Hands on: Getting to know Apple's AirPods Max
Tuesday marked the launch of Apple's latest headphones, AirPods Max. We got our hands on a copy and have spent a few hours getting to know them to form some early impressions. Here's what we thought of these new cans.
AirPods Max hands on
Design
Apple's build quality continues to be second-to-none with the AirPods Max. It just isn't close to the other big players in the market. Bose, Sony, Bowers & Wilkins all have great sound and fantastic noise cancelation, but are still largely plastic, and holding the headphones the quality discrepancy is quickly apparent.
AirPods Max feels distinctly like a premium product and unlike any headphones we've tried before. The Master & Dynamic line are also crafted from metal, akin to Apple, but the AirPods Max feel more polished with the smallest details.
One of our favorite features of the headphones is the inclusion of the Digital Crown. This physical knob is borrowed from the Apple Watch but sized up for the headphones form factor. It has a great tactile feel to it though it doesn't include the haptic feedback from Apple Watch.
Digital Crown on AirPods Max
The Digital Crown is used as a physical means to adjust the volume, summon Siri, and control playback.
We haven't spent all that much time wearing the AirPods Max, but thus far they are incredibly comfortable. Past headsets have given us a bit of discomfort on top of our head or while wearing glasses, but after a few hours this doesn't seem to be as problematic for AirPods Max. The woven mesh top just barely rests on our head. We'll have to wear them longer to know for sure so stay tuned for that in the full review.
Unlike AirPods and AirPods Pro, AirPods Max come in five different colors including silver, Space Gray, Sky Blue, green, and pink. Many of those are the same colors of the new iPad Air line. They aren't too vivid but are absolutely welcomed.
Sky Blue and Space Gray AirPods Max
We picked up the Space Gray and Sky Blue options, which based on what we've seen on social media appear to be the two most popular colorways. The Space Gray is Apple's classic "dark" color, but we are very fond of the Sky Blue. It looks great in person and is something different than the black and white styles we're used to with Apple.
Missing accessories
We're extremely torn about what Apple includes in the box with AirPods Max. Apple includes the requisite USB-C to Lightning cable (not color-matched by the way) but doesn't include any physical connection option to listen with.
Apple does sell a $35 Lighting to aux cable but it isn't bundled. On one hand, we've purchased countless headphones over the years and rarely bother with any of the included cables. They frequently sit in the box or are tossed. Most people simply don't need a physical aux cable even if almost all manufacturers include them.
But that leaves the users who do need these cables left shelling out even more cash for something that is bundled with all other headphones. When we are recording a podcast or a video voiceover, we can't use AirPods Max wirelessly due to the touch of lag. A physical connection is the only way we can use them in these scenarios.
So on one hand it's never fun to pay more for something that should be bundled, but it is also far better environmentally to save that massive amount of waste from unneeded cables.
That case...
Headphones aside... we have that case.
Smart Case for AirPods Max
There are a lot of opinions on this case and social media blew up with a cavalcade of memes.
Apple did bake some smarts into the case, adding handy magnets that put the headphones into an ultra-low-power mode to save battery life. This is slick and does rid Apple of the need to include a power button on the headphones themselves.
At the same time, the case doesn't do a ton to protect the headphones themselves. The entire headband, as well as parts of the cups, are exposed which may not lend itself to being tossed in a bag.
Smart Case for AirPods Max
It doesn't impress us much and we're sure to see some third-party options coming out down the line shortly.
Functionality and audio
Setup of the new AirPods Max is as easy as any set of AirPods. Remove from the case and bring near your iPhone and an animated card will appear at the bottom of your display. Tap to start the setup process and your phone will walk you through the basics of how the headphones work.
As soon as we paired them with our iPhone, we saw them on all our other Apple devices, including our Apple TV. It is this seamless pairing that make us love Apple's headphones.
Sky Blue AirPods Max
Apple has sensors hidden in each ear cup which are fantastic in use because you can just pull back a single ear cup for the headphones to pause your content. So if someone walks up to you and you have ANC enabled, just pull back an ear and it will pause for you. This works with the Apple TV as well.
In terms of audio quality, we were not disappointed. The audio was fantastic with a wide soundstage, strong bass, and great mids. They sounded very balanced and what we'd expect from a set of Apple headphones at this price range.
We've much more listening to do but AirPods Max sound promising out of the box. Spatial audio is impressive here too. We watched a few Apple original shows and were more pleased with the Spatial Audio than we even were with our AirPods Pro.
Stay tuned for our full review of AirPods Max in the coming days, but while the price is still high, we can see Apple working hard to justify it.
Where to buy AirPods Max
AirPods Max are available to purchase at leading Apple resellers like Amazon, Adorama and B&H Photo, with the best deals at your fingertips in the AppleInsider AirPods Price Guide.
Read on AppleInsider
Comments
I disagree with this pre-review's assessment that "Most people simply don't need a physical aux cable..." Actually, that cable is essential for anyone planning to fly with these 'phones and use them with the airplane's entertainment system. And to charge an extra $35 for it, on top of the $549 price tag, is a level of greed that's just not a good look for Apple.
Apple's products aren't intended to be for everyone. The Tata Nano was made for everyone. Check it out here: (do you have one?)
Quality can't be had for cheap.
I haven't regretted buying a pair of HomePods. I now have 3 HomePod Minis as well, but there is no comparison to the sound between the 2. It's hard to settle for the Mini after having heard the HomePod.
Coming to the AirPods Max, mine are expected next week. I almost blind-bought them. However, when I saw the price (~$815), I went from "I'll take two" to "One will do" immediately!
Or… perhaps a stand that isn't just a sharp object putting pressure at a single point?
The criticism is valid, but not in the form that it took…
Apple has taken/created a very weird "niche" market with their products; the products are both luxuriously priced, and mainstream targeting average people. It's pretty much a market that shouldn't be able to exist; and without context makes as much sense as doing a startup selling luxury jewellery specifically to people that can't afford food.
Apple should have been outcompeted ages ago.
The outcry about OE headphones priced like these is simply because the target market would have to be absolutely crazy to waste this much money on headphones; it's a price range that they've never ever have even considered before. It makes as much sense as going straight from a cheap rust bucket to a Ferrari for grocery shopping and getting your kids to school.
People should have just seen these headphones, shaken their heads and muttered a few things about "rich people"; and then have moved on with their lives.
But… it's Apple.
It's Apple, and it's a product priced at a range that's been normalised by iPhones; and it's a product that comparatively speaking shows a great deal of status at a fairly low cost, while providing a continuing (new) functionality.
People should have been outraged at Apple for being disrespectful to their target market by creating products that are clearly priced so that the target market actually can't afford them.
Yet, because it's Apple the criticism has taken this weird form of people fundamentally accepting the situation; and are simply upset with the novelty of headphones existing in this price range.
And… since it's Apple… give it a couple of months for the mainstream to have tried these, and Apple have somehow just f*cking managed to normalise that everyone should spend up to a months rent on a pair of OE headphones.
(I can't decide if I should be impressed, or head out into the streets protesting the destructive evils of capitalism.)
I always find it hilarious whenever Apple comes out with a (when you think about it, not so) radical new design idea or technology paradigm and people mercilessly mock them, only for other brands to follow those very ideas less than a year later. Remember when people mocked the iPhone X for having the "notch"? Now every phone has some variation of it. Remember when people decried Apple's decision to remove the headphone jack from their phones? Now the market is flooded with Bluetooth earphones and speakers.
'better' is sometimes impossible to evaluate. Headphones are full of subjective criteria but there will always be elements that are easier to tick a checkbox on.
There will be pros and cons but not always the same ones in the eyes of everyone.
For me, weight (independently of how comfortable they are) is a key factor.
All hands on articles I have seen so far have made a point on the weight of these. They are 'heavy'.
The case is a design disaster.
For everyone that claims Apple is obsessed with the design details, this is evidence that someone at Apple focussed on the wrong details.
Obviously the overriding feature here is going to be how they sound (with and without ANC), how good the connection stability is, latency and comfort.
Anyone can produce premium finishes but there are trade offs (durability, weight, cost etc).
The biggest question for the vast majority of potential purchasers though will be if they are actually worth the price. Again, that's subjective to a point but one thing is certain.
Where I am, the Max cost 629€. Almost three times as much as my Freebuds Studio (249€) and I can guarantee they are not anywhere near three times 'better'.
Also, I have always said I'd pay extra any day to buy a product that wasn't made by a company with close financial ties to a dictatorship. For me, human rights matters. Huawei has been convicted of trade theft and has done business with Iran against UN sanctions. Are you okay with that? One reason Huawei is successful is that the Chinese Communist Party gives them hundreds of millions of dollars every year as a gift. What do you think Huawei has to provide back to the CCP in return? But you probably don't care.
And yes, I know Apple manufactures many of its products in China. But the products are designed in the USA by Apple which is a difference. And indeed I would consider abandoning Apple if I could find computers made in other countries, with operating systems I trust, but I can't.
Plenty of non-Apple headphones allow you to invoke Siri.
Do you ever have any idea what you're talking about?
Does this model allow you to say "Hey Siri"? You didn't explain if this model allows you to invoke Siri. Do you know? Or are you presuming?
You are always calling me crazy. You called me a wife beater today on another thread. Is that really helpful? Do you go to sleep every night thinking about me?