The AirPods Max have had a successful three-year run thus far. Many critics and consumers consider them the best Apple headphones and best noise-canceling headphones for iOS/macOS users, though some of us are partial to models that boast the same flawless integration and newer features (*cough* the Beats Studio Pro *cough*). That being said, Apple’s introductory headphones are still a fun and highly expensive investment that prove their worth in many ways while also showing their outdatedness.
Opinions have changed since sharing our first impressions several years back. Certain factors have aged well, while others are begging for an upgrade. And some need to be scrapped heading into the long-anticipated AirPods Max 2. Here’s our revisited take on the original AirPods Max.
Apple’s AirPods Max offer extreme comfort, extreme noise cancellation and an extreme price. But you can get a solid discount that trims about as much off the price as their active noise cancellation (ANC) cuts off your surroundings.
What we liked about them
Sound remains both refreshing and satisfying
At $550, the AirPods Max have to sound good. We’re happy to report that the headphones still sound terrific. It’s a vibrant mix, similar to that of the AirPods Pro, with more breadth and depth that shines with clear instrument separation and a wide soundstage. On bass specifically, it’s a roaring thump that can get a bit deeper when needed while also not overemphasizing those tones. We also didn’t experience any distortion or crackling at any volume — be it 30%, 65% or 100%.
You won’t find a custom EQ mixer on the AirPods Max like Sony offers on the WH-1000XM5. We’d also say that while the bass is strong here, the AirPods Max don’t push out as thunderous of a deep tone as the XM5 do. However, you can personalize sound on the headphones by employing several of these AirPods Max tips and tricks.
These wireless cans let you hear instruments clearly, and the mixes give each of them room to breathe. For instance, with a crowded track like “Ghosts” by Bruce Springsteen, you can clearly make out the guitars, piano, organ and drums. There was no distortion or crackling at any volumes as well. On the WH-1000XM5, elements sound a bit clearer and more dynamic — granted, the drums are snappier on Apple’s headphones.
“Exile” by Taylor Swift is a great way to hear the soundstage and the separation of instruments. The AirPods Max were able to deliver Bon Iver’s vocals in a deep fashion that doesn’t overshadow the higher piano tones. It also avoids any tinning or unintended sparks, which can sometimes occur in headphones. It’s just presented as polished as you would expect.
“Bury a Friend” by Billie Eilish shows how AirPods Max can differentiate lower tones with a high amount of clarity. As we’ve seen on Beats and, to some degree, the WH-1000XM5, lower tones can lose some clarity and generate reverb. The AirPods Max present them with clarity while also providing the intended buzzing effect that the tones on this track leaves.
AirPods Max can also get loud, but we didn’t find ourselves reaching to increase volumes. Most listening sessions during our testing were around the 60% to 75% volume mark, and we experienced good tones and clarity at those volumes.
Spatial Audio delivers and sets the standard for 3D sound
Spatial Audio still stands out as a strong spot; it’s essentially a home theater for your head. The technology is also available on all the latest AirPods and the best Beats headphones.
Apple’s 3D audio format performs best on the AirPods Max, providing a wider and more immersive experience compared to normal content consumption on other headphones. If an object is zooming past you on the screen, you’ll hear it on the proper side. Head tracking is accurate and properly adjusts sound presentation to your head movement.
The feature is available for use on Apple TV and increases sound quality on compatible media. Digital streaming lovers should consider applying these five tips and tricks to get better sound on your Apple TV as well. It would be amazing if the technology were compatible with all stereo content, much like Bose does with its Immersive Sound mode on the Bose QuietComfort Ultra, but Apple’s Spatial Audio only works with 5.1, 7.1 and Dolby Atmos content.
Noise cancellation and transparency are still top-notch
ANC on AirPods Max perform neck and neck with the class-leading Sony WH-1000XM4. It’s quite effective, and it’s an experience that’s powered by the passive seal of the ear cups and the active use of nine microphones. The two Apple H1 processors inside work together to block out the noise and just present you with a slight hiss — and the emptiness of sound. We find the Bose QC Ultra and Sony WH-1000XM5 to be better noise neutralizers, each capable of eliminating up to 90% of ambient noise, though the AirPods Max are heavily reliable for noise reduction.
With no music or audio being played back, the AirPods Max can cut out an HVAC vent. And next to the main blower set to high, it brings it down to an effective cool wisp. Standing on a platform as trains came from either side resulted in no sound with music playing and it also compensated for wind outside.
The real star is transparency mode, which essentially brings in the world around you in a very natural way. There’s no extra processing or graininess being introduced. You can clearly make out speech, either prerecorded or from actual humans, a dog barking or a knock on the door.
The sensors on the AirPods Max also allow for an easy transition from wearing to having them off. As soon as you lift an ear cup or take the headphones off, playback is paused and you’re back in the real world. You can also get a seamless transition between all your Apple devices. And placing them back on reconnects to the device you’re using and it can resume playback.
Equally as important as battery life is the ability to use AirPods Max for communication. And out of those nine microphones on these cans, three are dedicated to voice pickup and for the most part deliver clear speech pickup.
Video calls, including FaceTime, did perform more clearly. Phone calls over LTE or Wi-Fi calling were strong as well. We think AirPods Max are on par with the AirPods Pro but with marginally more skills at removing wind. That’s a common issue with over-ear headphones and a struggle that users can attest to. At times, the AirPods Max did make us sound a little more sharp and jagged.
A futuristic design with fantastic controls
The AirPods Max’s high price tag becomes a bit more reasonable when you understand the materials being used here. AirPods Max feel incredible in your hands and on your head, even if they’re a bit heavy at 384 grams.
Aluminum, stainless steel and the knit band come together for an eye-catching design that’s comfortable. This type of design is rare in the headphone space and suggests a level of durability and longevity that justifies the high price — though, keep in mind, these aren’t for working out, as the AirPods Max lack sweat or water resistance.
Each stainless steel ear cup is attached on a pivot system to the arms of the AirPods Max and is easy to adjust. Since the ear cups can sit in a plethora of positions, it allows them to make a seal around the ear with a variety of head shapes. You won’t feel strong pressure from aluminum or stainless steel. The ear cups facing your ears are made from a memory foam cushion. This is more malleable than what you’ll see on other headphones and quickly bounces back up.
The AirPods Max have a knit mesh finish that is color-matched and similar to the weave on some Apple Watch bands and smart speakers. It’s quite comfortable on the ear and does a good job containing heat in the cushions, which helps keep your ears from sweating. These are headphones you can wear for quite some time and forget they are on your head a bit.
Moving up from the ear cup is a stainless steel headband that quickly moves into a polyurethane and knit build. In our testing, it’s super comfortable by not increasing weight on the top of your head and properly splits the weight between the left and right ear cups.
The real clutch feature of the design is that the cushion portions of the ear cups are attached magnetically. With a little tug you can pop them off for proper cleaning, and if they get worn down after a few years, Apple does sell replacements for a steep $69. Still, it’s a novel feature, as no other consumer-grade headphones offer this. The cushions will likely get worn down and dirty the fastest.
The outside of the ear cups also contains many cutouts for both vents and microphones. There are nine total microphones on the AirPods Max for noise cancellation and other use cases. The right ear cup is a bit more packed, with a Lightning port and LED indicator, an action button and the Digital Crown. It’s the command central for controls.
Controlling the AirPods Max is a distinctly different experience. Most headphones opt for touch controls on the ear cups or buttons on the bottom side of the cup; AirPods don’t do either of those. There are two inputs, and they’re on the top of the right ear cup. The Digital Crown — the same dial made famous by the Apple Watch — is here and enlarged. You’ll turn it to adjust volume, click it to play or pause, double-click to move forward, triple-click to go back and long-press to engage Siri. For the latter, you can also just say “Hey Siri,” as it’s cooler and faster. The action button faces, well, your face and allows for quick switching between ANC or transparency modes.
And while it took about 24 hours to get used to the controls, we’ve found them both intuitive and more precise over the touch controls. We haven’t had accidental touches and don’t struggle with remembering where to swipe on the ear cup. And in the winter you won’t be struggling while wearing gloves or have moisture on the cups engage commands. You can also control the experience via the connected device.
AirPods Max were quick to pick up “Hey Siri” commands, and message transcription is about on par with the iPhone itself or the AirPods Pro. You can hear some samples below recorded with Voice Memos on connected iOS devices.
What we didn’t like about them
No longer future-proof
Apple has done a fantastic job of updating the entire AirPods lineup with new features via iOS updates. Unfortunately, it looks like the AirPods Max won’t be supporting newer features moving forward. Recently announced modes like Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness and Personalized Volume are exclusive to the AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C.
The practical impractical case
We can’t really wrap our head around the case for AirPods Max. Apple calls it a Smart Case and it has one neat trick, but it doesn’t really do what a case should, which is wrap around a product and provide protection. For a pair of headphones, you don’t even need a cutout on it for control. Apple didn’t do this and instead released a pretty flimsy case with magnets inside. It protects the ear cups and nothing else. It’s a polyurethane material like a Smart Cover for an iPad and has a velvet-like lining. It doesn’t protect against drops and doesn’t even fully wrap around the lower parts of the AirPods Max. The stainless steel headband and knit mesh top are all out in the open. In fact, that headband is the handle when using the case. It’s like a mini purse.
It’s just not a good case and doesn’t set out to do what a case should. The only pro here is placing the AirPods Max in the case puts them in a low-power mode, which is essentially the closest thing to turning these over-ear cans off. There is no power button on the AirPods Max, but in this state, it conserves battery and offers a steady length for standby. You can also charge AirPods Max while they’re in the case.
But wouldn’t it be amazing if these worked with MagSafe for wireless charging or even if the included case recharged the AirPods Max? Fortunately, there are a good amount of third-partty AirPods Max cases and covers that provide more protection and style than what you get out of the box.
Poor battery life and no USB-C charging
Apple promises 20 hours of use on the AirPods Max with noise cancellation engaged, and that’s where we fell. In our sustained battery test with volume at 50%, we stretched that to 21 hours, but in everyday use with volume fluctuating and switching between different modes, playtime was closer to 19 to 20 hours.
This falls behind the 30 hours of the Sony WH-1000XM5. Sure, 20 hours is enough for most use cases or for whenever we travel. However, we’re seeing some of the best budget headphones out there (including the 1More SonoFlow and EarFun Wave Pro) provide more than double the playtime.
Adding to the battery life dilemma is the lack of USB-C support. The AirPods Max launched with a Lightning port, which the company has phased out on their latest products to comply with the European Parliament’s approval of a single charger reform. Apple has no plans of rereleasing these headphones with USB-C charging like it previously did with the AirPods Pro 2.
On the bright side, the AirPods Max do support fast charging. Plugging them in for five minutes will deliver about an hour and a half of playback with noise cancellation engaged. Bear in mind that quick charging is stronger on the Beats Studio Pro (a 10-minute charge gets you four hours of playback time).
Bottom line
Fast-forward to 2024 and the AirPods Max continue to perform at an elite level. Highlights include their luxurious design, satisfying sound, strong connectivity within the Apple ecosystem and a triple threat with ANC, transparency and Spatial Audio.
Music playback is seriously enjoyable but largely in line with Sony’s WH-100XM4, not the WH-1000XM5. Same with noise cancellation — they’re both top-notch. Transparency mode shoots into the stratosphere with an experience that feels like you’re not wearing headphones. We love the comfort of the design and the materials being used. The controls, while very different, are intuitive. And Spatial Audio feels like it’s going to be even better when it enters the home entertainment space.
The case will always be baffling, and the price is still too high. Battery life could also be longer. Still, this is a luxury purchase that’s worth it depending on what you’re looking for. If you want class-leading performance, then opt for the Sony WH-1000XM5. And if you want many of the AirPods Max’s best features within a cheaper, more platform-agnostic set of cans, the Beats Studio Pro are well worth a look. Otherwise, every Apple user with the urge to splurge should consider the AirPods Max for their astounding integration with Apple devices.