Wednesday, September 11, 2024
The Apple Event on Sept. 9 had some big reveals, including the new iPhone 16, the Apple Watch 10, and the AirPods 4, among other news. There are no "new" AirPods Max headphones, but Apple has updated them with personalized spatial audio support (which comes with the iOS 18 update), new colors, and a USB-C port. The AirPods Max offers one of the highest-tier listening experiences but is also one of the most expensive headphones you can buy normally at half a grand. This update was enough to warrant a new launch date with pre-orders for them, but the "older" AirPods Max dropped $150 from their listing price. You can get them for $399 on Amazon. That's $5 shy of the lowest price they've ever been, according to price-checking tools.
When the AirPods Max came out in 2020 (yes, they're old now), there wasn't a lot of competition for headphones that could do active noise-cancelling (ANC) and ambient awareness and provide top-tier audio as well. These days, there's stiff competition in all of those categories, especially at this price point. However, buying AirPods Max is a statement. Even though they don't have the Apple logo, you're paying a premium price for the recognition. If that's what you're after, these headphones are it.
When it comes to features, the AirPods Max aren't jam-packed. But the few they do have are very good quality (on-brand from Apple's minimalist standard). They are one of the best ANC headphones you can buy (they don't give you that weird pressure sensation when you turn them on), have very good ambient awareness to hear your surroundings well, have adaptive EQ and spatial audio, which adjusts the audio automatically to you and your environment, and hands-free Siri, according to PCMag's "excellent" review.
Some of the downsides are that they are heavier than regular headphones, at 13.6 ounces. This comes from the choice to use metal for the material of the design. You also can't manually adjust the EQ to your liking, so if you don't like the sound signature, you're out of luck. Finally, the smart case it comes with is ugly and doesn't protect the mesh that rests on your head (a delicate part of the headphones). You also need that smart case to put your headphones in "sleep" mode so your 20 hours of battery aren't drained.
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