At 4 years previous, AirPods Max really feel like a stagnant product that ought to be a lot extra, however the premium sound and Apple ecosystem options maintain them from going utterly stale.
December 15, 2020 was a lifetime in the past in actuality and in know-how. The AirPods Max had been revealed shortly after the iPhone 12 lineup, when the Lightning port was nonetheless going sturdy and Apple Intelligence was a twinkle in Tim Cook dinner’s eye.
As is common, rumors started pouring out a few potential AirPods Max 2. The plain options had been USB-C, higher chips for processing, and a folding design.
New AirPods arrived together with Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional and particular options tied to the H2 chip. These grew to become tied to rumors of the AirPods Max replace.
4 years later, Apple reveals the “new” AirPods Max with USB-C and up to date coloration choices. They’ve the identical H1 chips, the identical characteristic set, and the identical design.
For sure, I am upset and did not purchase the up to date mannequin, however that hasn’t stopped me from utilizing the unique set. Fortunately, Apple’s heavy-duty, aluminum, and stainless-steel headphones nonetheless sound nice and work over a headphone jack with an adapter.
AirPods Max assessment: lacking options
AirPods Max are a feature-packed set of over-ear headphones, however 4 years is a very long time to go with out upgrades. Even so, the shape issue does provide some profit to customers.
AirPods Max assessment: nonetheless a part of Apple’s ecosystem, however lacking fashionable options
AirPods Professional 2 debuted with the H2 chip and 2x Energetic Noise Cancellation, which Apple says is on par with the ANC present in AirPods Max. Nevertheless, that chipset consists of a number of further options that also have not made their solution to Apple’s most costly headphones.
AirPods Max don’t assist Adaptive Audio, Dialog Consciousness, listening to well being options, water resistance, the “Siri” minus “Hey” characteristic, Voice Isolation, Customized Quantity, or Dialog Enhance. In addition they nonetheless use Bluetooth 5.0 as an alternative of Bluetooth 5.3.
Probably the most vital lacking characteristic, nevertheless, is tied on to the Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional. The H2 chip utilized in AirPods Professional 2 can straight talk with Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional for an H2 to H2 Lossless connection.
AirPods Max assessment: design
The AirPods Max design was very divisive with their massive aluminum cans, stainless-steel band, and rubber cover. They cannot fold for storage and solely sleep when in a selected case or bra-like holder Apple ships with the headphones.
AirPods Max assessment: the Digital Crown proved to be a superb management system
The froth ear pads are designed for improved isolation and acoustics, however customers can swap them out for third-party choices. The preliminary and new colours pop, however the headphones stood out both method.
Even when Apple launched a big revision to AirPods Max, I doubt a lot would change externally. Apple does not appear to care about their form or flexibility, so it looks like a stretch to count on a foldable body.
The Digital Crown has confirmed to be a superb management mechanism on each product it is used on. There is no want for awkward swipe gestures or head faucets if the Digital Crown controls playback, Siri, and quantity.
I am unsure what I would personally change in regards to the design. It could be good if Apple may obtain an identical appear and feel with a lighter weight — maybe by buying and selling stainless-steel for titanium.
The ultra-premium headphones considerably earn their price ticket with their now iconic design. USB-C makes them higher, however solely simply.
We would have appreciated a headphone jack on the left facet, however Apple prefers customers to undergo the Lightning port through a dongle. This all stated, plugging in a wired connection to your AirPods Max and enjoying lossless audio will nonetheless ship higher sound than the wi-fi connection will. It simply will not be lossless.
Utilizing AirPods Max 4 years later
Regardless of lacking fashionable options and a non-travel-friendly design, AirPods Max nonetheless get up as an incredible set of headphones. There are doubtless better-sounding over-ear headphones at lower cost factors, however their integration with the Apple ecosystem nonetheless cannot be overwhelmed.
AirPods Max assessment: aluminum and stainless-steel make for a placing, if heavy, design
Apple’s customized 40mm drivers reproduce sound amazingly, and when utilizing Apple Music, you are getting the very best combine with Dolby Atmos and Dynamic Head Monitoring. Even with out Lossless, audio is crisp and lacks distortion in any respect volumes.
I favor utilizing AirPods Professional when sporting Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional just because I normally have them in my pocket. AirPods Max are a extra deliberate device that I’ve to fetch from the devoted charger in my workplace.
And because the AirPods Professional present loads of ANC on their very own, I do not really feel like I am lacking something sporting them as an alternative. The truth is, there is not a variety of profit to AirPods Max over AirPods Professional when utilizing Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional.
I examined “Want You Had been Right here” by Pink Floyd and “Casualty” by Linkin Park. AirPods Max gained in general bodily separation of the person sounds and devices and bass, however AirPods Professional 2 appeared to have a readability lacking from the bigger headphones.
AirPods Max 2024 assessment: at the least you’ll be able to nonetheless use legacy media units with an adapter
I am not an audio knowledgeable, I haven’t got tens of 1000’s of {dollars} in gear, nor any large opinion on DAC producers, or using vacuum tubes. That stated, the physics are clear — it is as a result of bigger drivers transferring way more air in AirPods Max. They ship phenomenal bass, so mids and lows come by means of nice, however that will drown out different sounds.
Humorous sufficient, AirPods Professional might profit merely from being smaller and capturing audio straight into your ear canal. Although, there could also be some impact attributable to lossless audio, however I can not say for positive.
If something, that is a praise on how wonderful the AirPods Professional are. It simply goes to point out how highly effective the computational audio works on such tiny units and makes me surprise how the H2 would enhance AirPods Max additional.
AirPods Max have a transparent edge for movie and TV because of their measurement. Bass-filled scenes in “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” and “Star Wars: The Final Jedi” simply shine in these over-ear headphones.
AirPods Max 2024 assessment: glorious headphones for immersive video, films, and TV
They vibrate in a method that emulates sitting in a room with highly effective subwoofers, recreating that cinema expertise. Watching a film on an enormous display in Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional, coupled with highly effective ANC in over-ear headphones, is an unimaginable expertise you’ll be able to’t get wherever else — besides possibly an actual IMAX theater.
AirPods Max are nice for listening to music and watching films, however I’ve had one other use for them through the years — podcasting. Positive, I may use any previous wired headphones to take heed to my microphone, however the AirPods Max are those I’ve readily available.
To do that, I would like a Lightning-to-headphone jack cable bought by Apple for $35. It is fairly fragile, as I’ve needed to exchange it earlier than.
AirPods Max 2024 assessment: a pleasant stand that may’t cost the headphones it shows
In the case of charging, storage, and journey, I do not do something notably particular. The AirPods Max sit on a bespoke stand made by Lululook and inelegantly plug right into a Lightning cable to cost. I solely use the case when taking AirPods Max on a visit, which I hardly ever do.
I used AirPods Max much more within the first two years of their life, however AirPods Professional 2 have confirmed to be my go-to for audio. Extra heavy customers have complained of the getting older headphones dropping battery quicker, however I have not seen that myself.
Batteries do age and maintain much less cost, so I’m conscious that my present AirPods Max aren’t going to final without end. I hope Apple releases an actual up to date model within the subsequent couple of years so I can improve.
Despite the fact that Apple did not replace AirPods Max, their base applied sciences and sound do sufficient to maintain them in common rotation 4 years later. It simply makes me surprise what an H2 model could be like.
AirPods Max 2024 assessment — Hope for what’s subsequent
AirPods Max are Apple’s greatest miss of 2024. The USB-C replace and new colours did nothing to actually carry the headphones into the trendy age.
AirPods Max assessment: premium headphones with a tie into Apple’s ecosystem
Positive, these with $550 to spare can get the brand new port. That’s helpful, however I can not justify it. All of my Lightning cables did not burst into flames when USB-C shipped on the iPhone, in spite of everything.
AirPods Professional 2 are simply too good that truthfully, AirPods Max needn’t exist of their present iteration.
Sure, I like their sound for films and bass-heavy music, and I exploit them for podcasts. Nevertheless, if AirPods Max went away in the present day, I would just purchase some Sony over-ear headphones for these features as an alternative.
That is the place AirPods Max have fallen in my eyes. The must-have over-ear premium headphones of 2020 with wonderful auto-switching and Dolby Atmos now really feel redundant and replaceable.
I do not suppose Apple has given up on AirPods Max. It is apparent the corporate has different priorities like getting Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional off the bottom. That stated, it appears a disgrace that Apple’s $3,500 spatial computing headset does not have an appropriate Apple-made premium headphone to go along with it.
AirPods Max assessment: an ideal podcast companion, even with Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional within the combine
That is what I am longing for — AirPods Max 2 with a give attention to enhancing Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional’s spatial computing performance. Visible constancy is an enormous a part of immersion, positive, however true 3D audio from massive over-ear drivers would improve that have additional.
If I needed to pinpoint when such a revision could be introduced, it could be alongside Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional 2. Some counsel an M5 mannequin may arrive in 2025, however my guess is on mid-to-late 2026 — which might be a great window for the AirPods Max 2.
AirPods Max 2024 assessment – Professionals
- H1 permits Apple ecosystem options like auto switching
- Highly effective ANC on par with AirPods Professional 2 because of over-ear design
- Transparency Mode nonetheless uncanny because of loads of microphones
- Unimaginable audio high quality for music, nice bass for films
- Wired possibility for audio jack
AirPods Max 2024 assessment – Cons
- Cannot fold for storage
- No devoted audio jack and no possibility for wired lossless audio
- H1 chip is dated, no Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional options
- Stainless-steel makes for a heavy body
- Outdated {hardware} with extravagant $550 worth
Score: 3 out of 5
AirPods Max are a superb piece of {hardware} and have held up effectively through the years. They don’t seem to be a great purchase in the present day except you have obtained cash to blow or have by no means owned a pair and simply need them.
In the event you can, simply purchase AirPods Professional 2 (examine sale costs) and look forward to AirPods Max 2. If you cannot, purchase used, look forward to a sale, or discover some good Sony over-ear headphones.
The place to purchase AirPods Max
AirPods Max with Lightning can nonetheless be discovered at some retailers at a considerable low cost. The USB-C mannequin retails for $549, however it’s presently on sale at Amazon, Finest Purchase and B&H.
