Apple AirPods Max Review

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Let’s review the new AirPods Max from Apple (Buy on Amazon).

Our review pair just arrived – and so far, we’re loving them.

Apple AirPods Max Versus Bose QuietComfort 35 II Review (24)

Here’s the new Apple AirPods Max – great sound, noise cancellation, transparency mode, spatial audio, and much more. They are expensive – are they worth it? Read on and find out.

Are they heavier than your average over-the-ear noise-canceling headphones?

Yes – but they sound great and they have the “it just works” factor that Apple is known for.

Read on to find out more…

Here’s some of the styles we are going to look at:

AirPods Max – Video Review on our YouTube Channel

Why read when you can watch? Check out this video from our YouTube channel:

How about the sound? Here’s another review where we compare these directly to the Bose QuietComfort 35 II headphones (which are pretty darn good!)

AirPods Max – Overview

The new AirPods Max is the ultimate personal experience that will bring a perfect balance of exhilarating high-fidelity audio and the effortless magic of AirPods. It has high-fidelity audio, active noise cancellation, spatial audio for theater-like sound, and a stunning design.

Apple Airpods Max

First off, you’ll notice these are heavy. Mine weight 13.5 ounces. This is much heavier than other headphones.

But, they are solidly constructed and look good.

The ear cups are made from aluminum – so that’s part of the weight issue.

AirPods Max - Heavy But Good

These ear cups are aluminum.

From cushion to the canopy, AirPods Max are created for an uncompromising fit that builds the optimal acoustic seal for many distinctive head shapes — fully saturating you in every sound. Its telescoping arms evenly extend and remain where you set them, for a dependable fit and seal. There is a custom-designed mesh textile that wraps the ear cushions to grant pillow-like softness while listening.

Apple AirPods Max - Ear Pad Closeup

Here’s a closeup of the ear pad. It’s soft and comfortable. It’s generously sized and should fit most adult sized ears.

The Digital Crown allows definite control volume, skip between tracks, answer phone calls, and activate Siri. It comes in monotone colors – silver, space gray, sky blue pink, and green.

Apple AirPods Max - Digital Crown

AirPods Max have a digital crown, similar to the watch. It spins with no limits in either direction, and is primarily used for volume control. You can also press once to play/pause, twice to skip forward, and three times to skip backward.

Built to disburse weight and lessen on-head pressure, the breathable knit mesh canopy, spanning the headband is elegantly formed. The stainless steel headband frame brings durability, adaptability, and convenience for a broad variety of head shapes and sizes.

Apple AirPods Max Mesh Headband

The mesh headband is reasonably comfortable – but these headphones are heavy. Mine weighed in at 13.5 ounces. That’s a lot for headphones.

With AirPods Max, users can switch to Transparency mode to simultaneously listen to music while hearing the environment around them — assuring user’s own voice sounds natural while the audio plays perfectly.

Apple AirPods Max - Noise Control

The button on the top opposite the digital crown is the Noise Control button. Press and hold to toggle Transparency Mode on and off. Transparency mode is a killer feature – I love it.

AirPods Max headlines a 40-mm Apple-designed dynamic driver that gives rich, deep bass, accurate mid-ranges, and crisp, clean high-frequency extension so every note can be heard. Using the gyroscope and accelerometer in AirPods Max and iPhone or iPad, spatial audio tracks the motion of a user’s head as well as the device, compares the motion data, then remaps the sound field so it stays anchored to the device, even as the user’s head moves. AirPods Max features great battery life with up to 20 hours of high-fidelity audio, talk time, or movie playback with Active Noise Cancellation and spatial audio enabled.

AirPods Max Sound Quality

AirPods Max sound great – but not necessarily any better than other high-end headphones. It’s more about the killer iOS integration and Transparency mode. It’s worth it for those features, in my opinion.

AirPods Max - Ear Pad

Ear Pads are magnetically attached, and can be replaced. Different colors are available. This is Space Gray.

AirPods Max Review – In Summary

With sound that appears to be so crisp and bright with a beautifully extensive soundstage even at the maximum volume. AirPods Max from Apple (Buy on Amazon) sound just as good as other high-end headphones.

AirPods Max - Lightning Port

How do you charge? Lightning port on the bottom, and it’s accessible even when in the Smart Case.

Photo Credits

Some product photos on this page are property of Apple.

Airpods Max Looking like a purse in the smartcase

The smartcase tells the AirPods to conserve battery – that’s good because there is no on/off button. But, it does look like a purse, and it’s not a compact shape. Shown next to the zippered case for the Bose QuietComfort headphones.

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Last update on 2024-03-29 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API