AirPods Max Hands-On: Perfect Noise Canceling And Impressive Sounds

When the AirPods Max was first announced, people balked at the hefty price of $549 of the pair of headphones. However, the first batch still sold out in all five colors. At the moment, you will see the AirPods Max for sale on StockX and eBay for at least $850. So the price might not be too high after all.

This hands-on review is written after just one day with the AirPods Max so stay tuned for a few days more for a more in-depth review.

The impression users will probably have when they see and touch the headphones for the first time is the build quality that is unlike anything you can get in the $400 price bracket.

Sound quality-wise, that kind of price afford you a pair of premium headphones and that is what you are going to get. AirPods Max offers a wide soundstage, crisp highs, natural mids, and tight bass.

What’s more impressive is the headphones’ noise-canceling ability, which is even better than Bose’s Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 and Sony’s WH-1000XM4. They don’t exactly make all noises disappear. You will still hear what is happening around you.

AirPods Max does a good job supporting calls and reducing the noise of the wind. It’s worth pointing out that the pair has the headset mode allowing you to modulate your voice so you don’t end up yelling at the person you are talking to.

One of the most noticeable issue with the AirPods Max is its weight. They are definitely heavy, weighing 385 grams, compared to the weight of 254 grams and 249 grams of the Sony WH-1000XM4 and Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 respectively.

There is no denying the build quality of Apple’s over-ear headphones. The earcups are made out of aluminum and the frame stainless steel, which reminds us of MacBooks. Adding to that is the pivoting hinges and the telescoping arms.

The earpads feature memory-foam that adheres magnetically, covering the 40mm custom drivers of Apple. The fabric covering means they are a bit more breathable than faux leather or leather earpads. They are replaceable at a price of $69 and the battery can be replaced too, but you will have to bring your headsets to Apple to do so.

The AirPods Max is comfortable for the size and the mesh canopy does a good job taking pressure off your heads; however, people with smaller heads might find the headsets a bit too heavy and big.

The controls are thoughtful and handy with only two buttons on the right earcup. The first one allows you to switch between transparency mode and noise canceling. The other button controls volumes, take/end calls, with double-click to advance tracks. The buttons are responsive and smooth and if you live in an area with cold weather, there is no worry about touch controls not working.

The AirPods Max features nine microphones with two inside the cups to assess how you are wearing the headsets. There is one beam-forming mic that works with two others to pick up your voice.

The headphones’ sensors can tell when you take them off to pause audio. While this isn’t exactly something unique to Apple’s headsets, as both Bose and Sony products can do it, what Apple offers feel really high-tech. According to the company, each earcup features accelerometers, optical sensors, case-detect sensors, and position sensors with the left earcup having a gyroscope.

The H1 chip under the hood allows for quick and seamless pairing with iOS devices and features like always-on Siri. This means you can give commands without touching anything. The headset does pair with Android devices but you will lose some features like Siri and spatial-audio virtual surround with head tracking.

With noise-canceling, the battery life is around 20 hours, which is decent, but not the best. Charging them via the Lightning port for 10 minutes and you will have 90 minutes with the AirPods Max.

Another drawback is there is no cable for wired connection, which is a disappointment as it will reduce latency.

The spatial-audio virtual surround sound feature, along with head-tracking is definitely a plus as it makes the headsets stand out from competitors like Sony and Bose.

The headsets from Apple are better at noise canceling and sounds as they are more articulate than both Bose and Sony headsets.

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