AirPods Max is here! First impressions and photos thread

[Easttime]

I actually like these AirPods max for one thing - battery life and phone call audio. I speak on the phone a lot or take a lot of conference calls since working from home, having my AirPods last throughout the day while have good mic quality was something that I'm considering, but not a necessity.

This is what I’ve been waiting for reviewers to talk about - phone and online meeting experience.

 

[CamiMR]

Been using APM for the last couple of days, coming from Bose QC35.
APM are overall better sounding than the Bose, but not £250-300 better.
Really nice build quality and transparency works really well.
Will be keeping them as I’m deep in the ecosystem, along with the combination of much better build quality and somewhat better sound quality.

 

[Boardiesboi]

Is everyone's APM showing up on their list of devices in your Settings app or in the Apple Support app?

Mine is not showing up.

 

[MadAngelUK]

Is everyone's APM showing up on their list of devices in your Settings app or in the Apple Support app?

Mine is not showing up.

Not showing up for me either... I've noticed because I'm struggling to take out the Applecare for headphones... I didn't purchase them directly from Apple though

 

[deevey]

Well if our goal was to listen to Hi-Res stuff an article on WhatHiFi says the 3.5mm dongle limits output to 48 kHz

And we do not know what the DAC in the headphones themselves are capable of yet. but going off the size alone of current 24/96 external DAC's I cannot imagine there is one in the APM. And as there is no direct wire to the driver to bypass the internal DAC or processors, I reckon we can say with some confidence that High res audio is definitively not possible regardless of external toys.

That "goal" is the .001% marketshare that Apple are not catering to anyhow though.

 

[AppleRobert]

The only headphone I know of that has a dac is Sony which also has a lightning connection. I am unaware of any other headphones that have a dac. And using most any headphone I have with a dragonfly dac blows the Sony headphone to kingdom come.

 

[doolar]

The only headphone I know of that has a dac is Sony which also has a lightning connection. I am unaware of any other headphones that have a dac. And using most any headphone I have with a dragonfly dac blows the Sony headphone to kingdom come.

I would think that all bluetooth headphones have a DAC? Or do you mean that the conversion from digital to analog happens on the phone and then are sent analog via bluetooth to the headphones?

 

[alee]

I would think that all bluetooth headphones have a DAC? Or do you mean that the conversion from digital to analog happens on the phone and then are sent analog via bluetooth to the headphones?

I think he's referring to the 3.5mm. With the Max, the 3.5mm adapter takes analog audio (3.5mm) and converts to digital (Lightning) which is then is converted back within the headphone through the DSP and DAC to analog for audio playback. That is sampled at 48khz.

It makes it pointless to try to use an external amp like a Dragonfly to attempt to improve upon the sound.

A proper jack implementation for many audiophiles would be to bypass the on-board DAC (and amp) entirely and let you run the drivers with an external processor.

So in short, the 3.5mm jack is merely an accommodation for stuff like airline seatback entertainment. You can't use it to max out the sound using more premium audio gear.

 

[Sparxxx]

Well...just got mine today and the digital crown button is not working. Nothing happens when I rotate it or press it. It’s broken.
Everything else is working fine and they are extremly comfortable... was afraid they might not be since the Bise QC35 are my benchmark when it comes to comfort. The Apm are even more comfortable and the weight is not an issue at all!
soundwise they blow my Bose 700 out of tne water

 

[Absrnd]

Have the max for about a week now, here are my findings

- Are the heavy, yes they have some heft in hand, but on my head, I don't feel any difference to my other headphones.
- The sleeve is a sleeve, and is not needed.
- Sound quality is just fantastic
- ANC with Transparency mode is the best.
- Spacial Audio gives a new dimension to watching movies and series.
- Replaceable ear cups, I will buy some white ones

This is the best, no nonsense quality headphone, that gives you hassle free use, and for me more than worth their price.

 

[Jordan921]

Have the max for about a week now, here are my findings

- Are the heavy, yes they have some heft in and, but on my head, I don't feel any difference to my other headphones.
- The sleeve is a sleeve, and is not needed.
- Sound quality is just fantastic
- ANC with Transparency mode is the best.
- Spacial Audio gives a new dimension to watching movies and series.
- Replaceable ear cups, I will buy some white ones

This is the best, no nonsense quality headphone, that gives you hassle free use, and for me more than worth their price.

View attachment 1703235

Oh what headphone stand is that?

 

[richard371]

Oh what headphone stand is that?

looks like a 3D print.

 

[Jordan921]

looks like a 3D print.

Looks like a neat stand. I’d use it.

 

[rdy0329]

Looks like a neat stand. I’d use it.

Looks nice, accounts for and avoids the mesh band. If it has padding, it’d be a winner.

 

[DeepIn2U]

One more time, from someone with audiophile cans who is claiming it is:


"To to start, these aren't completely neutral. There's a bit of fun to them, but it's nothing like the XM4s that had that fairly huge boost to anything below 120Hz. Sound-stage wise, these are some of the most impressive closed-backs I've tried. They're pretty equivalent to the Fostex in sound signature: A little bump in the bass but nothing silly. There's a bit of sparkle in the cymbals but nothing ear-piercing. They sound better than the Momentum 2s, and I actually prefer them to the Fostex. I like them about as much as the 6XX, which is saying a lot. They sound a lot faster than the 6XX too, although not as quite as fast as the Fostex."

https://www.reddit.com/r/airpods/comments/kd9hgz
Yes, the XM4s are the market leader, and of course much of that is due to overall combination of features and value.

When you move up the audio food chain diminishing returns sets it, that is not a mystery. Typical $4k cans are maybe only 5-10% better than $2k cans, for instance.

I’m so confused when ’Audiophiles’ use such arbitrary phrases, I tend to wonder if two audiophiles with different primary tastes in music REALLY understand one another when using phrases such as ...

“There's a bit of sparkle in the cymbals but nothing ear-piercing” .
What is meant using the work ‘sparkle‘ when talking about Cymbals, really?

I have a friend who’s an avid Drum player and has been playing classical vs digital drums for decades (since ’83) and from listening to him drum I know there are various types of Cymbals and the sounds they make vary. Combine that with a LOT of music created/recorded digitally, depending on the source content creation - some source audio tracks are compressed, some are not, some have been recorded on MiniDisc and as such the compression omits frequencies that the human each cannot detect (in such cases it’s still CD quality or lossless BUT for Bass you’re loosing a lot of range that you can FEEL yet not hear).

Also ... depending on the drummer (or drumkit user that’s created the audio track), the use of cymbals used.

So when you reply with your description please tell us the song, artist, and specific recording of it (example - not related, ‘Smile’ has many artists created yet was composed by Charlie Chaplin and meant and first recorded by Nat King Cole, just so you know what I mean by specific recording).

Much appreciated in advance.

 

[macmyworld]

I’ve been comparing the Max to my trusty old Bose QC35s. In my younger days I was into audiophile equipment and my favorite headphones were some Stax electrostatics. For general listening, especially with Apple equipment, the QC35s have been fine.

First impression of the AirPods Max is the solid build and quality parts. They really made a statement and I was excited to listen to them. Pairing was easy and off I went. Sadly my head is larger, so the Max was very tight compared to the QC35 (yes I know there is a hack to fix that).

A very cool track to try is Long Tailed Winter Bird on the new McCartney record. Very cool tune and Grey production. I used that and a number of other songs mixing Apple Music and Tidal HD. No EQ for any of my listening. Both were flat and for me the Bose are fine like that, but the Max needs some tuning.

Bottom line, the AirPods Max are very technical and precise while the Bose leans more musical with less detail. The AirPods Max found some flaws in recordings I hadn’t heard before. So for those who love highly detailed music that is open, the AirPods Max would be a decent choice.

But - there is much more to music for me. I prefer to feel involved in the music for enjoyment. I have always been more into live performances and a more forward sound. Sadly for me, the Bose is the better match for me. For every song I listened to, the AirPods Max became fatiguing and less enjoyable.

Let’s get this out of the way. Everyone has different tastes and none of them are wrong. I also prefer the Bose over the XM4, and that alone creates all kinds of debate!

My only real issue with the AirPods Max is the premium in price over the Bose. I think between the QC35, 700, and XM4 you can find a very nice set of headphones considering the source material and limitations of Bluetooth.

Either way, enjoy what you like. I’m sure many are happy with the AirPods Max.

 

[alee]

I’m so confused when ’Audiophiles’ use such arbitrary phrases, I tend to wonder if two audiophiles with different primary tastes in music REALLY understand one another when using phrases such as ...

“There's a bit of sparkle in the cymbals but nothing ear-piercing” .
What is meant using the work ‘sparkle‘ when talking about Cymbals, really?

Audiophile, foodie, petrol-head, prosumer, enthusiast, etc. are all self-proclaimed titles used solely to identify yourself as someone who cares about the subject more than most people. Some might use the term "discerning". Whatever the item/topic is, it just means you have a greater emotional attachment to it. It usually also means you've spent a ton of money on a hobby and that you can usually tell the difference between good and great. Usually.

It's hard to convey to others what the soft value is you get out of $500 speaker cables, French butter, or an air intake for your car that adds 5hp. So people use whatever words they can to convey the experience. By itself, "sparkle" means nothing. In context of someone who has heard a lot of premium audio equipment and can compare to a $4k pair of Focal Utopias - well, that's kind of interesting, as long as you've heard the Focals before.

 

[macmyworld]

I’m so confused when ’Audiophiles’ use such arbitrary phrases, I tend to wonder if two audiophiles with different primary tastes in music REALLY understand one another when using phrases such as ...

“There's a bit of sparkle in the cymbals but nothing ear-piercing” .
What is meant using the work ‘sparkle‘ when talking about Cymbals, really?

I have a friend who’s an avid Drum player and has been playing classical vs digital drums for decades (since ’83) and from listening to him drum I know there are various types of Cymbals and the sounds they make vary. Combine that with a LOT of music created/recorded digitally, depending on the source content creation - some source audio tracks are compressed, some are not, some have been recorded on MiniDisc and as such the compression omits frequencies that the human each cannot detect (in such cases it’s still CD quality or lossless BUT for Bass you’re loosing a lot of range that you can FEEL yet not hear).

Also ... depending on the drummer (or drumkit user that’s created the audio track), the use of cymbals used.

So when you reply with your description please tell us the song, artist, and specific recording of it (example - not related, ‘Smile’ has many artists created yet was composed by Charlie Chaplin and meant and first recorded by Nat King Cole, just so you know what I mean by specific recording).

Much appreciated in advance.

Very fair request. I think I understand the sparkle comment a bit.

I listened to the Eagles “Love will keep us alive” with Timothy Schmidt on the lead vocal. His voice is fairly high and I found it a little rough at the top end of the AirPods Max while it was smoother on other headphones and speakers.

Another way to describe it was a bit of a distortion. Now that may well be in the source recording and the AirPods Max are just more revealing (which is my guess).

Audiophile speak is like wine fans who have their own language. Both are just very passionate.

 

[DeepIn2U]

Audiophile, foodie, petrol-head, prosumer, enthusiast, etc. are all self-proclaimed titles used solely to identify yourself as someone who cares about the subject more than most people. Some might use the term "discerning". Whatever the item/topic is, it just means you have a greater emotional attachment to it. It usually also means you've spent a ton of money on a hobby and that you can usually tell the difference between good and great. Usually.

It's hard to convey to others what the soft value is you get out of $500 speaker cables, French butter, or an air intake for your car that adds 5hp. So people use whatever words they can to convey the experience. By itself, "sparkle" means nothing. In context of someone who has heard a lot of premium audio equipment and can compare to a $4k pair of Focal Utopias - well, that's kind of interesting, as long as you've heard the Focals before.

Very fair request. I think I understand the sparkle comment a bit.

I listened to the Eagles “Love will keep us alive” with Timothy Schmidt on the lead vocal. His voice is fairly high and I found it a little rough at the top end of the AirPods Max while it was smoother on other headphones and speakers.

Another way to describe it was a bit of a distortion. Now that may well be in the source recording and the AirPods Max are just more revealing (which is my guess).

Audiophile speak is like wine fans who have their own language. Both are just very passionate.

Thank you BOTH!

Very relevant and with @macmyworld description I vaguely recall that song so I’ve just listened to it on AirPods Pro. Nice song ... I ear the guitar pickin very pronounced (Apple Music stream) but yes lead singers voice is VERY high pitched (Soprano maybe) that the first rhyme I thought it was a female ! I can hear the brush on the drums (or I think it’s a brush I haven’t the slightest clue though).

Thanks again for helping me understand and not taking my post negatively, I really appreciate this.

 

[adrianlondon]

Credit to the APMs, I don't think I've ever read such an interesting music focussed set of posts in forums discussing the Bose 700s or the Sony XM4s for example.

Apple have certainly, again, thrown a product into a crowded market but found a small gap in it and filled it. Whether that gap existed for a reason or was simply overlooked is the million dollar (or $135 AAPL) question.

 

[scrobert]

Just received them.
First listen album, Muse: The 2nd Law purchased from iTunes.
I’m impressed. Coming from Beats Studio. So big upgrade for me. I hear more details in songs than I did before.

Comfy too. I don’t have the same opinions on discomfort that others do. I don’t really “feel” them as much as I thought I would. The Beats studios definitely feel like they’re on my head.

Can’t wait to try spatial audio later with some supported content!I’m an all-in Apple fan, for whatever that’s worth.
I’m an all-in Apple fan, for whatever that’s worth.

Hope this helps!

update: ok, I get other’s feedback about walking around with APM. That’s when I notice them.

I put the beats studio back on and the audio was clearly inferior but I don’t feel the weight while walking with those.

 

[richard371]

I'm still going back and forth between these and the Sony MX4s. These do sound a little better but the Sonys have the line in (no battery needed), lighter, great case and airplane adapters etc. Once they release spatial audio for Apple TV and the Mac that will be a nice bonus for the APM. At this point I may keep both but I've spent too much on Apple products this year (MBP M1, iPad Pro, iPhone 12 max, AirPods Max etc)and id like to retire someday.

 

[Elektrofone]

I really can't decide between silver and space gray

 

[LeonPro]

Have the max for about a week now, here are my findings

- Are the heavy, yes they have some heft in hand, but on my head, I don't feel any difference to my other headphones.
- The sleeve is a sleeve, and is not needed.
- Sound quality is just fantastic
- ANC with Transparency mode is the best.
- Spacial Audio gives a new dimension to watching movies and series.
- Replaceable ear cups, I will buy some white ones

This is the best, no nonsense quality headphone, that gives you hassle free use, and for me more than worth their price.

View attachment 1703235

I agree. I never even took the stupid sleeve out of the box. I took the headphones out only and then put the box in storage.

I bought the Silver/White and actually even pre-ordered the grey ear cushions from Apple. They put in an order for me ready to ship once available.

 

[Robbosan]

Those complaining about the handbag, if you only use at home you don't have to use it right?