Apple's AirPods Max are Nice, But Not Worth $550

AirPods Max features amazing high-fidelity audio, Adaptive EQ, Active Noise Cancellation, and large space Audio. The Apple AirPods Max is the first over-ear headphones of the tech giant, and so far we are impressed with the audio quality and noise cancellation, but we are not entirely sure that the high price tag is justified by the design, and the lack of a 3.5mm audio port.

Apple AirPods Max is the most widely expected launch of headphones in 2020, and after years of speculation and rumors, they are finally here.

They were secretly announced via a press release released in the Apple newsroom. According to Apple, the AirPods Max, like the AirPods Pro, has “incredible high-fidelity audio, Adaptive EQ, Active Noise Cancellation, and spatial audio”The unconventional nature of the Apple AirPods Max and its accompanying case have split views since its launch, but then again when they launched in 2016, the initial AirPods did so.
We spent a little time getting to know the wireless headphones, and so far, while we’re impressed with the quality of the sound, we’re not completely sure that their high price tag is justified.What’s not included is a 3.5mm audio jack. So, if you want to listen to a wired connection, you’ll need a 3.5mm Lighting Audio Adapter for an additional $35.It’s disappointing that it isn’t bundled with headphones because you know how expensive they are.

Release date & Price

The price of the Apple AirPods Max is $549 / £549 / NGN 210,000. The AirPods Max are currently available for pre-order and will be officially released on 15 December 2020.However the expected stock shortages mean that you may be struggling to get AirPods Max by the end of the year, whether you’re buying from the Apple Store or from third-party retailers.That price makes the AirPods Max much more expensive than many of the best over-ear headphones on the market, including our current favorite cans, the Sony WH-1000XM4; anyone hoping for a budget-friendly price, as we saw with the recently launched HomePod mini, will be disappointed.
There are rumors that Apple is planning to release a cheaper, sports-friendly version of the AirPods Max, but even then you can expect it to cost a penny.

Design

The Apple AirPods Max comes with a streamlined design that is characteristic of the tech giant, with clean lines and a stainless steel building design. They come in a range of colors that are trendy, including gray, silver, blue, green and pink.We checked the space gray model, and we think it looks beautifully understated – aside from the somewhat odd headband.
The headband is made of knitted mesh fabric, which Apple claims is “designed to distribute weight and reduce on-head pressure” Although the look of the mesh headband is not completely sold, we can not deny that the AirPods Max are comfortable wearing it and when the headphones are actually on your head, which is the most important thing, the headband is not almost as noticeable.

The headband frame itself is made of stainless steel, and to find a good balance, you should move the telescoping arms. The frame feels sturdy and well-made, but the pressure on your head is not so intense.

The earcups of the memory foam sound very good as well. Apple says they are linked to the headband with a mechanism that “balances and distributes ear cup pressure, and allows it to independently pivot and rotate to fit the unique contours of a user’s head”

Sound Performance

The soundstage typically feels very wide, with space to really shine for all the instruments; you don’t get the ‘closed-off’ feeling often imparted by over-ear headphones. There’s plenty of detail, fantastic imagery, and in the short time we spent listening to the AirPods Max, we didn’t find any problems with rhythmic precision.
There is 40mm dynamic drivers within the headphones, which are driven by a dual neodymium ring magnet motor that makes the AirPods Max to “maintain total harmonic distortion of less than 1 percent across the entire audible range” according to Apple. They definitely sound simple, and even at higher volumes, we have not found any distortion.

Battery & Connectivity

Apple says that AirPods Max delivers up to 20 hours of high-fidelity audio, talk time, or movie playback that usually doesn’t seem like a huge amount; however, given that this is enabled with Active Noise Cancellation, it’s a pretty respectable figure.Connectivity comes with the help of Bluetooth 5, so you can expect pairing times to be fast, and you shouldn’t lose your connection as you move away from your source device (as long as you don’t go beyond 800 feet/420 meters, or put a few thick walls between the AirPods Max and your phone).As always, Apple has also included support for its Siri smart assistant, meaning you can, among other things, use voice commands to play music, make phone calls, adjust the volume and get directions when you’re on the move. Siri can read your incoming messages as well.

Noise Cancellation

Based on the short time we spent with them the noise cancelation provided by the Apple AirPods Max appears strong. Each ear cup features three outward-facing microphones to detect environmental noise, while one microphone inside the ear cup monitors the sound that reaches your ear.
Apple says that AirPods Max uses computational audio to continuously change their noise cancelation output based on the fit and movement of the headphone in real time”.

The Transparency mode is also useful; to allow environmental noise to pass through the headphones, you just need to press the noise cancelation button on the right earcup to allow you to tap into your environment. It’s certainly handy if you need to have a quick conversation with someone who doesn’t have to stop your music, and it worked really well in our tests.

Our Verdict

We’ve been impressed by the audio quality so far with a broad, well-balanced soundstage, rich bass, and detailed trebles. We have also found the cancellation of noise to be very effective, and it is certainly useful to include a transparency mode.

We’re less convinced, design-wise. We like the earcups’ sleek feel, and the mesh headband feels comfortable, but we’re not convinced why, if the AirPods Max has other high-end models such as the Bowers & Wilkins PX7 or the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700’s stye credentials. Still, the use of physical buttons is appreciated, and a good touch is the nod to the Apple Watch with the Digital Crown. Is that enough to persuade people to buy at $550 / £550 / N210,000 to part?

We’re going to have to spend more time with AirPods Max to find out but our intuition tells us that these headphones are probably only going to cater to devoted Apple fans, while brand-agnostic music lovers are likely to spend their money on cans that come with all the fixings, cables and all.