to find catchy names for all of them and problematic in the long term, when looking for parts or service ten years down the line.

Now that you mention it, I did struggle finding parts for my Walkman the other day. Thanks for explaining why that is!
 
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... and then the XM5's went to update today, and I remembered what I disliked about Sony....
I thought it was remarkably smooth and pretty painless.

Certainly better than Apple’s opaque ‘will they or won’t they’ firmware update process with no change log.
 
As an IT professional this just gives me shivers. It’s hideously opaque. iOS gets the approach just right, sadly accessories don’t seem to
That’s apple though. Less is more. As a consumer I understand the why of pushing this as transparent to the consumer as possible. IT people want absolute control, imo, consumers just want their stuff to work.
 
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That’s apple though. Less is more. As a consumer I understand the why of pushing this as transparent to the consumer as possible. IT people want absolute control, imo, consumers just want their stuff to work.
Yeah I get that. I just think there’s room for a happy middle ground in between
 
Yeah I get that. I just think there’s room for a happy middle ground in between
honestly Sony fixed it somewhat - I forget the headphones have to be UNPLUGGED (because they can't be powered on, while charging) - so the update download stopped at 41%... but thankfully resumed (in the old days, Sony's firmware would start over from scratch).

Now compare that with AirPods -- 4E71 has made ANC all but... not. Doesn't work.
I've compared three AP Pro (4E71) with one AP Pro (4E65) and it's night and day.
But... Apple doesn't say a word. and we had no choice but to update.
(this was similar to the firmware debacle on the Bose QC35 ii in 2019)
 
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Great thread with lots of interesting viewpoints. I went with the Sony's in the end. Deciding factors. The battery life, the lack of an off switch on the AirPods Max, proper wired input. Cost was not a factor for me. I was ready to buy the APM until I heard about the improved Sony's.
 
don't know what's your problem , apple's design of a fabulous headphone I especially LOVE canopy spanning the headband is made from a breathable knit mesh, distributing weight to reduce on‑head pressure.

and that beautifully anodized aluminum cups feature a revolutionary mechanism that allows each cup to rotate independently and balance pressure with cool to the touch feeling

and that magnet ear cushion crafted with acoustically engineered memory foam, the ear cushions gently create an immersive seal that is the foundation of incredible sound, love that its a breeze to remove & equip and clean / switch to a new pair of new cushion

lol and AirPods Max are basic looking ??
They look like headphones a three year old would draw.
 
I just got the Sony XM5's the other day, I got them over the APM because of the weight. For my hearing, I probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference on sound quality. I could definitely feel the difference in the weight though. I have no buyers remorse.
 
I picked these up today so I now have both the XM5’s and the APM. Excellent sound quality in both and hard to pick a winner. The APM are better at transparency mode though. I also find them a bit more comfy to wear although I’ve only had the Sony’s for 9 hours or so.

I do like playing around with the Sony EQ settings. Any good recommendations out there?
 
One thing I absolutely hate about the AirPods Max is the was the only way you can put them into an "off" state is by placing them in that ridiculous "case"?! Last night I put them on a stand, thinking that they'd "go to sleep" after 15 minutes or so but found that every time I picked up my iPhone it woke them up! Also when watching my Apple TV it kept popping up on screen that the APM where ready to pair. Then, when upstairs and in bed again, every time I looked at my iPhone it said "AirPods Max Connected". Crazy....
 
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One thing I absolutely hate about the AirPods Max is the was the only way you can put them into an "off" state is by placing them in that ridiculous "case"?! Last night I put them on a stand, thinking that they'd "go to sleep" after 15 minutes or so but found that every time I picked up my iPhone it woke them up! Also when watching my Apple TV it kept popping up on screen that the APM where ready to pair. Then, when upstairs and in bed again, every time I looked at my iPhone it said "AirPods Max Connected". Crazy....
You only have to tap on the left headphone the tap code to turn them off:

... .... ..- - / - .... . ... . / -.. .- -- -. / - .... .. -. --. ... / --- ..-. ..-.

it’s in Morse code to prevent people from accidentally turning them off.
 
If I would say two things that bothers me as far as the APM, it would be price and battery life.
The price of APM is high compare to other competitors headphones, but as a whole I think it’s price is good due to built cost. I don’t mind spending a little bit more on headphones because I use them daily and most headphones I own last long for how much use. I don’t think I have one that quit on me yet and I own quite a bit, and a lot of high end ones too. The no power button is actually pretty nice to me and would be a much better experience if the battery life is longer.
The APM actually isn’t that heavy, but heavy compare to other competitors. I think it’s a fair trade off, considering it seems to be built for longer ownership (I’m not going to say for sure as I haven’t own them long enough.) I own Bose QC series where I place them in the case when not in use and after a few years all the pleather on head band and earpad just looked shredded. Ugly. I have Sony XM4 and it seems to hold up better, but I don’t feel as confident as APM. Same goes to it not folding, I don’t mind it as long as it extend life of usage. I do understand people saying it take up too much space which it does when traveling. Same can be said with between in ear headphones vs over ears.
I love the earpad of APM, it has good space for your ears and the mesh is more comfortable then pleather. I’ve been waiting for this and main reason why I jumped for APM. I got to give it to apple to be able to execute this with the ability to be able to give it good ANC and good bass without the use of pleather to trap sound from coming in and out.
Also, I hate how most headphones are going for swipe commands as I find them slow to respond and clunky. Buttons and all, all day long.
The Sony XM5 to me does look better, it has that clean look. The ANC is more consistent and better at blocking sound (although AMP does do an excellent job). It is lighter and having EQ is always good. It has better battery life.
I find it interesting how people don’t realize that there will always be people who prefer one to another and I don’t get how people bash one vs the other when these headphones that are being compared are practically top tier Bluetooth headphones. I get pointing out flaws, but some goes too far. It’s like hating on someone for liking Pepsi over coke or dr. Pepper.
 
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If I would say two things that bothers me as far as the APM, it would be price and battery life.
The price of APM is high compare to other competitors headphones, but as a whole I think it’s price is good due to built cost. I don’t mind spending a little bit more on headphones because I use them daily and most headphones I own last long for how much use. I don’t think I have one that quit on me yet and I own quite a bit, and a lot of high end ones too. The no power button is actually pretty nice to me and would be a much better experience if the battery life is longer.
The APM actually isn’t that heavy, but heavy compare to other competitors. I think it’s a fair trade off, considering it seems to be built for longer ownership (I’m not going to say for sure as I haven’t own them long enough.) I own Bose QC series where I place them in the case when not in use and after a few years all the pleather on head band and earpad just looked shredded. Ugly. I have Sony XM4 and it seems to hold up better, but I don’t feel as confident as APM. Same goes to it not folding, I don’t mind it as long as it extend life of usage. I do understand people saying it take up too much space which it does when traveling. Same can be said with between in ear headphones vs over ears.
I love the earpad of APM, it has good space for your ears and the mesh is more comfortable then pleather. I’ve been waiting for this and main reason why I jumped for APM. I got to give it to apple to be able to execute this with the ability to be able to give it good ANC and good bass without the use of pleather to trap sound from coming in and out.
Also, I hate how most headphones are going for swipe commands as I find them slow to respond and clunky. Buttons and all, all day long.
The Sony XM5 to me does look better, it has that clean look. The ANC is more consistent and better at blocking sound (although AMP does do an excellent job). It is lighter and having EQ is always good. It has better battery life.
I find it interesting how people don’t realize that there will always be people who prefer one to another and I don’t get how people bash one vs the other when these headphones that are being compared are practically top tier Bluetooth headphones. I get pointing out flaws, but some goes too far. It’s like hating on someone for liking Pepsi over coke or dr. Pepper.
That was a lot of typing that you could have written in a single paragraph as you seemed to be repeating yourself. Pepsi vs Coke? Nope! It's not a matter of taste. Some of us wanted to love the APM but found them to be too heavy in use for long periods of time. That isn't a matter of personal taste. It's a matter of them being too heavy for some users thus causing a build-up of pain. As you should know, human heads and ears come in different shapes and sizes. I'm 6'1" with an average size head and ears for my height. The APM didn't work for me. I know several other people who had the same experience and have read about many others in reviews across the web.
 
That was a lot of typing that you could have written in a single paragraph as you seemed to be repeating yourself. Pepsi vs Coke? Nope! It's not a matter of taste. Some of us wanted to love the APM but found them to be too heavy in use for long periods of time. That isn't a matter of personal taste. It's a matter of them being too heavy for some users thus causing a build-up of pain. As you should know, human heads and ears come in different shapes and sizes. I'm 6'1" with an average size head and ears for my height. The APM didn't work for me. I know several other people who had the same experience and have read about many others in reviews across the web.
Correct. That’s your preference and you are not bashing it. You are stating your opinion about its weight and your preference in weight. If you look up a lot of full size headphones they weight just about the same weight and been around forever. No one really mention about the weight. I’m sure you are correct in saying other feels the same way as you as I’m sure many don’t feel that way also. They’re are people who say they feel pressure on the head from the Xm5.
If my post is too much to read move to the next easy.
My coke and Pepsi comment is about some people love the xm5 and some love the APM. You fall in the XM5 side. Again nothing wrong with it, but people go extreme and crazy about not liking something as far as saying the name is weird or apple messed up because they don’t like it or same with Sony.
 
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