Apple AirPods Max review: Impressive sound quality, but they can't match the value of top competitors

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Apple's AirPods have grown up, evolving from white, Q-tip-shaped earbuds that people once mocked to full-blown, over-ear headphones.

Apple released the first iteration of its AirPods Max in December 2020 and then launched a slightly refreshed model with USB-C charging in September 2024. The AirPods Max, as the name suggests, offer many of the features that have made AirPods so popular, like quick pairing with Apple devices and the ability to tell when you're wearing them to play or pause music.

Apple also makes some pretty big claims about the headphones' audio quality, highlighting features like a custom-designed driver for delivering rich bass and Adaptive EQ, which optimizes sound depending on how the headphones fit.

But the AirPods Max come at a high list price of $549, making them more expensive than well-received rivals from companies like Sony, Bose, and Sennheiser. However, they're often on sale for $50 off, which takes a bit of the sting away. 

Apple fans will be pleased with the Max's seamless pairing with iOS devices, as well as their top-notch noise cancellation and sound quality. But you can still get a similar experience from other brands for less. 

Setup is a breeze with Apple devices

If you've ever used a pair of AirPods, you already know how to get started with the AirPods Max. After taking them out of their case and holding them near your phone, you'll see the familiar setup animation guiding you through the quick pairing process. 

Once you press the "Connect" button, you'll see a few instructions in that same dialog box telling you about certain features, like how to use the noise control button to switch between noise cancellation and transparency modes. And that's all there is to it.

The setup process is part of what has made Apple's AirPods lineup such a hit. Pairing other noise-canceling headphones is also simple but not quite as frictionless. To set up the Sony WH-1000XM4, for example, I need to download Sony's app to register the headphones and follow the prompt to select them from my iPhone's Bluetooth menu. 

The headphones have a premium build

If there's any indication that the AirPods Max are an Apple product, it's their design. They may not have a visible Apple logo, but the aesthetic details give it away. Everything, from the sturdy aluminum and steel finish to the way the left and right ear cup symbols are stitched into the fabric, screams Apple. The AirPods Max even have a rotating digital crown like the Apple Watch for controlling the volume.  

The metal build does make the headphones a bit heavy, which could be an issue for some users. But in my experience, the thick, soft cushions and large-sized cups made the AirPods Max a pleasure to wear throughout the workday, never leaving my ears feeling sore or uncomfortable. 

However, these aren't the right headphones to wear during a workout. They're not rated for water or sweat resistance, and I noticed that the fabric ear cushions looked and felt a bit damp after a 25-minute run. To be sure, Apple isn't marketing these for workouts, and most people probably prefer smaller, lighter earbuds for a run.

Reports from sites like 404media have also suggested that a few AirPods Max owners have noticed condensation collecting inside the ear cups, but I haven't experienced this with my own review unit. 

As a whole, Apple's headphones make many competitors feel cheap and plasticky in comparison, but they should, considering their unusually high price. The Bose QC Ultra headphones cost $429, while the Sony WH-1000XM5 are priced at $400. Both are notably cheaper than the AirPods Max's $550 list price. Even factoring in common deal prices available for all three models, Apple's headphones tend to be at least $100 more. 

But while the headphones' premium build feels right for the money, I don't share that same enthusiasm for the included carrying case. The case only covers the ear cups and leaves the headband completely exposed, not to mention its unconventional look that inspired some jokes at launch. 

It's disappointing that such an expensive product doesn't come with a more protective case. Although the AirPods Max seem durable, I'd feel uneasy tossing them in my backpack for a flight or even in my purse while commuting to work without fully concealing them. Check out our guide to the best AirPods Max accessories for sturdier case recommendations.  

Impressive noise-canceling performance 

The AirPods Max do a great job of drowning out the world around you. They have nine microphones in total, eight of which are used for active noise cancellation (ANC).

I sat underneath an elevated subway that runs above a very busy street near my apartment to see whether the AirPods Max were able to sufficiently drown out the noise, and they worked impressively well. 

The train's rumble and screeching were still audible, but the AirPods Max significantly dulled the shrill sound of the train grinding to a halt as it pulled into the station. I could still hear music playing at half volume, and traffic was barely audible.

Apple's headphones were noticeably better at blocking out the sounds of cars buzzing by and the trains pulling in and out of the station than the Bose Noise-Cancelling Headphones 700, which use six microphones for active noise cancellation and four for voice pickup.

Sony's WH-1000XM4 were a close contender, as they were able to pump out loud tunes that were still very audible over the train, much like the AirPods Max. Sony's headphones use two microphones in each ear cup to capture ambient noise, which it then passes through Sony's HD noise-canceling processor. But Apple's headphones were slightly better at muting the sounds of nearby street traffic.

That said, since this review was originally published, our team has conducted further testing with newer models. As a result, Bose's QuietComfort Ultra headphones now have an edge over the AirPods Max when it comes to overall noise-canceling performance. Check out our guide to the best noise-canceling headphones for more details.  

In addition to ANC, the AirPods Max support Transparency Mode, which lets you hear what's happening in your surroundings. I've found it useful when I want to listen to background music through my headphones without completely tuning out the world around me. During a walk with my husband, I was adequately able to hold a conversation while listening to music with Transparency Mode turned on.

The AirPods Max deliver high-end sound quality

Top-notch audio quality is a must for any pair of over-ear headphones, especially at this price. The AirPods Max deliver on this front by pumping out crystal-clear sound with sharp vocals, deep bass, and plenty of punch across genres. 

The headphones use an Apple-designed driver and 10 audio cores for delivering computational audio. This enables features such as adaptive EQ and spatial audio. Adaptive EQ adjusts the headphones' sound to the fit of the ear cups and measures the audio delivered to the wearer to optimize it in real time. 

I spent nearly a week using the AirPods Max to listen to music and take calls. I also spent more than an hour and a half conducting side-by-side tests against the Sony WH-1000XM4 and Bose Noise Cancelling 700 headphones. 

The verdict? The AirPods Max blow the Bose headphones out of the water in just about every scenario, whether I'm listening to pop, rap, heavy metal, rock, or electropop on Spotify. In each test, I listened to music with the volume turned up about halfway. And each time, the AirPods Max sounded much louder than the Bose headphones, with more depth, detail, and color as well. 

The AirPods Max sound more open and clear and generally have a bit more definition and energy than the Sony WH-1000XM4, especially when listening to heavy metal or rap. But there are some instances where it's a close call, which is significant because — in case you forgot — Sony's headphones are much cheaper.

Audio can be subjective, but I find that the AirPods Max sound smoother and crisper than headphones from Sony and Bose, particularly when it comes to vocals and when listening at high volumes. Although Sony sometimes does a better job of isolating certain elements of a song, like the bass, Apple's audio sounds more balanced, open, and defined. Thanks to the increased clarity, it almost feels like you can hear more of a song. 

The AirPods Max also work well for calls and video conferences; I used them throughout the course of the workday for two half-hour-long calls, and the audio connection remained clear and consistent the entire time. 

The bottom line: the AirPods Max offer premium audio, as they should for their price. But you can also get an impressive audio experience that's probably enough for many listeners with the more affordable Sony WH-1000XM4 or newer WH-1000XM5.

Smart features are handy but geared toward Apple users

Apple's high-end headphones come with all the features you'd expect from AirPods, such as the ability to quickly pair when held near your iOS device, automatic playing and pausing when placed on or taken off your ears, and hands-free Siri access. They're powered by Apple's H1 chip, just like the first-gen AirPods Pro. 

I only wish Apple would develop a similarly useful AirPods interface for the Mac. Connecting your AirPods Max to a Mac computer requires pretty much the same process as pairing any other Bluetooth accessory. That may have been fine when Apple only sold earbuds, but most people who own noise-canceling over-ear headphones probably use them with their laptops throughout the workday. 

If you own an Android phone, you can still use the AirPods Max as a regular pair of Bluetooth headphones. However, you'll miss out on the signature AirPods-specific features, like spatial audio and hands-free voice assistant access. 

Headphones from Sony and Bose don't offer the same helpful pop-up box confirming that they're connected to your iPhone and showing the battery percentage. That's because they don't have the same level of integration with the iPhone's software as AirPods. 

But you'd be mistaken to think that AirPods are the only noise-canceling headphones that come with convenient features. After pairing them for the first time, both the Bose Noise-Cancelling 700 and Sony WH-1000XM4 usually — but not always — connect to my iPhone with ease whenever I bring them within range.

Sony also supports some convenient features like the optional Speak-to-Chat function, which uses the headset's microphones to detect when you're speaking and pauses music to let in ambient sound. You can also place your hand over one cup to automatically turn the music down if you need to hear something quickly.

Bose, on the other hand, offers compatibility with its best soundbars so that you can watch TV loudly without disturbing others. Both headphones allow you to access voice assistants as well, with Bose offering hands-free Alexa compatibility. So each brand provides its own selection of features that may be right for you depending on your usage and preferences.

The digital crown works great for playback controls

Bose and Sony have touch sensors built into their headphones for controlling music playback and other functions. Apple, however, has what, in my opinion, is a much better solution: the Apple Watch's digital crown. You can twist the crown to control the volume and press it to play and pause music or answer phone calls, which I find to be much more intuitive than the touch sensors on other headphones. 

It's a lot easier to tell precisely where the digital crown is on the AirPods Max compared to the invisible touch sensors on other headphones, which often result in a lot of tapping and swiping around the ear cup as I get accustomed to where the controls are. 

Other headphones do have an edge over Apple with the accessories they include in the box. Apple's AirPods Max only come with a charging cable, either USB-C or Lightning, depending on which edition you buy. Other brands often include an extra cable for wired playback.

Battery life is just OK, and we wish the case supported charging

Apple claims that the AirPods Max can last 20 hours on a single charge. That should be enough for most use cases, but many competing headphones are rated for even longer. For instance, the Sony XM5 can last for 30 hours, while the Sennheiser Momentum 4 are capable of a whopping 60 hours. 

But while far from best in class, the AirPods Max are capable of getting through a full day or a long flight. After wearing them pretty consistently to stream audio from my MacBook Pro and, in some cases, my iPhone during the workday, I still had 70% of the battery left after roughly 6.2 hours of use.

However, I did encounter some issues with power management, both of which have since been resolved. In one instance, the AirPods Max wouldn't charge when plugged in until I reset them by holding the noise cancellation button and digital crown. In another instance, I found that the AirPods Max's battery had mysteriously drained from about 70% to 13% overnight when I left them outside their case. 

While it's great that the included Smart Case puts the AirPods Max in ultra-low power mode to preserve battery life, it's a letdown that it doesn't actually charge the headphones themselves. The charging case that comes with Apple's AirPods earbuds is hugely convenient, and it's a shame that Apple couldn't find a solution that translates to the AirPods Max. 

What's different between the Lightning and USB-C models?

In September 2024, Apple released a slightly refreshed version of the AirPods Max. This updated model is available in a few new colors and now comes with a USB-C charging port rather than a Lightning port. USB-C is a more common format used by current iPhone models and many tech products from other brands.

Other than the revised charging port and new color options, the 2024 AirPods Max are essentially the same headphones with the same audio performance as their predecessor. However, there is one other change that's worth pointing out. The original AirPods Max from 2020 supported a wired audio connection with a Lightning to 3.5mm adapter, but the 2024 model with USB-C does not currently support wired audio playback.

Should you buy them?

While the AirPods Max are the best AirPods for audiophiles, the benefits they offer may not justify the high cost for most people. 

The AirPods Max are well-designed headphones with impressive noise cancellation and superb audio. But their high price means they're only worth buying if you're an Apple loyalist who doesn't mind paying a premium for high-end sound quality and cool aesthetics.

If you're an Android phone owner or are considering switching to Android, you're better off looking elsewhere since you won't get the full benefits that AirPods have to offer. Check out our guide to the best over-ear headphones for top recommendations from other brands.