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The high-end pricing on Apple’s first-gen products never ceases to amaze me — just look at the $3,500 Apple Vision Pro or its $5,000 display. The AirPods Max were also probably a bit more expensive than they should have been at their $549 launch price, but that’s relatively tame compared to the competition Apple is targeting with its luxe noise-canceling headphones. Thankfully, they’re now down to $398 ($151 off) in select colors at Amazon and Walmart, which is a record low.
Apple AirPods Max
Apple’s AirPods Max feature exemplary build quality, sound phenomenal, and keep up with the best at noise cancellation.
Some may feel the AirPods Max are getting a bit long in the tooth since we first reviewed them in 2020, but Apple’s wireless headphones are still our top recommendation for Apple users and some of the best headphones overall. They sound nearly as good as the Sony WH-1000XM5 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra, perhaps only yielding to more niche audiophile options that can cost three times as much.
In terms of features, the Max are built with Apple users in mind. They support a well-balanced soundstage and Apple’s immersive spatial audio feature, not to mention great noise cancellation that rivals premium headphones from Sony and Bose. Their transparency mode is also second to none given how natural it sounds. Apple users even get built-in Find My tracking, one-touch pairing, and fast switching between Apple devices — features you won’t find on many pairs of headphones, aside from perhaps the Beats Studio Pro.
The luxurious metal build further justifies the premium price tag, whereas similar options from Bose and Sony can feel a bit plasticky (only the new Sonos Ace really compare). They also sport large, comfortable ear cups that magnetically detach and a handy digital crown, the latter of which lets you manage volume, calls, playback, and Siri easier than with gesture or swipe-based controls. That said, you might find the Max bulkier than the competition, which can make them annoying to travel with.
Their biggest downside, other than the fact that they lack a USB-C port, is that there’s no 3.5mm audio jack. That means you’ll need to pick up the optional $35 Lightning to 3.5mm cable to use them on a plane or take advantage of hi-res audio codecs in supported apps.
