So Sony headphones are almost up to the level of five year old Apple headphones. At least they’re trying.
Now we wait for AirPods Max 2
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Sony's New WH-1000XM6 Headphones vs. AirPods Max
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Now we wait for AirPods Max 2
Yeah it's silly to have no power button. But OK stow them in the case. Oh that's right, the case is a total afterthought and worthless. I expect more for that kind of money but Apple somehow cheaped out. Sony has a fantastic case so they objectively win on those two fronts as well.
Even the M5 are far better than the AirPods Max.
As someone that owns both? Sony wins this round. It would help if Apple actually addresses the shortcomings instead of just releasing a pair with USB-C and calling it a day.
APM sounded great but I had to return them because of the weight and simply how uncomfortable they became. Design means nothing if it hurts functionality.
Apple is facing a similar problem with the vision VS competitors.
Interested in trying these as an upgrade to my Beats Studio 3.
Apple is facing a similar problem with the vision VS competitors.
Interested in trying these as an upgrade to my Beats Studio 3.
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I can’t say you’re right or the guy who wrote this review for MacRumors is right because I don’t have both. Maybe it’s a personal preference because I know people who rave about Bose but I don’t think they’re great. Either way this shows Apple did pretty good with the design
The APM design is nice! Just a bit heavy. I'd say make it out of titanium next go-round and it's instant buy for me. Bose seem to be sailing on their name reputation but they aren't a serious competitor in the space.
"The AirPods Max have benefits in the Apple ecosystem like instant connection and fast device swapping, and that's something that's lacking with the Sony headphones. If you have a lot of Apple products and don't mind the weight of the AirPods Max, you might prefer them to the XM6. If you're not swapping devices often and prefer a more comfortable fit, the XM6 are the better headphones."
The European Union already is forcing apple device swapping for third party brands. It will happen this year and MR knows this too. Dishonest advice is pretty lame. Shame on you MR!
The European Union already is forcing apple device swapping for third party brands. It will happen this year and MR knows this too. Dishonest advice is pretty lame. Shame on you MR!
Between both headphones, I’d choose the SONY MX6. According to MKBHD they are the best headphones out there with active noise cancellation, with the best noise cancellation.
But not only that. They are lighter and easier to carry around with that nice case.
However, right now the MX5 and MX4 are discounted, and at 280€ and 189€ respectively, they would be my first option if I had to purchase a good noise cancelling headphones.
Fortunately, last year I got a pair of Beats Studio Pro and I can swear by this headphones. Sound is good, really good, and the active noise cancellation is also very good. They are pricy tho, but I got them at a very special price. And their integration with the Apple ecosystem is quite good, I’m not missing the automatic switching from my previous Solo Pro.
But not only that. They are lighter and easier to carry around with that nice case.
However, right now the MX5 and MX4 are discounted, and at 280€ and 189€ respectively, they would be my first option if I had to purchase a good noise cancelling headphones.
Fortunately, last year I got a pair of Beats Studio Pro and I can swear by this headphones. Sound is good, really good, and the active noise cancellation is also very good. They are pricy tho, but I got them at a very special price. And their integration with the Apple ecosystem is quite good, I’m not missing the automatic switching from my previous Solo Pro.
Tried both the Sony and Apple headphones at my local best buy and I gotta say the Sony's were more comfortable and sounded much better .
These look great. In a world where AirPods Max didn't exist I'd probably be buying them right now.
People love to rag on that case, but it protects the headphones as much as they need in a normal backpack or suitcase, while taking up way less volume than a full enclosed case would. I mean, I'm carrying books, snacks and maybe a sweater in my backpack, not rocks and glass. Just need something to keep the earcups from getting scratched or the pads from popping off, and it does that quite well. I will admit that the APM case is aesthetically pretty wonky (never understood the weird exposed seams on the back, for instance), but I think it's spot on for actual functionality.
Didn't realize until your post but I actually have the pro! I always think I have the normal studio because I had the -Beats Pro- way back when they were separate from Apple and the Studio and Pro were separate product lines. That model was also heavy and uncomfortable because it was metal.
The Studio Pro is great but doesn't match the ANC or sound quality of the APM. I've lived with them happily for years because they are much better (for me) than the APM, I actually returned the APM to return to the Studio Pro.
I would like to have better sound quality and ANC because it is obviously available. When you can snag the studio pro's for $150-199 though they are a great deal.
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Every time I look at my case I think of what a failure of imagination and functionality it is. Apple set the bar pretty high in other areas and this thing is just well, phoned in. It mostly does a nearly adequate job of protecting the headphones but I've got a few hairline scratches and that annoys me no end. Apple can and should do better but for all the nice things I can say about the headphones themselves, the case feels like a cost-cutting measure, typical Cook. Compared to the Sony case with its delightful little latch, it's not a great look for the price point
Apple definitely needs to make the second generation APM lighter. Comfort matters with headphones. Also a real case like what the XM6 got. Maybe a magnetic closure feature too like the XM6 case.
Titanium. Let's do it. Stainless was always stupid seeing as how they already had a way to do titanium as evidence by the Apple watch
Depends on what deal Tim can get to put that titanium into the next generation APM. If it’s too expensive, Tim might green-light aluminum instead which would have the side benefit of a lighter weight than stainless steel. The 17 Pro/Pro Max are rumored to be dropping titanium so maybe Apple is moving away from the use of titanium in its products?
Just make them lighter. I don't care how they do it.
Yeah, it very much lacks polish, I'll admit that. I still would not prefer a full gigantic case but yeah, Apple could definitely have turned out something nicer. The thing I find most baffling is that weird mess on the back where all the pieces come together and they didn't really bother to do it nicely.
As much as I love mine (and I've gotten four solid years' use out of mine so far), there are some things about the APM I really don't understand. Like, why did they get *so* close to letting you interchange headbands, but then not follow through with it? And why for the love of god did they not put an H2 chip in there when they revised it, so we could have Adaptive mode and such? Hoping there's a meaningful change to v3 of these, because I just skipped v2.
I suppose this is subjective, but as a music and audio professional I'm gonna have to disagree. The Airpods Max sound just so-so, and for their price they underperform.
Now the buds like the AirPods and AirPods Pro, those sound very good. The Max, not so much.
The weight doesn’t bother me but less weight would be a good thing. I like my APM but they’re still Bluetooth headphones. I love the convenience but wish there was an easy way to pair high end wired headphones with the iPhone for music. Yeah I know that’s outdated but I miss the sound quality. I just don’t miss them enough to spend an arm and a leg for a high end portable music player.
When I lived in LA I saw a shocking amount of APM so I suppose the weight doesn't matter for a good amount. It did keep me away from what I thought was otherwise a solid product though.
Why do you feel they sound so-so? Are you comparing them to wired headphones or Bluetooth? What do you feel is a not so-so pair of over the ear headphones?
I forget I’m wearing them after a short period. I mean that’s technically not correct but I’m not actively thinking about the huge caps on my ears. I don’t workout with them and I suspect the weight would be an issue doing that.