What's new

AirPods Max headphones (1 Viewer)

Ted Todorov

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Aug 17, 2000
Messages
3,706
So Apple’s AirPods Max over the ear headphones are really great. (Our many years old Bose headphones were falling apart, big Black Friday discounts). Switching between Apple devices works great, noise cancellation works great, but most noticeably the sound quality is superb. I really noticed it last night watching via our AppleTV the Robert Stigwood documentary “ Mr. Saturday Night” (which is great, BTW), and the sound seemed to be coming straight off the TV screen — it really was like sitting at really good movie theater.

Music sound quality is great as well. I probably would have gotten them on day one if not for the pandemic preventing me from trying them on at local Apple Store. (The Beats headphones didn't fit me at all, the Bose ones did, very comfortably, I was afraid the Apple branded ones would be like the Beats).

Yes, the cases are the dumbest thing ever as many reviews have mentioned, but if you want truly great headphones for home or work, these are it. They also show how absurdly superior to generic Bluetooth Apple’s proprietary AirPlay is.
 

Ronald Epstein

Founder
Owner
Moderator
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jul 3, 1997
Messages
66,558
Real Name
Ronald Epstein
Been sitting here today watching many, many YouTube videos dedicated to the newly released Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones and it pushed me to revisit my current Apple AirPods Max and how I felt about them.

First, it looks like Sony did a really nice job with their new XM5 headphones. It is getting rave reviews on sound quality and not-so-rave reviews about its redesign which no longer allows you to fold the cups in to store them inside a smaller case. Still, that design flaw aside, almost every review I have read and watched today are heralding these headphones as being the best out there for consumers.

What is interesting, however, is that a few of those reviews pitted Sony's XM5 headphones against Apple's Airpods Max.

Surprisingly, the Airpods Max held their own against Sony's new flagship headset. Sound quality and overall noise cancelation seemed to be on par with each other.

Looking back on Apple's announcement of their AirPods Max, I believe I kicked up quite a bit of dirt on this forum about its price and my unwillingness to purchase it. Of course, I always say things like that and end up buying the product anyway.

My AirPods Max hangs on a clamp hanger attached to my side table that sits next to my favorite chair. It's always within reach and I wear them daily while listening to music or YouTube videos. I have been completely satisfied with the AirPods Max, particularly for its luxury look, feel, noise cancellation (which is excellent), and sound quality.

And while the AirPods Max is overpriced as with every Apple product out there, I do think I got my money's worth. These are quality headsets.

I am hoping that Apple releases a refreshed model this year with lossless capability and a better charging case. I would consider trading these in for a refreshed model if that were possible.

So, congrats, Sony on your new headsets and thank you for not making them that much better than my current Apple Airpods Max.



 

Ted Todorov

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Aug 17, 2000
Messages
3,706
Do the Sony WH-1000XM5 support AirPlay? To me AirPlay 2 vs generic Bluetooth is like Tesla Superchargers vs EVgo or Electrify America — what AirPlay/Tesla Supercharger have in common is “it just works”. There is no step 2 or 3 or 4
 

Clinton McClure

Rocket Science Department
Premium
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jun 28, 1999
Messages
7,766
Location
Central Arkansas
Real Name
Clint
The AirPods Max are insanely great. Music has never sounded this good and I’m hearing things in songs that I’ve never heard before.
 

Ronald Epstein

Founder
Owner
Moderator
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jul 3, 1997
Messages
66,558
Real Name
Ronald Epstein
The AirPods Max are insanely great. Music has never sounded this good and I’m hearing things in songs that I’ve never heard before.

Happy to read that reaction from you, Clinton.

I love my Airpods Max as well. Really hoping that any imminent upgrades are only in color offerings. I would hate to spend this kind of money a year later to buy another pair though I know there have been complaints regarding the lack of lossless support.
 

Clinton McClure

Rocket Science Department
Premium
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jun 28, 1999
Messages
7,766
Location
Central Arkansas
Real Name
Clint
Happy to read that reaction from you, Clinton.

I love my Airpods Max as well. Really hoping that any imminent upgrades are only in color offerings. I would hate to spend this kind of money a year later to buy another pair though I know there have been complaints regarding the lack of lossless support.
I stayed up way longer than I should have last night listening to different songs. One of the most striking is Beastie Boys’ “Intergalactic”. I’ve been listening to that song for almost 25 years and last night, for the first time, I heard sound effects and music notes that I’ve never heard before because every other speaker and headphone I’ve used tended to muddle everything together. I’m really excited to try them out on my flight home from Pittsburgh this Saturday.
 

Ronald Epstein

Founder
Owner
Moderator
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jul 3, 1997
Messages
66,558
Real Name
Ronald Epstein
I stayed up way longer than I should have last night listening to different songs. One of the most striking is Beastie Boys’ “Intergalactic”. I’ve been listening to that song for almost 25 years and last night, for the first time, I heard sound effects and music notes that I’ve never heard before because every other speaker and headphone I’ve used tended to muddle everything together. I’m really excited to try them out on my flight home from Pittsburgh this Saturday.

You will be happy with the performance of these headphones on your flight.

I recently did an EWR -> SFO flight and the Airpods Max did a great job of canceling out surrounding noise.
 

Clinton McClure

Rocket Science Department
Premium
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jun 28, 1999
Messages
7,766
Location
Central Arkansas
Real Name
Clint
A real test came yesterday on my flights home from Pittsburgh - Atlanta then Atlanta - Little Rock. On the first flight, I sat in a window seat on the port side, about 10 rows aft of the wings. It was a Boeing 757 so the turbofans were slung under the wings and I was in a less desirable seat for both noise and movement. On the Atlanta to Little Rock flight, I also was had a window seat on the port side, it I sat directly over the wing, which seems to me to be less noisy and a much smoother ride.

The second I put on the Airpods Max and pressed the button to activate ANC, the entire plane disappeared. We were still boarding at the gate but the entertainment system was already active so I plugged in my lightning to 3.5mm audio cable (yea, I bought one just for flying) and dialed up SpiderMan: No Way Home. Other than the interruptions from pilot and flight crew announcements, I heard virtually nothing outside the movie. Not the din of people talking, nor the turbofans at full thrust, nor the normal thumps and creaks of an airframe in flight, nor the screaming baby two rows up. Until I removed my headset to tell the flight attendant I didn’t want a snack or beverage, I didn’t even hear the caterwauling of the emotional support cat some lady brought on board that was absolutely losing its shit.

I mean, these things are incredible. At first, I was experiencing a little buyers remorse the day after opening them but I’m so glad I got them now. A+!
 

DaveF

Moderator
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Mar 4, 2001
Messages
28,687
Location
Catfisch Cinema
Real Name
Dave
What are you using for a case? I looked at them, but they didn’t fit great — ANR worsened immediately if I moved my head at all from neutral. But also, I travel a fair bit and the lack of a protective case worried me. (End up buying Sony 5 series.)
 

Ted Todorov

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Aug 17, 2000
Messages
3,706
I use the “bra” case they come with and keep them in my backpack.
Same for me (messenger bag instead of backpack) -- no damage of any kind a year + later for mine or my wife's. By now I'd have to be replacing something on the Bose headphones they succeeded. I keep waiting for a need to get a different color replacement cups...
 

Ronald Epstein

Founder
Owner
Moderator
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jul 3, 1997
Messages
66,558
Real Name
Ronald Epstein
Love MKBHD!

Been reading a lot of praise for these headphones. If I didn't already own the MAX I would definitely have bought these.

However, we are probably a year away from the next version of the MAX and I think we will see a lot of the improvements we see here (outside of being lighter).
 

Nathan_H

Second Unit
Joined
Feb 26, 2001
Messages
315
I hope your prediction is right. These new Beats look excellent except of the lack of a neutral response curve option. So if Apple doesn't update these with that option, hopefully they incorporate the learnings from these into the next version of the MAX.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Forum statistics

Threads
356,814
Messages
5,123,769
Members
144,184
Latest member
H-508
Recent bookmarks
0
Top