60 reviews for Apple AirPods Max Wireless Over-Ear Headphones

1. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Erin AllenErin Allen – March 30, 2023

   WHY DID I WAIT

   Apple has done it again. I ordered these for myself after months of debate (because of the hefty price tag) but my birthday came along and I took the plunge. I have the Apple AirPods Pro and they DON’T stay in my ears. Very annoying. These are now my favorite accessory. I am so thrilled with these. There are a couple of things I want you to note… a pros and cons list if you will.Pros:1. Noise cancellation… enough said. My sister was in the middle of a sentence when I first put these on and I couldn’t hear a word she said… just seemed like she was mumbling.2. Classic Apple buttons you’re already familiar with (if you’re an Apple user and I’m assuming you are if you’re buying these.)3. Ease of connection. I picked up my phone and connected them and was listening to music within 5 seconds. Brilliant.4. Sound quality. Crystal clear. Amazing. Hearing lyrics unlike ever before. Hearing background music, instruments, bass, etc. like I’ve never heard before.5. Their storage case. The storage case is sleek and hugs them just perfectly. It feels like a nice felt material and feels high quality. The darker shade of green complements the green headphones so well. I love it.Cons:1. Weight. Yeah, these guys are a little heavy. It does not interfere with keeping my head up or anything of the sort, but they’ve got a noticeable weight about them. I know my head will adjust over time.2. Size. My AirPods Pros slipped down in my purse, pocket, side bag, fanny pack… wherever I wanted them. These are big. You will either be carrying them or putting them in a larger bag. Only a slight inconvenience I’m willing to endure for these.Altogether, I give these a solid 10/10. It is a hefty investment (to me) for a pair of headphones but I will use these in my studio when I’m creating and using my loud tools. Also in the middle of the night when I’m binging Gilmore Girls… iykyk. I’m also a traveler with some local and international travel planned for this year. These will be a lifeline and I can’t wait to use them for that.Very good purchase for me. I look forward to years and years of amazing sound thanks to these. Thanks, Apple.

   94 people found this helpful

2. 

   Rated 3 out of 5

   Stephen – March 30, 2023

   Many caveats and issues

   Apple introduced some very expensive headphones at $550 (unless you can find a discount on Amazon). They do not come with a real protective case. Apple provides a TACO looking cover for only the ear cups! What is also important to know is there is no off button. If you place them down they go into standby. Only way to put them in a deep sleep to preserve battery life is to wrap them in the poorly design TACO case. Only a third party case or stand with magnets in the precise place will deep sleep these! I ended up buying both (another $75).Since there is no off button you end up with a dead battery if you do not charge them after a few days. Then you must charge them a bit to use them. Kind of defeats the quick connect!Note also there is no way to use these with a wired connection out of the box! BlueTooth only. You would need to buy a $35 Apple cable to used them on a plane or my wired device. Unfortunately I bought and tried TWO of these Apple provided cables and no luck at all getting any audio! The cables are thin and cheaply made (unlike most Apple stuff). Plus they do not work at all. I returned both cables when I saw the Apple forums filled up with people reporting no audio like what I experienced.I am past the point of returning these expensive headphones. So I am making the best of what they are. Now for what they do best. The noise cancellation and sound quality is excellent. The built quality is also quite good with mostly metal and magnetic ear cups that can be easily replaced. Apple has a big edge when you are part of the Apple ecosystem for switching devices and spacial audio. The headphones are a bit heavy, but comfortable to wear.Comparing the AirPod Max to Sony WH-1000XM5 which I bought and returned, I found the AirPods Max to be superior in ANC and sound quality. Found the Sony’s to be very bass heavy and the included software a train wreck. They were lighter and more comfortable to wear.I bought AppleCare so I have some coverage.I hope someone from Apple reads these reviews. Spending as much as I did I probably would have skipped these u til they get improved. Apple NEEDS to provide a REAL protective case and a wired solution that is included and actually works.In the meantime these AirPod Max will only get used in my house with BlueTooth only (shame). My travel headphones will remain my trusty old Bose QC35 that fold small, have a protective case and a wired solution.I cannot recommend these until the bugs and issues are worked out. Since I am writing this in Feb 2023, I think you need to wait for Apple to co e out with a new model addressing these issues. Not a totally happy buyer on this one!

   14 people found this helpful

3. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Aaron – March 30, 2023

   After 5 months I write this review. Amazing headphones, a must-have for Apple nerds.

   I believe these headphones shouldn’t be taken outside. They are expensive. I have a cool hanger thingy that looks like a banana hanger where these hang on, and they never leave my home. The sound quality is insane. I cannot stress how amazing the sound is. I went from a 120$ pair of Sony headphones which I didn’t have any gripes with, but I didn’t know what I was missing until I popped these on and pressed play. These headphones are the way apple justifies being an apple nerd in the sound quality department. It just makes sense if you own apple products already. Did I mention they are expensive? The noise canceling is mind blowing. I can vacuum with these and still hear what im listening to quite clearly. My girlfriend gets completely blocked out when I have these on, I literally cannot hear her because the noise cancelling is insane. My neighbors dog who never stops barking? Bye bye didn’t even struggle canceling that out. It basically makes you beyond legally deaf which is what it should do. You can push a button next to the Apple Watch style volume crown which turns on transparency mode, which is surprisingly good as well. It basically lets you keep the headphones on and hear as if they weren’t on, actually you can hear a bit better than normally from my personal experience. Its weird how good these functions perform in practical use and I find myself using transparency mode as it is easier than just taking them off. I gave this review 5 stars after debating in my own mind the battery life. My old Sony headphones which were only $120 which isn’t necessarily cheap, but it isn’t $450. Those headphones, the Sony, had over 30 hours of battery life. HOWEVER I decided to still give 5 stars even in the battery life department. The reason is simple and it is because of how the noise cancelling is just insane. I just figured (idk if im right) that the insane noise canceling must require more power. The way I figured this isn’t necessarily scientific so idk. These headphones have really blown me away and they are super comfortable, they sound amazing, and I never really find the battery life as some kind of issue that im always running into, so I just put 5 stars. If you are on the fence, just ask yourself, do you like nice stuff? If you are like me and have a MacBook an iPad an iPhone an Apple Watch a house full of HomePods, AirPods, ect. Your deeply enslaved in Apple at this point. There isn’t any turning back from the plane of higher existence that apple is selling myself and those like me. Ease of use is unmatched, just pop them on. The headphones even know wether it should connect to my phone or my laptop or iPad as it connects to whatever device im currently using, which is super nifty. I don’t have to even push a button to go from laptop to phone, I can just pause whatever is on my laptop, grab my phone and start playing music and it automatically switches. This is standard of apple H series microprocessor powered headphones however, so its not necessarily something new compared to any of the other AirPods, but I have noticed that it has superior range compared to the normal AirPods earplugs. This last section of my review will be a summary. I listened to all my favorite songs with these on and they sounded almost unrecognizable. If your in the apple ecosystem, and you are on the fence, just buy them. Treat yourself to amazing noise canceling, insane sound quality, and apple ecosystem no-effort compatibility. Sure the case sucks but it looks cool on a desk. Mine is blue and it does look slick and modern but function is just cosmetic and serves to magnetically shut off the headphones while inside the case. If your going to travel with these, yeah you gotta buy a sturdier case for sure. Dont throw these in a bag without a hard case. There are many good hard cases on amazon, and that is something to take into consideration before you make your purchase, it is not going to last long on the go without one. Hope this review was somewhat helpful, I have owned these for 5 months now and I love them.

   43 people found this helpful

4. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   HonestButFair – March 30, 2023

   Life changing

   Ear buds always bothered me. Now that I’ve experienced these, I’ll never live without over the ear headphones. I don’t have anything to compare these to, but the noise cancellation, spatial audio, sound quality, auto pairing with Apple devices…that was enough for me, but these also paired easily with my Windows Laptop. I can make a phone call and no one is yelling that they can’t hear me. It took me a moment to realize they are adjustable, which is even more awesomeness. 10/10, highly recommend for anyone, but especially if you have ADD or ADHD. The noise cancellation literally changed my life. It’s almost a double edged sword. Can’t hear when the washer/dryer finishes, I forget I ever put clothes in. I live in a high traffic area. No more listening to people driving by with their loud music or exhausts. Only my own loud music. LOVE THESE.

   5 people found this helpful

5. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Osk – March 30, 2023

   These are the best of the best and Amazon had the best price.

   This was not an easy buy as it required due diligence given the cost, making sure I was getting what in my opinion are the best headphones at the moment. Being an Apple user, these headphones made sense as they would integrate seamlessly into my ecosystem. If I were an Android user, I would have most likely gone with the Bose options; which also sound terrific and are really comfortable but are less expensive. Lastly, if it weren’t for the Amazon gift cards I got over Christmas, I don’t think I would have been comfortable spending over $500 on headphones. Whatever your situation is, if you want the best of the best and are an Apple user, these headphones will not disappoint.

   4 people found this helpful

6. 

   Rated 1 out of 5

   M. CordobaM. Cordoba – March 30, 2023

   Water/Condensation buildup after 3-4 hours

   Summary: TLDR;Love the sound, great comfort on top of head (but a little tight on the side of the head around the ears), awesome for movies (spatial audio is awesome) and music. Excellent ANC. Connection from phone to iPad and back is perfect. However there is water buildup after 3-4 hours underneath the earcups – repeatable when just sitting at my desk at 66-70 degrees. Connection to a MacBook Pro and back to phone is just not as seamless, and it gets lost sometimes. I returned them but tested them extensively for 3 weeks, really wanted to keep them but the water flaw is too concerning at this price to risk it.Detailed Review:I’m going to start with the good:- spatial audio is really good. Watching the Mandelorian is great – more for the surround sound experience than the more gimmicky thing with turning your head – which is “cool” but adds little to no value. Whereas surround sound – experiencing noises from different sides really helps with the immersion.- sound quality is excellent for Bluetooth headphones. I preferred these instead of the XM4. I am not an audiophile but I like good sound and these seemed more balanced. I have $200 wired seinheiser headphones that I might like a tiny bit better for music for what it’s worth.- construction build quality is definitely a step up from competitors.- connecting to iOS devices is excellent and to a MacBook Pro is good – but not great. More on that later.- ANC really good equal pretty much to XM4. I think xm4 is slightly better at some things and these are better cancelling other noises. Overall excellent- headband / top of head very comfortable. Much more so than the xm4.Neutral:- lots of people made a big deal about no power off button and talk about it just “draining battery” unless you put it in the case. I tested this a lot, and it seems Apple is accurate when they say it goes to low power mode after 5 minutes of inactivity. Losing about 1% every couple of hours. Essentially losing 5% when left without a case overnight. I’m talking 5-6pm to 8am. However I had an issue where they wouldn’t turn on (only 1 day) with a full battery. Since there is no power button… I removed them form my ears out then back on, I stuffed them in the “smart case” removed them, nothing. I plugged them to the lightning cable to see if the charge light would turn on, and then they immediately started working (battery read 109%, I only plugged them in for 5 seconds). It only happened one day out of 20… but annoying nonetheless.- ear pad material is soft but course so moving it side to side hurts my ears. But leaving then on (normal use case) is comfortable.Cons:- the “case”. It has a nice material but it doesn’t provide any protection for them at all. Fairly pointless and you can see all the jokes online about it. I don’t think it looks bad, it’s just pointless without any protection. Going to ultra low power mode a day sooner (it still takes like 15 hours or something, not sure why it’s not instant to that power mode).- the price. Just a tad too high to swallow, but I had returned the XM4 for various small annoyances to splurged on this hoping it solved the issues – it mostly does but the last 2 points made me return them:- connecting to MacBook Pro and iPhone “automatic switching”. I was hoping this would be better than the XM4 (which constantly got stuck on the wrong device and had no way other than turning off Bluetooth to send it back to the laptop). It is better, but it’s not perfect. It’s perfect between iOS devices – going back and forth from phone to iPad is seamless and pretty amazing – much better than anything out there. However once a MacBook is involved it’s a different deal. There is a little prompt at the top right that shows up that you need to click when switching back and forth, but it no always shows up. Sometimes it does, sometimes it switches automatically and sometimes I need to connect the headphones to the MacBook again. I’m still not sure when it does which of them. However removing them from my ears and putting them back on resets it and I’m connected to the MacBook or the prompt shows up for me to click. Overall I’m not sure why they couldn’t make it as seamless as iOS where just clicking pause on one and play on them other switches the connection immediately: there is no awkward prompt or anything. Overall I was disappointed on the instant switching when involving my MacBook Pro. Still works better than the xm4 and Bose 700 that sometimes gets lost in between with no easy reset.Finally why I returned them – you can see the pictures I attached. I wanted these as primary work headphones (conference calls – which they work great, ANC which works great, easy switching which works very good but not great, and for music and movies which they are excellent).However the stories online I thought maybe affected few people. The first day I didn’t have any buildup, nor the second or the third. However today after a 4 hour session, I checked and there was enough for me to not be comfortable that these expensive headphones would last the 10 years I was hoping they would.If it weren’t for the water buildup I would probably keep them, they are that good, but this is a deal breaker since Apple does not cover water damage as part of warranty.I was simply sitting in my desk, half basement. I didn’t walk or exercise or anything. Temperature was 66 degrees Fahrenheit so fairly cool. The theory online is the metal acts as a heat sink in comparison to the warmth between your ears and earcup area.Update: I have been able to consistently (daily) repressive the condensation issue. It was not a one time thing. After 3-4 hours every day I get to wipe the inside because there is water. Yeah I returned them.Anyway I’m not gonna risk holding an expensive paperweight. Too bad because they are great headphones with a fatal flaw.I contacted Apple and the just said: “we are aware of the claims and are looking into them”. They are not just claims they are very much real. And you don’t have to wear them for 20 hours – this was only 4 hours.If you have a question feel free to ask. I’ve tested these and the xm4s fairly extensively.

   303 people found this helpful

7. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Liam McFerrin – March 30, 2023

   Absolutely worth it. Conditionally.

   I know that there are a lot of mixed reviews for these headphones, but honestly after having them just for a day, I have since ignored all said reviews. I do understand that the retail price point for these is quite absurd, and that is the only thing that couldn’t justify a purchase of these for me, but if you can find them below $490, I really do think that these are worth it. Let’s get into it!Pros:- Complete compatibility – With Apple devices, easy pairing and easy management is seamless. These make more sense in my opinion if the majority of your daily use devices are Apple, because they are just made to work and boy, do they work well.- Noice cancelling – This is something in my opinion that Apple has always excelled in, ever since the AirPods Pro. The cancellation is perfect and honestly a little crazy how well they work. I was screaming music at near full volume and couldn’t hear myself at all. Also, the transparency mode works well as always, especially considering that these are over the ear headphones.- Build quality and comfort – Obviously this is a more premium product, and it shows. Every aspect of the headphones are fine tuned and made to perfection, and it sure feels like it. Putting them on for the first time was a bit wonky, as I needed to get used to them, but once I adjusted the headband and got used to the fit, they were great. I can see myself wearing these for hours on end without any problems. Just make sure that you take care of them well, and they will last.- Sound quality – These sound GREAT. They get pretty loud and once you tinker around with some EQ settings and for certain things turn off Dolby Atmos (I can find it makes some things a bit quieter), these are amazing. Honestly, Apple should make car speakers or just separate bluetooth speakers, because their technology at this point is a the top of the market in my opinion. Now, if you are an audiophile, these may not completely cater to all of your desired points, as they don’t officially support lossless audio, but for the average consumer these sound great. And if you want to get even better sound quality, you can purchase Apple’s lighting to 3.5mm cable (yes, it is $35, I know. Absurd.)Cons:- Price point – At a retail of $549, these are stupid expensive. You do get what you pay for, but I still think a lower price would make more sense as there are other options on the market that are more feature heavy. But again, at a lower price point, (I was able to snag these for $449), I think they’re great.- Not for everyone – What you need to understand with Apple products is that they aren’t made for everyone and aren’t catered to everyone’s needs. Yes, the Sony WH-1000XM4s (phew) have more features overall, and are more customizable to one’s needs, but everything Apple has ever made has always been that way. They decide to include less features to make a more perfect overall product, catering to their target Apple user. These headphones are one of many examples of that – Apple is always quoted to “fall behind” android in the smartphone OS market, but they are merely taking more time perfecting what they do to work as well as possible for as long as possible.So, in conclusion, if you think that these would be good for you, and work well for your lifestyle and devices, take a shot at them. Just compare all your options and depending on what you want or need, these may or may not fit in. I don’t think you will be disappointed if you do decide to get them.

   173 people found this helpful

8. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Jackie Griffith – March 30, 2023

   Best headphones

   Love these headphones, the buds never fit in my ears properly so these over the ear are my favorite. I fly a few times a week for work and these are the best headphones on the plane. I never realized how loud the plane was until I turned the noise cancellation off mid flight just to see if it actaully worked.

   2 people found this helpful

9. 

   Rated 4 out of 5

   Peter W. Chan – March 30, 2023

   Good quality, but is it worth the price?

   To the average user, these headphones will do the job. However, the quality does not justify the extremely high price. There are definitely better alternatives for $500 if not less. However, you won’t have the bragging rights of having “Apple Headphones.”

10. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Amazon Customer – March 30, 2023

    Excellent headset

    I love this headset. Sounds great. Very comfortable. Simple yet effective controls. I’ve owned a lot of headphones over many years: one ear and two ear, in ear, on ear, and over the ear, and made by various manufacturers. This one sponsored by Apple, really works well with Apple devices.

11. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Thomas A. Hunt – March 30, 2023

    Works great

    Works great

12. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    فيلسوف ز. – March 30, 2023

    great

    its good

13. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    🙂 – March 30, 2023

    Love these

    These are so comfortable and the noise cancellation is great! I’ve had them for a couple months now and have no complaints.

14. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    dookerJ – March 30, 2023

    These are very luxurious headphones

    These are some nice headphones. I’m an audio engineer and listen to music on reference monitors and headphones all day. I got these to have something nice yet “consumer” to listen on.Music sounds pretty great. I give it 4.5 stars. I I wish I felt the low end a little more but that’s my only complaint, and it’s a very small one. Overall they sound really good for rock, edm, jazz, etc.Dolby Atmos material is even better. Listening to Apple Music or watching movies on my iPad with spatial audio is really cool, and here I don’t want for low end… on movies the low end really sounds like a subwoofer in a movie theater. The sound is increíble, as is the head tracking.The only thing I didn’t really like was I found when listening to music via my iPhone, if the spatialize audio is turned on, head tracking or not, it hypes up the sound and sounds, frankly, terrible. I suggest turning off the head tracking/spatial audio except for content especially designed for spatial audio. It turns stereo signals into a mix that is NOT how the artist intended. Also I noticed that when listening with spatialize audio turned on for stereo songs, I would literally have ringing in my ears and my eardrums hurt for a while after listening. Heed my warning, spatialize audio for stereo music sounds plain BAD!They seem well built. I don’t really abuse my gear but I don’t foreseee any problems.Integration with iPhone and iPad was very simple.Overall these headphones are pretty great. A quality, luxury listening experience for sure. And the current price on sale is pretty darn good.

    8 people found this helpful

15. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    Tonytone222 – March 30, 2023

    BEST headphones I’ve ever owned! WARNING ⚠️ however

    The sound quality on these are freaking amazing between Dolby Vision surround sound for movies, or the thumping bass and spatial audio listening to music, it’s like nothing I’ve literally ever heard. One HUGE problem if you’re similar to myself— Condensation. From even minor ear sweat, these things will not bode well as time wears on. Just check the AirpodMax subReddit. It’s filled with many complaints of disconnecting, no longer working units. I’ve had them 3 weeks and they just stopped working and would no longer connect as of yesterday. I clean the condensation out regularly just to prevent this, but it didn’t matter. Thankfully, this morning I woke up and they must’ve dried out completely and are working again. ☺️ If you still decide to purchase these, GET APPLE CARE!! I use these at my warehouse job and I get minor ear sweat so I made sure to get Apple Care just in case. For $500 it’s a no brainer, especially reading many people on Reddit’s several exchanges.Bottom Line: Absolutely Amazing headphones for CASUAL use. For moderate moving around they’re sustainable if you make sure to monitor the condensation. Thankfully the magnet ear pads make this very easy. You will NOT be able to workout in these or sit in the sun relaxing. You’ve been warned.

    4 people found this helpful

16. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Sal – March 30, 2023

    Gift

    Bought for my sister as a gift and she loves it! I just didn’t like the price lol

17. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Claudia Mancl – March 30, 2023

    Great headphones

    I got these in used “very good” condition for a lower price and they came in perfect condition with no damage. Came with the original box and Smart Case. The only thing missing was the charging cable which I don’t really mind since I have a lot of them already. Upon connecting to my phone, it does say the previous owner can track the headphones with find my iPhone since they will have to remove the device themselves. Yes this is a problem that Apple/Amazon should get a solution for but it’s honestly not that big of a deal to me. They also were named after the previous owner but you can change this right away. Overall, if you can get these for a discounted price, I think they’re worth it. The noise cancellation is okay. Honestly my AirPod pros do a little better job.

    5 people found this helpful

18. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    MitzMitz – March 30, 2023

    5 star headphones

    I bought it under acceptable condition for about $350. It arrived looking like it was new! The one con about getting it from Amazon Warehouse is that it is still under the previous owner’s iCloud. This means that I can’t track it and the previous owner can see my location. To combat this, I attached an AirTag charm to my headphones so that I wouldn’t lose it! The trade-off is pretty worth it. The sound quality is great and switching between devices is seamless. Buying for full price is definitely not worth it but if you can get a deal for around $400 it’d make it worthwhile.

    15 people found this helpful

19. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Gustavo – March 30, 2023

    I needed to write this

    I should mention I have had several top Quality headsets, Bose , Sony Xm4, Sanheizer momentum 4 etc .Today I try these apple airpod max and I have had a kind of cerebral orgasm … I don’t know how express it Differently.I’m not fully into apple ecosistem( Still own laptop pc), but I own Iphone, Ipad and Apple Tv.The experience was when with the apple tv with transparency mode+ Spatial Audio , I put a few scenes from the expanse , dialogs and combats,… my wife was in the same room and she was talking to me and I felt , I hear her as Without headset when at the same time the audio ….. was like coming from the speakers of my A/V 5.1.I ask her….. sorry,.. can you hear the sound of the movie?… I thought the headset was not working and the sound was just coming from my Hify audio device!!… she said ,. – .” no… the audio are on your headset, are it not?” ….. I was like 😳😳… must be the spatial mode!.Then I switch transparency to noise cancelling ,… I knew my wife was there because I have eyes!.This thing is crazy!… it has already 2 years on the market and that make me feel as an idiot for having wait so-long to get it!. Even at full price! ( got it at 449).Will be updating them to a mark 2, no doubt!.Regarding construction,.. well just light year ahead of the plastique competition.Sorry Sony,… love my alpha cameras and Gm lenses but on this department … apple got me .

    36 people found this helpful

20. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    The Bibliophile – March 30, 2023

    So far, so good

    I have an iPhone so the pairing was a breeze. Sound quality is okay. I expected better sound for the price and the fact it’s an apple product. Notice cancellation is good. Voice calling is excellent. They are bit heavier than the usual over the ear headphones, but not too uncomfortable. The headphones don’t have an “off” button. When you remove them from your head, they disconnect but don’t shut off. When put them back on your head, they automatically connect to your phone. I like this headphone and I do recommend them. I bought these maxpods because theSony WH-1000XM5 and theSony WH-1000XM4 voice calling features were TERRIBLE. So I returned the Sony headphones. But the sound quality from the Sony headphones are way better than the maxpods. After comparing all 3 headphones, I’m returning the Apple maxpods and reordering the Sony WH-1000XM4 because I value music sound quality and the apple maxpods are overpriced for the value they deliver.

    4 people found this helpful

21. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    Jay HashJay Hash – March 30, 2023

    Excellent headphones, made in the typical “first draft” Apple way

    Full disclosure: I purchased these headphones back in April 2021 and gave them some break-in time (until June 2021) before I reviewed them, so this is my experience of having them for more than 90 Days.I owned a pair of Beats Studio Wireless 2’s for about 4 years, and they were a useable set of cans. They had some pretty smart wired connections, good battery life, and were rather comfy to wear… but their wireless connections were a nightmare, the integrated Mic awful, and the noise-canceling mediocre. I was looking for a change, and being a consumer of Apple Products and with the generally good reviews I had seen for the Airpod Max, I decided to take the (kind of) expensive plunge. And honestly, I was not disappointed.As with any good review, we’ll break it down into the Pros & Cons and explore both.BUILD QUALITY/DESIGNPROS:The build quality on these headphones is nothing short of phenomenal. They are made of Metal and some nylon or rubber here and there (for the headband and earcup padding) and they feel VERY SOLID. The piston style adjustments on the headband always feel super tight and mechanical (still even months after using them). The earcups are always tight on my head, allowing the headphones to clamp down on my ears and prevent noise leakage. The Earcups are built out of what looks to be a rubberized polycarbonate and padded mesh fabric and are held in by MAGNETS, making them easy to replace if they get soiled or if you want a different color.Also, found out after the fact, the headband is ALSO replaceable if you want a different color later on down the line. The metal the speaker boxes are made from are the standard matte Apple aluminum, and the control buttons on the right speaker box are on par with the dials and buttons included on their Apple Watches (in fact, I’m pretty sure they’re the same buttons, just “upsized” in the CAD program when making this device). It all feels very expensive and well built, and even 100+ days after initial use, still feels “brand new” and solid.CONS:Whereas I love the build quality, there are some pretty glaring design flaws and comfort issues that come along with this first outing from Apple.First, whereas the headphones still fit like they were brand new, I’d hope for some relief on the hard clamping aspect present in them. When I first wore them, I was finding the clamping done by the headphones very tight and threatening to give me a headache if I wore them too long since it was like a vise on my head. This has lessened slightly over time, but it is still very tight. I don’t know of a fix for this outside of constant wear to try and get them to bend a flex to a less tight shape on my dome, but so far they still hurt a bit when wearing them for an extended time.Second, even though I like the good piston mechanics on the ear height adjustment with the headband since it takes some force to properly adjust them, sometimes you have to grip on the speaker boxes and pull downwards on them while pushing upwards on the headband with your cranium to get them to adjust to your liking. This wouldn’t be an issue if the dial and button were on the bottom of the headphones, but since they’re on the top of the right speaker box, it is notoriously difficult to adjust them on your head and not accidentally press one of the buttons, causing playback or the headphones to go into pair mode (which happens if you hold down the buttons for too long). You’d think, “oh, just grab the sides of the speaker boxes”, which makes sense, however as I stated they are made of Apple’s standard aluminum, and to add to that the edges are very rounded, so getting a grip on the side of the headphone speaker boxes is difficult at best.SOUNDPROS: The sound quality on these is an absolute beast, and it’s by far the best pair of headphones I’ve ever used. The audio is clear, and you can hear highs, lows, and everything in between. However, I will be the first to admit, while I am musically inclined and love listening to audio, I’m by no means an Audiophile or claim to be able to hear what types of sounds are being emitted cleanly and loudly, and which aren’t. I usually can if I have good reference, but as these are the best headphones I’ve ever owned, so they become the new baseline. Also, the built in noise canceling is the best in the business right now, and is definitely better than its closest competitor. The reason why it is so good is due to the multiple microphones established in the soundbox housing, which not only work EXTREMELY well for the ANC, but also for phone calls. The phone calls made from these headphones are nearly studio mic grade in how they sound, and are much better than most things included on computers or competitor headphones nowadays.CONS: Though I am not an audiophile, there is something that I can tell— when there is killer bass and when there isn’t. And to my ears, these don’t have a superheavy bass that will rattle your fillings, which is *fine*, but I thought there would simply be *more* bass in the audio. The bass may be enough for most music, and what it has is ok, but nothing akin to the huge bass I was *expecting*. The nice thing is that if you delve into the Accessibility Settings for your Apple product, you can set an audio profile for the headphones so it’ll enhance the audio based on how well you hear (so already, this enhancement is *proprietary*; not a big deal for me as I own nothing but Apple devices, but YMMV).EASE OF USE/ACCESSORIESPROS: If using Apple products, the handoff of the headphones to the other devices works really, really well and hasn’t needed to be paired more than once to each device it is used on. The pairing process is nicely simple if it does go wonky, and doesn’t have nearly as many issues as other BT that gets locked into a single device. The equipment/accessories that it comes with are acceptable (charging lightning cable, bra-esque “case”). The stop/start/volume dial is very responsive and easy to click using the same click sequence that Airpod Pros have used for a while (Double click to advance, triple-click to go back, quad click, etc…). If you take them off your head, the headphones have a similar light sensor that other Airpods have to determine if they’re in your ears or not, and will halt the music accordingly or start playing if they recognize they’re back in place on your head. The lightning cable to charge the headphones is embedded in the base of the right-hand speaker box, and charges using the same style cable that your iPhone and old Airpods do, so you should already have at least one cable for it if you own Apple products.CONS: Hooo boy, ok. So with any early adopter technology, there’s always going to be some bugs that need working out, or some design flaw that (where not crippling) makes the headphones more of a chore and less fun to use. This may be our longest section, but please take these with a grain of salt— none of these are dealbreakers for *me*, but since I’m not you, YMMV. Here are the issues I found in no particular order, but NEED to be discussed as I’ve often seen them glossed over elsewhere—- Analogue Connection. There is no direct analogue connection with these headphones. As most audiophioles claim, digital (especially wireless digital) will never be an acceptable connection replacement for analogue. And most high-grade cans have some sort of analog 3.5mm jack that can be plugged into a normal headphone port that will allow you to use these headphones with devices that don’t transmit via BT, like a Record Player, or high-end sound system. The Airpods Max unfortunately have no such analogue connection. “But!” you may exclaim, “You can always use the Lightning port and plugin a Lightning to 3.5mm converter cable!” This is true… to an extent. First off, to get that feature to work, you need to get a SPECIFIC cable— Apple’s Lighting to 3.5mm cable. The reason? Because that cable, and seemingly ONLY that cable, is BI-DIRECTIONAL. This means that no matter what end you plug your source into, that cable will translate the audio both ways. Most to all third-party cables (that I was able to find in my research) are like an annoying 13-year-old listening to music in 2011: all they play is ONE DIRECTION. Also, to top off the annoyance, when you DO use the Apple Cable, it takes the analogue source, transfers it to the headphones, whose signal is then converted to digital. Automatically, mandatorily, every time. This may be a problem for some people who demand their Analogue output to be heard in its original analogue glory. Also, the Apple cable that you HAVE to use is super cheap feeling and thin, instead of the normal thick or braided casing most headphone cables use. Did I mention that Apple also DOES NOT include this cable with the headphones? It’s extra. Like about $30-$40 extra. So you may be better off with another set of headphones if you want a good, wired, analogue signal.- The “Case”. I feel like the case that is included with these headphones will go down in history alongside the 1998 iMac USB Puck mouse, the Apple Newton, and the Magic Mouse Lightning port as one of their more GLORIOUSLY STUPID design decisions. The “case” is made of what I can assume is leather, but for a set of ~$550 headphones, that’s about the only “premium” feature they boast. There is minimal padding. There supposedly is a magnet included in the area where the headphone edges touch that triggers an internal reed switch to put the cans in standby mode. Half the “case” is exposed to the elements and doesn’t fully cover the electronics, so it isn’t ideal as something to protect from inclement weather. And lastly, and most egregious, is that there is no way to use the case to carry around the headphones or attach them to anything— no belt clip or loop, no hanging clip, nothing. So believe me when I say that you’re gonna need a case for these things if they’re ever gonna leave your home, and it’s almost imperative if you live in a place with inclement weather. I bought a full zip case that has a built-in magnet for the reed switch, has a few pockets for cables, and is very padded. It was worth the cost to make sure that my headphones that cost *half a thousand dollars* stay safe. Apple’s lack of protection has not only garnered users’ ire, but made the Airpod Max case into little more than a joke, and I really can’t see a counterargument to either of those things.- Lack of Lossless audio on their own products. So as many know, Apple has just announced that it will have lossless audio on its Apple Music platform soon, which is a boon to audiophiles everywhere. But in everything I have read about it, they always have the caveat that the lossless audio currently doesn’t work with the Airpod Max headphones. Even if you buy the bi-directional cable from Apple. And there has been no “we plan to support it soon” soundbite, or “we will be updating the Airpod Max firmware to be compatible in XXX of 202X”. So, if that is super important for you, just know it may not be supported on this model of Airpods Max, possibly at all (Apple is notorious in doing this, and will just release it in the next version). So if it is released eventually, I wouldn’t expect it on this model, and you’ll have to plunk down another half a thousand bucks to get a set that will work with the feature.WRAP UP/FINAL THOUGHTSIn the end, I’m really pleased with these headphones. They are some of the finest pieces of audio equipment that I have ever owned, and I love all the premium features they included. Certain areas leave something to be desired on them, but they are niggling feature issues or design kinks that will be worked out later. I am hopeful that these headphones will stay the same for a few revisions and the firmware/software will evolve to support more features, as well as the accessories (and third-party solutions) to be able to work more universally with non-Apple products or be more robust in their construction. To be fair, for a first draft Apple product, they are the accessory that I’ve had the least amount hassle with.All in all, I highly enjoy and recommend these headphones, and if you are an Apple Fan and budding audiophile, I believe you will too. Let’s just hope that Apple keeps improving these models to make them feel like they were worth the ~$550 price point.

    952 people found this helpful

22. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    KelsiKelsi – March 30, 2023

    The most impressive headphones I’ve ever owned.

    The media could not be loaded.

     As you can see, I have an array of headphones that I use for different reasons. I also love them all for different reasons, but the Apple AirPods Max are the most impressive thing I’ve ever heard music come through.I wanted them from the day they dropped. Actually, I wanted them from the day they were announced in the Keynote presentation. I couldn’t afford them, because who can? When I got a job eight months ago that came with a generous home office stipend as part of the compensation package, I knew that these headphones would soon be mine.The noise cancellation is out of this world. I used to wear Bose Quiet Comforts every single day, and thought that the noise cancellation on those was good. I’m not saying that it wasn’t good, but after experiencing that feature on these headphones, I could never go back. I also absolutely love that with the push of a button, you can switch from noise cancellation to transparency mode, which not only turns noise cancellation off, but uses a group of different microphones to bring the outside world into your headphones, almost like hearing aids. I am hard of hearing, and I really appreciate that feature.The headphones are a little heavy, which took some getting used to. My Bose headphones were incredibly light and at times I forgot I was wearing them. You definitely don’t want to accidentally fall asleep with these on, because you will absolutely have a headache when you wake up. That is honestly the only negative thing that I can come up with, however.I prefer my regular AirPods 3rd generation when I’m cleaning or walking my dog, as well as when I’m outside, but otherwise, these are my go to headphones. The microphone is incredible! All of my colleagues say that I sound super clear in meetings, and when I am FaceTimeing with family or talking to someone that I’m gaming with I’ve only heard the same. I generally use my Kraken Kitty headset for gaming, but I’ve definitely busted out the AirPods Max as well.Obviously, there’s also no ignoring that if you’re already fully immersed in the Apple ecosystem, the convenience that comes with buying these instead of a different brand is undeniable. Being able to switch from your iPhone to your iPad to your MacBook and back to your iPhone during phone calls and while listening to music — seamlessly without having to worry about pairing — is incredibly smooth and enjoyable. It’s also great to be able to see your battery life on your screen. They also pair without issue with devices outside of the Apple ecosystem, like the Nintendo Switch!I am well aware of the fact that most people can’t just up and decide to buy a set of headphones like this, but if you’ve had them in your cart, or on a wish list for a while, and you have been saving up, but afraid to make the leap, just go ahead and leap! You won’t regret it.

    37 people found this helpful

23. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    David Whitcher – March 30, 2023

    Bose Noise Canceling 700 vs AirPods Max

    For the past ten years I have enjoyed and been dependent upon noise canceling headphones. With that has come a journey into the audiophile community with others who are on a quest for high-fidelity sound. My journey led me to many headphones that sound absolutely pristine but none with noise canceling and few are wireless. Until late, the Bose Noise Canceling 700 are my compromise for great sound and noise canceling in a wireless headphone. So, when Apple announced the AirPods Max, I had to try them to know how they compare to my Bose 700. Here are my conclusions so far…STYLEThe fit and finish on the AirPods Max is absolutely beautiful! Love it much more than the Bose. I just like the way they look and feel. Before I purchased the AirPods I probably watched 50 unboxing and review videos. So, I thought I had a good idea of how they looked. They are nicer in person. Sleek, premium, modern and minimalistic.COMFORTComfort is about the same! AirPods Max are definitely heavier but do not necessarily feel much heavier on he head as the weight is balanced well. I have larger ears and the ear cups on the Bose 700 go a little deeper to make room for my ears. So, over several hours, the Bose do feel slightly more comfortable. The Bose also do not get as warm as the Apple.TRANSPARENCY MODETransparency mode, in my opinion, is actually more natural on the Bose. The Apple headphones actually amplify the sound around you a few decibles too much. In other words, things sound louder than they actually are with the transparency mode on the AirPods Max. Also, the Bose reproduces your own voice much more naturally when in transparency mode.SOUND QUALITYSound quality at certain volume levels is almost exactly the same. Kind of unbelievable. It is as though Apple reverse engineered the Bose 700 and copied its sound signature and noice canceling to within 5 percent. There is a definite sound quality difference though that changes with the volume level. This is all about the DSP. Of course, the digital signal processing (DSP) is called Computational Audio on the Max and Volume Optimized EQ on the Bose. This is what works differently and what accounts for sound differences dependent on the volume. Basically, the Bose sound better at 60 percent volume and below. Bose just has it dialed in so that everything sounds rich and balanced. I usually listen to music at about 55 percent volume on my iPad. So, I prefer the sound of the Bose. The sound at 60 percent and below on the AirPods Max suffers from a veiled upper midrange. An alto saxophone, for example, will sound as though it is being played behind a wooden door.Now between 60 and 70 percent volume is where both headphones sound virtually the same. It is uncanny! Both sound absolutely wonderful. Probably the best you will ever hear on wireless noise canceling headphones (yes, the Sony has an amplified and unnatural mid-bass making them sound deep but not high fidelity).At 70 percent volume and above the Bose DSP begins to lower the bass response to avoid distortion. The bass gets progressively quieter as you increase on the Bose to where there is virtually no bass at about 90 percent volume. The AirPods Max, on the other hand, handle bass very nicely from 70 all the way up to 100 percent. In fact, they sound perfectly balanced all the way from 60 to 100 percent volume with no sound quality degradation. If there is a fault it is that the bass loses a little nuance. In other words at high volumes the bass is a little over controlled. The softer vibrations like on the trail of a bass string get lost a little.So to summarize the sound comparisons. The two headphones sound equal from 60 to 70 percent volume. The Bose sound bette at 60 percent volume and below. Finally, the AirPods sound better (by quite a bit, it’s not even close) at 70 percent volume and above.CONTROLSThe final comparison are the controls. Apple wins in my book. The Digital Crown has a perfect feel to it. It rotates very smoothly with a perfect amount of resistance. It presses well also. Apple has hyper dialed-in these controls. It makes me never want to have to use the touch-pad on the Bose 700 ever again.WHICH ONE IS FOR ME?Everything is comparable on these two headphones, but in the end, sound quality at my preferred listening level wins out. Since I listen to at about 50 percent volume, the Bose continue to be he choice for me. I just have a fixed routine for when I use noise canceling headphones.Now, I am sure that Apple could probably update their firmware to adjust the computational audio in order to fix the balance issues below 60 percent volume. If they did, then the fit and finish and controls might win me back over to the AirPods Max. But, the slight compromise in long-term comfort would cause me to hesitate a little.ONE LAST THINGOne last thing, the spatial audio is pretty Amazing. If I had to watch movies on my iPad these headphones would be a must. The surround sound effects are as good (slightly better) than my Bose home theatre system. The overall sound quality for movies is slightly less (more sterile and hollow sounding, probably because of the limited Bluetooth codec) than my Bose home theatre system.

    311 people found this helpful

24. 

    Rated 3 out of 5

    Brother Tao – March 30, 2023

    HAD HIGH HOPES BUT GOT THE HIGH HAT!

    Well, I was having difficulty deciding after spending hours each of several days doing research. Most reviewers chose the Sony XM4 because of its much lower price, less weight and proven comfort and reliability. Of course that wasn’t good enough for me because I thought I was a little more audoholic than many so I needed to make a more insightful discovery. I had a Sennheiser several decades ago that was nothing more than a small piece of foam over a small driver and wired of course. It sounded awesome believe it or not so I moved on over to the Sennheiser Momentum 300 which most reviewers rated at or near the top in sound quality and build. It was marked down for modest noise reduction capability and a weight of 300 grams lying in between the Sony at 245 grams and the APMax at 385. Sony is plastic, Apple is metal and fiber and the Momentum is metal and real leather on the ear pads and headband. Apple Earphones are new age sexy, Sennheiser Momentum 300 are retro cool and Sony let’s call modern but plain. Price wise Sony is no higher than $348, Sennheiser is available for $330 down from $400 at introduction in 2019 or so and Apple is $550.Apple does Apple and I have discovered first hand how brutal they are about forcing you to do what they want. If you try to do anything other than pair them with your iPhone or iPad you will meet roadblocks. They only offer music at 48 kilobits per second so that is all they allow you to listen to in their headphones. If you try to hook up to a device with a higher bit rate it will be reduced before it passes through to your headphones. You can theoretically pay $35 for a special little wire that allows you to connect to a device that would otherwise allow you to plug into a receiver. You can only get it from Apple and even then the 3.5 mmonnection won’t fit into receivers because they take a larger jack which is 6.35. So while they sell adapters that will fit the bill they aren’t Apple approved. In short they don’t just want you to buy and use all their equipment. They force you to use their other products to use the headphones successfully. The weight of the Air Pods Max coupled with what they call clamping force makes them very uncomfortable to wear and don’t even think about exercising or running in them. They will bounce around as you move and I began to feel strain and stress from the fit within ten minutes. Sure, I bought them to entertain myself on long walks but I don’t know where I would put them for the walk home when they are too heavy to wear. You cannot hang them around your neck without choking yourself and then there is the bra/purse like carrier if you was to carry that. Won’t fold in on itself like many of most headphones.No matter how sexy it looks or how cool it makes you feel to be envied for your coolness the grimace on your face after an hour with these on your head will not attract anyone. I really wanted these as I was telling myself they must have the best sound quality and that is what I am all about. Still if I don’t like wearing them the music doesn’t help much and I am left with hoping a really cool person or persons will see that I am cool also. I don’t hate Apple and I have an IPhone 10max and an iPad(I bought my first one in April 2010 when the first one was introduced and was the very first truly friendly computer like device) and a MacBook Pro which I won’t replace.With these headphones they have gone too far with the silly and unnecessary allegiance to Apple required to use it easily. You can search for hours online to find workarounds but half or more of what people suggest doesn’t work. Meanwhile Apple knows all of this and basically gives us the old high hat if we are willing to buy products that compel us to buy only their other products to make them work. Connecting instantly to my iPhone when picked up or put on rather than having to use a typical Bluetooth prompt to accept a connection is not worth enslaving myself just to show aluminum on my ears. I am boxing these up even though they arrived earlier today. I bought them from Amazon because of their stellar return policy and I recommend you do the same if you want to try these. If I kept them I would be doing what many who read my review will do and that is defend and rationalize my choice. That is what human beings do. So if Apple product allegiances are important to you after spending this amount of money on top of all the other products you have bought from them feel free to put it on blast. I know this is a lot of money to spend for many if not most people and I wanted to write something for folks who haven’t had time to do a lot of research and are at a decision point.I am torn between the Sony XM4(leaving me light headed and looking average) and the Sennheiser Momentum 300(xciting to listen to but making me look my retro like my age). If you want to check out online reviews you will find that deciding who to listen to and trust is every bit as difficult as making your headphone choice. I don’t know who receives what in the way of free products to use or resell or even monetary compensation which might disappear with too much honesty. All I can do is tell you what I think and let you take it into consideration if helpful.I don’t care about corporations especially large ones as they take care of themselves just fine. I have learnedthat there are people who are loyal to and defend corporations and don’t like others criticizing them or their products. In my own life I find that my weakest point is often my best point pushed too far. I think the exuberance for these Air Max headphones and Apples marketing games has likely reached that place with these headphones. Who knows? Maybe I will update my review once I try the Sony or the Sennheiser or both. For now I will be happy to merely take a heavy load off my head!

    126 people found this helpful

25. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    Garp – March 30, 2023

    As a complete package, well worth $550 – UPDATE

    These are my favorite headphones. When you account for the sound quality, noise cancellation, convenience, comfort and the quality of the build, it makes the price more palatable.That said, there’s no denying that they are expensive. At the same time, they pretty much reside in their own category of headphones. You can easily get better sounding headphones for less than $200 – but those are wired and lack active noise cancelling. You can shop around other Bluetooth headphones with ANC (XM4, QCII35, 700 etc…) but those don’t sound as good. Though they certainly don’t sound bad and they’re a couple of Benjamins cheaper. I firmly believe the Max’s ANC is also better than all the previously mentioned gear, though not by much when compared to the XM4s. One very nice thing about the AirPods Max is the ANC causes no hiss at all, not even a little.But there’s just no comparison when you compare the build and comfort. Other Bluetooth ANC headphones feel cheap. Once you handle the faux leather and creaky plastic parts you understand why they’re much less expensive. The cloth and foam ear pads on the Max are nearly perfect. They form a good seal, even with glasses, and they’re comfortable for long listening sessions. The aluminum and stainless steel parts feel both durable and even luxurious. The mesh headband distributes the Max’s substantial weight very evenly. Moreover, everything is modular and repairable on the Max. The circuit boards, batteries, cups, pads, the headband itself – all disassemble with relative ease so your purchase may just last for decades.Much has been made of the Max’s weight. In my experience, it’s a non issue. Lounging in the house, washing dishes, sitting at the computer – the weight is fine. BUT, the clamping force is another matter. These things firmly squeeze your head. Initially, I thought I was going to have to return them. Having used them for a couple weeks, they’ve loosened significantly. Possibly, I’ve also acclimated to them.Transparency mode is amazing. Without doubt, it’s the best implementation I’ve heard. I’ve yet to try out Spacial Audio because until it works with my TV, it’s a gimmick that I don’t care about. I don’t watch movies on my iPhone or even iPad. If you do, you may feel differently.I do wish I could use them to block out sounds without playing music or white noise. But when not playing audio, the ANC causes too much pressure on my eardrums.I also wish there were an accompanying App that enabled more intuitive EQ or control of other settings: like perhaps degrees of ANC or better monitoring of battery life and standby. This seems like an oversight on Apple’s part.Yes, the case isn’t much of a case and it is annoying that they don’t include a cable for wired listening. But those are small things and do not detract from the sound quality, convenience and materials of the headphones themselves.The ear pads do make my ears warm in my usage. I don’t see how any closed back headphone with a decent seal wouldn’t make one’s ears warm. That said, the warmth doesn’t bother me at all and I don’t feel that they’re uncomfortably hot.Recently, there have been many reports of condensation and/or sweat accumulating beneath the ear pads on the plastic housing that protects the drivers. Though I don’t doubt these accounts, I have yet to have it happen. After using the AirPods Max for three to four hours, at my desk and around the house, they’re as dry as can be. I don’t know what combination of temperature, humidity, body heat and time causes moisture to appear. All I can suggest is that if you purchase the AirPods Max, try and reproduce the issue with your normal usage. Hopefully, it will be a non issue for you as well.If you own a couple of Apple devices, say a Mac and an iPhone, the Max’s convenience makes them even more compelling. Normal Bluetooth pairing can be mildly annoying or, depending on your devices, VERY frustrating. There’s no such hassle with the AirPods Max. They just connect. They just switch. They just work.If you’re cross shopping, there are a couple of Bluetooth headphones that might sound slightly better, but they lack ANC. There are many, many headphones that are both cheaper and sound better, but they are wired and lack ANC. The AirPods Max really are in a different class compared to the $350 range of Bluetooth ANC headphones the market has become used to.In my opinion, these should not be compared with lesser ANC BT headphones but with the BO H95s. Though I’ve never owned the H95s, I have held, listened to and envied them. They’re amazing. But they’re also $800 and the ANC is not as advanced. In comparison, the AirPods Max are a bargain, even if they don’t sound quite as nice as the H95s – though they are very close.I’m very pleased with the AirPods Max. As a complete package, I’m not aware of any other headphones, at any price, that are competitive.*UPDATE*This morning I shoveled snow for a little over an hour while wearing the AirPods Max. Admittedly, my understanding of atmospheric physics is pretty low, but I figured my very warm head combined with freezing temperatures affecting the aluminum would likely induce some condensation. But, after shoveling, they were as dry as can be. Again, I’m not casting doubt on the many reports of moisture below the ear pads, but I can’t reproduce the effect.

    62 people found this helpful

26. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Rochelle – March 30, 2023

    Life changing

    I do not usually review products, AND these have literally been life changing. I have become an audiophile, have a small head (most adult/quality headphones are too big/heavy), wear glasses (turns out this combination gives bad headaches if you feel your head is in a vice) and have long hair (meaning in-ear headphones often times give static feedback as my hair rubs against the microphone). I have spent hundreds of dollars trying to find a just right audio/headphone options and regret not initially investing in these. They fit my small sized head, are not too tight, completely cover my ears to not hurt/irritate my earring holes/ears or weigh on/squeeze my head/glasses. The audio quality is amazing and they pair with my other apple devices (computer/phone) seamlessly. I can wear them over one ear or both (as I have kids and audio-feedback from the environment is often helpful). These drown out irritating noises and I love the controls. I also appreciate that if I pull an earphone away from my head to listen to something/hear someone everything is paused for a moment and resumes when I put them back over my ear. So practical and helpful. The only concern I have is not being able to tell the difference between quality sound coming from speakers everyone can hear or headphones…and my heart Is happy and quality of life improved exponentially.

    27 people found this helpful

27. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Nicholas CalderoneNicholas Calderone – March 30, 2023

    ULTIMATE LISTENING EXPERIENCE

    After I perused the specs and got over the sticker shock of the price tag, I thought, “These might be worth the investment for me.” I have high-end hearing loss, and because of that, most speakers, earbuds, and headphones don’t do much for me. I have an especially hard time hearing dialogue on our TV unless the sound is being pumped through our HomePods. That is what caused me to pause and really consider the purchase. “What if the AirPods Max is like putting HomePods on your ears?” That was worth it to me.After setup was completed, I put the headphones on my ears and heard the first sounds through the AirPods Max. It was a Christmas song that I had heard dozens of times before. The sound was so rich, deep, and clear that it was like I was hearing the song for the first time. “Ok, there is no way these sound this good.” At that moment, Robyn, my fiance, walked into the room and said, “So, are they like having HomePods attached to your ears?” All I could do was nod yes. She gave me a look and I handed them over to her. She put the headphones on her ears and scrolled through my library until she found something she wanted to play. She then said she had to have a pair.When I test headphones, I have a few go-to songs I like to try out so that I can get an idea of the listening experience of the headphones from every angle. The songs are pulled from a variety of genres including soundtracks, rock, grunge, punk, classical, and even a bit of rap. The AirPods Max does an incredibly nice job with all of them. The headphones keep a nice, deep bass sound while protecting the integrity of the rest of the track. I also found that vocals are crisp as well and I really love that as I turn up the volume, that I don’t get any distortion. That’s not been the case with other headphones I’ve used.Overall, I’ve been impressed with all the features of the AirPods Max. Here’s a brief rundown of my thoughts on the main features of the headphones.Active Noise Canceling (ANC): Until I used the AirPods Max, the ANC on the Sony headphones was the best I’ve ever used. I took the Sony headphones on a flight a few years back and never heard the airplane’s engine noise. Therefore, I’ve always regarded the ANC on the Sony MDR-1000X as the ‘best’. While I haven’t taken the AirPods Max on a plane yet, I can say that it deadens ambient noises like dogs barking, vacuums, and TVs that are left on in the background.Mesh Headband: I love the look of the headband. I think it looks very clean and it accentuates the lines of the AirPods Max. The design is right up my alley.Weight: I’ve heard some people say that the weight of the headphones is an issue for them. I have noticed that they feel a bit heavier than other headphones I’ve used, but the weight seems evenly distributed to me and so it doesn’t bother me. I’ve worn the headphones for several hours at a time and have not had any issues with headaches or soreness.Buttons: I am a big fan of the buttons. This is odd for me to say since I never thought I would be a proponent of moving to analog from digital, but Apple did a nice job of blending in the Digital Crown and the ANC button.Smart Case: This is one thing I would have reconsidered if I were designing the AirPods Max — the Smart Case. I really consider it more of a ‘sleeve’ than a case because — well, that’s what it is. The sleeve is made with a single piece of what seems to be polyurethane material and utilizes magnets for the closure. While the sleeve does protect the metal earpieces of the headphones from getting scratched up, for the most part, it doesn’t protect the headband and there is even a cut out on the bottom that leaves the headphones exposed to the elements and potential damage. I also noticed that when I take the headphones out of the sleeve that the AirPods clink together. The only way I’ve been able to stop that from happening is if I physically place my hand there.Even though there might be a few minor things I would like to see improved about the AirPods Max, I’m absolutely thrilled with them. They are far superior to any other listening experience I’ve had and think that their price tag is worth the investment. Even though the cost is prohibitive for many, if you want the ultimate listening experience, I can’t recommend the AirPods Max enough.

    79 people found this helpful

28. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    JoMo – March 30, 2023

    Seamless integration with iOS devices (EDIT: but get the extra warranty)

    There are certainly cheaper headphones with equivalent sound quality, but these are well-constructed, comfortable for extended wear, have streamlined physical controls which are satisfying to use, and work hand in glove with an iPhone- it doesn’t even shut off completely, it just senses when it’s off your ears, and pauses playback. Removing this one layer of friction means I’m more likely to take the headphones off when I want to give my ears a breather, and the phone goes back to using its internal speaker while I catch up on email or whatever, and back into the music/podcasts just by putting the phones on. The earpads, held in place by magnets, are secure, but detach without a struggle for cleaning, and their texture is sufficiently breathable and spacious to make for long listening sessions with better overall comfort than most, IMO. L and R channels are marked by a pattern sewn inside the ear cups- a little hard to see, as it’s a similar color, but easy to tell in the dark if you remember that the controls are all on the right channel. And they give you a clickable knob for volume and basic track controls, similar in feel to the crown for the Apple Watch, just on a bigger scale. The other control, a button which toggles the transparency of the noise cancellation, is immensely handy, and allows you to converse with people and clearly hear others without having to shift the phones off your ears. NC reduces even a screaming vacuum cleaner to a muted hum. The spatial audio, for apps that support it, can be a little uncanny at first, and familiar to Airpod Pro users- it does feel like the audio is coming right out of the phone, rather than the sound being piped into your ears. The default carrying case has taken criticism for only covering the cans and not providing much protection, but I kind of like it for the portability- it packs up like a little handbag, and the headstrap becomes a handle. I might buy a third party box if I ever need to pack it for a long flight, but this is fine for my daily needs. When the cans are folded for storage, the metal shells kind of clack together without the case, and is definitely in keeping with Apple’s design philosophy of charging end users a lot of money for a product which demands additional accessories just to keep it from denting and scratching.There is no traditional headphone jack on the the thing, and it doesn’t look like there’s even a way to connect it with an adapter, which is unfortunate and should be a dealbreaker if you need that. I just need the Bluetooth, though, and the supported BT 5.0 sounds fine to my ears.There is an option to help locate the phones with Find My, though it will only show where they were last connected to your phone, and it even allows you to play a locator noise through the speakers, so you can hear them in a relatively quiet space from about 8 feet away. What would really have been cool is if they incorporated an AirTag in their design, because at about $500, I live with the uncomfortable possibility of them being stolen if I turn my back.In short, they are comfortable, they are expensive, they sound great, but if you want skull-rattling bass, there are better options. They’ll work with any Bluetooth-enabled source, though you’ll probably only feel their full value if you intend to use them with Apple products, and if I do ever lose them, I’ll be ordering a new pair the next day.(Added 7/31)About a month ago, I started hearing some weird distortion, then one day, six months from purchase, they just refused to sync. I don’t know exactly what the cause was, but I do wear them in hot summer weather and was surprised to find that some sweat can build up behind the ear cushions, so maybe that’s the culprit? I dunno. They’re the only Apple product I have with the AppleCare+ coverage, and replacement was quick and painless, so I consider that money well spent.Anyway, nobody said these things were waterproof, which is why I was so careful with them. I still wear them outdoors, but now I pull the ear cushions off every few hours to see if any water has built up inside the cups. Gross.I also toss them in a baby bottle sterilizer at the end of the day. Nobody should have to deal with manky earmuffs!

    50 people found this helpful

29. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    vince – March 30, 2023

    Great product but returned due to fit

    I gave these 5 stars because I absolutely loved these headphones but ended up returning them due to them being uncomfortable. The sound and noise cancellation was great and definitely better than the AirPod Pros. The reason I returned them was because they squeezed too hard on the arms of my glasses, so after I wore them for longer than 20-30 minutes I would start to get a headache. I have the thicker plastic framed glasses and just felt like these weren’t the right choice for that, this isn’t a problem I’ve had with some other over the ear headphones. When I wore them without glasses this was not a problem at all and I thought they were really comfortable. I have some friends that have these and they have the wire frame glasses and they did not have this problem either. If you’re planning to buy these and have the types of glasses that I do, just make sure to give them a heavy trial run before the return window closes. I was able to return them without any problems and got my full refund. I also got a refund back for my Apple care which I’ve seen is not always the case so that was an unexpected surprise. All in all I definitely recommend these to anyone who doesn’t wear glasses/has smaller frames.

    20 people found this helpful

30. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Rodney – March 30, 2023

    Great headphones

    I have many sets of headphones, some very nice ones, and these stand alone in terms of being something different – there is so much tech jammed into these, it makes them very different than anything else on the market.Sound – Sound quality on these is very good, very clean. Personally I’d like a lot more bass, but even someone who isn’t a basshead would still probably like more bass. They’re not weak or anything on the low end side, and booming bass is there, it’s just too much in the background for my tastes. If stupid iOS just gave you an EQ, you could probably easily fix this, and some of the sound profiles you do get can hep, but for the love of everything, just give me a stupid EQ so I can choose the sound I want. In any case, again, the sound is very good, very clean. I’d say it’s pretty easily better than my Bose QC25 but not on-par with my Beyerdynamic DT 990 open backed headphones (which I still think are the best headphones I’ve heard and I’ve compared them against sets costing well over $1k). But these headphones are about a lot more than sound, and that’s why they go up to 5-stars…Sound Field/Stage – The sound stage on these, the openness of the sound, is amazing for closed back headphones. When you’re playing music that supports Apples spatial sound (everything in Apple Music for example) it’s incredible, it really feels/sounds natural a lot of the time. I’ve used other ‘virtual surround’ garbage, and it’s terrible, but whatever Apple is doing, it works. My favorite thing is that you can set your phone in front of you, then walk around, and it sounds like the sound is coming from the direction of the iPhone, so it gives you this incredible sense of space (and it does not hurt the sound quality – for most music it sounds better in my opinion). This is something you really have to experience to understand as I don’t know of anyone else that does this – and it’s really impressive in person.Noise Cancelling – Absolutely top notch. Between the good fit of the headphones and the actual tech, you can block out a ton of stuff, they work better than my Bose QC25’s, that still were best in class as of a year ago. Also, for the cry babies, I do not notice the pressure effect – it might be there still, but it’s not nearly as noticeable as the Bose.Battery Life – Seems to be excellent. Only downside is it uses an iPhone plug, not USB C. I still have and need an iPhone plug so it’s not a huge deal at the moment, but for the future, when it’s all USB C, this is going to become a pain.Comfort – It’s pretty comfortable. I heard lots of people say these are big and heavy and uncomfortable, and while they are big and heavy, for me at least they’re pretty comfortable. Those Beyerdynamic DT 990 are amazingly comfortable, can wear them for hours, that’s not the case here. But compared to my Bose QC25, I can wear the AirPods Max for longer without any issues. Still, it’s not like the comfort of earbuds, which I can wear all day, but for big over the ear headphones, the Max’s are pretty good.Build Quality – Top notch in my opinion, make everything else I’ve ever used, anything else I’ve ever even tried, feel plasticky and cheap.Wireless – No lag, no drops, works great. I wish they had upped the bandwidth so you could carry stuff like fully uncompressed audio, like blu-ray audio, but probably have to wait for V2 for that. With that said, I’ve never really noticed anything, everything sounds full with no compression. Obviously that isn’t the case, but just saying, I do not notice any negatives as far as wireless goes.Overall, 5-stars. The sound, with less bass than I’d like and with no EQ in iOS, only gets 4-stars, but the other features make these unique and quite amazing. The spatial sound is what makes these special, and you can’t get that with any other over the ear headphones, and it works remarkably well. I think it uses actual head movement for tracking, so it’s not just a software gimmick they can do on any other headphones (I think that’s the case), but it’ something you need to hear in person to appreciate.

    53 people found this helpful

31. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    WenWen – March 30, 2023

    I can mute out my family now 🙂

    OMG let me tell you!! I wanted new NC headphones, I upgraded from Sony ZX770BN, which is on the older models of Sony headphones, but it got the job done for a while. Since they were getting old, battery life and bluetooth connection was getting wack, and I was like “ight, upgrade upgradesss!” So here I am now, listening to ‘Chasing Pavements’ by Adele (AMAZING).Okay the details!! I live with 10 other people… I can now live in peace, absolute silence, my whole serenity. I am sane now. The noice cancellation is superior, much better than my Beats solo wireless and Sony.The fit. OMG, ya’ll I was so hesitant when reviews said that it’s heavy. IT’S NOT THAT BAD. I’m an architecture student, so these headphones are on my head literally 24/7. They’re fine! I have 12 piercings on my ears (conch, snugs, rook, tragus, and triple lobes) and the comfort on these are amazing. I have problems with my Beats Solos are they were tighter and smaller muffs, so it would always make my piercings swell or bleed. So comfortably, 100/10.The sound? MY OH MY. Literally went on facetime with my girlies and the sound was soooo surreal. I was engulfed with the sound. And they said my microphone was super clear too! Now imagine with music, imagine with Adele. Yes. It’s immaculate. No more needed to say.Now the controls, I’m a little iffy about. There’s only two buttons to control your music, without your phone. The little dial is mainly for volume, skipping, and pausing. and the other button is for changing transparency to noice control. It’s fine, but I do wish they had the tap features like the regular Apple Air pods earbuds.But overall, this is my review. It’s amazing, it’s def worth the investment. It’s cute, it’s comfortable, it takes you out of this world, it builds your own imagination, it soothes my adhd brain. idk man, this review is up to your interpretation (:Thanks for reading <3

    60 people found this helpful

32. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    Will – March 30, 2023

    Not substantially better than airpod pros unless volume is turned up

    At about double the cost of the airpod pros, I’ve found that the maxes unfortunately do not provide double the listening experience. I do find that I’m able to pick up more details, and am occasionally delighted at new sounds I’m able to hear, but I would say that overall these delights do not justify the large price tag, at least with respect to audio quality.That said, the noise cancellation is really, really good. It’s made cross-country flights (in the United States) much more enjoyable, and I look forward to wearing this on my trip to Korea (about 14 hours.) In addition, the long battery life is much welcomed. Unfortunately, the headphones do apply some pressure to my head, and I find that I need to take a break from them after 2-3 hours. During this time, I swap my airpod earbuds in, and the difference in noise cancellation is always very noticeable.All in all, the Airpod Max, does not give me a drastically improved listening experience, but makes up for it with its much longer battery life and noise cancellation.

    3 people found this helpful

33. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Nikki Shumate – March 30, 2023

    BUY

    I was spectacle for buying this because of the price but I actually really love them I would just get any other color than white because I feel white gets dirty easily

34. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    photog56 – March 30, 2023

    A must for iPhone and AppleTV

    I am going to forego the normal discussion regarding how much they cost and if it is worth it. That’s seems to be strictly individual to me. They are expensive and I will leave it at that. I also own the Sony XM4’s, which will I compare them to.Comfort. These are heavy headphones and definitely taking some getting used to. In addition, if you have a large head, as do I, the clamping force on your head may be a dealbreaker for you. I have learned to adjust the position on my head to mitigate that. Unlike many headphones, you will spend a little more time adjusting them for comfort. The Sony XM4s are definitely more comfortable.Controls. The two button controls are simple and easy to use which is the same setup on the Apple watch. I prefer this setup to the touch controls on the XM4, which can be hit and miss. You can adjust the direction for volume up or down based on what is more intuitive to you.Sound. The sound is absolutely amazing. Hands down the best I have ever heard. While listening to music is often discussed, not much is said about using them with AppleTV which is actually the primary reason I purchased them. Listening to a movie or TV show through the Airpods Max is simply unbelievable. Spatial audio is a brilliant audio enhancement.Battery life. I have been able to get the 21 hours they advertise. Battery life is not nearly as robust as the XM4s however. Much has been made about the fact that they can’t be turned off. I have not found that to be an issue, although it does force you to put them in the case in order to put them in sleep mode. Noice cancellation is excellent.Miscellaneous. Yes, the case is ridiculous. I purchased a more viable case for. It does not come with a charging adapter (brick). That was a not a real issue for me. I was far more upset when they shipped iPhone 12s without them. I find them too heavy to for exercising. I use the XM4s for that. I do not use them for business meeting calls (Zoom, etc.), so I have no opinion on that. If you are going to purchase AppleCare, purchase it through Amazon. Adding it with Apple is a hassle if you purchased them from Amazon.Summary. The construction of the Airpods Max is something to behold. If you are an iPhone, Apple Music, AppleTV user, you will definitely want to consider these. I was on the fence for awhile because of the price, but after using them I have no regrets. I give them 4.5 stars. The weight prevents me from giving it 5 stars.

    8 people found this helpful

35. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    USAUSA – March 30, 2023

    Expensive But Excellent ANC Headphones

    I will be comparing the APM with the Sony XM4’s as I purchased and used both side-by-side.The APM have incredible active noise cancellation (tested with airplane white noise on YouTube) and their transparency mode is incredible. I give them the edge on both fronts compared to the Sony’s. I also think the handoff between multiple Apple devices is superior to the Sony’s which can only pair to two devices at the same time. I also feel there is potential in the magnet APM cups that can be changed as desired. If you don’t like the ones that come with the APM you could potentially purchase a 3rd party option of a different material.I prefer the Sony’s for sound quality. You can tweak the EQ to your liking with their app. With the APM you are stuck with their default sound signature or the terrible presets in iOS settings. The default APM sound is good but leaves a lot to be desired compared to the Sony’s which literally lets you tweak it to how your ears desire. I am a bass-head and the APM bass simply lacking for rap and pop music (to my ears).While I think the concept of the APM physical controls for volume and track selection is superior to Sony’s touch controls for the same, the placement of these buttons on the top of the right cup is baffling. I’m confident most people are like myself and like to adjust their headphones by gripping the top and bottom of their respective ear cups. By doing so you will inevitably press on these buttons. The Sony’s have two buttons located on the bottom side edge (on/off and a custom button that by defaults lets you toggle modes). Far better placement.The ‘smart case’ is actually nothing but a sleeve that is rather ridiculous as it’s required to properly turn off the headphones entirely. Why Apple opted for no on/off button is beyond me. The APM come with no cable to connect to airplane entertainment systems, no travel case, no ability to fold into a more compact size, and no charging brick. A $550 set of headphones should include a charging brick and nice travel case, don’t you think??The Sony’s meanwhile have all the cables you could possibly need, fold into a compact size, and comes with a lovely hardshell case. It doesn’t have a charging brick but it’s also far less expensive compared to the APM.Ah yes, price. At retail the APM are $550 and while the Sony’s retail for $350, they can often be found brand new for $280, literally half the price.So let’s recap. APM have amazing ANC, transparency mode, mic for phone calls, the ability to swap out the ear cups, and flawlessly work with multiple Apple products.The Sony’s allow you to tweak the sound to your liking, are more comfortable by far to wear, an on/off button plus superior button placement, a hardshell case, fold into a compact size, include the necessary cables for travel, and cost half as much as the APM.

    2 people found this helpful

36. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    TK – March 30, 2023

    Apple continues to impress

    The sound quality is great. The fit and feel is top notch. The sound cancellation is first class. I purchased these preowned and have been pleased with the purchase. Makes movie night more enjoyable

37. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Mauricio – March 30, 2023

    Its good but…

    —-Few Months Update—-Spoke to a manager at Apple and I was informed I could wash the earpads with warm water and detergent. This absolutely changed my 4/5 rating to a 5/5 after I saw the results myself. If you wash your earpads make sure you leave them out to dry at least for 1 day. I won’t introduce high heat to help with the drying process because I don’t want to damage the magnets.The headphones do not work when my family uses them. They only work when I wear them. I think the AI is trying to match my head size to learn when to turn off the headphones. This is probably the reason my headphones would run out of battery about the time it was unboxed. It was learning when to turn itself off (assumption warning).—-General——If all you do is listen to music over Bluetooth and want the best noise-canceling headphones. Then disregard my comments below because this is a 5-star for you!—-Audiophile—-I’ve had noise-canceling headphones for over 10 years and these are great for it. There is a caveat to it though.1. They don’t shut off unless you put them back into their case. I left them sitting all night after charging them without the case and the batteries in the morning displayed 2%.2. Even if you’re new to using a DAC for audio and make the upgrade to these headphones, I think you could be disappointed. The audio quality is diminished enough to tell the difference, but not enough to regret it. What made me regret it was having to buy a bidirectional 3.5mm to thunderbolt cable from Apple (requirement) for $35. The cable is short, flimsy, and there are no alternatives by the way.——Lesson——I’ve learned from my purchase that this device was meant for people who want high-quality noise cancellation with only a Bluetooth connection.

    4 people found this helpful

38. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    joe – March 30, 2023

    Gift for my daughter and she loves it.

    I’m not going to lie, I didn’t want to buy because of the price. Bought it for my daughter for Christmas because she didn’t really need or want anything else. I was really surprised at the quality of the sound and materials. She loves it and I may have to buy a pair for myself because I want to use it. I’m very happy I bought it and don’t regret it at all.

    One person found this helpful

39. 

    Rated 3 out of 5

    Skip ProximoSkip Proximo – March 30, 2023

    Overall good headphones, with a review of dolby atmos mixes

    I was asked to evaluate these by a friend. The design is typical Apple. The sound quality is excellent. Ample bass, pleasant to listen to. I work in music production, so i have a good baseline of experience with headphones of all different kinds. The noise cancelling, is probably the best I’ve ever heard. I’m not usually a fan of noise cancelling, except for plane flights, but these are exceptional in that regard.Things I don’t like:The headband has a very thin spandex type material that I’m positive will get torn the moment any mishap takes place. It’s unnecessary to the design. Dumb.No way to plug in for wired use, except for the apple charge to mini jack converter. Dumb.If I didn’t already have some bluetooth headphones that are really decent, I may have kept these.After all, these are “spatial audio enabled”! Whaaaaaaa???? What does that mean?Well, let’s talk about that. I’m an audio professional and am interested in Dolby Atmos, which is now offered in Apple Music. So, when I heard about this, I couldn’t throw my money at them fast enough to get these magic headphones that would put me in 3 dimensional music world. The headphones showed up today, and I put them to the test. Here’s what happened.Dolby Atmos Music on Apple AirPods Max headphones – Is it cool?I spent this evaluation time mostly in the Settings menu, switching the Dolby off and on between the lossless, so i could really hear the differences. In almost every case, the vocal was less present, more reverb (and I’m not ever a fan of adding reverb to a vocal that should be dry and in your face), the drums got pushed way back, and the expected surround effect wasn’t enough to win me over. I guess the effect of Atmos (at least in headphones) is similar to hearing the music performed in a live setting. Things are less present, more muted, and swimming in the room. But, I never got a sense of “whoa, it’s behind me” or “it’s above me”. What I got was a less present, mushier, sub-heavy version, that lacked the urgency of the original mix. This was true for mostly everything I heard.The exception for me was the Art Blakey’s “Moanin’”, which because of the recording (1958), when often the stereo (2 channels or speakers) mixing style of the day involved each instrument hard panned to the left or right speaker, with little or no center position middle ground in the original mixes. The Atmos helps a bit by panning everybody slightly more center. In this case, one could argue, Atmos fixed a “problem”.On most rock mixes, I still prefer the lossless. It sounds like the tendency of a few of these mixers (or maybe this is just what Dolby’s process does) has been to extend low frequency (sub) and push the drums out of the foreground. This isn’t awesome to me, when a lot of rock music craves in your face urgency. Overall, drums are just way mushier. Maybe this is just an unfortunate sign of early days of a format that’s finding its sea legs.listening on a home theater rig might change my mind about how cool Atmos is, but I really draw the line at adding reverb to music. And I know that’s going to be the first thing they reach for. I’m just not down. Call me old, call me cranky, but misplaced verb is stanky.If Atmos for music is going to take off, it’s got to be within consumers’ reach AND it has to be good without being gimmicky.The headphones have already been dropped at UPS for return. For this particular prosumer,’s the whole “spatial thing” is not quite ready for prime time.Best of luck,Skip

    178 people found this helpful

40. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    Jason Ramos – March 30, 2023

    Some minor flaws but honestly I do love them

    The sound quality are great when it comes to it. Before buying these did a lot of research on multiple Bluetooth headphones with noise canceling (honestly just wanted it for the gym) and the end result landing me on these. They have a very sophisticated feeling and look to them. Some cons I can point out Is that the the noise canceling isn’t 100% until you put the music volume at 50% or more. I feel like the noise canceling doesn’t work automatically and it takes a little time to actually kick in. The headphones get heavy after a while so you need to give your self a break. There will be condensation inside the headphones but I haven’t had problems yet(had them for 2 months atm) overall great quality headphones but it’s what you expect after spending a lot on them.

    One person found this helpful

41. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    Timetogetill7 – March 30, 2023

    A bit heavy. Save your money there are better options.

    So, after trying this for about a year, I want to say that the ANC has been reduced like others have mentioned previously for AirPods. The way I can tell is with the vacuum cleaner.The headphones are pretty heavy, and although they seem comfy at first, they drive my ears mad after a while. Audio is good, but not spectacular.I’m still looking for a good set of headphones that have perfect ANC, but it doesn’t appear to exist. I did try other models, including Bose and Anker.The $35 pair of headphones I had before or just is better if not the same.

    One person found this helpful

42. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    Kenneth Bigler – March 30, 2023

    Noise cancellation could be better for the price

    I like these better than my Bose 700, basically because of the overall fit/finish. That being said, I miss how good the Bose noise cancellation was.

43. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Manuel Ponce – March 30, 2023

    Excelente compra

    El enlazado es muy bueno como también su sonido, lo recomiendo ampliamente.

44. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    joseph bartoli – March 30, 2023

    BUY THIS

    completely worth the money i use them everyday!

    One person found this helpful

45. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    ANESIO DE LELES FERREIRA FILHO – March 30, 2023

    It is so expensive.

    It is so expensive.

    One person found this helpful

46. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    Madison – March 30, 2023

    It’s good but not amazing

    Ive compared it to the xm4 and xm5 and all honesty they’re great but i do prefer the sony ones better. They’re great and get the job done but not mind blowing amazing

47. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Georgia – March 30, 2023

    it is awesome i highly recommend

    OMG IT IS ALL YOU CAN IMAGINE IT IS WONDERFUL

48. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Home Life Revealed – March 30, 2023

    Gift to daughter – absolutely loVes!

    These were a Christmas gift to our 13 year old daughter, they ended up being her favorite gift, she still loves them, used them on the daily! We got her the sage green color and she was delighted with that choice and has commented on the same.

49. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    Rodrigo MartinezRodrigo Martinez – March 30, 2023

    Worth the price, if you get them at Amazons price!

    First off, I thought these were overhyped headphones at first until I actually got them. They fit your head very snug and feel very secure while having them on (I have a medium sized head). The earcups create a good seal around your ear which I have had issues with when trying Beats and Bose.The sound quality is amazing, on par with Sony and Bose, very crisp even up to loud volume and these do get loud. In terms of comfort, theyre great. At first, they may seem a bit tight at first but you get used to it after a couple of hours. I wore them for 3 hours on the train and no complaints, very comfy.Now to the controversial part that everyone is talking about, CONDENSATION! While wearing them for multiple hours, in cold A/C environments, in mildly hot outside temperature and I have not seen a drop of water in the earcups. This may vary with where you live but I think this problem is very select depending on your climate.And if you’re like me, you have been checking the reviews that say they got a used pair and what not. I was skeptical too, but mine arrived in authentic apple packaging with an authentic serial number. I will write an updated review in around 6 months to see how they are in the longer run.In the end, I would say these are only worth it if you have an iphone and can get them for $430. If you have an android, I would suggest going with Bose or Sony for the price and since you wont be able to get the most out of these headphones. However, as an apple user from an iPhone to iPad and mac, these headphones work GREAT.

    15 people found this helpful

50. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    jc noevil – March 30, 2023

    Apple. So it’s apple.

    It’s a high priced item and works seamlessly in the appleEnvironment.I have a big head. They feel a little tight. But my brain bucket is extremely large.I have some worries because I go through airpod pros at the rate of 1 set per year. But heavy usage. I would rate those a 3.5 if I could. I expect this more sturdy situation to be longer lasting. So I’m very set on coming back and reminding myself during 2023 if they are still sturdy and dependable.Edit: These are more sturdy but I also use them in more accommodating conditions then how I use airpod pros. They are still a bit tight because of my big head and ears.

    One person found this helpful

51. 

    Rated 3 out of 5

    Chris Healey – March 30, 2023

    Woah

    Okay, so let me begin by saying that I am a shameless Apple sheep, and buy most Apple products that come out. I have an iPhone 13 Pro Max, iPad Pro, MacBook Air, MacBook Mini, and I’m waiting on a Mac Studio to arrive. But for some reason I’ve resisted Apple’s attempts to make a speaker, and I don’t like to wear ear bud style headphones, so never purchased any AirPods. I’ve even experimented with non-Apple music solutions including Tidal, Amazon and Spotify among others.But with the recent price drop, and the fact that I fly a lot, I decided to give these headphones a try. I genuinely thought there was a 80% chance I’d return them, as I currently use the well reviewed Sony MX4s.The wow factor of these is unbelievable. Watching a movie or TV show on my iPad is incredible. I listened to the opening sequence to The Blacklist Season 1 Episode 1, which has some good audio. My wife, who is never that impressed with audio took a listen and was blown away.I got on board with Apple Music, and listened to the lossless music, and also the specially mixed spacial audio. Wow. Wow again. Yeah, I’d pay retail for these.I think the obvious gripes have been made already. The lightening port was a bad call, but I carry those cables for my iPhone anyway, so no biggie. Although I suspect these headphones will be the last of my devices to still require that plug.The case is idiotic, as is the decision to give me no manual control over turning them off. You seriously have to put these things in the horrific case to put them in low power mode, and there is reasonable question as to whether this case would provide any meaningful protection of these expensive headphones.Speaking of lunacy, the steps you have to take to coax the device into updating its firmware is also Apple arrogance at its finest. Why I can’t have a standby switch or button and an update firmware option is beyond me. And again, I’m a fanboy here.It’s also pretty sad that the design allows the cans to bang together if not handled carefully, which will surely result in scratches at some point.Oh, and want to listen with a wire, enjoy buying that $35 proprietary cable from Apple. Seriously. This is why people hate Apple.But despite these many very reasonable gripes, the bottom line here is that these sound better than every Bose pair I have owned, my Sony MX4s, and several Bang & Olufsen sets I’ve had. The seamless swiping between Apple products is also pretty sweet. The transparency mode is probably the best on the market too.There is no doubt I’d highly recommend them. Be aware of the need to bend a little to Apple’s will, in several areas, but know that the pay off is some pretty stunning results. I’m actually looking forward to going back to work on Monday to hear how they do on the plane. Flying to New Orleans, so should be in the air for around 3 hours.***UPDATE: Six months later…So these are great headphones. Unfortunately, after six months of use, it’s hard to justify a five star rating.Background noise control is great, transparency mode is amazing, the sound quality is excellent. But, they are heavy, you have to plan your entire business trip packing strategy around lugging these heavy and inconvenient items around. I had to buy a third party case to protect them, and use it with the stupid Apple case. They take up a huge chunk of back pack real estate.Then, after five months or so, they started randomly disconnecting. More specifically, it seems like the sensor that decides if I am wearing them isn’t functioning correctly. So if I scratch my head or move too suddenly, they shut off, disconnect, and then I have to pull out my iPhone or iPad, force them to reconnect, and continue. Given that these are heavy and not particularly comfortable, you find yourself trying to put off scratching an itch, just to avoid the hassle of reconnecting.My expectations rise with price, so at over $500, by far the most expensive travel headphones I’ve ever purchased, I do kind of expect flawless. For all their positives, there are a LOT of negatives, which is such a shame. I imagine that version 2 or 3 will be so cool. And, like a total sucker, I’ll probably buy them.For now, I’m going to switch to the AirPod Pro 2s, while these headphones are at the Apple Store being repaired. I may even sell them at this point. Such a shame.

    36 people found this helpful

52. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Jamal – March 30, 2023

    Perfect

    I purchased the headphones from Amazon because the prices were the best. Anything about the device was matched to expectations and I’m I bought it from Amazon.

53. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Michael – March 30, 2023

    OMG THese are Amazing!

    Lets start from what everyone wants to know first.Pros:1. Holy mother goose, the sound quality is like nothing i have ever heard, it’s Fantastic, Surround sound with everything it connects to2. The build quality is far superior to every headset i have ever used. I have had BOSE, JaBra, Sony, and this headset blows them away. IT is all metal save the ear cups and head band thingy. The headset is made out of a single carved out air craft aluminum .3. COMFORTABLE , i wore these for 7 hours straight and never had any issues of being too tight, and despite what other reviewers have said, they dont feel heavy on my head at all. Nor does it heat up around your ears.3. Battery life. I have not charged them yet and after 20 hours I still dont have to charge them, they are at 30%4. The controls are perfect. Rather than mess with the touch type , the volume is a small well placed knob on the right that adjust the sound volume and pause and other functions i still haven’t explored.5. Noise Cancellation, OMG, you wouldn’t believe the sound quality of noise cancellation, I went to the flight line at the army base near me, (yes I’m a vet) and was by one of the blackhawks talking to my friend. They started up the Blackhawk, and i called someone and they couldn’t hear it at all. You can hear you own voice like normal rather than the muffled sound you usually get with Bluetooth and noice cancelation, A ++++++6. Connection. Everyone of my apple devices automatically paired with out me even prompting. It was completely seamless. I can with between my Mac Mini, IPhone 11, and iPad with no problems. In fact i can connect to any device and go a lot further than that standard 30 ft. I have a quarter acre and i can go anywhere around my house and not lose the signalCONS: Oh boy here we go1. The case is stupid, when i say stupid it looks like your carrying a purse around, IT DOES NOT protect the headset. There are cases on amazon made for the IPod Max, that will put it to sleep when you put them in.There is no way to turn them off at all. When you leave them out they go into low power mode after 15 minutes. Or you can put them in the case it came with and they go to sleep.2; No brick, for $550 you would think they would include a charging brick but all they give you is a Lighting cable that does NOT have a standard usb connection on one end.The cons are few and mostly just trivial things and certainly not a deal breaker. These headphones are so amazing its worth every penny and would last you.a lifetime.I see reviews complaining about the weight. Really? These things are NOT that heavy, In fact every expensive head phones ive used make your ears sweat, they flake, and always feels tight.YOu dont even notice these headphones after awhile.I realize they are expensive but you get what you pay for. And in this case you are getting probably the best headphones you could ever imagine that will not fall apart, feel uncomfortable and give you an amazing sound quality in all areas.No , I’m not paid for this, no, i am not biased about Apple these simply blow away all the other super expensive headphones

    671 people found this helpful

54. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    cellyyy – March 30, 2023

    If there’s one thing I can say GET THE APPLE CARE

    I go back in fourth with paying so much for apple care but after having these for 8months I unfortunately had to return them as the noise canceling on the left ear continued to go out over and over again I sent them off to apple 3 different times… all in all I love them great sound & mic quality just really wish I put apple care on them to save me a lot of time I spent trying to get a replacement. No worries though I’m receiving a refund to repurchase & will put apple care on this time.. around lesson learned!

    2 people found this helpful

55. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    Eddie | NYC Content Creator – March 30, 2023

    Nearly perfect – the Apple AirPods Max falls short in one small but annoying way

    I recently purchased the Apple AirPods Max and have been extremely happy with my purchase – with one small exception. These headphones are absolutely amazing in every other way – the sound quality is top-notch, the noise cancellation is excellent, and the build quality is top-notch. The case is also a nice touch – it’s convenient and protects the headphones when I’m on the go.However, there is one small issue that has been driving me crazy – the inability to turn off the headphones without putting them back in the case. This is a feature that doesn’t help to conserve battery life, and can be extremely inconvenient when I just want to take a quick break from listening to music or make a phone call without having to fumble with the case. It’s a small annoyance, but one that I hope Apple will address in future versions of the AirPods Max.Overall, despite this one small issue, I am extremely happy with my purchase of the Apple AirPods Max. They are a truly top-notch pair of headphones and I would highly recommend them to anyone in search of excellent sound quality and noise cancelling technology. Just be prepared to put up with the minor inconvenience of having to put them back in the case to turn them off.

    12 people found this helpful

56. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Robert – March 30, 2023

    perfect condition and sounds really good.

    the item came in a sealed box. it was in perfect condition and sounds AMAZING. came fast and no issues.

    One person found this helpful

57. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    B – March 30, 2023

    Awesome if you’re an apple user!

    I solely use apple devices, and was looking for a noise cancelling headset that could easily work between multiple apple devices. The apple AirPods max does exactly that. I have used other headphones in the past like Sony and Bose but honestly I didn’t like the white noise sound they’d make, and how frequently frustrating it would be to connect the headphones between various apple devices seamlessly.The airpod max are a little overpriced in my opinion. The headphone’s storage case is pretty useless, it offers zero protection to the headphones. It’s not a hard case just a soft one that doesn’t even cover the top band. When I stick these in my bag I’ll actually put them in an old hard camera case because that protects them more than the case apple provided for them.Despite that though it does a very well job of smoothly connecting to my different apple devices depending on which one I’m using. Almost 2 months in on using it and I’ve never had an issue with them randomly disconnecting or not pairing properly, even with non-apple devices like my gaming PC.The noise cancellation is pretty great too, it doesn’t cancel out 100% of the background noises depending on what that noise is and how relative it is to you. It has multiple modes (2 or 3 depending on the device) so you can switch the noise cancelling off if needed.For example, it does a really great job of cancelling the loud construction noises outside my apartment, barking dogs, loud cars (including the construction vehicles) and people talking in the background but it doesn’t do as well as job of cancelling out the noise of my boyfriend streaming sports on the background. It cancels a good amount of the game and his “enthusiasm” but it doesn’t cancel as much as I wish it would.Overall I would highly recommend this to anyone who owns multiple apple devices, wants seamless connection, and is looking for a better noise cancelling solution than what the normal air pods offers.I would not recommend this if you don’t have apple devices or only have one but use android/other operating systems. Yes the noise cancelling feature is great, but at this price point it’s not worth it in comparison to other noise-cancelling headphones priced similarly.

    40 people found this helpful

58. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    BMan – March 30, 2023

    Great bluetooth headphones

    Since I mostly work from home and listen to music when I’m not on the phone I use several bluetooth ear pods including AirPod Pros.The Max version has always intrigued me but I have quite a few over ear headphones so until they went on sale there was nothing compelling me to purchase them.I’ve had them long enough to break in the drivers to some degree. Yes like most dynamic headphones these need to be broken in for 20 to 50 hours before they can be judged for sound quality.1. I’m a headphone guy so sound quality is my first priority. This is an excellent headphone. They blow away my bluetooth Sennheisers on sound quality. They even compete with some wired headphones. They may not reach the level of my Grado 325’s but they are much more comfortable. My Focal Clears, which incidentally match well with the output voltage of my iPhone, are superior but are much more expensive. And wired. BTW you can’t get Lossless audio through Bluetooth so a wired headphone has that advantage. And you can’t talk through the Clears. My wired Sennheisers don’t really have the output levels to match an iPhone so they are not in the consideration. These have a wide range sonically and reproduce all kinds of music well. And unlike some Beats models they are not bass heavy. I think they work best with Spatial Audio off. iMy only complaint is that the midlevel sound stage is a bit compressed regardless of volume. Apple did their home work in designing these headphones. I’d go so far to say that you will not find another headphone wired or not that has as good as sound for the money.2. Comfort/Fit. One goes with the other. The head band is comfortable for my large head and does not squeeze my ears. The ear pad material is not what I’d like but it is surprisingly comfortable. Typical of any headphones they are best used without glasses for maximum comfortable. If you use glasses put the pads on your ears with the glasses on for maximum comfort. I do not notice any weight – these are much lighter than most wired headphones. The ear space fits my large ears although ideally a couple of extra mm’s would be better.3. They connect easily once you go through the initial connection procedure. Most importantly they have excellent battery life. They have double or more battery life than Pros. Put them in the case when you are through with them for the day as it is the only way they turn off. You will otherwise lose battery life as they are otherwise constantly scanning for possible bluetooth targets. The case is not great but it works well for being put into a bag or backpack. Generally they do a good job of picking up your voice in telephone or FaceTime mode.4. They are an excellent value. Usually a substantial discount means that there is a newer model is coming out. My research suggests that is not the case. There is likely to be a newer model of the Pros coming out which explains their greater discount.I am very pleased with these headphones and I think that you will be equally as pleased.

    3 people found this helpful

59. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    Frenchie – March 30, 2023

    Selling used as new

    The product arrived with no instructions and after I googled how to connect it, I realized that they were someone else’s airpods. I have no issue with used products but it’s fishy to advertise them as new when they aren’t

60. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    Debbie M. – March 30, 2023

    LOVE…but maybe not worth $600

    I am in love with these headphones. the quality is absolutely extraordinary. I love the metal details and the sturdy feeling. That is one thing I hate about other headphones; no matter how well made they are, they still feel like cheap plastic. but not these. the noise cancelling is amazing. they are super comfortable. But besides the metal detailing, the quality isn’t that much better than other top brand headphones. you can definitely find the same sound quality and noise cancelling in other headphones for much cheaper. Also these are super heavy so it takes some time to get used to. if you have the money to spare, i would buy these. but otherwise buy a pair of beats.

    2 people found this helpful