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As is the case with most people who stay loyal to their tech ecosystem, the best user experience will come when pairing gadgets of the same brand. Apple just happens to have one of the best headphones and seamless experiences you can get. The AirPods Max offers one of the highest-tier listening experiences—but it is also one of the most expensive headphones you can buy, normally at half a grand. Since an updated version was released in September, the "older" AirPods Max have dropped significantly in price, but never to its current $170 discount—you can get them for $379.99 at Best Buy right now. That's a record-low price, according to price-tracking tools, and you can pick them up today or have them shipped by tomorrow.
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, which is on-brand for 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, well, 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.
