AirPods Max Review: Luxury Listening!

I was going to post this in the other Airpods max thread but I just didn't feel like bumping that thread was worth it.
Honestly it's what I expected. But I still expect the same people (we know who they are) people to come in and complain despite them clearly not understanding who these headphones are for and very specifically what they're supposed to do.

Personally for me, and for this purpose, it still makes more sense to buy WH-1000XM4's than buy these. I currently use XM2's and I still haven't found enough reason to upgrade.
 
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If they had a better case, I would upgrade my WH-1000XM4 to these. I actually really like the case of the Sonys, as it fits nicely in my carry on bag's pocket. But I really hate the sound quality of them - they are bloated and boomy, and I have to EQ them to make them sound decent. I actually resort to wearing Sennheiser IE800s under them to get the best of both worlds - superior noise cancelling and superior sound. But it's a pain in the ass having to carry around and use two different pieces of equipment. If I can replace them with a single set of headphones that has good SQ and good ANC I'd do that and never look back.

Seems like Apple came oh-so-close to getting these right. Looking forward to some aftermarket cases which may address that issue.
 
paradoxical said:
If they had a better case, I would upgrade my WH-1000XM4 to these. I actually really like the case of the Sonys, as it fits nicely in my carry on bag's pocket. But I really hate the sound quality of them - they are bloated and boomy, and I have to EQ them to make them sound decent. I actually resort to wearing Sennheiser IE800s under them to get the best of both worlds - superior noise cancelling and superior sound. But it's a pain in the ass having to carry around and use two different pieces of equipment. If I can replace them with a single set of headphones that has good SQ and good ANC I'd do that and never look back.

Seems like Apple came oh-so-close to getting these right. Looking forward to some aftermarket cases which may address that issue.
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Never even considered wearing good IEMs underneath some noise canceling cans. I'm going to have to try this. Best of both worlds I suppose
 
UnknownSouljer said:
I was going to post this in the other Airpods max thread but I just didn't feel like bumping that thread was worth it.
Honestly it's what I expected. But I still expect the same people (we know who they are) people to come in and complain despite them clearly not understanding who these headphones are for and very specifically what they're supposed to do.

Personally for me, and for this purpose, it still makes more sense to buy WH-1000XM4's than buy these. I currently use XM2's and I still haven't found enough reason to upgrade.
Click to expand...

As it stands, I suspect Apple gets what makes buyers tick more than Sony, Bose or other rivals. While a handful of enthusiasts grouse about the price tag, the case and the Lightning port, many would be buyers are simply thinking: "they sound great, look cool and work like AirPods... sold." It's $549 to get the best personal audio experience Apple has to offer, and a fashion statement (when it's safe to flex your headphones again, that is). That doesn't eliminate the problems — I just don't think many prospective customers will care.

Let's not forget the AirPods Max are sold out through March. I'm sure limited supply played some role, but this won't be a flop.
 
paradoxical said:
If they had a better case, I would upgrade my WH-1000XM4 to these. I actually really like the case of the Sonys, as it fits nicely in my carry on bag's pocket. But I really hate the sound quality of them - they are bloated and boomy, and I have to EQ them to make them sound decent. I actually resort to wearing Sennheiser IE800s under them to get the best of both worlds - superior noise cancelling and superior sound. But it's a pain in the ass having to carry around and use two different pieces of equipment. If I can replace them with a single set of headphones that has good SQ and good ANC I'd do that and never look back.

Seems like Apple came oh-so-close to getting these right. Looking forward to some aftermarket cases which may address that issue.
Click to expand...
The Sony's are definitely "fun" cans, but I wouldn't overstate their sound reproduction like you have. I have very accurate cans too like Sennheiser HD380 Pros and some Audio Technicas (the model number escapes me for right now) and I in the past had markL modded Denon AH-D5000's. The said I can totally get why they wouldn't be your 'style' or anyone's for that matter if they don't like raised mids and bass.

You are paying a ton of cash for effectively just ANC on your head though. If you're that baller then good on you.
Aurelius said:
As it stands, I suspect Apple gets what makes buyers tick more than Sony, Bose or other rivals. While a handful of enthusiasts grouse about the price tag, the case and the Lightning port, many would be buyers are simply thinking: "they sound great, look cool and work like AirPods... sold." It's $549 to get the best personal audio experience Apple has to offer, and a fashion statement (when it's safe to flex your headphones again, that is). That doesn't eliminate the problems — I just don't think many prospective customers will care.

Let's not forget the AirPods Max are sold out through March. I'm sure limited supply played some role, but this won't be a flop.
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For me, they need a better smart case (maybe can be fixed by third parties) and need to weigh less. This is of course assuming the ANC is good and they sound great.
A final item would be allowing for a standard 1/8th inch cable when I need it. I sometimes use my Sony's while camera operating, and while they don't give accurate sound, they do a pretty good job of blocking everything else out so I know what is coming through the camera. In theory these could use a lightning to 1/8th" inch cable connector, and if that's the case then that "complaint" is eliminated for me (they can be used while plugged in, but it's not specific what cable types can be used).

Everything else about them seems great. Look nice, I know without touching them that they'll feel nice and comfortable. I'm sure the ANC is class leading with its 9 microphones. The mic for talking on the phone semi-sucks but so does every other one.

As for flexing your headphones, I don't really want/need to do that, but ANC headphones are still super useful to me. In 2019 I was on 4 international trips and in theory that number should only increase as things get back to normal. And flights to Japan, Africa, and Haiti aren't known for being "short" (well at least for those of us on the West Coast) so having a great set of ANC is still useful for those of us that are still out and about in one for another. But yeah, no one is wearing these in the coffee shop anytime soon - although if we ever go back to "normal" (which I'm personally starting to doubt we ever will) then M1/M1X/M2 Macs with Airpods Max will be the hip thing to do.
 
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Actually, I forgot about the lightning port. The lightning port really pisses me off - I have a Macbook Pro, iPad, and Android phone - so I am 100% thunderbolt 3 and USB C. Why couldn't they just put a USB C port on these things? Very frustrating.
 
paradoxical said:
Actually, I forgot about the lightning port. The lightning port really pisses me off - I have a Macbook Pro, iPad, and Android phone - so I am 100% thunderbolt 3 and USB C. Why couldn't they just put a USB C port on these things? Very frustrating.
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For that you can use a lightning to USB-C cable and that works (although I guess you're complaining that it requires a special cable). I'm just not sure if it supports lightning to 1/8th (analog) and work. I assume yes, but that's an assumption.
 
UnknownSouljer said:
The Sony's are definitely "fun" cans, but I wouldn't overstate their sound reproduction like you have. I have very accurate cans too like Sennheiser HD380 Pros and some Audio Technicas (the model number escapes me for right now) and I in the past had markL modded Denon AH-D5000's. The said I can totally get why they wouldn't be your 'style' or anyone's for that matter if they don't like raised mids and bass.

You are paying a ton of cash for effectively just ANC on your head though. If you're that baller then good on you.
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They aren't bad for EDM type stuff, which I do enjoy the bass in. But I listen to a ton of acoustic jazz and female vocalists, and I just find them honestly awful for those and any acoustic genre (like classical). At home I use Sennheiser HD650 through a RME ADI-2 DAC/AMP and there is just no comparison. If I listened to pop and EDM I wouldn't have a problem with the Sonys though.

As for as paying a lot of cash for ANC, it's true - but before COVID hit I spent over 100 days a year on the road. I considered both ANC and good sound an investment in my mental health. The peace of mind gained by putting on the IEMs and ANC over the top of it and hearing the screaming babies fade to black while getting studio quality sound on the go is priceless.

Anyway, I was hoping that Apple would one-up the Sonys in every area, making it a no-brainer purchase for me. But it seems they did in some areas, while coming up short in others - so for now, I'll stick with my somewhat clumsy work-around.
 
Saw these on Dankpods.
No thanks, I'll stick with my $10 Skullcandy Jib2 in ears buds and some other cheap cans with a real hard case, not something way over price that has to go into a bra-case to turn off.
 
I trust this guy's listening abilities, very similar to what I hear when he reviews the same headphones that I've heard/owned:
 
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criccio said:
I love Marques but when it comes to audio, I patiently wait for Z's review.

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They’ve said essentially the same things. But these headphones aren’t for audiophiles. Full stop. Marques says that starting at 1:02 of his video. So waiting on an audio-head review was redundant. Heck in the other news thread article about these we surmised the same thing before they even came out.

These are headphones for people heavily invested in Apple ecosystem that want convenience/ease of use and ANC (which is class leading with 9 mics and will cancel an absurd amount of background noise), Apple features like Spacial Audio and pairing with H1, in perhaps as Zeos mentions “the best headphones they’ve ever heard” but not anywhere close to best value for money or audio quality at that price point.

EDIT: Again, most people would be better served by Sony XM4's, Bose QC 35 II, or Bose 700's which all serve nearly the same purpose but don't have H1 or Spacial Audio - for a little more than half the price of Airpod Max. In the case of the XM4's if you wait for sales they can be had for $250 (I've seen them as low as $199 for refurbished pairs), which is less than half of Airpod Max. And again as I mentioned above I and I'm sure many others fall into the category of getting that set long before Apple's option - which although is great costs too much and has too many quirks to be considered.
 
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HockeyJon said:
“Wired listening requires $35 cable”

Seriously?
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Yeah, it's classic Apple (and this is from someone who's deeply invested in the Apple ecosystem). I can understand the desire to embrace wireless and even charging separately for a cable, but $35 is a bit much even if there are some reasons it's more than just a basic Lightning-to-3.5mm adapter. I'd charge $20 if it were my responsibility, and maybe include the cable in the box.
 
Can someone explain why I can’t use a lightning to lightning cable so I don’t have to use a dongle?

That would be a great idea Apple. If you could route a bag of money my direction that would be great.

I’m not entirely sure it matters. Linus has been pretty kind for an android dude to the product— but Sony, Bose and some others make a product that’s super similar. I also don’t prefer bass heavy cans.
 
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