Apple Airpods Max:
Feel the Premium
As a quick update for the Jabra Elite 85h’s, they let me down. They stopped pairing one day, out of the blue. Fortunately, Jabra took them back. So since then, I have been in the market for a new pair of premium over-ear Bluetooth headphones. I tried a few pairs of earbuds. I liked the Galaxy Buds+. Had they been made with ANC, I might have just decided to forgo a new set of cans. I tried the Airpods Pro. My only gripe with them was that they had trouble staying in my ears. They would fall out regularly. I was constantly adjusting them. I even tried a set of expanding foam ear tips. They did help, but not to the point that I was satisfied. Plus having to roll them between my fingers before inserting them in my ears every time got annoying.
It was during this time that Apple announced the Airpods Max. I immediately took notice. I am an iPhone user (I just upgraded from the iPhone XS Max to the 12 Pro Max), so the headphones not being platform-agnostic was not a deal breaker for me. If you are an Android user, I would suggest looking at another pair. I pre-ordered the Airpods Max and eagerly awaited their delivery.
I ended up getting them in silver and white. I would have preferred Space-Gray, but that color was already sold-out. They arrived this morning. I have been using them non-stop for the past two hours.
My thoughts:
ANC:
They sound excellent. The ANC is superb. If I had a pair of Sony WH-X1000XM4’s to side by side compare them, I might be able to tell which has better ANC. As I don’t have them on hand, I am not able to tell definitively, but these are the only other pair of headphones that I have ever used that can compete with the Sony’s for ANC.
Connectivity:
If you have an iPhone or a Mac, they are simply the easiest headphones to connect. If you are connecting to an Android phone or a Windows PC, they are just like any other pair of Bluetooth headphones. They connect to a Mac, iPad, and iPhone and can hot-swap between them. If you need to connect to an iPhone and a Windows PC (as I do for work) you have to disconnect from one to connect to the other, as with any other pair of headphones. They have a rock-solid connection. I was able to leave my phone on my desk and walk into my kitchen to refill my water bottle without any degradation of sound or loss of connectivity.
Sound:
Here is where the Airpods Max shine. The sound quality from these headphones easily eclipse their nearest competitor the afore mentioned Sony’s. I would not compare them to any other consumer grade ANC Bluetooth over ear headphones. They are more accurately compared to audiophile level headphones. They have a surprisingly open soundstage for closed back headphones. They lean toward a warmer, more bass-rich sound. They are not neutral reference cans, but they are accurate and enjoyable to listen to.
Comfort:
I have only been using them for a couple of hours, but I can already tell that they are among the most comfortable over-ear headphones I have ever worn. My ears do not touch the drivers on the inside. The earcups distribute the pressure around them evenly, and do not apply pressure to any single area. The mesh covered memory foam earcups are cooler than leather or pleather that come on many headphones. The headband sits so comfortably that I can’t feel it. In all, I would say that the only headphones more comfortable than these that I have worn are the Philips Audio Fidelio X2HR’s.
Looks:
The headphones themselves look superb. I could not ask for better. They are clean, sleek, and would not look out of place in a professional setting. I won’t address the case’s looks here. Its been memed about, talked about, and mocked sufficiently. Lets just say that I don’t think it was their best styling choice. Functionally, I don’t think the case was a good choice either. It is not protective for traveling. I think that Apple let themselves down with the case. I am hopeful that third parties will rise to the occasion and put our a case that has the magnets in it to allow the deep sleep functionality without the awful looks of the smart case.
Scores (out of 10):
ANC: 9
Connectivity: 8
Sound: 10
Comfort: 10
Looks: Headphones: 10 Case: -2
Price: $549.99