AirPods Max
First and foremost, I must say these are easily the most “premium feeling” headphones i’ve ever held.
Apple’s latest addition to the AirPods line, the AirPods Max hit all of their usual checkboxes: Top-tier build quality and questionable (at best) value for cost.
For those that are fully embedded into the Apple ecosystem (aka: jail) with multiple MacOS/iOS devices, you’ll enjoy the incredibly easy pairing and device handoff process. AirPods Max have all the seamless device switching capabilities of the other members of the AirPods family - it’s really great. Struggling with bluetooth pairing issues is so 2015.
Spatial Audio will blow you away.
AirPods Max sound great. When compared to my beloved Sony XM3’s, AirPods Max have a brighter, more full sound. Bass response is clean and precise - perhaps a touch too spirited for some; Apple’s Beats DNA is definitely showing itself a bit there.
These headphones truly come alive when listening to Spatial Audio content.
Hearing my first Spatial Audio demo was hands down the most impressive thing I’ve ever heard from a pair of headphones. I can’t stress how amazing the experience is with AirPods Max + Spatial Audio. My only gripe is that AppleTV is not compatible (so no fancy Spatial Audio, but normal stereo sound works fine). This seems like a big miss, and apparently won’t be rectified without new hardware.
What is Spatial Audio?
You can think of Spatial Audio as ‘surround sound for your headphones’. When listening to content encoded in Dolby Atmos, 5.1, or 7.1 (this will mostly be movies), you experience the sensation that sound is coming from all around you and not just being piped into your ears from two speakers.
Apple takes this effect even further by using motion data from gyroscopic sensors in your viewing device (iPhone, or iPad), coupled with data from sensors in the headphones (AirPods Max and Pro are currently compatible) to keep the sound field static. This means that when you turn your head the sound continues to sound like it’s coming from … where you thought it was coming from.
Let’s say you’re watching a movie and a space ship is shooting laser beams from somewhere behind you - with Spatial Audio enabled, if you turn around, the laser beams would now sound as though they were shooting at your face! It’s difficult to describe, but amazing to experience.
I’ll be watching closely for Spatial Audio compatibility to be added to the next-gen AppleTV - definitely a no-brainer there. No spatial audio on MacOS either, but that’s less of an issue for me.
Comfy, even with the weight.
These headphones are super heavy (384g, or about the weight of a full can of delicious Dr. Pepper). The trade-off here is that while the stainless steel & aluminum construction creates an ultra-premium feel, it also ads a substantial amount of weight when compared to competing headphones constructed of mostly plastic.
AirPods Max aren’t meant to be worn during vigorous activities - don’t even think of trying to jog with these beasts - they’re best suited for a leisurely day listening to some tunes at your desk or relaxing on a beanbag chair.
Thankfully, the weight of AirPods Max all but disappears when you’re just lounging - and I find that the ear pads are extremely comfortable. The ear pads are made of a soft mesh material that provides a nice air seal for excellent noise isolation while staying breathable and cool - especially when compared to that weird pleather material you tend to find on other offerings (Beats Studio, I’m lookin’ at you).
One of my favorite features of AirPods Max is the ability to easily swap out the ear pads. 70 bucks gets you a fresh pair in the color of your choice that pop right on with magnets.
Missed Opportunities
No Spatial-Audio on AppleTV or MacOS.
As mentioned earlier, it’s really unfortunate that I can’t pair AirPods Max to an AppleTV and enjoy watching Dolby Atmos content with Spatial Audio enabled.
USB-C is the Future… right?
USB-C not making an appearance was unsurprising yet still disappointing. Apple seems to be doing its best to keep Lightning alive and kicking - Magic Trackpad / Mouse, AirPods and AirPods Pro, iPhone 12… Lightning seems to be here to stay for the next few years at least. This unfortunately means I’ll have to continue keeping a lightning cable in my EDC even after the rumored port-less iPhone appears. Dang.
Long Term Durability is Questionable
I have concerns about the mesh on the headband getting ripped or otherwise messed up, and I hate how the metal ear cups clink into each other when not being worn. I’m not a fan of feeling like I have to be careful with a pair of headphones.
TL;DR
Heavy but super comfortable for desk/couch listening.
Don’t buy these to work out with.
Wildly expensive for casual listeners.
At $550 these headphones are ridiculously priced in most people’s eyes, but a bargain when compared to many audiophile level offerings.
If you’re an Apple user that switches between multiple iDevices often, and you’re already in the market for ~$400 noise cancelling headphones - I don’t think you’ll regret splurging for AirPods Max.
Great sound quality and noise isolation.
Save some money and go with the Sony XM4’s if you won’t be watching movies much or noise cancellation isn’t that important to you.
The case is dumb.
There, I said it. Not sure what Apple was thinking with the weird “Smart Case” thing included in the box. A simple more bag friendly design similar to the Sony case would’ve been greatly appreciated.
