AirPods Max is here! First impressions and photos thread

[LongWayHome]

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.

A point of concern for me is with the mesh at the top of the band. I can't imagine travelling with these as the band is paper thin and feels like it could rip at any moment.

I do think music sounds a little better on the AirPods Max. I haven't watched a movie with them yet so can't compare that.

 

[mcaswell]

A point of concern for me is with the mesh at the top of the band. I can't imagine travelling with these as the band is paper thin and feels like it could rip at any moment.

Yeah, I was sorta expecting it to be a bit thicker/firmer, like the mesh on a Herman Miller Aeron chair (well, maybe not that heavy, but something more in that direction).

 

[ewrapple]

Just curious for those saying XM4 are more comfortable, did they significantly improve from the XM2 because I found those to get very hot and sweaty after an hour.

 

[LongWayHome]

Yeah, I was sorta expecting it to be a bit thicker/firmer, like the mesh on a Herman Miller Aeron chair (well, maybe not that heavy, but something more in that direction).

Honestly, so was I. No chance I could travel with these as that mesh would be ripped the first time I threw these in my bag to go through security.

 

[falainber]

Just curious for those saying XM4 are more comfortable, did they significantly improve from the XM2 because I found those to get very hot and sweaty after an hour.

Would not all NC headphones suffer from this? If they are blocking sound, they are blocking moisture too. Open air headphones probably do better (but I never had those)

 

[mcaswell]

Honestly, so was I. No chance I could travel with these as that mesh would be ripped the first time I threw these in my bag to go through security.

I'm sure third party manufacturers will step up with more robust case options!

 

[ewrapple]

Would not all NC headphones suffer from this? If they are blocking sound, they are blocking moisture too. Open air headphones probably do better (but I never had those)

Supposedly the AirPods aren't as bad because of the mesh versus leather but I don't have them.

 

[Tulani]

 

[G5isAlive]

A point of concern for me is with the mesh at the top of the band. I can't imagine travelling with these as the band is paper thin and feels like it could rip at any moment.

I do think music sounds a little better on the AirPods Max. I haven't watched a movie with them yet so can't compare that.

Music varies depending on the type of music I am listening to. For general rock, I find it slightly better than my MX4, for classical where the silence between notes is sometimes as important as the notes, I find the Max blows away the MX4. And as for movies. Yeah. I dare you to watch Greyhound or something similar and not be impressed. This may be a better sound experience than my Sonos surround sound system. Yeah. To me that good.

Now, the mesh at the top. Agreed it is thin, but so is silk and silk is incredibly strong. I am not in a position to say if this is or isn't. Only time will tell how well it holds up. I do agree that I will feel more comfortable traveling with it when I find a better third party case to protect it. The current case is clearly designed to just keep the aluminum cans from scratching.

Sorry, still listening to greyhound. At first I shared your concerns about comfort, but suddenly they don't feel too heavy (subjective) and I am partially cursing that I am not going to be able to return this sound quality.

 

[anticipate]

I instantly ordered these in the short window when in store stock was available and got them delivered in 2 hours for 5 bucks.

My initial impressions

Sound? wow.

I tried some various Kanye west songs and some classical violin, along with some music from Sarah McLachlan, and some Linkin Park.

They make the AirPods Pro sound like a joke. Lol. Of course that’s to be expected but WOW. But also they really outdo my Bose QC 35s.

The best way I can describe the sound is fully featured and transparent. The bass - which is best described as “tight” and not boomy, but still full range. The mids. The highs. Everything is super transparent even at full volume. You can hear every nuance of the high end. Nothing gets in the way of any other notes. Everything is very clearly heard. It’s delightfully totally distortion free.

The noise canceling is insanely good. It drops almost all white noise at full volume from a HomePod.

As compared with my Bose QC35 (which have started to fall apart)

The Bose have deeper more boomy bass - more like beats. The bass is a bit more pronounced but not as crisp.

However the overall sound character (I swear this is not cost justification I’m being truly honest!) is not NEARLY as good sounding as the Apple AirPods Max. On the Bose all the sounds feel muddled together in comparison. Especially the mids and highs - not as crisp. And I used to think these were decent sounding cans. They’re not even CLOSE. (I haven’t heard the newer Bose QCs or the Sony, but I suspect they’re similar. These cost me $350 new)

i’m going to do some further comparison against some other headsets like Sony but the sound definitely is extremely good. I’m just not sure it’s worth the extra $250 over a pair of Sony. But if you plan to buy one headset and use it for many many years, this is extremely good.

Build/Comfort

The build is extraordinary. The earcups (magnetically replaceable and uh $80 a set) are memory foam and mesh and breathe well. Everything else is all metal and just super high end. The mesh top feels like you don’t even have the headphones on the top of your head at first (and I have no hair). I do wonder how the seemingly fragile fabric on the headband will last over time.

I will say that after wearing the headset for about an hour you can definitely feel it there... it’s a little weighty. I do think that the pressure is evenly distributed over the head, and not onto the ears that much. Long-term use will determine how bad this is say on a long flight, and I don’t think it’s necessarily horrible or anything. But you can feel it compared to the very light Bose headset which you don’t really feel at all.

I will say I love the ear cups. They are far more comfortable than the stuffy Bose ones which make you feel like your ears are sweating after an hour.

The included “smart case”.

Oh Apple. The “Case” is an absolute abomination and a travesty. It’s a joke, especially for something so expensive. Essentially doesn’t protect anything except for the finish on the earcups themselves. And stupidly, it is required for shutting the headphones off completely. Never mind that it looks like a purse!

Even if you ignore the looks, one would have to be very careful transporting these in a bag to ensure the fabric band isn’t wrecked. Dumb dumb dumb. I’m sure there will be third party cases. I hope.

No wires

I understand this is a wireless headset. But the fact that Apple charges $45 for a flimsy 3.5 mm to lightning cable for a $550 headset, is borderline a criminal robbery. Sometimes Apple makes these extremely anti-consumer moves… Like selling a travel charger for $130 but not including a charging brick. Even the the product is a charger. Yes I bought it don’t judge…

overall, extremely happy. It would be nice if they price them $100 less, because that’s what they seem like they’re worth, but for the price they’re still extremely high-end for what you get.

 

[anticipate]

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.

I made a conference call earlier today and nobody seem to notice.

 

[adrianlondon]

I made a conference call earlier today and nobody seem to notice.

They couldn't hear you at all? ?

 

[mcaswell]

Oh Apple. The “Case” is an absolute abomination and a travesty. It’s a joke, especially for something so expensive. Essentially doesn’t protect anything except for the finish on the earcups themselves. and stupidly it is required for shutting the headphones off completely. never mind it looks like a purse!

Truly one of Apple's rare (and probably biggest) misfires, though relatively inconsequential (since, as you note, other options will be available). Still, it's hard to conceive how the great minds in Cupertino didn't recognize that, A) it looks absolutely ridiculous, and B) it doesn't provide much protection.

In fact, I'd be willing to bet that they didn't really consider this to be a "case" at all – it was just the simple solution for how to turn them off without encumbering us mental weakling users with the confusion of a power button.

 

[Pug72]

Just curious for those saying XM4 are more comfortable, did they significantly improve from the XM2 because I found those to get very hot and sweaty after an hour.

I went from XM2 to XM4 and the difference in comfort is very noticeable. They are much lighter (very light!) and the bigger cups make so much difference as on the XM2s my ears would hurt on longer sessions. Not at all with the XM4s.
They do get warm but I only really notice when I take them off as it's a gradual thing.


Now, I've ordered the APM and they are going to have to sound a lot better than my loved Sonys if I'm going to keep them. The Spatial Sound might edge it but I have a great Atmos sound system and live in a detached house so that won't really get much use apart from the novelty.

 

[yegon]

Used mine for a few hours now, I really like them.

Possibly because I’ve got a big broad head, they’re comfortable despite the weight. The weight must be well distributed.

Comparisons with AirPods Pro. Well....there is no comparison. The Max sound leaps and bounds better. As they should.

Then again, I’ve never been super impressed with the APP, they’ve always been firmly in the “excellent for their size and convenience” category for me. Nothing more and nothing less. My middling opinion of them is also compounded by multiple issues several sets have had in my household, too much to mention here.

I’ve also got XM4’s. The Max sound much better to my ears, the difference in sound stage is significant, much airier, less of a reminder that I’m wearing headphones (although this effect varies massively by track).

Equally, the same tracks just seem to sound less compressed wearing the Max. I’m limited to AAC, but my own rips at 320kbps sound more detailed and crisper. The start of Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd is very quiet, with some odd sounds and an almost inaudible growl near the beginning. To hear it on the XM4s I have to set volume to notably louder relatively, and when I do hear it, it’s muddier. I always use the Bright EQ setting on the Sony’s, always found the default almost unpleasant.

Can’t really compare the ANC, I’ve not been out with them, and I don’t intend to. The XM4’s are ideal for outside use, I’m a key worker, they fold down into my work bag magnificently, and offer great utility that simply isn’t there with the Max.

I’ll be using the Max exclusively around the house though, there’s no question, I’m keeping them. Just need spatial audio support on Apple TV hardware to seal the deal.

 

[AustinIllini]

I went from XM2 to XM4 and the difference in comfort is very noticeable. They are much lighter (very light!) and the bigger cups make so much difference as on the XM2s my ears would hurt on longer sessions. Not at all with the XM4s.
They do get warm but I only really notice when I take them off as it's a gradual thing.


Now, I've ordered the APM and they are going to have to sound a lot better than my loved Sonys if I'm going to keep them. The Spatial Sound might edge it but I have a great Atmos sound system and live in a detached house so that won't really get much use apart from the novelty.

Sony also fixed an issue in XM2 and earlier where the headbands cracked.

I was considering replacing my XM2s with XM4s but Sony would not admit the cracking headbands were a design flaw like they did with the XM1.

Source

 

[dalvin200]

Dumb question - How do you pair the APM to an Apple TV 4K which has the new tvOS14.3, please?

 

[richard371]

I instantly ordered these in the short window when in store stock was available and got them delivered in 2 hours for 5 bucks.

View attachment 1694838

My initial impressions

Sound? wow.

I tried some various Kanye west songs and some classical violin, along with some music from Sarah McLachlan, and some Linkin Park.

They make the AirPods Pro sound like a joke. Lol. Of course that’s to be expected but WOW. But also they really outdo my Bose QC 35s.

The best way I can describe the sound is fully featured and transparent. The bass - which is best described as “tight” and not boomy, but still full range. The mids. The highs. Everything is super transparent even at full volume. You can hear every nuance of the high end. Nothing gets in the way of any other notes. Everything is very clearly heard. It’s delightfully totally distortion free.

The noise canceling is insanely good. It drops almost all white noise at full volume from a HomePod.

As compared with my Bose QC35 (which have started to fall apart)

The Bose have deeper more boomy bass - more like beats. The bass is a bit more pronounced but not as crisp.

However the overall sound character (I swear this is not cost justification I’m being truly honest!) is not NEARLY as good sounding as the Apple AirPods Max. On the Bose all the sounds feel muddled together in comparison. Especially the mids and highs - not as crisp. And I used to think these were decent sounding cans. They’re not even CLOSE. (I haven’t heard the newer Bose QCs or the Sony, but I suspect they’re similar. These cost me $350 new)

i’m going to do some further comparison against some other headsets like Sony but the sound definitely is extremely good. I’m just not sure it’s worth the extra $250 over a pair of Sony. But if you plan to buy one headset and use it for many many years, this is extremely good.

Build/Comfort

The build is extraordinary. The earcups (magnetically replaceable and uh $80 a set) are memory foam and mesh and breathe well. Everything else is all metal and just super high end. The mesh top feels like you don’t even have the headphones on the top of your head at first (and I have no hair). I do wonder how the seemingly fragile fabric on the headband will last over time.

I will say that after wearing the headset for about an hour you can definitely feel it there... it’s a little weighty. I do think that the pressure is evenly distributed over the head, and not onto the ears that much. Long-term use will determine how bad this is say on a long flight, and I don’t think it’s necessarily horrible or anything. But you can feel it compared to the very light Bose headset which you don’t really feel at all.

I will say I love the ear cups. They are far more comfortable than the stuffy Bose ones which make you feel like your ears are sweating after an hour.

The included “smart case”.

Oh Apple. The “Case” is an absolute abomination and a travesty. It’s a joke, especially for something so expensive. Essentially doesn’t protect anything except for the finish on the earcups themselves. And stupidly, it is required for shutting the headphones off completely. Never mind that it looks like a purse!

Even if you ignore the looks, one would have to be very careful transporting these in a bag to ensure the fabric band isn’t wrecked. Dumb dumb dumb. I’m sure there will be third party cases. I hope.

No wires

I understand this is a wireless headset. But the fact that Apple charges $45 for a flimsy 3.5 mm to lightning cable for a $550 headset, is borderline a criminal robbery. Sometimes Apple makes these extremely anti-consumer moves… Like selling a travel charger for $130 but not including a charging brick. Even the the product is a charger. Yes I bought it don’t judge…

overall, extremely happy. It would be nice if they price them $100 less, because that’s what they seem like they’re worth, but for the price they’re still extremely high-end for what you get.

Just go the same setup as you delivered for $5. The build quality is great and they sound great. The 3.5 mm is a joke as is the case. Not super sure these are keepers. I'm trying to understand why I need them over the pros they do sound fuller but not very portable etc but I've never really used over the ear phones. ill give it some time and wait to read the reviews etc.

 

[AustinIllini]

Dumb question - How do you pair the APM to an Apple TV 4K which has the new tvOS14.3, please?

I believe it should show up if you pair the APM to your iPhone (or other iOS device) first

 

[dalvin200]

I believe it should show up if you pair the APM to your iPhone (or other iOS device) first

It’s not showing - using the same iCloud account.. I assumed it should work this way, but when it didn’t work I then thought it may have to Be manually paired as a Bluetooth device... but can’t work out how to even do that (and no apple support document either)

 

[LongWayHome]

Truly one of Apple's rare (and probably biggest) misfires, though relatively inconsequential (since, as you note, other options will be available). Still, it's hard to conceive how the great minds in Cupertino didn't recognize that, A) it looks absolutely ridiculous, and B) it doesn't provide much protection.

In fact, I'd be willing to bet that they didn't really consider this to be a "case" at all – it was just the simple solution for how to turn them off without encumbering us mental weakling users with the confusion of a power button.

Its actually not inconsequential when you have to buy another case for an already obscenely priced pair of headphones because the OEM case that came with them is trash.

 

[mcaswell]

Its actually not inconsequential when you have to buy another case for an already obscenely priced pair of headphones because the OEM case that came with them is trash.

Good point.

 

[yegon]

delete

 

[yegon]

It’s not showing - using the same iCloud account.. I assumed it should work this way, but when it didn’t work I then thought it may have to Be manually paired as a Bluetooth device... but can’t work out how to even do that (and no apple support document either)

Press and hold the ANC button and wait for white light to pair. It is in the documentation that came with them, but it is very easy to miss, I mean no snark.

Don’t know if this applies to Apple TV though, I would expect them to be paired already as others have said.

 

[ondioline]

Here is my brief review after using them a bit. This is a direct comparison against the Drop Panda which is another set of BT headphones, and it also isn't cheap ($400)

Pretty much everything about the APM is superior to the Panda so far. The ear pads and headband are a lot more comfortable (the headband has been a major complaint with the Pandas fwiw)

The sound is much clearer on the APM by far. The Pandas actually have a lot of static-like interference in the left speaker. The APMs are crystal clear and sound less muffled overall. Theres really no comparison here, the Pandas just sound like crap when I go between them.

Of course the Pandas don't have noise cancelling so I can't compare, but the APM is as good as the AirPods Pro in this department!