Early AirPods Max order begin to arrive, some Apple Stores will have stock on hand
Customers who purchased Apple's AirPods Max headphone minutes after sales of the device went live last week are now receiving their orders, while those not lucky enough to nab a launch day unit might find one at a nearby Apple Store.
Like any major Apple product launch, early adopters in Australia, New Zealand and parts of Asia are taking to social media outlets to report delivery of AirPods Max. The high-end accessory is arriving on time, with first day units promised for Dec. 15.
Freelance journalist Alice Clark posted a couple snaps wearing a Space Gray model, showing off the headset's design and finish. Her early impressions mirror those of media reviews, which consistently touted the level of comfort Apple managed to achieve with a mesh "canopy" head rest, soft touch material and memory foam ear cushions.
"They're incredibly comfortable, but I haven't had a chance to fully test any of the features," Clark said in a tweet. "But so far they're the most comfortable over ears I've ever had."
Apple Stores in Australia are showing limited stock on hand for launch day. The silver version appears to be available at most Apple retail outlets, while the Space Gray model is currently confined to select locations. Green, Sky Blue and pink color options are hard to come by, though it is possible that Apple will refresh its inventory in the coming days.
AirPods Max is not not currently available for pickup at Apple Stores in Japan, where the outlets have just opened for business on Dec. 15.
Announced in a press release last week, AirPods Max is a hotly anticipated Apple-branded over-the-ear headphone that pairs the company's trademark minimalist styling with cutting edge technology. Sensors and microphone arrays packed within the two ear cups inform two Apple-designed H1 chips for active noise cancelling and advanced operations like Spatial Audio. Priced at $549, AirPods Max is Apple's most expensive AirPods product to date.
Like any major Apple product launch, early adopters in Australia, New Zealand and parts of Asia are taking to social media outlets to report delivery of AirPods Max. The high-end accessory is arriving on time, with first day units promised for Dec. 15.
Freelance journalist Alice Clark posted a couple snaps wearing a Space Gray model, showing off the headset's design and finish. Her early impressions mirror those of media reviews, which consistently touted the level of comfort Apple managed to achieve with a mesh "canopy" head rest, soft touch material and memory foam ear cushions.
"They're incredibly comfortable, but I haven't had a chance to fully test any of the features," Clark said in a tweet. "But so far they're the most comfortable over ears I've ever had."
Apple Stores in Australia are showing limited stock on hand for launch day. The silver version appears to be available at most Apple retail outlets, while the Space Gray model is currently confined to select locations. Green, Sky Blue and pink color options are hard to come by, though it is possible that Apple will refresh its inventory in the coming days.
AirPods Max is not not currently available for pickup at Apple Stores in Japan, where the outlets have just opened for business on Dec. 15.
Announced in a press release last week, AirPods Max is a hotly anticipated Apple-branded over-the-ear headphone that pairs the company's trademark minimalist styling with cutting edge technology. Sensors and microphone arrays packed within the two ear cups inform two Apple-designed H1 chips for active noise cancelling and advanced operations like Spatial Audio. Priced at $549, AirPods Max is Apple's most expensive AirPods product to date.
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Try buying a pair now; delivery dates currently say mid-March for those in the US. Something tells me that Apple will make "more than a handful" of these.
I’m one of the ‘everyone online’ who is skeptical. It’s possible that these are worth $550. It’s also possible that they are nice but not worth double the price of other leading noise canceling headphones like the Sony XM4s. Apple has a subset of cult followers that will buy anything they make and gush about it no matter what; I’m waiting for the more objective reviews.
Next earnings report end of January should be just massive.
https://youtu.be/IN9AHeoMrqc
airpods max better build, maybe better sound and ANC. But marginal at best. Terrible case and you would spend your life worrying about scratching the aluminium and ripping the headband. More than twice the price.
Sony has a great case and while made of plastic obviously quality.
recommended the XM4
I consider myself somewhat of an audiophile, and have owned and currently own several pairs of headphones and high end speakers. I recently bought the XM4 to compare with B&W’s PX7 so my first thought is that I’ll absolutely return those and quite possibly sell my PX7 if I keep them. Up to now I can say undoubtedly these are superior in sound to the Sony, and are at the very least on par with the ANC. The XM4’s have some nifty tricks up their sleeves however which add to their allure - the adaptive ANC/transparency and EQ that can be customised based on ones current activity or movement, and if you don’t mind the potential privacy implications they can even change based on very specific locations and GPS coordinates. Now the AirPods max could theoretically be updated to provide some of that functionality depending on how well patented it is and if Apple can and indeed does wish to get around it. The AirPods possess a few tricks also which almost put them in a category all of their own in terms of integration with iOS - which most of you will be familiar with. On top of that I can say that the spatial audio implementation here is a cut above that on the AirPods Pro and quite engaging - likely helped by their being over ears coupled with the high quality custom transducers. They’re by no means light headphones, which whilst adding to the sense of luxury, is potentially problematic for some with smaller noggins, though they fit remarkably well and stay in place once seated correctly. Moreover they almost give the impression of floating on the crown of your head thanks to the mesh canopy. Once you find what suits they stay put quite nicely, and they have just the right amount of grip. Coming back to price, yes without a doubt for many they are eye-wateringly expensive, perhaps prohibitively so, and though they sound excellent, the law of diminishing returns surely applies here. But I do think there’s a market for them, and in my limited testing so far they definitely have something about them! For Apple’s first attempt at a proper set of over ear cans, I give them credit where it’s due! And in typical Apple fashion they are something to behold as well. For anyone into quality cans, they absolutely deserve an audition. I’ll keep testing and make my mind up in a couple of weeks but they certainly get a thumbs up so far.... even if I may have to live in a tent in order to keep them 😂
Apple haters don't get that people are willing to pay a premium for certain "non-functional requirements" (like comfort and even style) and that that's perfectly rational consumer behavior. Do these people complain that companies like Porsche and Telsa also "waste" money on making their products attractive?
Checked the Apple Store app for local availability this morning. Popped up the fifth time I looked at one of my preferred stores. Snagged it. Picking it up this evening.
Yeah no. They're successful because they make "affordable luxury" products that hit a sweet spot of premium and attainability. They popularized industrial design, quality builds, and premium materials like metal laptops, cell phones, and tablets. People vote with their wallets.
As for for these, I'm a vocal fan of Apple gear, but not in the market for premium headphones. However in his review and podcast John Gruber said they're better than his Bose Quiet Comfort over the ears. They're also heavier, so one must evaluate their intended use case to make the determination of what is more important to them.
If for travel use case that may be reasonable. I imagine these are designed less for travel and more for dedicated listening in the home, where those worries are unfounded.
But I also don't put my iPad, Mac, or Watch in a case, and use one on my phone selectively and don't use a screen protector. Some people worry more about that stuff than others.
I have other closed back and open back headphones that I use with a DAC when I'm really listen to music as a primary activity, i.e., not in conjunction with doing other things like working on a computer. There are scenarios where Apple AirPods buds are the best solution and there are times when a quality set of buds with ANC like Bose QC20i are perfect. The point is that I've acquired (too many?) headphones because of the desire to benefit from incremental improvements over time. If the AirPods Max checks several of these incremental improvement boxes all by itself, my total out-of-pocket would be less with the AirPods Max - except for the in-ear/buds and lightweight scenarios.
Yep Just received them a little while ago. With tax it was a few dollars shy of $600 but if my wife wants them she gets them. Being a household of various apple products I am sure they will make her happy.
[Huge eye roll] You're displaying your usual aptitude for taking things out of context. No, I did not say Apple's success is because they're a cult, I said there are a subset of cult followers. If I didn't think Apple made quality products I wouldn't have spent as much on them as I have over the past 20 years. That said, I'm not going to rave and fawn over anything just because of the logo; I expect every product to stand on its own.
Anyway, congrats on the get.
Well when these get popular I'll just call Apple's customers "sheep" or a "cult".
But when Samsung makes knockoffs I will praise praise!!
Apple is ALWAYS held to a strange different standard. If these were knockoffs from HuaWei the reviewer would say "with beautiful aluminum casing."
Reminds me of when morons said iPhone would fail because it was made of glass or that FaceID wasn't secure because thieves would go around stealing iPhones then say "Hey You!" then show victims their own iPhones and unlock them.
Hate to be the di** but it has to be said. It's VERY VERY unfair to compare AirPods Max with cheaper "dumb" headphones. People completely dismiss all the Apple chips and computational audio and exclusive Apple features. I'm not sure if people do it intentionally to put Apple at a disadvantage or what.
It's like comparing a Blackberry to an iPhone, because both can make phone calls iPhones are overpriced.