AirPods Max Worth $550? A First Look at Apple's High-End Headphones

First Impressions of the Apple AirPods Max: What You Need to Know

Salutations to all, MKBHD here! The AirPods Max are a new over-ear wireless noise-canceling headphones that Apple just introduced to its range. These $550 headphones are distinguished from the competition by a number of intriguing features. Take a closer look at what the AirPods Max have to offer here.

Boxing the AirPods Max

The AirPods Max have a stylish minty green packaging. As you open the box, the headphones are already within their clever casing. The case is made to be an AirPods Max travel companion, using the headband as a handle, because the headphones do not fold like conventional headphones.

Other than the headphones, the box includes a charging USB Type-C to Lightning cord. But an adaptor brick and an audio cable are not included; those will set you back extra. The cold-to-the-touch metal ear cups of the headphones themselves give away their high-end construction.

Build Quality and Comfort

Materials

The AirPods Max include a stainless steel frame and aluminum ear cups joined by glossy telescopic arms and ball head joints that provide around 90 degrees of movement. These superior materials add to their sensation of luxury and durability.

Comfort

Comfort is increased with the mesh band at the top, which is made to evenly disperse the weight around your head. Even with their heavy 386 grammes, the AirPods Max promise to be comfortable to wear. Their long-term robustness and comfort throughout prolonged usage, however, will be the real test.

Unique Features

Ear Cups

The AirPods Max' magnetic ear cups make them simple to take out and put back on. Given that ear pads eventually wear out and need to be replaced, this is a wise design decision. New ear pads from Apple cost $69 a set, and you may mix and match colors if you'd like.

Controls

To change music and volume, the AirPods Max use a digital crown akin to the Apple Watch in place of touch controls. A button switches between transparency and noise suppression settings as well. Many people would rather have this physical control arrangement than clumsy touch controls.

Smart Case

The opinions on the AirPods Max smart case are divided. It is not entirely protective of the headphones and looks like a bra or pocketbook. The headphones are interestingly without an on/off button; putting them in the smart case turns on an extremely low power mode to conserve battery life. Though this is practical, you have to use the case to turn off the headphones.

Smart Features and Performance

Cancelling Noise and Improving Sound Quality

Nine microphones and two H1 chips enable the AirPods Max to operate in transparency mode and with sophisticated noise reduction. They provide features such quick pairing, Siri integration, and audio sharing and pair with Apple devices with ease. Though a closer look is required to see if the $550 price tag is justified, first impressions point to superb sound quality.

Comparison with Other High-End Headphones

The AirPods Max will unavoidably be compared to industry favorites like the Sony WH-1000XM4, which is lighter, has better noise cancellation, and has a longer battery life at a lesser cost. The AirPods Max, however, would be a better fit for consumers seeking upscale, opulent audio equipment, possibly competing with more costly choices like the Sennheiser HD 650 or even studio-grade headphones.

Conclusion

Luxury, cutting-edge functionality, and excellent construction combine in the AirPods Max. Although they are expensive, some customers may find that the special features and connection with the Apple ecosystem make the expense justified. Watch this space for the comprehensive evaluation in which we go into further detail on their worth and performance.