airpods max sound quality
The public’s eyes immediately turned to the price when Apple secretly launched the over-ear AirPods Max Headphones in November. question is airpods max worth it or not?
This comes as a surprise to customers who are accustomed to luxury headphones and earbuds costing no more than $300 or $400. The price was comparatively high, even as compared to other Apple products, which can be more costly than rival products.
This entire scenario may have arisen as a result of Apple’s near-perfect ability to do what it does. Though Apple’s devices are pricey, few businesses could offer the iPhone 12 or the M1 MacBook Air at such a low price. As a result, when Apple releases a premium product that is also priced as a premium product, you get a reaction like this.
Of course, the sceptics were completely wrong, and the AirPods Max quickly sold out after their publication. They remain a hot commodity for retailers, which is unsurprising.
This isn’t uncommon in the realm of high-end audio equipment, or in Apple’s forays into it. Luxury and audiophile labels like Bang & Olufsen, Audeze, and Focal will potentially cost thousands of dollars in headphones. Previous Apple audio devices, such as the HomePod, haven’t always been affordable to the general public.
And, as predicted, the AirPods Max delivered on their promise. And, when you consider what they have to do, you can get more than your money’s worth out of them.
With all that in view, here have been five reasons how the AirPods Max starting price does not discourage you.
The AirPods Max’s audio quality is almost unrivalled by other top wireless headphones. Apple has a strong track record for audio devices in general, and its speakers and headphones are still good value for money. Take a look at the feedback for the AirPods Max headphones from The Verge, Wired, and Cnet, and you’ll see that they sound superior than any similar pair of headphones. So, what are the things that critics adore? They like the sound over other well-reviewed headphones, such as the Sony WH-1000XM4 that we called the best ever, because of the dazzling detail of the high-end effects, the big soundstage, and the tightness of the bass.
Good Design is a subjective matter, and the AirPods Max Model Radiates it. The Marshall Monitor II noise-cancelling headphones have a look that can’t be beat for nostalgic styles. Others think Beats headphones’ style is perfect because of their bright colours. The AirPods Max, which blend high-end fabrics like stainless steel with a hint of playfulness, could be the closest pair of headphones to satisfying everyone’s visual sensibilities without coming off as dull and sterile.
The AirPods Max, which blend high-end fabrics like stainless steel with a hint of playfulness, could be the closest pair of headphones to satisfying everyone’s visual sensibilities without coming off as dull and sterile. The AirPods Max’s lines and overall shape are reminiscent of old Koss headphones from the 1960s and 1970s, giving them a nostalgic feel. Aluminum, magnets, stainless steel acoustic wire, and silicone are used in cutting-edge engineering methods to streamline the process for minimalists and modernists.
The AirPods Max have become so convenient that you’ll need to wear them every day. It’s not all about aesthetics when it comes to the AirPods Max’s style. The memory foam ear cups and conveniently interchangeable stainless steel arms on the headband contribute to the luxurious feel of these headphones, as do the premium fabrics and meticulous engineering. When it comes to warmth, this is important. The AirPods Max are so comfortable, according to critics, that you can wear them for an hour. It’s not all about aesthetics when it comes to the AirPods Max’s style.
The memory foam ear cups and conveniently interchangeable stainless steel arms on the headband contribute to the luxurious feel of these headphones, as do the premium fabrics and meticulous engineering. When it comes to warmth, this is important. The AirPods Max are so convenient, according to critics, that you could always wear them for an hour with no issues at all. When it comes to headphones, this isn’t necessarily the case. Some are too big, others don’t stay put on your head, and others are too tight around your ears. It’s worth the extra money if you can find a decent pair of headphones that don’t have any of these problems.
The AirPods Max include unique functionality not seen in other headphones. If you’ve used a couple of AirPods Pro earbuds, you’re aware that the H1 chip integrated into them allows them to work in tandem with your other Apple devices. This involves auto-pairing with your iPhone, iPad, and Mac, pausing as you remove your earbuds, and swapping the link between devices depending on proximity or movement.
The true game-changer, though, is spatial audio. If you have the right content on your Apple computer (Netflix, sports, etc. ), you’ll get not only Dolby Atmos-style 3D audio, but the headphones can also monitor your head’s location in relation to what you’re looking at and automatically shift the audio around you in realtime. Some devices might have had their own unique functionality, yet head tracking is a technology that only a few headsets support. And most of the ones that do are gaming headphones.
It’s True That the Noise Cancellation Was It Great. With the AirPods Pro, Apple has already shown that its noise-cancelling system is on par with Bose and Sony. And with the AirPods Max, they will use the invention to its maximum advantage in a pair of over-ear headphones. Although the best noise-cancelling headphones all cancel various kinds of sounds more than most, the AirPods Max succeed at cancelling out voices, making them a perfect pair of headphones to use while operating in a space full of chatty people, according to experts analysis.
The Bottom Line: Yes, You Can Purchase These (If You Can Afford Them) To summarise, the AirPods Max aren’t yet another great pair of headphones. This are a fantastic pair of headphones, as many people have said. And if money isn’t a problem, they’re the best wireless headphones on the market right now.
Apple’s first over-ear noise-cancelling headphones, the AirPods Max, are a luxurious item that the company hopes would dethrone Sony’s WH1000xM4 and the Bose 700 in the premium ANC headphones market.
Beats Solo Pro and Beats Studio 3 Wireless ANC headphones, as well as in-ear headphones like Powerbeats Pro, AirPods, and AirPods Pro (the latter of which has ANC), are also available from the Cupertino brand.
But it’s safe to say that the AirPods Max stand out not only from Apple’s other headphones, but also from all other premium ANC over-ear headphones currently on the market.
In brief, I adore them; they’re the optimum price headphone for the Apple ecosystem, with features like the H1 chip for each earcup, AirPlay, Dynamic Audio, Responsive EQ, ANC, and Translucent Mode. They’re not designed for DJing or mixing and mastering. If you use them in wired format, they are completely capable of running on the go in a digital audio workstation (DAW) such as Logic Pro X or Ableton Live.
AirPods Max are single-piece aluminium ear cups with a stainless steel headband that are impeccably made. They’re a bit heavier than most ANC over-ear headphones. The ear cups, rather than the headband, carry the weight, making them feel comfortable and healthy. The headband does not move as you lean forward or backward. You can change the height of the headband by extending the arms at either end. The ear cups instead move and twist to match your head’s hand. The headphones are held in place by spring-loaded hinges that do not require undue force.
Ear pads made of memory foam cover the ears and are located between the cups and your head. And after wearing them for up to seven hours straight, this foam didn’t make my ears water.
Magnets hold the two ear pads in place, and they can be switched out quickly. The ability to purchase new ear pads is a fantastic feature.
It’s worth noting that if you jump around or dance too hard while wearing the headphones, the ear pads can slip off. For other headphones, this would happen, but with wireless headphones, it means they’ve fallen to the ground.
The instant pairing and seamless compatibility with all other Apple devices — as well as the easy and quick automatic switching between them — is one of the most appealing features of AirPods Max, similar to AirPods Pro and Beats Solo Pro. Siri can be called up using your speech, and she can read messages to you when they arrive.
The cans also have Bluetooth 5.0, allowing them to be used with non-Apple computers such as Android and Windows 10.
Tap or swipe controls are not available. Instead, two actual buttons are located on the top of the right-hand cup.
The digital crown, which echoes Apple Watch’s design language, controls volume.
This physical feeling is far superior to tap and swipe for me.
The audio is paused when you press the crown, then resumed when you press it again. To skip forward, press twice, and to go back, press three times. To send and receive phone calls, a similar method is used.
AirPods Max have a digital crown with noise-cancelling controls. The other button switches between noise cancellation modes. This was changed in the settings to include off mode; by contrast, this button toggles between ANC and Transparency mode.
A longer press on this button activates pairing mode for the headphones.
If you need a soft reset, press and hold both this button and the digital crown together to refresh the Max.
For AirPods Max, Apple created its own 40mm driver. This model has a dual neodymium ring magnet motor that, according to the manufacturer, would have less than 1% overall harmonic distortion over the entire audible spectrum.
The AirPods Max only endorse the SBC and AAC codecs, and they are not intended for audiophiles, as are all portable headphones.
We purchase wireless headphones for comfort, and no wireless headphones in the iOS ecosystem are more convenient than Apple’s own devices, thanks to the H1 chip described earlier.
However, music of all genres sounds fantastic on AirPods Max, with a wealth of rich detail, complexity, nuance, and warmth. The voices and instruments are perfectly isolated. Each sound is perfectly balanced.
It’s worth noting that they’re tuned in Apple’s style rather than using a flat EQ, and you won’t be able to tweak them using custom EQ settings because there aren’t any.
There are a variety of EQ presets to choose from whether you use the Apple Music app (as a subscriber or to play your own library). You can also adjust the audio tune to balanced pitch, vocal range, or brightness in the iOS and iPadOS Accessibility environments. Bass is still there, but it is never overpowering. Pummeling electro and grimy UK bass music are both sharp and substantial.
If using the headphones to watch movie or TV content (or even YouTube ads), the sound varies accordingly: for example, during action scenes, the bottom-end becomes more pronounced, but dialogue remains sharp and simple.
Apple’s Adaptive EQ is also available on the Max. This uses eight microphones (four on each ear) to listen to the audio coming out of the ear cups in real time and contrasts it to the dry version of the sound. It then uses an equaliser to try to rebalance the sound.
It’s a feature that can’t be turned on or off. This indicates that it is impossible to assess. However, it guarantees a smooth listening environment whether you, for example, wear spectacles or tie your hair up regularly.
If you’re on a plane, train, or seated in a coffee shop, keep in mind that the Max leaks audio at high levels.
When using AirPods Max to watch a video with a 5.1, 7.1, or Dolby Atmos soundtrack on an iPad or iPhone, motion sensors monitor the head’s location in relation to the screen.
As a result, the cinematic surround sound experience is utterly compelling. The dialogue will still sound like it’s coming from the projector, no matter which direction you turn your head. It’s so quick and precise.
If you’re a music artist, beatmaker, or DJ, you’ll notice that all portable headphones have lag, making them unusable for function.
When using AirPods Max in DAWs like Ableton Live, the lag isn’t as bad, but it’s still noticeable. If you want to use AirPods Max to make music drawings or simple track arrangements, you’ll need to buy Apple’s Lightning to 3.5mm Audio Cable (which costs €39).
Music enthusiasts will note a difference in sonic consistency when using streaming platforms like Tidal Masters or Qobuz, or when listening to CD quality or Hi-Res audio files from your personal music library, thanks to the wired link. Except when used wirelessly, the AirPods Max lack a flat EQ, making them unsuitable as reference headphones for mixing or mastering.
Apple’s noise reduction reduction (ANC) utilizes microphone to track and block out incoming sound before it reaches the ears.
Each ear has one microphone that faces inwards, while the other three are on the outside. The microphones listen ‘200 times a second,’ according to the company, and change the cancellation and adaptive EQ to build the best listening atmosphere.
An adapter can be used to attach AirPods Max to a wired network (Image: Mark Kavanagh) I’ve long considered Bose and Sony to be the best for noise cancellation, but AirPods Max are just as amazing.
During, I compared them to a pair of Sony WH1000x-M4 in a variety of cases, and they were nearly identical.
By engaging the microphones in Transparency mode, you can easily switch on the outside world.
Transparency mode on AirPods Max is the best I’ve tried for making and receiving both audio and video calls. You can hear yourself so distinctly as you talk that it’s as though you’re not wearing headphones. When working or when others are in the kitchen, some coworkers like to keep Transparency mode on, and the audio still sounds good. In a nutshell, the standard of luxury is exceptional.
Plug the supplied Lightning cable into the bottom-right earphone to charge your AirPods Max. You can do this with or without the case on.
In the enclosure, there is no charging block. The headphones do allow quick charging, with a five-minute charge providing 90 minutes of play time. However, a complete recharge took me almost two hours.
The Max charges at the same rate if you have a 5w charger or a 20w charger.
If you’re not using the AirPods Max, store them in the Smart Case, as Apple calls it. This automatically switches them to a low-power mode in order to save battery life. Your AirPods Max enter an ultralow power mode after 18 hours in the Smart Case, which disables Bluetooth.
They go into a low power state to save power if they remain idle for five minutes.
The price, though, caught us off guard: £549 ($549, AU$899) puts them far above the rest of premium (if we can even call them that) wireless noise-cancelling headphones. Can they really warrant such a colossal investment?
Yeah, they should, is the short answer. They outperform the market so much that they arguably cross the line from portable audio to wireless hi-fi.
Although the design may not be to everyone’s liking, there’s no questioning the Apple AirPods Max’s high-quality materials and construction. If you give anyone a pair of them and a pair of Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones, they’ll have no problem thinking there’s a £200 ($200, AU$450) price gap between them.
In comparison to the Apples, which have pristinely machined, single-piece anodized aluminium ear cups attached by a stainless-steel headband, the Sonys look and sound almost inexpensive. Memory-foam cushions sit between the cups and the head, comfortably encircling even the biggest ears and forming a seal that’s both soft and remarkably powerful at physically blocking out sound.
The AirPods Max are considerably heavier than current wireless headphones you might consider — at 385g, they are more than 100g heavier than the Sony WH-1000XM4, for example. However, because of the weight-distribution design’s efficacy, they don’t feel bulky on the head and there are no pronounced pressure points. We’ve been using the AirPods Max for a while now.
Apple has defied the need to incorporate touch controls into the configuration of the AirPods Max, but has not gone fully hands-free, which is a good thing. Instead, there are two physical buttons on the top of the right-hand cup: a single button for alternating between noise-cancelling modes, and a dial inspired by the Apple Watch’s digital crown.
However, when you use the crown on purpose, it’s a tactile delight. Twist it to change the pace, press to play/pause, double-click to skip forwards, and triple-click to skip backwards. Holding the crown down summons Siri, though the AirPods Max are set to listen for the ‘Hey Siri’ order by contrast.
The Apple AirPods Max’s shell, which has been likened to a bra or a pistol holster, is another distinguishing characteristic. Not only does it look ridiculous, but it also fails to serve even the most important feature of a case, which is to shield the substance inside from bumps, bruises, and debris.
The case is also helpful in that it causes the AirPods Max to reach an ultra-low-power state that supposedly lasts months, so someone who plans to carry them out of the house even sometimes can strongly consider investing in a third-party case that can secure the headphones as well as help their sleep mode.
In terms of total battery life, Apple claims that a complete charge would last about 20 hours. That’s less than the Sony WH-1000XM4’s 30 hours, but we can’t imagine many people finding it insufficient — particularly because our research indicates it’s a conservative number.
The lack of packaged accessories makes the AirPods Max seem to be a low value for money, but Apple will likely argue that you’re paying for hardware, engineering, and, essentially, functionality that you won’t find anywhere else.
Apple has developed its own 40mm driver with a dual neodymium ring magnet motor in terms of acoustic engineering. According to Apple, this feature makes the AirPods Max to have less than 1% overall harmonic distortion over the entire audible spectrum.
First and foremost, the noise-cancelling technology is of superior design. We haven’t done our regular on-flight or even on-bus research since we’re evaluating during a pandemic, so we can get a good idea of how headphones can work in these conditions by using speakers and enthusiastic test subjects.
Finally, although the Sony WH-1000XM4 seems to be somewhat better at blocking continuous, consistent noise (engine noises, for example), the AirPods Max allow very little through here and are only a smidgeon better at combating chit-chat — which is much more difficult to do. In short, the Apples do an excellent job of limiting the amount of background noise that reaches the ears.
There’s also a Transparency mode, which passively processes background noise and pumps it out to your ears if you want to be more conscious of what’s going on around you.
Some of the noise has a somewhat synthetic feel about it, and we’re not sure how practical a Transparency mode is with a pair of headphones like this (it’s usually more useful for in-ears used when exercising outside), but it fits great if you do need it.
It’s worth noting, though, that the AirPods Max sound better when the noise-cancelling and Transparency modes are turned off. When noise-cancelling is turned on, there’s a minor flattening of dynamics and softening of punch, and the treble gets a bit more pronounced. It’s not enough to stop using the noise-cancelling feature; when you can (which should be pretty frequently due to the successful physical noise-isolation), you can turn it off to hear the AirPods Max at their best.
When we begin to listen more intently, it becomes apparent that the AirPods Max are truly special. Starting with SBTRKT’s debut album, we’re blown away by the super-crisp and expansive delivery. Even the Sonys can’t equal the precision and vitality of these, and they sound more entertaining and genuine.
They sound like a big step forward in terms of sonic maturity as well as construction consistency, being lighter on their feet and much more precise and thrilling. Trials Of The Past is brimming with fire, and while the Sonys do an excellent job on this stage, the Apples add an extra layer of sizzle and assault that is difficult to overlook.
Overall, the effect is fantastic. The entire show is light, airy, and compelling, and the monitoring is incredibly seamless and precise as you turn your head.
The AirPods Max do a fantastic job of recreating the opening scene of Gravity. The positioning of the different voices coming through the radio is beautifully accurate and compelling, the dull thumps against the satellite and the strong bass notes of the soundtrack have outstanding weight, there is outstanding all-around precision, and excellent dynamics as the calm scene becomes dangerous and then tragic. Because of the spaciousness of the delivery, it’s possible to forget you’re wearing headphones. It’s incredibly cinematic.
The movie output could be a low priority for many prospective customers, but it may be a big deal for others — mostly frequent flyers who want to turn their long flights into virtual trips to the movies. And, of course, this is something you won’t see in competing models, since the source and headphones both work together. Basic sense, pairing an iPad with a pair of AirPods Max headphones creates the most compelling portable cinema experience we’ve ever encountered.
Conclusion
The Apple AirPods Max are a pair of big and opulent noise-canceling headphones that manage to stand out in a competitive market.
They sound great with almost any kind of music and are particularly good with movies that use spatial audio.
Their outstanding noise cancellation is second to none, and they have the best-in-class Transparency feature for making and receiving calls.
Despite their extra weight, they are still the most comfortable headphones to use for long periods of time
So, if you prioritise value above anything things when it comes to your audio gear, the AirPods Max should be your first option.
To get the best out of the AirPods Max, you’ll need an iPhone or iPad, which is unsurprising. They’ll work with non-Apple devices that use normal Bluetooth 5.0, but you’ll miss out on a lot of their cool features. Finally, we can’t picture someone who isn’t even well-versed in the Apple world purchasing a pair.
If you’re a die-hard Apple fan, the AirPods Max are the best portable headphones money can purchase — by a long shot. Their authenticity, detail, crispness, and spaciousness put them so well ahead of the previous best in the wireless noise-cancelling class that the distinction is no longer necessary, and you can instead consider them alongside proper hi-fi devices.
There’s no doubt that they’re more expensive than traditional items in this category, but if sound quality is king, they’re well worth it.
Disclaimer: as an amazon affiliate i earn from qualifying purchases
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