Review: AirPods Max are as important for music to me now as the iPod was - 9to5Mac (2024)
Update November 21, 2022: I’m re-upping my review from August 2021 while AirPods Max are on sale for $450 on Amazon and Best Buy.
While I’m here, I’ll add that AirPods Max are still a great purchase in November 2022. They’re that good and the only rumored change has been new colors, but we no longer expect that to happen this year. I recommend AirPods Max at $549, and the price is even more palatable for $100 less.
AirPods Max weren’t an instant purchase for me when they showed up online last December, but I talked myself into giving them a shot when they showed up in stores a week later. Eight months later, I can’t stop recommending them to anyone who can stomach the $549 price tag (or find a deal).
My validation for the purchase was heavily weighted by my role as a writer and podcast host for 9to5Mac, yet it was my appreciation for music that convinced me to close my eyes and click the buy button.
There are so many better ways to spend $589 (after tax) than on a single pair of headphones. Already owning and loving AirPods Pro really made me iffy about the purchase. Inventory was still severely limited in February, so I offloaded them at cost before an expensive move.
But as the proverb goes: if you love something, set it free; if it comes back, it is yours. I really missed how music sounded on AirPods Max compared to AirPods Pro. Six weeks later, I closed my eyes once more and replaced my AirPods Max with a new pair. I think I’ve used them for at least an hour every day since buying this set.
Everyone’s experience varies, but this is mine. AirPods Max feel as important to me right now as the iPod did in the 2000s. AirPods Pro earbuds are my go-to solution in plenty of situations where wearing headphones wouldn’t be appropriate or possible, but AirPods Max raises the ceiling for me of how audio should sound. Factor in the Apple sauce to create a convenient user experience (wireless, solid connection, new features through software), and I’m totally sold these days.
I’m 30 and counting, but I vividly recall distinguishing different instrument tracks in music for the first time when I was 15. I could listen to one song five times and focus on a different track each time. This also happens to be when I realized the bass guitar is as important in rock music as lead and rhythm guitars.
AirPods Max recreate that experience for me again. I’ve gotten so accustomed to the quality of Apple’s white earbud variety that AirPods Max make me realize there are tracks in songs I didn’t pick up on before. Most recently, I’ve been revisiting songs from the late 2000s and picking up on background vocals and other tracks that weren’t as distinct before. This experience is what makes AirPods Max feel worth it, even if they are so freaking expensive. “You only have to buy once,” I keep telling myself…
Music isn’t the only special experience created with AirPods Max for me. Watching a movie or TV show on Apple TV or iPad Pro with AirPods Max is a fantastic experience. I have a Dolby Atmos sound system, but often enough, it’s more immersive to take in a movie with AirPods Max when I’m watching on my own. The noise cancellation and transparency features are also seriously effective for keeping my head on while single parenting my 4- and 8-year-old kids.
I love my AirPods Max, but I have to be honest. I'm reaching for them a lot less after getting AirPods Pro v2, which have greatly improved sound quality for music.
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The $550 price is still the biggest hurdle to overcome with AirPods Max at this point, but I’m beyond the point of seeing the value in the purchase for me. Criticisms at launch like the lack of wireless charging or a USB-C port go away once you find your charging rhythm (especially if that’s daily).
The weird case situation was remedied through firmware, and in reality, mine just lives in the top of my closet. My AirPods Max have their own pocket in my backpack for safekeeping.
I’m only slightly miffed that there’s no compatibility with Apple Music’s hi-res lossless audio quality, but that’s the nature of wireless headphones anyway. I’m still saving exploring the world of DACs and reference headphones for another time.
If you’re on the fence over AirPods Max but could imagine a similar use case as mine, I highly recommend closing your eyes and pressing the buy button, too.
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AirPods Max feel as important to me right now as the iPod did in the 2000s. AirPods Pro earbuds are my go-to solution in plenty of situations where wearing headphones wouldn't be appropriate or possible, but AirPods Max raises the ceiling for me of how audio should sound.
To cancel unwanted external sound, AirPods Max use a total of six outward-facing microphones to detect noise in your environment, and two inward-facing microphones to measure what you're hearing. Beamforming microphones help isolate your voice on phone calls, so it's heard clearly — even in windy situations.
Turning the volume all the way up on your AirPods can cause hearing damage. Fortunately, AirPods also offer a way to monitor your volume and keep the volume within safe limits. The World Health Organization recommends keeping daily headphone listening to 60 minutes or less. Try to keep the volume below 70 dB.
If you're looking for the best audio quality, there is no contest. Apple Music trounces Spotify without breaking a sweat thanks to its immense library of lossless, Hi-Res, spatial, and Dolby Atmos tracks.
While the pair do have a few hiccups, there's no denying the AirPods Max are some of the best over-ear headphones on the market. With their premium design, competitive sound profile and Spatial Audio feature, they're an outstanding choice for Apple users who are prepared to make a significant investment.
Why is the AirPods Max so expensive? For one, it's Apple, and most products under the brand name are overpriced. Still, they are a great pair of headphones with premium features that work well with iOS. But there are far better bang-for-your-buck options out there.
The latest robbery happened on January 18 in Astoria, when 16-year-old had his AirPod Max headphones snatched from him while standing on Steinway Street. The price tag of the headphones is around $550. "They will ride up on an unsuspecting victim and snatch their headphones right off their heads," said NYPD Capt.
Beats provide a more budget-friendly option with strong ANC, good sound quality, and compatibility across devices, including non-Apple ones via USB-C and a 3.5mm jack. AirPods Max offers superior ANC, exceptional comfort, and premium sound quality at a higher cost.
Answer a call: Press the Digital Crown. Note: If you turn on announce calls, you can also answer or decline a call using your voice. End a call: Double-click the Digital Crown.
Here's what you can expect: Your AirPods Max can get up to 20 hours of listening time, talk time, or movie playback when you have Active Noise Cancellation and spatial audio turned on. If you charge your AirPods Max for 5 minutes, you get around 1.5 hours of listening time.
That's because many airlines don't use a standard 3.5mm headphone jack so you'll need a specific type to be able to plug them in. If you own the original EarPods (or new USB-C EarPods) or Apple's over-ears AirPods Max, then you can use the 3.5mm Audio Cable to connect them to a carrier's on-board entertainment system.
New Apple Music subscribers get six months free with an eligible audio device. Make sure your iPhone or iPad is running the latest iOS or iPadOS. Then, you can activate your Apple Music trial after you pair your audio device to your iPhone or iPad. Or visit support.apple.com for more information.
Spotify Premium accounts range in price from $5.99 per month for students to $16.99 per month for families. Individuals and couples will find prices that range from $10.99 per month to $14.99 per month.
If you put your AirPods Max in the Smart Case when you're not using them, they go into a low power mode immediately to preserve battery charge. After 18 hours in the Smart Case, your AirPods Max go into an ultralow power mode that turns off Bluetooth and Find My and maximizes battery life.
Release Date (Expected): Second Half 2024—First Half 2025
Analyst Jeff Pu also confirms he is expecting a late 2024 launch window, with USB-C as the major new feature. He says Luxshare ICT and Hon Teng in China will assemble the AirPods Max.
However, the AirPods Max are over-ear headphones. Their integrated microphone performs better, and they have a continuous battery life of about 21 hours, which is longer than the approximately five hours provided by their truly wireless counterpart.
Answer a call: Press the Digital Crown. Note: If you turn on announce calls, you can also answer or decline a call using your voice. End a call: Double-click the Digital Crown.
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