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hajime

macrumors 604
Original poster
Jul 23, 2007
7,921
1,311
Hi, I have tried the AirPods Max and Sony XM4. Sound cancellation on both are the same, can't tell any different. Has anybody tried both AirPods Max and Bose 700 to tell which is better at cancelling the sound of heavy trucks and cars as well as sounds from TV?
 

anthony13

macrumors 65816
Jul 1, 2012
1,054
1,200
Sony XM4's are my preference. I didn't think the Bose700 were on the same level as the XM4's when I tried them. Particularly against chatter on trains and commuting sounds. I also enjoy the sony app which lets you customize the EQ on the XM4.
 

bigshot

macrumors 6502
May 7, 2021
285
149
Which of the three sounds better with music? That is the real question.
 

turbineseaplane

macrumors P6
Mar 19, 2008
17,376
40,159
Do you plan to travel with them?

The 700's and the APM's both sort of suck for that with no way to fold.
 

Apple_Robert

Contributor
Sep 21, 2012
35,653
52,439
In a van down by the river
Hi, I have tried the AirPods Max and Sony XM4. Sound cancellation on both are the same, can't tell any different. Has anybody tried both AirPods Max and Bose 700 to tell which is better at cancelling the sound of heavy trucks and cars as well as sounds from TV?
If you can't tell any difference between the two, pick the one that is easiest on your wallet.
 
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hajime

macrumors 604
Original poster
Jul 23, 2007
7,921
1,311
Which of the three sounds better with music? That is the real question.
I am not an audiophile so any of the three should be fine. Blocking noise is the main reason for the purchase.

When I had the AirPods Max, I could not get it to play Atmos video files. Not sure what went wrong.
 

bigshot

macrumors 6502
May 7, 2021
285
149
If you aren't an audiophile, I would recommend against the AirPods Max. You can save money and get really good noise cancelling. In fact, $100 headphones would probably do well for you.
 

random person

macrumors 6502a
Feb 28, 2008
730
234
I own both the AirPods max and the Bose 700.. The Max beats the Bose on every level. Noise cancelling is phenomenal — just took my first flight with the Max and you hear NOTHING, not even babies crying. The Bose is no longer king of noise cancelling and indeed isn’t even close to the tech in the Max for cancelling. Sitting here with construction going on all around me and I’m not even playing music, just sitting with the Max on cancel mode., I hear NOTHING. Truly incredible. Not to mention superiorsound!
 
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hajime

macrumors 604
Original poster
Jul 23, 2007
7,921
1,311
Now I have both. In terms of NC, they are almost the same. I can't tell the different but once in awhile, it seems that the Bose may be a little bit better. It is hard to tell as different kind of cars passed by. Could not do an exact comparison. The Bose 700's ear cups are smaller and fit my ears tighter but it caused sweat. The top causes some discomfort but I can get used to it. The headache above the left ear caused by the original AirPods Max does not come back with my 2nd AirPods Max.

If the AirPods Max has no defect, then it has better connectivity than the Bose 700. If you read my other thread, you will know that both AirPods Max I bought have defects. The Bose 700 is noticeably lighter but the Bose app is buggy to the point that I cannot use it. However, considering the additional cost of buying Apple Care+ and the case, the Bose 700 is about half the price. I don't know how widespread the defects of the AirPods Max is. The true is none of the best three (Sony XH3, Bose 700 and AirPods Max) headphone is perfect. For sure, XH3 is out of the question due to compatibility issue with Samsung TV. Hard to decide between the remaining two...
 

hajime

macrumors 604
Original poster
Jul 23, 2007
7,921
1,311
I got the Bose 700 at discounted price but money is not the key factor here. I guess one way is to keep replacing until I get an AirPods Max that has no defect. Another way is to keep the Bose 700 and wait for the next generation of AirPods Max.

The Bose app cannot even find the 700 is ridiculous. I cannot use any features that require the app.
 

Night Spring

macrumors G5
Jul 17, 2008
14,883
8,054
The Bose app cannot even find the 700 is ridiculous. I cannot use any features that require the app.
Are you sure you have the correct Bose app? They have a number of apps, and each app works with a different group of Bose devices. Very confusing. I wish they'd consolidate into one app. :(
 

doolar

macrumors 6502a
Nov 25, 2019
644
1,128
No plan to travel with them.

I recently took a longer trip by airplane, I did not mind the size of my APM:s. Why? Because they were on my head all the time. Plus, yes they’re bigger than some of the competition, but by no means so big that they won’t fit in a usual daypack.

Don’t let that be the deciding factor!
 
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hajime

macrumors 604
Original poster
Jul 23, 2007
7,921
1,311
Are you sure you have the correct Bose app? They have a number of apps, and each app works with a different group of Bose devices. Very confusing. I wish they'd consolidate into one app. :(
I downloaded both of their apps from the Apple App Store. Within an app, I could choose different devices.
 

macguy2021

Suspended
Jun 2, 2021
101
148
I have huge ears and for me if I wanted a pair of over ear headphones, it'd have to be Apple.

Sony's wouldn't even fit, Bose's is too tight and barely fit, and I've yet to try the AirPods Max but the ear cups dimensions seem right on paper vs the other two. The old Bose QC35II's fit better but I'm not paying what they want for those and I wasn't as impressed with the sound vs the 700s, as uncomfortable as they were they were a lot better.

I just don't know if I want to drop that much coin on a pair. I really like my AirPods Pro and PowerBeats Pro earbuds.

But if I do ever get over the head headphones, it'll be the Max simply because it's the only ones that I can use. Unless Sony or Bose ever get aftermarket big cups that work just as good as the stock ones.
 
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hajime

macrumors 604
Original poster
Jul 23, 2007
7,921
1,311
For my ears, the cups of the Bose 700 offer better seal than the bigger Max's cups. The first Max I got had a stronger clamping force but the 2nd one is noticeably weaker. That could be the reason for the Max not having a good seal. Even the same product from Apple, one could have a better seal than the others. Is this normal? Is this Apple's QC problem?

Too bad none of them can block TV sound completely.
 
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DMG35

Contributor
May 27, 2021
2,526
8,162
In my opinion after using the APM, Sony XM4, and Bose 700 the AirPods Max offer a superior experience. I found the Bose 700 to be uncomfortable and clamped too hard. The Sony's were light and comfortable, but they created a very noticeable hiss in my ears with noise cancellation on. To me the AirPods Max have the best of both while also being the most comfortable.

On another note I think the B&O H95's are superior to all of them.
 

hajime

macrumors 604
Original poster
Jul 23, 2007
7,921
1,311
I ended up returning both. Two AirPods Max in a row are defective. Bose 700 has connectivity issues. AirPods Max 2 and AirPods Pro 2 won't be out probably until next year. What would be a good earbuds to buy?
 

marmiteturkey

macrumors 6502a
Aug 27, 2005
957
1,081
London
I ended up returning both. Two AirPods Max in a row are defective. Bose 700 has connectivity issues. AirPods Max 2 and AirPods Pro 2 won't be out probably until next year. What would be a good earbuds to buy?
If you want over ear headphones, I love my B&W PX7. They don't get as much love as the Sonys or Bose, but I've had all three and the PX7 sound the best of the lot, with ANC that comes close to Sony, and build quality that is far ahead of either. Connectivity is good too; and they're half the price of the AirPods Max.

Best earbuds are AirPods Pro, no question, just for the integration, sound quality and ANC.
 
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hajime

macrumors 604
Original poster
Jul 23, 2007
7,921
1,311
If you want over ear headphones, I love my B&W PX7. They don't get as much love as the Sonys or Bose, but I've had all three and the PX7 sound the best of the lot, with ANC that comes close to Sony, and build quality that is far ahead of either. Connectivity is good too; and they're half the price of the AirPods Max.

Best earbuds are AirPods Pro, no question, just for the integration, sound quality and ANC.

Thanks. Now I am trying to decide between AirPods Pro and Sony WF-1000XH4.
 

marmiteturkey

macrumors 6502a
Aug 27, 2005
957
1,081
London
Thanks. Now I am trying to decide between AirPods Pro and Sony WF-1000XH4.
Honestly, if you’re all in on Apple, it’s hard to recommend anything except the AirPods Pro. I’m really tempted by the B&W Pi7 buds but odds are I would regret it, even though they likely sound better than the APP. The Airpod Pro integration with Apple is too good to pass up on, as someone who uses them for a lot of calls, sport, travel and music. They aren’t the most musical buds, but they’re good enough - I find them comfortable (others don’t) and they’re a very rounded package.
 

AVBeatMan

macrumors 603
Nov 10, 2010
5,968
3,849
I have AirPods Max, Sony XM5's and Bose 700's. For sound quality they are all excellent. When it comes to fit however I'd have to say the AirPods are the best with the largest ear cups. The Bose come in 2nd and the Sony's last. The Sony's do however offer the most customisation re sound. All 3 are crap for travel as none fold down (unlike the Sony XM4's) The AirPods and Bose both win for build quality. Only think I dislike about the AirPods is that you can't turn the damn things off! And the case? Don't get me started. Hope this helps..
 
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