AirPods Max is here! First impressions and photos thread

[LongWayHome]

Please explain why is it a ridiculous statement?

The OP is comparing a $500 headphone to that of $200 headphone and is saying the $500 is better. Well duh!!! of course the $500 headphone is going to sound better, look better and feel better when compared to a $200 headphone which is why you cannot objectively compare the two against one another.

To make any comparisons valid, the Airpod Max should be put up against headphones in the same price bracket. Do you not think so?

They don't sound or feel better than the Sony XM4's. I think the Noise cancellation is better with the Airpods Max as I feel Sony pumps in a little too much of a signal into the ears. From a sound standpoint though they are pretty equal.

I can say this with certainty, the XM4's are much more comfortable than the AirPods Max. I hate that I'm saying that but it is true.

 

[Beau10]

From a sound standpoint though they are pretty equal.

"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

 

[LongWayHome]

"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

Yean I don't get caught up in all of that. If I think they sound good, they sound good. Both the AirPods Max and Sony's sound good, with probably an advantage to the Airpods Max. The Sony's are without a doubt more comfortable though.

 

[DeepIn2U]

Mine should be here tomorrow and listening to my XM4's right now. Really hard to believe that they are light years ahead of the Sony's. Especially EQ'd.

Please let us know the source and music choices when you reply back with an update please - also tell us what you're hearing vs not hearing in the comparison

 

[alfmoonspace]

Please let us know the source and music choices when you reply back with an update please - also tell us what you're hearing vs not hearing in the comparison

Mine got pushed back because of weather delays. Will be here tomorrow and I will update as soon as I get to listen to them.

 

[mmendoza27]

Just got my AirPods Max like 20 minutes ago. After trying them for 10 minutes or so, here's some initial impressions compared to AirPods Pro:

• Feels like AirPods Pro transparency is a little better IMO. Not that the transparency isn't good and it could just be optimizing over time but when I first tried transparency, seems like it was over-amplifying the outside noise. Seems to me like the AirPods Pro transparency just sounds more natural. As I talk, at least my voice sounds a little tinny. Don't feel like I get that with the AirPods Pro. Again, will give it some time to see if things improve.
• Noise Cancellation is great. Better than the AirPods Pro (which is expected) and better than my QC35 II's. Haven't used the XM3/XM4 so can't compare to those. I have a mechanical keyboard with MX Cherry Blue switches and it dulls out the high punchy sound from the keyboard and mutes it quite a bit. Again, it's still kinda comparable. If you've used ANC then I don't think anyone will be too impressed because they are all quite good.
• I'm not crazy about heavy bass, I prefer higher treble. However, in a bass-heavy song, the earpads rattle. You get clear sound with practically no distortion at high volumes, so this does not sound bad at all. I think they sound good even though I don't prefer heavy bass.
• At max volume, it's almost too loud IMO. Not bad and I think you should be allowed to go that high but I don't think most people will feel the need to.
• As for the heaviness and fit, I think they fit and feel great. They are surprisingly heavy when you first pick them up but I don't think they feel too heavy on the head.
• The mesh is stretchy and I'm not too concerned about it ripping or tearing. Some said that but I didn't notice that.

 

[DeepIn2U]

Mine got pushed back because of weather delays. Will be here tomorrow and I will update as soon as I get to listen to them.

Thanks man much appreciated.

For those of us that dont' have the same audio gear ... at least knowing and listing to the referenced songs used helps us know from your and others' reviews exactly what we're missing.

e.g. Guitar strings being strummed or fingers sliding across frets ... a note at certain segment in the song ... if you can hear it off referenced headphones and I cannot then I know WHAT I'm missing. Over the years slowly and slightly getting better headphones or digital audio sources/codecs/bitrates I'm able to revisit my own choice music and hear and feel more throughout the years.

MobileSyrup seems to understand what I'm after as well:

What I’ve found most interesting is that the quality of the AirPods Max have actually allowed me to hear new parts of songs I’ve already listened to thousands of times. A good example of this is Blink-182’s ‘Always,’ a song that features several layers of backing vocals placed on top of a swirling chorus. For the first time in my life, I’m actually able to clearly hear the song’s catchy bass riff. I encountered something very similar with the opening to the band’s song ‘Reckless Abandon,’ a track I’ve been listening to regularly since I was 12. I’ve never noticed it before, but there’s a recording of someone talking at the beginning of the song that can be heard clearly through the right ear.

Read more at MobileSyrup.com: AirPods Max Review: Stunning sound with an expensive price

 

[Maukey]

I really can't stand comments like "Of course a $500 headphone is better than a $200 headphone and should not be compared". This is just NOT true. The 1000XM4 are the highest rated and most recommended Wireless ANC headphone out right now. Rtings, Whathifi, CNET, TechRadar, Soundguys, YouTubers, User reviews, etc, many have reviewed "higher end" Wireless ANC headphones like the B&O H95, Dali iO-6, Shure Aonic 50, etc. and still rank the 1000XM4 as the better buy. Just because a headphone is twice the price of another does not necessarily make it better. Maybe to those trying to justify their purchase this is the case for them, that doesn't mean it's a fact though. It makes absolute since to compare the Max to the 1000XM4. The 1000XM4 is the market leader and people want opinions on if it's worth double the price to pick the Max over those. If comfort is better on the 1000XM4, features are comparable, battery life longer, and sound is not night and day, then many will say the Max are overpriced. You can argue design and build all day, but for many, comfort, features, battery life, and sound are the 4 most important factors. I personally would prefer a plastic headphone that I can wear comfortably all day than one with a higher build quality that I can't wear for more than an hour without pain. It's nothing to grab a warranty from Best Buy so if a persons plastic headphones break they can swap it no questions asked. Now I'm headed out to pick up my AirPods Max so I can form my own opinion compared to the 1000XM4 ?

 

[Jester_A]

Just got my AirPods Max like 20 minutes ago. After trying them for 10 minutes or so, here's some initial impressions compared to AirPods Pro:

• Feels like AirPods Pro transparency is a little better IMO. Not that the transparency isn't good and it could just be optimizing over time but when I first tried transparency, seems like it was over-amplifying the outside noise. Seems to me like the AirPods Pro transparency just sounds more natural. As I talk, at least my voice sounds a little tinny. Don't feel like I get that with the AirPods Pro. Again, will give it some time to see if things improve.
• Noise Cancellation is great. Better than the AirPods Pro (which is expected) and better than my QC35 II's. Haven't used the XM3/XM4 so can't compare to those. I have a mechanical keyboard with MX Cherry Blue switches and it dulls out the high punchy sound from the keyboard and mutes it quite a bit. Again, it's still kinda comparable. If you've used ANC then I don't think anyone will be too impressed because they are all quite good.
• I'm not crazy about heavy bass, I prefer higher treble. However, in a bass-heavy song, the earpads rattle. You get clear sound with practically no distortion at high volumes, so this does not sound bad at all. I think they sound good even though I don't prefer heavy bass.
• At max volume, it's almost too loud IMO. Not bad and I think you should be allowed to go that high but I don't think most people will feel the need to.
• As for the heaviness and fit, I think they fit and feel great. They are surprisingly heavy when you first pick them up but I don't think they feel too heavy on the head.
• The mesh is stretchy and I'm not too concerned about it ripping or tearing. Some said that but I didn't notice that.

How are the Airpods Max during phone calls? I love my Airpods pro because nobody can tell if I am talking in a headset.
Not even my new Bose 700 is great for calls. To low and no way to adjust the microphone.

 

[Beau10]

and sound is not night and day,

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.

 

[LongWayHome]

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

Dude why do you keep linking to this? That reddit review is one person's opinion and doesn't make it a fact over anyone else's opinion on sound in here. We can all see the several times you've posted it like its some type of reference point for everyone. It isn't.

 

[LongWayHome]

How are the Airpods Max during phone calls? I love my Airpods pro because nobody can tell if I am talking in a headset.
Not even my new Bose 700 is great for calls. To low and no way to adjust the microphone.

They are excellent on phone calls. The best of any over the ears headphones I've used.

 

[Beau10]

Dude why do you keep linking to this? That reddit review is one person's opinion and doesn't make it a fact over anyone else's opinion on sound in here. We can all see the several times you've posted it like its some type of reference point for everyone. It isn't.

Because he's the only person who actually reported comparisons against audiophile grade cans. Everyone who is saying they're roughly equal seem to only have experience with other consumer wireless cans. I can't even give those impressions a decent sized grain of salt.

I'm also someone who has this kind of experience (18 year member of head-fi, have owned over $50k of headphone equipment over the years) and have mine coming tomorrow - these kinds of impressions are worth way more to me, as they should be to everyone who actually is questioning the quality of the sound.

 

[UBS28]

So nobody has a strange air pressure on the left ear cup with transparency mode on? With ANC it disappears.

 

[Farrgazer]

Question to current owners: can you use these headphones in digital wired mode with the included Lightning-USB C cable if you connect it to a MacBook or any other device with USB C?

Or is that cable solely for charging and charging only?

 

[Born2bwild]

I picked up mine this morning. So here are my impressions.

For an audiophile grade headphone I will say their sound is good, not great. I like the soundstage, it's quite wide for a closed pair of headphones. I love the bass; it's reasonably fast, well-defined and there's quite a decent extension to the low sub-bass range. The trebles are alright. There's a sparkle for sure; but some parts of it are also muted and there is a sibilant peak. The mids are probably the biggest weakness of these headphones imo. It's not bad, but it's really just passable.

Audio Quality Comparisons: It's a huge improvement over the Airpods Pro. It's also definitely much better than the Bose QC 35 IIs. I also have the HD 650. I would say they are comparable to the HD 650 in some areas, which in my book, is a huge compliment. However, I still prefer the HD 650 quite easily. The Airpods Pro Max are missing the fantastic mid-range texture and the tonality of the HD 650 Senns.

Noise Cancelling: The NC is great. Better than the Airpods Pro, and better than the Bose QC 35 IIs. Impressed with it.

Comfort: I wouldn't say it's heavy but the fit is definitely tight. Not the best comfort. The Bose win this one. The HD 650 are also more comfortable.

Design: I love the design and build quality. It's incredible.

Overall, I think they're good. A great effort from Apple. I'm still not sure if I'm going to be keeping mine. If it was $350, I would have been totally satisfied. But at $550, I'm not sure they're entirely worth it... I guess I can partially justify it through the superior build quality... As a whole, the high-end audio market pricing is completely insane imo.

 

[mmomega]

I'm recommending your post just because you called them ear puffs.

A Muff meant something totally different in my generation.

 

[G5isAlive]

With transparency mode on, the left ear cup has a very strange pressure. Anyone else notice that? Or do I have a lemon.

It is not my ear, because if I turn around the headphone, the problem is on the other side.

Been testing this for the last 15 minutes for you... and the answer is I dont notice it sorry. I am sorta blown away by the apparent amplification I get of my voice in transparency mode. Hope this helps.

 

[mmendoza27]

Question to current owners: can you use these headphones in digital wired mode with the included Lightning-USB C cable if you connect it to a MacBook or any other device with USB C?

Or is that cable solely for charging and charging only?

I believe that cable is for charging only. You would need the Lightning to 3.5 mm adapter to use on a MacBook or iPad. I plugged them in with the cable on my iPad and it wouldn't even charge and it said the AirPods Max were disconnected so it doesn't seem like it works.

 

[mmendoza27]

Overall, I think they're good. A great effort from Apple. I'm still not sure if I'm going to be keeping mine. If it was $350, I would have been totally satisfied. But at $550, I'm not sure they're entirely worth it... I guess I can partially justify it through the superior build quality... As a whole, the high-end audio market pricing is completely insane imo.

I'm trying to determine this as well. One huge advantage they have for me is that they last all day. I prefer to not have to take off my headphones and charge them throughout the day and the AirPods Pro won't last all day with ANC.

 

[LongWayHome]

Because he's the only person who actually reported comparisons against audiophile grade cans. Everyone who is saying they're roughly equal seem to only have experience with other consumer wireless cans. I can't even give those impressions a decent sized grain of salt.

I'm also someone who has this kind of experience (18 year member of head-fi, have owned over $50k of headphone equipment over the years) and have mine coming tomorrow - these kinds of impressions are worth way more to me, as they should be to everyone who actually is questioning the quality of the sound.

These types of opinions actually don't mean that much to most people. First of all they sound unbelievable pretentious, like no one else can dare hear the wonderous sounds emulating from these headphones. Secondly, most people are going to compare them to consumer headphones because that's what most people use.

Those types of reviews might be worth something to you, but stop forcing them on everyone else like we're supposed to bow down to a one persons's review and now all proclaim the AirPods Max the unheralded king. Yeah I think they sound a little bit better than the Sony's, but its not a day and night difference and they are WAY less comfortable than both the Sony and Bose QC 35II's.

 

[hurleybaka]

Ok, picked mine up a short time ago. My early impression is that these sound better than my MX3s.

For example with this song* (warning: it's metal ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ )

With the APM, especially at the beginning of the song, the drums, cymbals, guitars and organ sounds are much more distinct (separated) than on the Sonys. With the Sonys, everything is a lot muddier. The kick drum in particular has much more of an "airy" true-to-life "thump" on the APM.

I'll leave it up to others to say whether or not the sound difference is worth it, but there's a noticeable difference.

* I didn't do comparison with the youtube version of the song, used the apple music version.

 

[UBS28]

Been testing this for the last 15 minutes for you... and the answer is I dont notice it sorry. I am sorta blown away by the apparent amplification I get of my voice in transparency mode. Hope this helps.

I think mine is broken. Transparency mode on the left side is not working. Will call Apple support.

 

[Farrgazer]

I believe that cable is for charging only. You would need the Lightning to 3.5 mm adapter to use on a MacBook or iPad. I plugged them in with the cable on my iPad and it wouldn't even charge and it said the AirPods Max were disconnected so it doesn't seem like it works.

Well crap.

These are pretty much $500 (or whatever regional price elsewhere) disposable headphones then. Apple could have (and may actually did) use the best quality materials for the internals, but the battery is finite, and support is an unknown factor.

 

[G5isAlive]

They don't sound or feel better than the Sony XM4's. I think the Noise cancellation is better with the Airpods Max as I feel Sony pumps in a little too much of a signal into the ears. From a sound standpoint though they are pretty equal.

I can say this with certainty, the XM4's are much more comfortable than the AirPods Max. I hate that I'm saying that but it is true.

Going to agree with you on comfort, on first blush the XM4 is more comfortable, but whenever I wear them I am always worried I might break them. Not worried about that at all with the Max. Just feels sturdy. Time will tell if this becomes an overriding consideration for me.

Where I definitely disagree with you though is on the sound stage. To my ears there is no comparison for listening to movies between the Max and my XM4. The Max just blows it away. The XM4 is like any other headset, predictable, boring. The soundstage that I get watching Greyhound on my iPad is so amazing that I literally kept taking the Max off my ears to confirm I hadn't some how triggered my paired HomePods. The Max is definitely going to raise the bar for me for what good sound is while watching a movie and I may not be able to go back to the XM4 and just deal with the weight.