After many rumors from AirPods Studio, Apple surprised by launching the AirPods Max. In essence it was the same as those rumored high-end headphones, only under another name and on very unusual dates (December). In this article I will tell you everything I think you should know about these headphones, whether it is their comfort, the sound quality or other peculiarities they have. And yes, I will also talk about that controversial price. Will those 629 euros be justified?
A high-end design
Like any analysis of a product beyond its technical specifications, all the points to be discussed are subjective. I mean that what may seem fantastic to me may seem horrendous to you and vice versa. My opinions expressed in this and other sections are not absolute truths, but my most honest opinion in the test with the AirPods Max. In the aesthetic field is where perhaps more subjectivity exists.
They say that for tastes there are already the colors and the truth is that this phrase is not even painted on the AirPods Max. These headphones are available, interestingly, in the same shades as the fourth-generation iPad Air: space gray, silver, green, blue and pink . Choosing one of them is not easy and in my case I opted for the classic space gray.
I have to admit that aesthetically they do not seem like pretty headphones. I insist, this is a personal opinion and I respect and I even understand anyone who thinks the opposite. In spite of everything, I think that judging headphones only by their appearance is the least biased. In fact, I could see it in first person the first time I put them on, and the comfort I felt made me forget about their appearance.
I must admit that the weight of the speakers is quite noticeable. I did not find it uncomfortable to the point of discarding them for this reason, but regardless of whether 10 minutes or 10 hours have passed, it shows that you are wearing them. In fact, it is a strange sensation, since the upper part of the headband barely noticed anything, which would give an entire article dedicated to it.
This headband is made up of a mesh that is powerfully reminiscent of the HomePod wrap, with a very good elasticity that conforms to the head and allows perspiration even though we sweat. Unlike many other headphones, in these I do not have the feeling that they are pressing my head and although it is hot they do not bother me.
The construction materials are the most premium and that is not something we know from how Apple brags about it, but it shows just by looking at them, touching them and feeling them. And although it may seem somewhat trivial, it ends up influencing a complete user experience and even favors a better sound quality.
Are you serious about this case?
When I met the Smart Case of the AirPods Max I confirmed my omens that its design was not a good idea. Unlike the design of the headphones, here I did imagine that there would be many other people critical of the visual and functional section of this accessory. What I never imagined is that I would read so many users with this review and that none of the rest of the press colleagues would value this section positively. Apple, what were you thinking?
The fact that the headphones do not have the possibility of folding on themselves made it difficult to find a custom case, but the bag format in which they stay with this Smart Case is the most ridiculous I remember in headphones. Not only is it not conducive to transport, but the material itself used for the cover is not quite as robust as one might expect. However, this case has a key capacity that we will talk about in a later section.
Unbeatable connectivity with Apple equipment
It is expected, but it never hurts to highlight it. These AirPods sync seamlessly with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and even Apple Watch. It does not mean that with a non-brand equipment it does not work, on the contrary, they can be connected like any other Bluetooth accessory, but many of their benefits and that connection immediacy are lost.
Simply remove the headphones from the case and have them close to the iPhone so that a configuration pop-up appears in it. This also gives a series of guidelines about the controls and other functions of the headphones, something that I will comment on in the next point.
I preferred touch controls, but these are not bad
Of all the headphones that I have been able to try, I definitely prefer those that are tactile through gestures. For my taste they are much more comfortable and intuitive on a day-to-day basis, but even starting from this preference I think that the AirPods Max have managed to hit the key. There are those who point out that the original idea of these was that they did not have buttons, but some problem in the development made that finally they had to have it.
We found a digital crown and a button that are exactly the same as those found on an Apple Watch , although with a slightly larger size. At first I have to admit that it was uncomfortable for me to have to move my finger to the top of the headset, but with time of use it became comfortable for me to be able to change the song, raise or lower the volume, as well as switch between the different modes of sound.
Sound quality of the AirPods Max
In this regard I have to be honest and openly admit that I am not an expert in sound. In recent years, especially since I have been in this profession, I have tried to soak myself on a technical level and sharpen my hearing to be at least able to detect certain nuances. Despite everything, I admit that I am not the most suitable to be able to speak with total technical precision about this section. However, I have read, listened to and talked with several people who are and I have been able to reach several conclusions.
If no one tells you anything about these headphones, you will be amazed by the sound for being very well balanced in all aspects. No distortion is noticeable anywhere in the wide dynamic range, nor is latency noticeable despite the Bluetooth connection. Now, it is not a really wild difference with rivals like the Sony WH1000XM4 or the Bose 700, mid-range headphones that are worth half that of these AirPods. I insist, Apple’s are superior to these others in many sections, but in my opinion this is not the point that ultimately determines the price difference.
It should be noted that these headphones incorporate, not one, but two H1. This is Apple’s most advanced chip for headphones and while in others such as the AirPods Pro or even the Beats range only one is added, in this we find that each ear has one. This, far from being a display of Apple’s power, is of tremendous importance when it comes to automatically calibrating the sound with the intelligent equalizer available, performing thousands of operations per second that serve to create an even more immersive sound, making the experience is greatly enriched.
The spatial sound is another story in these headphones and it is that I had already been able to try them in the AirPods Pro and it seemed crazy to me and now in this earmuff format it feels even more intense and deep. The worst part of this is that only Apple TV + content is compatible with this format at the moment, something that I hope will change in the coming months and years. Although I am a consumer of the streaming platform Apple, I am even more so of others such as Netflix or YouTube.
Ambient mode, simply spectacular
This is my favorite modality, since despite having headphones as physically strong as these I do not like to isolate myself except on certain occasions. In fact I like to listen to music, podcasts or videos without stopping listening to the sound of my keyboard typing. I also like the fact that my roommate can talk to me without having to remove my headphones or pause the music to understand him.
This mode tends to be complex to implement in a balanced way, but the truth is that Apple has been able to do it wonderfully in this case. The ambient sound is not heard canned and can be perceived in a very close way even if the sound is moderately far away. It may seem that because of this annoying sounds are going to be straining during content playback, but nothing is further from the truth, since an intelligent system capable of distinguishing between sounds also intervenes here. Special mention has to be made when recording a podcast or something similar with this active mode.
And the noise cancellation on these AirPods Max?
Disappointing, but nuanced. I do not want to sin on this point of biased, but I would like to clarify the reason for this. In this writing we have tested a multitude of noise-canceling headphones and if something I have made clear is that none of us have perceived this functionality in the same way. See the case of the AirPods Pro, which in my opinion are the ones that in this style of headphones have better noise cancellation while my colleague José barely noticed that this function was activated.
It is a good noise cancellation that of the AirPods Max and objectively speaking there is little to object. What is the problem, then? I’ve experienced better noise cancellations on other headphones. And I did not want to be constantly naming other hearing aids, but I think that I can better explain my experience. Anyone who has only tried these AirPods Max is going to be amazed by the sound cancellation, but who has tried others will find that it does not stand out especially at this point.
It works very well and isolates you from everyday noise from the street and even from a home where the television is playing in the background or neighbors talking loudly. However, I expected much more from this section seeing what was done with the in-ear model. Perhaps the problem is my expectations too high.
Neither equalizer nor many other adjustments
Regardless of whether these headphones are mid-range, high-end or premium range, they should have certain user-moldable settings. And it is not a rule or a law that I have invented now. In fact, I understand those who do not need it, but in headphones so focused on getting the most out of musical nuances I think it is expected that an equalizer and many other adjustments are included that we do not have at our disposal. And it is no longer expected not even a separate app for it, it would have been enough to include it in their own settings, but it has not been like that.
Apple highlights the intelligent equalizer of the AirPods Max as an invisible function that adapts the sound and its nuances to the circumstances of the sound itself, our environment and the way we put the headphones on. This is very good and in fact it shows because you do not appreciate the same song in one situation as in another, but not allowing us to adjust it to our liking despite this seems to me a mistake.
3.5mm jack cable, where are you?
This was another of the controversial points of the AirPods Max and is that they do not include this cable in the box as if they include the Lightning to USB-C for charging. If you want the official cable you will have to pay 39 euros in Apple to get it, this being the most ideal cable to listen to music with better quality and without as much compression level as in other cables thanks to the internal wiring system they have. You can buy one for between 5 and 10 euros in stores like Amazon with Apple certification, but it is not the same in the end.
If we take into account that to use headphones in a professional way and without the loss of quality that the Bluetooth system has, a cable is needed, we see that this is a necessary element in the end. As much as Apple wants to favor the environment or strive to create an increasingly wireless ecosystem, I think that doing without this item in the box is not a good idea. However, like it or not, it is what there is in this sense.
They cannot be turned off, but they hardly consume
How to turn off AirPods Max is probably one of the biggest questions from buyers. You can look up, down, on the one hand, touch the buttons or even do a ritual at a bonfire to ask the gods to turn off these headphones, but whatever you do, you will always get their refusal to do so.
These headphones cannot be turned off and far from being a disadvantage, they could be a benefit in terms of instant connectivity with the devices. They pop out of the case and are up and running instantly, which works great. Apple clarified that the Smart Case is prepared to introduce a low consumption mode to the headphones when it detects them, capable of going to an ultra low consumption mode after two days without using it. In the latter case, the Bluetooth connection and other systems that further optimize consumption are turned off.
In the tests that I have been able to run, the AirPods Max barely consumes battery in these low power modes. In fact, it could even give the feeling that they are turned off, but they really are not and this could be a problem in the long run for the deterioration of the battery, no matter how little it is consumed.
And in case you were thinking, this is not a case like the classic AirPods, which never turn off either. In the case of those, there is a charging case that, as its name says, recharges the headphones when it detects them so that they do not consume battery when they are not used. Case totally opposite to these, which will only recharge if the Lightning cable is connected to them.
In general we can say that the autonomy of the AirPods Max fully complies with what Apple says. The company claims that is 20 hours of uninterrupted playback on a single charge. Although it has been impossible for me to keep listening to music for so long, I did the test by leaving the headphones on a table and the truth is that after those 20 hours there was 14% battery left, that is, more than what Apple itself promises .
Pads can be easily changed
Something curious about these AirPods Max is the possibility of exchanging their pads for others, whether they are the same color in case yours have been broken or they are of a different color that you want to combine. These are fixed magnetically to the body of the headphones so that when you are using them you will not notice anything at all. However, they can be easily removed. They are sold at Apple for 79 euros each and although I understand that it is something that not everyone will want to do, it does not hurt to have this option.
Why are they worth 629 euros?
As much as I or anyone tells you that it is worth paying 629 euros for them, it probably will not help you if you already realize that this price is too high. The same happens if I tell you right now that there are better options at a lower price or even in the same range. Prices at Apple are never without controversy and if we want to answer the question we would have to make a sum of Apple costs, not only of production but also of development, to which we add the percentage of profit that the company wants to acquire. company. Since we do not know all these data, this is an unknown unknown to be solved even by the best mathematicians.
The points in favor of this price are the premium materials that compose it, a sound quality with advanced processing, an excellent connectivity with Apple devices and a very premium complete experience. On the contrary, we have that the difference in sound quality with other headphones for half the price is not so noticeable for most people, as it is also an unfavorable point not having personalized settings, a more conditioned case to them and not having The 3.5 mm jack cable is included in the box.
So what is the target audience?
Knowing if you are within the target or not of these AirPods Max is really difficult to explain in words, especially considering that a sound device like this depends so much on the perception of each person. As if I could say that AirPods 2 or even AirPods Pro are suitable for a majority of users, not so with these. And here several factors influence, the economic being obviously the most fundamental. Regardless of whether you have good purchasing power or not, it is not a purchase that is recommended to be made lightly.
IMHO, I think these headphones should be in the middle ground of professional headphones. They are not the best on the market nor do they have compatibility with professional audio editing standards that make them ideal for those who are professionally dedicated to the sector, but they have enough advances to be appreciated by casual users.
My particular focus would be on those music lovers who enjoy listening to music with a good sound balance and who do not mind making a significant outlay for headphones. This type of user can surely find flaws, but they will be much more satisfied than with other lower-priced headphones on the market and if they have an ecosystem of Apple products on top, they will be able to get even better performance.
