AirPods Pro vs Max

[gui0312]

So recent discounts show AirPods Pro at 179 and Max are 449. I was going to get the Pro’s back then but was waiting for a deal however, yesterday I went to pick up my new 13 Pro Max and had a listen to the Max’s that they had on display and thought wow they sound very nice and have a incredible premium feel to them.

Only thing I had somewhat of a problem with is that I had to crank them to about 75-80% to get a normal listening level (I don’t blast my music) is that the same on the AirPods Pro? I did channel noise canceling on and off to compare but, still required higher volumes.

Will be using primarily at home for movies/shows/games and music. I don’t do transit and I work in the ER so no use there.

Are they worth the extra money?

 

[Absrnd]

Be aware that the max in the Apple store might have the max volume cranked down, to prevent people from putting on the headphones and be greeted with max volume

 

[johntw]

Sound Check could have been on, and Dolby Atmos tracks can "sound" lower.

 

[Taco1933]

So recent discounts show AirPods Pro at 179 and Max are 449. I was going to get the Pro’s back then but was waiting for a deal however, yesterday I went to pick up my new 13 Pro Max and had a listen to the Max’s that they had on display and thought wow they sound very nice and have a incredible premium feel to them.

Only thing I had somewhat of a problem with is that I had to crank them to about 75-80% to get a normal listening level (I don’t blast my music) is that the same on the AirPods Pro? I did channel noise canceling on and off to compare but, still required higher volumes.

Will be using primarily at home for movies/shows/games and music. I don’t do transit and I work in the ER so no use there.

Are they worth the extra money?

Probably not, but that's really up to you. They are better, and if you want a set of over-ear headphones with that apple ease of use, well, you don't really have much of a choice.

I don't know if you already use headphones for movies/shows/games or if you're just planning to. If it's the latter, don't expect a set of closed back headphones to knock your socks off for that stuff, even $500 ones. They just can't beat a set of real normal-sized speakers. Also, for the max specifically, they leak some sound. So if you're trying to silently watch die hard next to a sleeping spouse, you may want to look elsewhere. The pros are even better at that.

 

[davvid97]

It depends how you want to use them. I have my AirPods Pro for about a year, and bought AirPods Max in March, I think AirPods Pro are louder or at least at higher volume the distortion is bad so I cannot use them maxed out but it is enough for me, the great advantage is that you can have them with you all the time, as they do not take any space in your bag / pocket when you travel and are super comfortable to move around in, they do not fall out of ears at all. AirPods Max are great in case of sound quality and I use them only at home all the time, the quality is great even at high volume, but the high volume seems to be lower than on Pro's. IMHO Maxes are not as comfortable to move around - when I lean forward etc when tidying up they just slides on my head.
In your case Maxes should work just fine, when I did not have maxes to compare to I used Pro's to connect to my tv, console, for music and was 100% happy with them

 

[Cashmonee]

For me it comes down to what I am using them for. If I am moving around or out and about, then it is the Pro's because of their size. If I am home or at work and relatively stationary, I will use the Max. If I am sitting down to listen to music, I use my HIFIMAN Arya. I prefer the comfort of over-ear headphones to in-ear. Sound quality from best to worst is Arya >>>>>>Max>>>Pro. The Max have decent sound, but they are still a closed bluetooth headphone with what I would call a fun if a bit muddy sound.

 

[secretk]

I have not used the AirPods Max so I cannot provide specifics related to them. However on the other hand you try to compare earbuds (AirPods Pro) and over the head headphones (AirPods Max). I am not sure how fair this comparison would be. The over the head headphones have more powerful drivers and allow for better sound separation compared to the earbuds. As a result I tend to need to increase the volume more for earbuds than the over the head cans. My experience is with Sony WH-1000 XM3 and Airpods Pro. The buds are more like in my ear so the music is closer to my ear if you will and you kind of feel that the volume is at higher level. However the sound is not super rich, you hear mostly the vocals and the instruments are like background noise. With the Sonys, the music is not exactly in my inner ear, but the sound is more balanced and I do not feel that the instruments are some background noise. If I want to hear more the instruments, I need to crank up the volume when I am with earbuds. On the other hand if a person wants to hear the vocals more, they might crank up the volume of the over the head cans.

If a person have been used to only earbuds they initially think that the over the head cans lack volume. Until they start to appreciate the soundstage and the sound separation. Now both the AirPods Max and the Sonys are closed typed headphones so they would not offer the soundstage that open type headphones offer but they are still better than the earbuds.

So yeah it depends on what you are looking for. I personally use the Airpods Pro when commuting (in the city so public transportation and subway) and when taking phone calls. I use the Sony when traveling outside the city or in plane and at home when I want to get more immersive sound.

 

[bigshot]

I have a 5.1 speaker system, AirPods Pro Max and AirPods Pro. I use all of them for different things. The speaker system is for serious listening to music and watching movies on my projection system with friends. The AirPods Pro Max are great for listening to music and videos on my computer, when I am the only one watching. The AirPods Pro are perfect for tossing in my pocket when I leave the house. None of these can replace any of the other ones. They all serve different purposes.

Volume level hasn't been an issue with either the Pro Max or Pros. The noise cancellation makes it so you don't have to turn it up loud to drown out ambient noise. Both of them work well playing from my iPhone. The volume pot is digital, so playing music at 100% isn't worse sound quality than playing it at 50%. As long as it can get as loud as you want it. it's fine. You don't need a lot of headroom.

 

[UBS28]

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