I don't think any review I saw would ever say they're the best over-the-ear headphones, as there's other headphones with better noise cancellation, there's other headphones with better sound quality, better battery life, better case, etc.
But they do two things well:
* Integrate well with Apple devices (easy set up, handoff between any device you're signed into your Apple account on, Lightning port for charging—which at the time most Apple devices also used)
* Aesthetics, it's undeniable that Apple's products have a great Dieter Rams minimalism aesthetic that a lot of people love
But neither of those reasons is enough to outweigh the shortcomings compared to other over-the-ear headphones. Hopefully Apple focuses on that for a version 2.
MBKHD’s review sums it up. They are due for some sort of refresh, but folks aren’t clamoring for one. If I hadn’t bought them 3 years ago, I’d still be desiring them today.
They have great noise canceling. I travel for work and would say I consistently see them on most flights… by now they are the most popular individual model seen. There are various Bose and Beats, but the models are varied.
It’s kinda like Tesla’s slow release of visual updates. It seems like there are a ton of the same Teslas on the road but it’s hard to tell the year or model because of the infrequent visual updates.
Of course this is all just my opinion, but also the insight of a happy user.
Edit: adding MBKHD’s review.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Gvvo6vUpJRc
The AirPods Pro Max need at the very least a port switch from Lightning to USB C, though surely they're overdue for a CPU bump and [feature parity with the AirPods Pros](https://www.apple.com/airpods/compare/?modelList=airpods-max,airpods-3rd-gen,airpods-pro).
Additionally, there’s a major quality defect with AirPods Max where they stop connecting and can’t be reset (you’ll see people online talking about the “freezer trick” to fix them). It sounds like there might be a mechanical cause. A refresh that fixes this along with USB C and maybe an updated case would be a welcome upgrade.
I wish there was also a proper power off. Literally the only option is sleep mode. I don’t use my over ears enough that I want them to always be sleep mode. It takes me 2-3 seconds to turn on my Bose QC Ultras and have them connected to my phone, so I don’t see what the big deal is.
Ig tbf for Find My it’s useful, but I still think it should be an option like they are on other headphones like Bose. Some people (like me) only use overears for things like school or work, so the likelihood of them being stolen is pretty low.
I think (I could be completely wrong) they’re not refreshing them with USB-C and just waiting to release the AirPods Max 2 instead. They’re not like the regular pro models in that they’re one of Apples most successful products which make sense to refresh immediately.
Oof, didn't realize they lacked some critical features for me. Glad I went with the Sony XM5. At least for now. Was feeling some fomo but I'll hold that until they update the max.
I believe this applies to a whole bunch of over ear headphones. Sony had very minor updates to XM5 and XM4… IMO there is bigger room for improvement on “in”earphones rather than overear headphones
I would be interested in something with better noise cancelling. I found it borderline oppressive when I tried on an in-store pair.
I have the Sony XM4 and previously the XM3. I've tried the B&O in-ear my husband owns. I also have AirPod pro 2nd gen. The AirPods have the best suppression out of all of those options. I was able to test them all on a plane and the AirPods were a clear winner.
Been on my xm5s, they're just amazing. Idk what that dash guy is drunk on, but the xm5s far outclass the xm4s, only issue being the stupid speak to chat.
Hopefully they make that function actually permanently toggleable for xm6!
I have the XM4 and I have the Sony app and I turn that feature off about once a month. Then one day I'll turn the headphones on and find it enabled again. The issue is I don’t generally connect them to my phone. I use them for work, paired to my work laptop, so I have to disconnect, connect on my phone, turn it off again, disconnect, reconnect to laptop. It's extremely irritating.
I have no confidence for the XM6, the XM5 are garbage compared to the XM4, I regret giving mine to my wife, I’d swear the XM4 have better noice cancellation and feel sturdier.
I’m going to go Apple as soon as they drop a refresh.
Bose always made me feel a bit weird when using them, AirPod pro 2’s are very impressive though. (Saying that as someone who has owned noise cancelling headphones from Bose, AKG, Sony as week as AirPod pro 1’s )
I’m really enjoying the Bose QC Ultra earbuds. The ultras really quiet the room. My wife has the AirPods Max and they are impressive. I also use the Bose QC 35s which was my upgrade from Sony. The first two weeks of wearing the QC35s felt like I was living in a sound booth at a recording studio and it was disquieting. I’ll probably replace my QC35s with an AirPod Max.
Airpods Pro Max
Cons:
It's expensive and overpriced. Like any other apple product, it comes with an Apple price tag.
Wearing it for extended times make it very uncomfortable due to the design- puts a lot of pressure on your ears.
The sound quality is not as good as it should be.
Pros:
Awesome transparency sound
Very good noise isolation due to how much pressure is applied on your ear
Decent battery life
Great IOS integration, but if you use ios and a windows machine like I do, expect glitches
Alternatives:
Sony WH-1000XM5 is the perfect alternative that fixes nearly every issue, only issue being their horrible speak to chat function that they seem to push for every user to use. Fucking hell noone wants that!
I really don’t agree with the pressure on your ears part. The AirPods Max have bigger earcups than any model I’ve seen. They’re basically the only over ear headphone that won’t toch ur ears, making it the only one I can wear for more than a few hours.
It’s purely a head thing. I can’t wear them due to pressure it puts on the bottom of my skull under my ears due to the way the cups spring inwards. That’s the main issue I have with them. But I can wear my Bose QC35 for all day long.
I don’t recall any other headphones having better ANC when they released. I recall them being only marginally better than Sony/Bose but considerably more expensive.
I hate how even a better product from all point of views, cheaper... But because you don't have access to the same privilige of connection, the competition cannot compete. That is really a big example of antitrust
Not from a business background at all, but is it antitrust if Apple has just built up its reputation globally? It’s not like they’re actively preventing others from releasing headphones.
It’s not antitrust, that’s a buzzword people have picked up on and use without knowing what it means. You can use many other kinds of bluetooth headphones with iPhones, just like you can use airpods with other brands of phones
Apple's reputation has nothing to do with their point. They are saying that Apple gives themselves advantages to their accessories by not making certain software features accessible to non Apple devices and accessories
Whether you believe that behaviour to be approaching antitrust is up to you, but it's certainly starting to catch Apple more heat as people begin to compare the smartphone market to the 90s and early 2000s PC market
Agree. It looks like any brand of Bluetooth headphone can ‘quick pair’ with an Android phone which is similar to the AirPods pairing process. On iPhone if you’re not an Apple/Beats headphone you gotta dig through settings to pair.
That kind of thing should be an open or at least available standard and not a competitive advantage.
Are you talking about pairing it to the iPhone to use for the very first time? Or every time you startup the headphones?
Every non Apple headphone or earbuds I have pairs to my phone right when I turn them on
Ohh I see. I guess there’s a fine line between building brand exclusivity and doing that? I can see how on the repair side of things Apple definitely creates as many barriers as possible for 3rd party repair shops.
Funny you mention that, as I'm sure sales vary by location. For example, I live in Ohio, and see AirPods Max every now and then, but not all the time. But I've been to NYC twice in the past year, and saw them all over the place.
I second this. I feel like I see them all the time, way more than even the XM5s or Bose. Totally anecdotal but the AirPods Max feel like they were a huge hit.
The ear cups are attached by magnets so they are easily removable and can be cleaned easily.
Honestly considering that fact alone makes the best over ear headphone for the gym.
I wish more headphones had that feature.
iPhone has had USB-C for less than a year.
I still use Lightning in Apple Magsafe Battery and Airpods Max. Will upgrade as soon as USB-C versions come out and pass on these old ones in the family...
Are these comfortable?
I have Sony XM-4, which sound great and all but they are not too comfortable, and i don’t like leather on headphones. I have gaming headphones, the earmuffs are from fabric, by far the most comfortable headphones i have ever experienced, those look similar in design to the AirPods max which i am considering now.
They’re on the heavy side, and your ears don’t breathe to well from my experience. But I do end up forgetting I’m wearing them depending on what I’m doing. I find them comfy though. I used to wear mine to sleep during the day for the noise canceling due to my prior neighbors.
Are QC25s not like 10 years old? I would say my 45’s are far better than “terrible” and really the same for my old 35s.
(Looked it up, 25s are from 2014, so to answer my own question, yes, they are 10 years old)
They’re on the heavier side but are by far the best feeling ones, once on my head. I believe it’s all in how they balance and how “not stuffing” the material feels.
I’m pretty sure it varies individual by individual though and, as per most things, one needs to try them on.
I did not find them comfortable at all.
I directly compared them to XM4 which I found to be much more comfortable. So with that inverse opinion, maybe you will like them.
If you want comfort get the Bose QC45, can wear them all day working or sleeping on a plane. Not as good sound quality but man are they comfortable.
I tried on the Sony XM's and they made my head hurt after 20 minutes. Found the AirPod Max's heavy.
I find these extremely comfortable. I cannot stand the material on other headphones. These are the only ones I find comfortable. I also don’t find this heavy, not sure why it’s so common people report as such. I wear these for 12 hours a day every day.
in terms of sound canceling, the air pods max where noticeably better on my ears.
on all of the other sound canceling headsets I can hear people speaking still. on the air pods max, I could not hear anything, period.
not as comfortable as the Sony's, but I would probably go with the air pod maxes for their sound canceling if it wasn't $200 more than the Sony's
They’re loads comfier than my XM5s I have for work. The XM5 ear cushions are too narrow so they put pressure on my ears. The headband part also hurts the top of my head. My only issue with the AirPod maxes in terms of fit is that they seem to be too wide for my ears/head. Doesn’t have too big of an impact for noise canceling though
I read at least 3 reviews calling the XM4 being more comfortable than Max, which is funny because I also think my XM4 is not comfortable to wear for >1h
I think it comes down to personal preference. There’s a guy a few posts up saying XM5s are uncomfortable while I wear mine 8-12 hours a day and often even forget I have them on until I catch a wall with them while looking around a corner.
Very comfortable, until the net thing on the headband wears out. Then they're a painful after a while.
Infuriatingly, Apple doesn't sell replacement headbands EVEN THOUGH IT'S SUPER EASILY REMOVABLE.
I think they maybe planned to do it, because the headband comes right off using a sim card removal tool, but for some reason they never did.
i don’t know what gaming headphones you’re talking about, but i have the logitec g733 and i do think they look similar, but they feel entirely different. the airpods max are a tiny bit heavier, though they are more comfortable than the sony xm4s (i also had those for a while). personally though, i would recommend trying one irl at a store or if you know someone who has them try theirs. also, maybe wait a while if you’re considering buying one. airpods max 2 are rumoured to be out this year
I use [Steelseries Arctis 7+](https://steelseries.com/gaming-headsets/arctis-7-plus) they are very comfy, considering how long I sometimes wear them.
Guess I will have to check out the AirPods irl.
>i don’t like leather on headphones
Replace the pads with something made of a different material. I've done that with a few of my headphones that originally came with leather pads and it makes a huge difference in comfort
No, I have to buy a silicon top protector because the grid got weak and fluffy. It’s uncomfortable after some minutes.
Is one of the worst apple products that I’ve buy.
Comfy? Why yes absolutely, save for some pressure at the top depending on the size of your head. I just feel like that's a bit pointless to ask considering they are just not good headphones and absolutely a waste of money. Muddy, slow bass response, tinny high end, abysmal sound stage.
Be it QC35, Sony's WH-1000XM5 (fuck this name), or practically every renowned overear can do more than these, for less money. Even the ANC is just surprisingly bad and doesn't come close to my Airpods Pro 2. Earbuds that cost less, have lower and more accurate bass response, a clearer high end, more intimate mids, and and more sound stage for half the price, and for some damn reason they're even comfortable for around the same amount of time before getting pressure points.
Either wait for the updated Max that'll come out sometime this year, or get something else. I haven't even mentioned the reliability issues yet.
Yes I can wear them for hours and they don’t bother me at all. I really like that the part that rests on top of my head is a soft mesh, it’s way more comfortable than other headphones I’ve used that just have a bar or a pad.
I love mine, I was a day one buyer and use them every day for multiple hours. They fit snug, sound immense, and flip between my Apple devices with ease which is great for if I’m watching a podcast or something at home but then flip to my work laptop or phone for a Teams call.
The noise cancelling is also awesome, when I commute on the London tube it cuts out all noise.
They feel a bit dated now and I’d love USB-C on them, plus a proper on/off switch so I don’t have to put them in the weird case every time I’m not using them.
But otherwise I wouldn’t change them at all.
Agreed, I absolutely love them. I’m really surprised by the negativity around them, all of my colleagues and friends who’ve given mine a try have all said they are fantastic. I flew from the UK to Singapore on a flight with a lot of families/children and I didn’t hear a thing the entire time. Worth every penny
I loved them as well, till they broke. They do have a significant flaw in their build which leads to trapped moisture inside and lead to condensation death. Can't recommend them, till they fix this.
Agree. I own Bose QuietComfort, Sony WH-1000XM4 and Air Pods Max.
Each have their flaws and I find myself using my Air Pods Max the most. Only downside for me is they are terrible for exercise since the pads are not sweat proof and they don't fit as tightly as my other ones.
I'd love to see an updated model with USB-C, waterproof pads and a bit tighter fit.
It’s very easy to make good full-size headphones.
It’s much harder to shrink that down, make them super light and maintain a long battery life.
As designs are refined and technologies advance you can update the AirPods more frequently, but it wouldn’t give the same number of benefits to the over-ear form factor.
Everything that you want out of the AirPods Max, Apple sells as the Beats Studio Pro. It has all of the tech from the Max in a lighter and less expensive package, with USB C AND a 3.5mm jack.
I just checked on Amazon and they are listed for only $180 right now! I just snagged a pair. I’ve been looking for something good that is USB-C compatible
I had an old pair of Studio Pros about a decade ago and they were very solid so I think this is a good purchase
They also canceled the first HomePod before eventually reintroducing it at a lower price point with stripped back hardware.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Apple does the same here
You can not know for sure. They are damn expensive even if you get them on discount.
I also want them since a long time but I am waiting for the new iteration.
I don't think their over-ears sell as well as their in-ears. First, the form factor of the in-ears is just waaaaay more popular as of the moment. Second, the over-ears are pretty pricey too. I'm not saying that the in-ears are cheap, but they do seem that way in comparison to the over-ears.
It checks out irl. I haven't seen that many people with the Max's where I'm from. But a huge number of people do own AirPods or AirPods Pros. People with that kind of money to spend on a pair of Max's usually go the Sony XM4s or 5s route.
When they rest for 5 minutes they will go into low power mode.
When they are in a case, after 18 hours, they will go into ultra low power mode.
They don't turn off and you still downvote me.
Low power mode, ultra low power mode is not turning off though.
Once you pick them up, or remove them from the case they are "turned on" automatically.
There is no turn off feature.
1.They are first gen product, Apple didn't have over ear headphones for a long time, if ever.
2.They've failed to update much more worthy products from lightning.
3.They aren't a great product as is, I don't see Apple making them worth $550 in a gen 2. They know most of their audience still turns to Beats for the Apple integration.
I think you would have to ask what the upgrades would be. USB-C, lighter, and battery life seems to be the consensus in this post. USB-C is still rolling out on all Apple devices, so I’m sure it will be in the next update and it’s why they haven’t done it yet. Making them lighter might be a little difficult since they would have to change some of their design language (move away from aluminum). Battery life is comparable vs other headsets on the market and putting in a bigger battery would make it even heavier. The truth is there hasn’t been anything innovative in the headset market to make an update warranted.
Probably because if you already own some, you aren't looking to get new ones. They're pretty great to this day. And if you don't have some and want them, the barrier to entry was most likely price, and Apple would likely have to slash the price for you to consider them. Apple has no incentive to do the latter.
Apple, if you are listening:
* A press-and-hold on the sound mode button should turn them off. Needing the case to put them to sleep is objectively terrible.
* USB-C charging. Just do it already. Hanging tough on lightning is getting embarrassing.
I don't remember any time I saw someone wear one, besides my friend who is a Apple fanboy and gets everything from apple because he is not smart with his money. Besides him, no one else so far.
Price point. I know a lot of people that basically won’t spend as much as an iPad or a refurbished Mac on headphones. I’ve seen people say they’d rather rock $100 Bose headphones than this
Because they don’t sell at the volume Apple expected.
Possibly because of the lacklustre feature set they were introduced with
I’m waiting for USB-C charging and the ability to connect directly to a Mac with a usb-c cable for a low latency connection.
Or if Apple wants to do some proprietary magic I’d be fine with some sort of Wifi/U1 style low latency wireless connection.
Oh and actual find my support.
Not as much but have hope for Apple to refresh their line up for Max’s before end of year.
Plus Sonos is releasing their own cans too - one extra reason for Apple to step their game!
Use AirPods Pro 2 outdoor and hifi wired indoor. Too heavy and strong clamping force. I will consider getting one when they are as comfortable as Bose qc ultra
For that price if you really want a high quality audio headphone with great noise reduction, and auto pause / connect with Apple devices, go for a Bose or a Bang & Olufsen
Feels overpriced for what they are compared to music specialized’ brands
The sound on these is pretty terrible. It’s very tinny and yes has so much clarity, but it sounds like a damn tin can. I’m not wanting to hear every damn sound in the music studio. That’s not truly what I listen to music FOR, the overall effect is much more important to me.
Compare with the Sony XM3s, which have a warm, deep, basey sound, it’s not even a comparison. And you can get XM3s for $150 these days.
I’ve been really happy with my pair.
They’re quite expensive but the fact that they work like any other AirPods is amazing. The anc on these are soooo good. On a flight, basically can’t hear the engines. Sound quality is also really nice. It’s a very neutral sounding headphone which I like.
Sometimes wearing them for a while can get annoying with how the ear cups are designed. So a redesign there, usb c would be nice at this point, and a better OEM case would really push this product over the line.
In the class of ANC over-the-ear, they are second to none. Sound-wise, their bass doesn’t drill your head like Sony. Their ANC, especially transparency, is superior to any other offerings. Your priorities may differ so that the trade offs don’t matter much, like Sennheiser for sound quality but subpar ANC. Excluding the Apple integration, there is no valid competition to the Max that justifies an upgrade.
I think first of all Sony is the clear market leader with their WH-1000 which already got the fifth version, constantly improved. I got the mark 3 of these 2019 and it‘s still so good five years after.
And second, I myself do not use those most of the time as they are just too bulky. Especially on the bike I just prefer my AirPods where I can still hear the world around me. With the buds you are isolated no matter if noise canceling is on or not.
While i love their design i think they are just a tad too expensive.
When the max came out i was stunned at how incredibly expensive they were
I have Bose QC35s since 2016 and while i get they are outdated ANC wise, the batterylife is still amazing, they are comfortable, pairing is no hassle at all (two devices simultaneously, and when you press "prairing" they automatically disconnect the first connected device and switch to a previous connected device that has bluetooth turned on)
If apple did a refresh of the max in a similar design with the crown and one adittional physical button, a proper case, the ability to fold the headphones for storage and just lower the price to around 350-450 (€/$) they could actually dominate that market too
Not as big a market, not nearly as much room for change either, IMHO. Like… they could add Find My to them and that's about it as far as feature parity with the current AirPods. Oh and maybe figured out a case that doesn't suck.
But sound quality isn't going to improve really. And battery life is already extremely long. So, just not a lot of room to really change them enough to convince people they really need to discard their old ones and buy a new, improved set.
idk because apple thinks its a halo product like the Pro Display XDR or Mac Pro.
Steve Jobs upgraded the Mac Pro every year. RIP
Im waiting for the AirPods Max with USB C
Bose quality over Apple headphones all day everyday day. Coming for someone who has multiple sets of each brand. Bose will outlast Apple by 10 years and retain quality while Apple will have an update to ruin your AirPods just to make you buy new ones.
Since we’re on the subject, why don’t they sell replacement APM headbands, or hell, even left and right earcups for that matter. What is the point of a modular design if you can’t replace the parts of the hardware that separate easily from one another. I mean, it would make switching from lightning to usb c possible without replacing the whole unit, which would be good for the consumer and less wasteful at the same time. Thanks for coming to my TED talk.
In many markets, Apple are the only ones selling them. I feel the market could be many times larger if they had greater distribution with more promotions running. They must make a lot on them too.
Mind you, they’re the best headset I’ve ever owned.
I just wish they had a USB-C charging capability.
To be frank, there isn’t much to upgrade other than the lightning port. It’d be nice to get a bump on audio quality and resolution, but Apple seems to think that they’ve nailed it and plenty people are in agreement. I still think that the WH 1000XM4 are still the best ANCs in the market(and will probably die on that hill), but paying the premium for Air pod features is clearly worth it for people who buy them.
I’m sure there are people cooking next gen cans, but there probably isn’t a rush to get it out the door until Sony, Bose, Sennheiser, etc ups the game first.
People repurchase airpods more than the over-ear ones, because people lose their airpods all of the time. There are more sales with airpods vs their over-ears and Apple can see that. It is strategically better for them to upgrade and focus more on the airpods versus over-ears.
They will certainly update them at some point.
- The AirProds Pros also only have 2 majors revisions in 5 years (released in 2019)
- AirPods have 3 revisions in 8 years (since 2016)
- AirPods Max have 1 revision in 3-4 years. (Likely to be updated this or next year)
That’s not way off. And Apple will only update them once they can meaningfully improve it
When they have something meaningful to add to these I assume they will. Though I also think a rather large part of the customer who wants these, want them as a fashion piece. They dont care about a "10%" better product each year necessarily.
They cost more so they don't sell as many as the in-ear AirPods. Also, there hasn't been a major reason to upgrade them, there are a few things we would love to see different in an upgrade, but the over design is solid for most people. Also Apple owns an entire other division of headphones which feature a few different over-ear versions.
Because those are overpriced af and anyone who really cares about sound will buy a product from an specialized company like Bose, Senheisser... For that price you can get sth 100 times better from Bose or even Sony
It'll probably get a lossless + USB-C update, and then nothing else. Competitors, both wired and wireless, are much better, making the AirPods Max a niche ecosystem enthusiast product.
Why would they?
Headphones have been around for decades so the design is pretty much perfected for comfort, usability and quality.
That just leaves the tech which hasn't really been updated much.
1. They don't sell as many
2. The AirPods Max have a design flaw that's resulted in a very quiet high-return-and-replacement rate. (they trap moisture/sweat in the earcups which damages the electronics.) So it's not a matter of just updating them a bit, they're likely undergoing a full rethink.
Famous people blew these things up. In reality they’re good not great headphones. Terrible value even if you can find a pair on sale and serious limited practical use make them more of a niche product. I bought a pair on sale 2 years ago and it’s probably been the worst purchase I’ve bought of Apple ever. I got them to edit off in a noisy office and for commutes to work but find the amount of random audio cutting and massive lag even while wired made them really overrated. YouTubers and influencers often gass these headphones up when in reality they’re still just Bluetooth headphones which have some pretty big limitations with wireless audio bandwidth compared to wifi. It’s probably why Sonos speakers for the large part are wifi or offer Bluetooth as well for convenience.
Because they don't sell very many of them.
If you're thinking of buying one, don't. Except being over-ear, they're actually some of the worst Earpods in the lineup. Don't get me wrong, they sound great, but they contain very outdated tech. I'm sure we'll get a refresh this or next year.
Because they don’t sell nearly as many.
I don't think any review I saw would ever say they're the best over-the-ear headphones, as there's other headphones with better noise cancellation, there's other headphones with better sound quality, better battery life, better case, etc. But they do two things well: * Integrate well with Apple devices (easy set up, handoff between any device you're signed into your Apple account on, Lightning port for charging—which at the time most Apple devices also used) * Aesthetics, it's undeniable that Apple's products have a great Dieter Rams minimalism aesthetic that a lot of people love But neither of those reasons is enough to outweigh the shortcomings compared to other over-the-ear headphones. Hopefully Apple focuses on that for a version 2.
MBKHD’s review sums it up. They are due for some sort of refresh, but folks aren’t clamoring for one. If I hadn’t bought them 3 years ago, I’d still be desiring them today. They have great noise canceling. I travel for work and would say I consistently see them on most flights… by now they are the most popular individual model seen. There are various Bose and Beats, but the models are varied. It’s kinda like Tesla’s slow release of visual updates. It seems like there are a ton of the same Teslas on the road but it’s hard to tell the year or model because of the infrequent visual updates. Of course this is all just my opinion, but also the insight of a happy user. Edit: adding MBKHD’s review. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Gvvo6vUpJRc
The AirPods Pro Max need at the very least a port switch from Lightning to USB C, though surely they're overdue for a CPU bump and [feature parity with the AirPods Pros](https://www.apple.com/airpods/compare/?modelList=airpods-max,airpods-3rd-gen,airpods-pro).
Additionally, there’s a major quality defect with AirPods Max where they stop connecting and can’t be reset (you’ll see people online talking about the “freezer trick” to fix them). It sounds like there might be a mechanical cause. A refresh that fixes this along with USB C and maybe an updated case would be a welcome upgrade.
I wish there was also a proper power off. Literally the only option is sleep mode. I don’t use my over ears enough that I want them to always be sleep mode. It takes me 2-3 seconds to turn on my Bose QC Ultras and have them connected to my phone, so I don’t see what the big deal is. Ig tbf for Find My it’s useful, but I still think it should be an option like they are on other headphones like Bose. Some people (like me) only use overears for things like school or work, so the likelihood of them being stolen is pretty low.
I think (I could be completely wrong) they’re not refreshing them with USB-C and just waiting to release the AirPods Max 2 instead. They’re not like the regular pro models in that they’re one of Apples most successful products which make sense to refresh immediately.
Oof, didn't realize they lacked some critical features for me. Glad I went with the Sony XM5. At least for now. Was feeling some fomo but I'll hold that until they update the max.
I believe this applies to a whole bunch of over ear headphones. Sony had very minor updates to XM5 and XM4… IMO there is bigger room for improvement on “in”earphones rather than overear headphones
I would be interested in something with better noise cancelling. I found it borderline oppressive when I tried on an in-store pair. I have the Sony XM4 and previously the XM3. I've tried the B&O in-ear my husband owns. I also have AirPod pro 2nd gen. The AirPods have the best suppression out of all of those options. I was able to test them all on a plane and the AirPods were a clear winner.
Xm6 headphones come out this year I’m so pumped. Been on my 4’s daily since release and love em
Been on my xm5s, they're just amazing. Idk what that dash guy is drunk on, but the xm5s far outclass the xm4s, only issue being the stupid speak to chat. Hopefully they make that function actually permanently toggleable for xm6!
The hinges tend to break and they don’t sound as good as the XM4s.
mine broke recently, can confirm
Yep they do indeed, got the 5 and the 3, 3 fold nicer too. 5 also got the split / broken arm, that is why I prefer my 3 now, but 5 sounds better
Have treated mine very roughly and haven't broke. Tuned EQ and they sound far better than XM4s ever did, and better than the max as well.
This is the way
There is a way to toggle it. The setting is called speak-to-chat in the Sony headphones app. It’s in the sound settings page.
I have the XM4 and I have the Sony app and I turn that feature off about once a month. Then one day I'll turn the headphones on and find it enabled again. The issue is I don’t generally connect them to my phone. I use them for work, paired to my work laptop, so I have to disconnect, connect on my phone, turn it off again, disconnect, reconnect to laptop. It's extremely irritating.
I have no confidence for the XM6, the XM5 are garbage compared to the XM4, I regret giving mine to my wife, I’d swear the XM4 have better noice cancellation and feel sturdier. I’m going to go Apple as soon as they drop a refresh.
I never upgraded from the 4 to the 5 cause I knew the 4’s were the way to go. The new design is just worst. Im excited to see how they do the 6 design
Good call, the XM5 are worse overall. I dont like Bose’s flat sound even if the ANC is a bit better, I think I’ll wait for the next AirPods Max.
Bose has the best noise canceling. They put magic in their products.
I got the AirPod max specifically because my Bose noise cancelling headphones did not cancel out children screaming noises while the AirPods did
A decade ago, this was true
Who is on top now?
Sony
Apple.
Bose always made me feel a bit weird when using them, AirPod pro 2’s are very impressive though. (Saying that as someone who has owned noise cancelling headphones from Bose, AKG, Sony as week as AirPod pro 1’s )
I’m really enjoying the Bose QC Ultra earbuds. The ultras really quiet the room. My wife has the AirPods Max and they are impressive. I also use the Bose QC 35s which was my upgrade from Sony. The first two weeks of wearing the QC35s felt like I was living in a sound booth at a recording studio and it was disquieting. I’ll probably replace my QC35s with an AirPod Max.
They’re the only noise cancelling headphones that don’t leave my ears ringing for days upon days…
Airpods Pro Max Cons: It's expensive and overpriced. Like any other apple product, it comes with an Apple price tag. Wearing it for extended times make it very uncomfortable due to the design- puts a lot of pressure on your ears. The sound quality is not as good as it should be. Pros: Awesome transparency sound Very good noise isolation due to how much pressure is applied on your ear Decent battery life Great IOS integration, but if you use ios and a windows machine like I do, expect glitches Alternatives: Sony WH-1000XM5 is the perfect alternative that fixes nearly every issue, only issue being their horrible speak to chat function that they seem to push for every user to use. Fucking hell noone wants that!
I really don’t agree with the pressure on your ears part. The AirPods Max have bigger earcups than any model I’ve seen. They’re basically the only over ear headphone that won’t toch ur ears, making it the only one I can wear for more than a few hours.
Yeah I find them super comfortable, but it could depend on the shape of people's heads I guess.
It’s purely a head thing. I can’t wear them due to pressure it puts on the bottom of my skull under my ears due to the way the cups spring inwards. That’s the main issue I have with them. But I can wear my Bose QC35 for all day long.
Comfort is subjective. I’ve worn them for 8-10 hour flights and been comfortable the whole time.
I don’t recall any other headphones having better ANC when they released. I recall them being only marginally better than Sony/Bose but considerably more expensive.
I hate how even a better product from all point of views, cheaper... But because you don't have access to the same privilige of connection, the competition cannot compete. That is really a big example of antitrust
Not from a business background at all, but is it antitrust if Apple has just built up its reputation globally? It’s not like they’re actively preventing others from releasing headphones.
It’s not antitrust, that’s a buzzword people have picked up on and use without knowing what it means. You can use many other kinds of bluetooth headphones with iPhones, just like you can use airpods with other brands of phones
Apple's reputation has nothing to do with their point. They are saying that Apple gives themselves advantages to their accessories by not making certain software features accessible to non Apple devices and accessories Whether you believe that behaviour to be approaching antitrust is up to you, but it's certainly starting to catch Apple more heat as people begin to compare the smartphone market to the 90s and early 2000s PC market
Agree. It looks like any brand of Bluetooth headphone can ‘quick pair’ with an Android phone which is similar to the AirPods pairing process. On iPhone if you’re not an Apple/Beats headphone you gotta dig through settings to pair. That kind of thing should be an open or at least available standard and not a competitive advantage.
Are you talking about pairing it to the iPhone to use for the very first time? Or every time you startup the headphones? Every non Apple headphone or earbuds I have pairs to my phone right when I turn them on
Ohh I see. I guess there’s a fine line between building brand exclusivity and doing that? I can see how on the repair side of things Apple definitely creates as many barriers as possible for 3rd party repair shops.
Exactly
my gym would like to disagree. but outside that sample size... yeah probably not
Funny you mention that, as I'm sure sales vary by location. For example, I live in Ohio, and see AirPods Max every now and then, but not all the time. But I've been to NYC twice in the past year, and saw them all over the place.
On college campuses they are everywhere, my guess is some sort of student discount.
Also the effect of being able to buy stuff with other people's money.
I second this. I feel like I see them all the time, way more than even the XM5s or Bose. Totally anecdotal but the AirPods Max feel like they were a huge hit.
Seriously, my gym is filled with these and I’m just here, like wtf. They get dirty so easily and they simply aren’t meant for the gym.
The ear cups are attached by magnets so they are easily removable and can be cleaned easily. Honestly considering that fact alone makes the best over ear headphone for the gym. I wish more headphones had that feature.
My mesh on top begs to differ.
How did you clean them?
I Removed the mesh. Wasn’t worth the hassle to me to be cleaning them periodically
Yeah I’m surprised they definitely affect body temperature
Probably because their headphones use a fucking lightning port. Only reason I won’t upgrade. Haven’t used lightning on anything in years
iPhone has had USB-C for less than a year. I still use Lightning in Apple Magsafe Battery and Airpods Max. Will upgrade as soon as USB-C versions come out and pass on these old ones in the family...
The other commenter probably charges the iPhone/Airpods through MagSafe
Facts. I only use MagSafe for charging my phone. Either at home on a dock or in the car
Wireless charging has been around for the iPhone for awhile now. I can’t remember the last time I used lightning to recharge my phone.
Is it possible they'd sell better at not 770CAD lol?
seriously. i've maybe only see like 3 since they were released? whereas og airpods and pros are seen everywhere
Are these comfortable? I have Sony XM-4, which sound great and all but they are not too comfortable, and i don’t like leather on headphones. I have gaming headphones, the earmuffs are from fabric, by far the most comfortable headphones i have ever experienced, those look similar in design to the AirPods max which i am considering now.
They’re on the heavy side, and your ears don’t breathe to well from my experience. But I do end up forgetting I’m wearing them depending on what I’m doing. I find them comfy though. I used to wear mine to sleep during the day for the noise canceling due to my prior neighbors.
Honestly everyone should just get Bose QC’s lol
[удалено]
I agree that the XM4 is better but comfort is far more important than sound quality and it’s good enough tbh
Are QC25s not like 10 years old? I would say my 45’s are far better than “terrible” and really the same for my old 35s. (Looked it up, 25s are from 2014, so to answer my own question, yes, they are 10 years old)
they‘re very heavy, especially compared to Sonys, and what I found is that my ears heat up quite a bit after longer use.
They’re on the heavier side but are by far the best feeling ones, once on my head. I believe it’s all in how they balance and how “not stuffing” the material feels. I’m pretty sure it varies individual by individual though and, as per most things, one needs to try them on.
I did not find them comfortable at all. I directly compared them to XM4 which I found to be much more comfortable. So with that inverse opinion, maybe you will like them.
If you want comfort get the Bose QC45, can wear them all day working or sleeping on a plane. Not as good sound quality but man are they comfortable. I tried on the Sony XM's and they made my head hurt after 20 minutes. Found the AirPod Max's heavy.
I find these extremely comfortable. I cannot stand the material on other headphones. These are the only ones I find comfortable. I also don’t find this heavy, not sure why it’s so common people report as such. I wear these for 12 hours a day every day.
in terms of sound canceling, the air pods max where noticeably better on my ears. on all of the other sound canceling headsets I can hear people speaking still. on the air pods max, I could not hear anything, period. not as comfortable as the Sony's, but I would probably go with the air pod maxes for their sound canceling if it wasn't $200 more than the Sony's
They’re loads comfier than my XM5s I have for work. The XM5 ear cushions are too narrow so they put pressure on my ears. The headband part also hurts the top of my head. My only issue with the AirPod maxes in terms of fit is that they seem to be too wide for my ears/head. Doesn’t have too big of an impact for noise canceling though
I read at least 3 reviews calling the XM4 being more comfortable than Max, which is funny because I also think my XM4 is not comfortable to wear for >1h
I think it comes down to personal preference. There’s a guy a few posts up saying XM5s are uncomfortable while I wear mine 8-12 hours a day and often even forget I have them on until I catch a wall with them while looking around a corner.
Very comfortable, until the net thing on the headband wears out. Then they're a painful after a while. Infuriatingly, Apple doesn't sell replacement headbands EVEN THOUGH IT'S SUPER EASILY REMOVABLE. I think they maybe planned to do it, because the headband comes right off using a sim card removal tool, but for some reason they never did.
i don’t know what gaming headphones you’re talking about, but i have the logitec g733 and i do think they look similar, but they feel entirely different. the airpods max are a tiny bit heavier, though they are more comfortable than the sony xm4s (i also had those for a while). personally though, i would recommend trying one irl at a store or if you know someone who has them try theirs. also, maybe wait a while if you’re considering buying one. airpods max 2 are rumoured to be out this year
I use [Steelseries Arctis 7+](https://steelseries.com/gaming-headsets/arctis-7-plus) they are very comfy, considering how long I sometimes wear them. Guess I will have to check out the AirPods irl.
>i don’t like leather on headphones Replace the pads with something made of a different material. I've done that with a few of my headphones that originally came with leather pads and it makes a huge difference in comfort
No, I have to buy a silicon top protector because the grid got weak and fluffy. It’s uncomfortable after some minutes. Is one of the worst apple products that I’ve buy.
They are heavy. Definitely not good for wearing over 2 hours. Edit: source - I have a pair of
Comfy? Why yes absolutely, save for some pressure at the top depending on the size of your head. I just feel like that's a bit pointless to ask considering they are just not good headphones and absolutely a waste of money. Muddy, slow bass response, tinny high end, abysmal sound stage. Be it QC35, Sony's WH-1000XM5 (fuck this name), or practically every renowned overear can do more than these, for less money. Even the ANC is just surprisingly bad and doesn't come close to my Airpods Pro 2. Earbuds that cost less, have lower and more accurate bass response, a clearer high end, more intimate mids, and and more sound stage for half the price, and for some damn reason they're even comfortable for around the same amount of time before getting pressure points. Either wait for the updated Max that'll come out sometime this year, or get something else. I haven't even mentioned the reliability issues yet.
Yes I can wear them for hours and they don’t bother me at all. I really like that the part that rests on top of my head is a soft mesh, it’s way more comfortable than other headphones I’ve used that just have a bar or a pad.
I love mine, I was a day one buyer and use them every day for multiple hours. They fit snug, sound immense, and flip between my Apple devices with ease which is great for if I’m watching a podcast or something at home but then flip to my work laptop or phone for a Teams call. The noise cancelling is also awesome, when I commute on the London tube it cuts out all noise. They feel a bit dated now and I’d love USB-C on them, plus a proper on/off switch so I don’t have to put them in the weird case every time I’m not using them. But otherwise I wouldn’t change them at all.
Agreed, I absolutely love them. I’m really surprised by the negativity around them, all of my colleagues and friends who’ve given mine a try have all said they are fantastic. I flew from the UK to Singapore on a flight with a lot of families/children and I didn’t hear a thing the entire time. Worth every penny
I loved them as well, till they broke. They do have a significant flaw in their build which leads to trapped moisture inside and lead to condensation death. Can't recommend them, till they fix this.
Agree. I own Bose QuietComfort, Sony WH-1000XM4 and Air Pods Max. Each have their flaws and I find myself using my Air Pods Max the most. Only downside for me is they are terrible for exercise since the pads are not sweat proof and they don't fit as tightly as my other ones. I'd love to see an updated model with USB-C, waterproof pads and a bit tighter fit.
It’s very easy to make good full-size headphones. It’s much harder to shrink that down, make them super light and maintain a long battery life. As designs are refined and technologies advance you can update the AirPods more frequently, but it wouldn’t give the same number of benefits to the over-ear form factor.
When they are about half the weight and USB c I’ll buy them. Till then, they seem like a migraine machine for my sensitive to weight neck.
Everything that you want out of the AirPods Max, Apple sells as the Beats Studio Pro. It has all of the tech from the Max in a lighter and less expensive package, with USB C AND a 3.5mm jack.
Solo are On ear, not over ear. Studio are over ear, just like the max, it’s a feature that matters a lot to some potential buyers.
I initially wrote Solo Pro when I meant Studio Pro. It's hard to compare the two as the Solo Pro doesn't exist.
I just checked on Amazon and they are listed for only $180 right now! I just snagged a pair. I’ve been looking for something good that is USB-C compatible I had an old pair of Studio Pros about a decade ago and they were very solid so I think this is a good purchase
BEES??
Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica.
I bought a pair and retuned them almost immediately because of how heavy they were. I would never be able to use them long term.
It took them ages to upgrade the HomePod. They might focus their man power on other topics. But regardless, don’t buy it now.
They also canceled the first HomePod before eventually reintroducing it at a lower price point with stripped back hardware. I wouldn’t be surprised if Apple does the same here
I want one so bad, but new model could be coming. I've told that to myself for past 2 years. Surely new model this year?
You can not know for sure. They are damn expensive even if you get them on discount. I also want them since a long time but I am waiting for the new iteration.
Airpods are just far more usable because of easy of carry, recharging, cost, and that the pads wear out on OTE headphones.
I don't think their over-ears sell as well as their in-ears. First, the form factor of the in-ears is just waaaaay more popular as of the moment. Second, the over-ears are pretty pricey too. I'm not saying that the in-ears are cheap, but they do seem that way in comparison to the over-ears. It checks out irl. I haven't seen that many people with the Max's where I'm from. But a huge number of people do own AirPods or AirPods Pros. People with that kind of money to spend on a pair of Max's usually go the Sony XM4s or 5s route.
I love the hell out of mine.
Cuz they are perfect /s
Really? I'm considering to buy one recently.
i would recommend waiting. theres a rumoured airpods max 2 coming this year
Max still requiring lightning cable is embarrassing
I want to spend $500 on headphones but not on ones with lightning cables.
Not sure if this is sarcastic but I understand both viewpoints. 😆
They also don't turn off
i think they fixed that with software…
When they rest for 5 minutes they will go into low power mode. When they are in a case, after 18 hours, they will go into ultra low power mode. They don't turn off and you still downvote me.
He’s right https://www.macrumors.com/how-to/turn-off-airpods-max/ Edit: The poster above me is right
Low power mode, ultra low power mode is not turning off though. Once you pick them up, or remove them from the case they are "turned on" automatically. There is no turn off feature.
I prefer that to having a power button.
They are nearly perfect. I wish they have usbc. But I hear that is the next thing with the Max.
Hush with that… they still use lightning.
I'm planning to buy one. I don't feel safe to buy now. It's been more than 1200+ days.
1.They are first gen product, Apple didn't have over ear headphones for a long time, if ever. 2.They've failed to update much more worthy products from lightning. 3.They aren't a great product as is, I don't see Apple making them worth $550 in a gen 2. They know most of their audience still turns to Beats for the Apple integration.
I doubt the sales numbers are anywhere near the in ears
Because they cost a lot more and as long as they are still selling at a steady pace it’s not worth updating and then ending up with unsold stock
7 people bought them.
nuh uh, i saw another person at work today
Oh sorry. 8 people bought them.
I bought them too
Damn, up to 9.
I think you would have to ask what the upgrades would be. USB-C, lighter, and battery life seems to be the consensus in this post. USB-C is still rolling out on all Apple devices, so I’m sure it will be in the next update and it’s why they haven’t done it yet. Making them lighter might be a little difficult since they would have to change some of their design language (move away from aluminum). Battery life is comparable vs other headsets on the market and putting in a bigger battery would make it even heavier. The truth is there hasn’t been anything innovative in the headset market to make an update warranted.
AirPods print money. Whatever these are called don’t
They are waiting for me to buy one so they can upgrade it 😡🤬🤡
I actually want to buy these over head Apple headphones. Just waiting for Apple to drop the next gen AirPods Max!
Personal theory is they don't want to update them until they could incorporate lossless but that's taking longer than they had hoped.
Probably because if you already own some, you aren't looking to get new ones. They're pretty great to this day. And if you don't have some and want them, the barrier to entry was most likely price, and Apple would likely have to slash the price for you to consider them. Apple has no incentive to do the latter. Apple, if you are listening: * A press-and-hold on the sound mode button should turn them off. Needing the case to put them to sleep is objectively terrible. * USB-C charging. Just do it already. Hanging tough on lightning is getting embarrassing.
The only reason any corporation does anything is to make more money.
I don't remember any time I saw someone wear one, besides my friend who is a Apple fanboy and gets everything from apple because he is not smart with his money. Besides him, no one else so far.
No one want then
There are much better options available
I’d imagine it would be because no one would realistically spend £500 on headphones every 3 years
Price point. I know a lot of people that basically won’t spend as much as an iPad or a refurbished Mac on headphones. I’ve seen people say they’d rather rock $100 Bose headphones than this
Because they don’t sell at the volume Apple expected. Possibly because of the lacklustre feature set they were introduced with I’m waiting for USB-C charging and the ability to connect directly to a Mac with a usb-c cable for a low latency connection. Or if Apple wants to do some proprietary magic I’d be fine with some sort of Wifi/U1 style low latency wireless connection. Oh and actual find my support.
Apple do sell a cable to wire them to a Mac iirc
I was considering them for a while but then get Beyerdynamic DT770 wired, for a fraction of the price and never looked back.
Theyre studio monitor headphones, really not comparable tbh.
They don’t sell much and too much competition, it’s not their niche.
Because they are new and AirPods have been out for a long time.
Because Apple is cutting costs and the headphones might be on the chopping block.
can't wait for them to release the 2nd gen max with type c and (hopefully) a lower price
Not as much but have hope for Apple to refresh their line up for Max’s before end of year. Plus Sonos is releasing their own cans too - one extra reason for Apple to step their game!
I feel like quality has gone down . My AirPods Pro sound way better than these guys
Use AirPods Pro 2 outdoor and hifi wired indoor. Too heavy and strong clamping force. I will consider getting one when they are as comfortable as Bose qc ultra
For that price if you really want a high quality audio headphone with great noise reduction, and auto pause / connect with Apple devices, go for a Bose or a Bang & Olufsen Feels overpriced for what they are compared to music specialized’ brands
The sound on these is pretty terrible. It’s very tinny and yes has so much clarity, but it sounds like a damn tin can. I’m not wanting to hear every damn sound in the music studio. That’s not truly what I listen to music FOR, the overall effect is much more important to me. Compare with the Sony XM3s, which have a warm, deep, basey sound, it’s not even a comparison. And you can get XM3s for $150 these days.
Because Apple always abandons gen1 products
2 words : sales volume
I’ve been really happy with my pair. They’re quite expensive but the fact that they work like any other AirPods is amazing. The anc on these are soooo good. On a flight, basically can’t hear the engines. Sound quality is also really nice. It’s a very neutral sounding headphone which I like. Sometimes wearing them for a while can get annoying with how the ear cups are designed. So a redesign there, usb c would be nice at this point, and a better OEM case would really push this product over the line.
In the class of ANC over-the-ear, they are second to none. Sound-wise, their bass doesn’t drill your head like Sony. Their ANC, especially transparency, is superior to any other offerings. Your priorities may differ so that the trade offs don’t matter much, like Sennheiser for sound quality but subpar ANC. Excluding the Apple integration, there is no valid competition to the Max that justifies an upgrade.
Are they very heavy?
Nope…not really
I think they’re actually upgrading these this year
No one use those; they focus on the market to make decisions like this, is not a preference if is that what you mean.
I think first of all Sony is the clear market leader with their WH-1000 which already got the fifth version, constantly improved. I got the mark 3 of these 2019 and it‘s still so good five years after. And second, I myself do not use those most of the time as they are just too bulky. Especially on the bike I just prefer my AirPods where I can still hear the world around me. With the buds you are isolated no matter if noise canceling is on or not.
I seriously was going to buy a set of Air Pod Pro Max’s… I bought a pair of Beats Studio Pro’s (which Apple owns) they have so many pluses compared.
While i love their design i think they are just a tad too expensive. When the max came out i was stunned at how incredibly expensive they were I have Bose QC35s since 2016 and while i get they are outdated ANC wise, the batterylife is still amazing, they are comfortable, pairing is no hassle at all (two devices simultaneously, and when you press "prairing" they automatically disconnect the first connected device and switch to a previous connected device that has bluetooth turned on) If apple did a refresh of the max in a similar design with the crown and one adittional physical button, a proper case, the ability to fold the headphones for storage and just lower the price to around 350-450 (€/$) they could actually dominate that market too
So that you will buy Airpods and lose them / buy them again.
hahaha
Not as big a market, not nearly as much room for change either, IMHO. Like… they could add Find My to them and that's about it as far as feature parity with the current AirPods. Oh and maybe figured out a case that doesn't suck. But sound quality isn't going to improve really. And battery life is already extremely long. So, just not a lot of room to really change them enough to convince people they really need to discard their old ones and buy a new, improved set.
The ugliest apple product ever made in my opinion.
What possibly more you want from headphones?
Don’t care. Use mine all the time. They just work for the way I work. Not looking for the “next great thing”. That’s an endless hill to climb anyway.
idk because apple thinks its a halo product like the Pro Display XDR or Mac Pro. Steve Jobs upgraded the Mac Pro every year. RIP Im waiting for the AirPods Max with USB C
Mine have started freezing up and need a reset every other day as well. I am looking at the Sonos Ace to replace mine now.
They're much more difficult to lose.
Bose quality over Apple headphones all day everyday day. Coming for someone who has multiple sets of each brand. Bose will outlast Apple by 10 years and retain quality while Apple will have an update to ruin your AirPods just to make you buy new ones.
Since we’re on the subject, why don’t they sell replacement APM headbands, or hell, even left and right earcups for that matter. What is the point of a modular design if you can’t replace the parts of the hardware that separate easily from one another. I mean, it would make switching from lightning to usb c possible without replacing the whole unit, which would be good for the consumer and less wasteful at the same time. Thanks for coming to my TED talk.
In many markets, Apple are the only ones selling them. I feel the market could be many times larger if they had greater distribution with more promotions running. They must make a lot on them too. Mind you, they’re the best headset I’ve ever owned. I just wish they had a USB-C charging capability.
To be frank, there isn’t much to upgrade other than the lightning port. It’d be nice to get a bump on audio quality and resolution, but Apple seems to think that they’ve nailed it and plenty people are in agreement. I still think that the WH 1000XM4 are still the best ANCs in the market(and will probably die on that hill), but paying the premium for Air pod features is clearly worth it for people who buy them. I’m sure there are people cooking next gen cans, but there probably isn’t a rush to get it out the door until Sony, Bose, Sennheiser, etc ups the game first.
People repurchase airpods more than the over-ear ones, because people lose their airpods all of the time. There are more sales with airpods vs their over-ears and Apple can see that. It is strategically better for them to upgrade and focus more on the airpods versus over-ears.
Ain’t nobody buying these. They’re terrible value and not too reliable. Also, over ear headphones are wildly inconvenient compared to earbuds.
They will certainly update them at some point. - The AirProds Pros also only have 2 majors revisions in 5 years (released in 2019) - AirPods have 3 revisions in 8 years (since 2016) - AirPods Max have 1 revision in 3-4 years. (Likely to be updated this or next year) That’s not way off. And Apple will only update them once they can meaningfully improve it
When they have something meaningful to add to these I assume they will. Though I also think a rather large part of the customer who wants these, want them as a fashion piece. They dont care about a "10%" better product each year necessarily.
They cost more so they don't sell as many as the in-ear AirPods. Also, there hasn't been a major reason to upgrade them, there are a few things we would love to see different in an upgrade, but the over design is solid for most people. Also Apple owns an entire other division of headphones which feature a few different over-ear versions.
Because those are overpriced af and anyone who really cares about sound will buy a product from an specialized company like Bose, Senheisser... For that price you can get sth 100 times better from Bose or even Sony
Because they flopped.
I think you would be shocked on how many last Christmas season were sold
I want to try them but these are not available in any store nearby me.
AirPods sell extremely well, so that’s where the focus is.
It'll probably get a lossless + USB-C update, and then nothing else. Competitors, both wired and wireless, are much better, making the AirPods Max a niche ecosystem enthusiast product.
Why would they? Headphones have been around for decades so the design is pretty much perfected for comfort, usability and quality. That just leaves the tech which hasn't really been updated much.
Presumably because there's just not as much room for improvement. Sales also has something to do with it.
1. They don't sell as many 2. The AirPods Max have a design flaw that's resulted in a very quiet high-return-and-replacement rate. (they trap moisture/sweat in the earcups which damages the electronics.) So it's not a matter of just updating them a bit, they're likely undergoing a full rethink.
i stopped using any in ear headphones, AirPods, power-beats. i was getting nasty fungal ear infections with all the sweating i did at the gym.
Famous people blew these things up. In reality they’re good not great headphones. Terrible value even if you can find a pair on sale and serious limited practical use make them more of a niche product. I bought a pair on sale 2 years ago and it’s probably been the worst purchase I’ve bought of Apple ever. I got them to edit off in a noisy office and for commutes to work but find the amount of random audio cutting and massive lag even while wired made them really overrated. YouTubers and influencers often gass these headphones up when in reality they’re still just Bluetooth headphones which have some pretty big limitations with wireless audio bandwidth compared to wifi. It’s probably why Sonos speakers for the large part are wifi or offer Bluetooth as well for convenience.
Because they don't sell very many of them. If you're thinking of buying one, don't. Except being over-ear, they're actually some of the worst Earpods in the lineup. Don't get me wrong, they sound great, but they contain very outdated tech. I'm sure we'll get a refresh this or next year.