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lightning or usb-c to 3.5mm adapter?
Does that carry the full sound quality like lossless on Apple Music? I’ve never tried an adapter. This might be an excuse for me to spend a semi ridiculous amount of money to replace my broken earbuds 😭😂
 
Apple still wins when it comes to design because of the aluminum build of the ‌AirPods Max

Uhh, what? As others have commented here the APM are miserably heavy for long sessions due to this stubborn design choice. Been using APM since day 1 and have gone through 3 pairs. Bought the XM6s last week and am not looking back until Apple ditches the unnecessarily heavy hardware.
 
Does that carry the full sound quality like lossless on Apple Music? I’ve never tried an adapter. This might be an excuse for me to spend a semi ridiculous amount of money to replace my broken earbuds 😭😂
Apple says the adapter is full lossless up to 24bit/48kHz (https://support.apple.com/en-us/118295)

3rd party reviews also say the DAC in the adapters are very high quality.
 
I mean, all I see is a poor review with nothing that is useful but a short personal opinion in the form of an ad with affiliate links. That aside, when selecting this kind of thing, I look at the reviews by those who do it properly, sound quality analysis and so on. None have anything specifically bad to say about Apple's headset other than the weight, but Sony wins every review I have seen and would trust as independent.

I'm not an audiophile by any means, there is no discernible difference to me when using either. That is probably the case for the majority, so use whatever you prefer.
 
I had the XM5s but went back to the AirPods Max for one reason.... The swipe-based controls on the Sony's drove me nuts. I had a heckuva time just trying to change the volume. Maybe I'm just clumsy, but the volume knob on the APMs is much easier to manipulate. I found the sound quality and noise cancellation more or less on par between the two. The Sony's were lighter and a bit more comfortable.
Actually the physical on/off button and the ability to turn off the touch sensor panel is what sold me to get the Sony.
 
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Apple says the adapter is full lossless up to 24bit/48kHz (https://support.apple.com/en-us/118295)

3rd party reviews also say the DAC in the adapters are very high quality.
Well it looks like when Apple went to USB-C on the iPhone they discontinued the adapter. You know it’s not like there’s a billion iPhones out there with that connection. I saw some on eBay but there’s so many counterfeit products out there that would be questionable.
 
I really wanted to like my old Sony 1000XM5 headphones because they were significantly cheaper than the AirPod Max at the time. But after spending countless hours trying to EQ the things in the Sony Connect app I was never able to obtain pleasing sound. The sound from the Sony's always lacked bass and detail and just never allowed me to connect to the music that I was listening to. I did like their ANC as compared to other similarly priced headphones, but that was about it.

I hated having to spend more money for the AirPod Max, but they simply sounded better. Really brought the music that I was listening to to life. I am not sure if the XM6 are a leap over what I heard from the XM5's. But if they are maybe I will purchase them as a backup pair. I would like something lighter to travel with as compared to the heavier APM.
 
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Well it looks like when Apple went to USB-C on the iPhone they discontinued the adapter. You know it’s not like there’s a billion iPhones out there with that connection. I saw some on eBay but there’s so many counterfeit products out there that would be questionable.
I would try to find leftover stock at Walmart/Tatget/Best Buy/Micro Center/Staples/Office Depot
 
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I've been very happy with the XM4 and now I am very happy with the XM6, big improvement in microphone performance and ANC. I haven't tried the Apple headphones, so I can't compare them in terms of sound, ANC or microphone, but other sites that are not so focused on Apple products have always sung full praises to the Sony XM line. I think the Sony headphones deliver quite good value for the money, but I can see some of the advantages of the Apple headphones. For me I would wait until a full new version of the Apple headphones is released before considering those.
 
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The Apple Airpods Max do sound amazing as I have tried them. Though as mentioned they are much heavier and I found them to be somewhat uncomfortable for long sessions.
Every time I go to an Apple Store, I try APMs on and am reminded of this.
And every time I immediately realize I couldn't wear them for very long.

Which is why I went with Bose, as I can handle wearing those for hours.

Curious if anyone has any Sony/Bose wearability reviews?
 
As a long-time XM-4 user, I can vouch for their durability!🍸😸 I have only used the fold-it-up-and-put-it-in-the-case on one trip, but ... it was great! I don't think the EQ adjustment is an advantage. I'm always triggering it by accident and so ... I find it kind of a pain. If they ever wear out, I would consider rep.lacing them with another Sony. I'm just not going to pay $550. Am I? I think this is a gift item & I would try to decline that.🍸😼
 
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Every time I go to an Apple Store, I try APMs on and am reminded of this.
And every time I immediately realize I couldn't wear them for very long.

Which is why I went with Bose, as I can handle wearing those for hours.

Curious if anyone has any Sony/Bose wearability reviews?

My Sony XM4s are very comfortable. Must have worn them for thousands of hours over the years - I'm on my 3rd set of earpads! Many times I've fallen asleep with them on and woken up in the morning feeling refreshed and still wearing them, haha.

Only downside I can think of in terms of comfort is they can get a bit hot & sweaty in hot weather.
 
Device switching does not work well, particularly if you use a Mac with two user accounts logged in at the same time, it gets all confused and glitches out. Why giving any importance to it, it is actually an annoyance because you put your AirPods on and wait for it to happen but it doesn't, so you end up doing it manually and you wasted time in the process.

Apple ecosystem doesn't deserve all this attention, it is an absolute mess and we should recognise it for what it is: garbage.
 
Device switching does not work well, particularly if you use a Mac with two user accounts logged in at the same time, it gets all confused and glitches out. Why giving any importance to it, it is actually an annoyance because you put your AirPods on and wait for it to happen but it doesn't, so you end up doing it manually and you wasted time in the process.

Apple ecosystem doesn't deserve all this attention, it is an absolute mess and we should recognise it for what it is: garbage.
The worst is when you expect it to switch and just start your music/audiobook....

then because your wearing headphones with ANC it takes a good 3-10 seconds to realize it's coming out of your phone for everybody to hear and not the headphones and everybody around is glaring at you for making noise.
 
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I still have my XM3s and they work pretty darn well. XM6 looks nice but too $$ for now. I don't like the physical design of the non-folding XM5s and there are many reports of one or both cups breaking off so I skipped those. If I really needed a new set now I'd go with XM4s for ~ $200. I might bite on XM6s if and when they get in the low $300s but that won't be for awhile.

I've been rocking XM4s the last few years and deliberately skipped the XM5 due to the non-folding. I can wait for a Black Friday sale to pick up the XM6s. It'll be a nice upgrade!
 
APM

Outdated Bluetooth version
Substantially less battery life
Weigh 50% more
Uncomfortable to wear as headphones
Don’t fold or have a decent case
No comparison of call quality
More expensive

BUT look better than XM6 so obviously APM are the winner!

They do, absolutely, look nice. I'm sticking with my Quiet Comfort's though. I'm the oddball in this battle. They're the most comfortable (to me), and I pretty much just stick to using them on airplanes anyway. AirPods Pro were eye opening, and the QCs were a step up in that regard.
 
Nothing wrong with Bose QC. They invented the category and I just read a test where the Ultras eked out a slim win over the XM6 and AirPod Pros. B&W looks interesting these days, too. But I like the Sony touch controls. My XM3s were reserved for plane rides and such but then a couple years ago I started using them for mowing. So, they are no longer in showroom condition and am looking to get another pair... but will wait until the XM6 early adopters paying the high price get done, then maybe.

They do, absolutely, look nice. I'm sticking with my Quiet Comfort's though. I'm the oddball in this battle. They're the most comfortable (to me), and I pretty much just stick to using them on airplanes anyway. AirPods Pro were eye opening, and the QCs were a step up in that regard.
 
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