Apple AirPods Max Wireless Over-Ear Headphones, Active Noise Cancelling, Transparency Mode, Personalized Spatial Audio, Dolby Atmos, Bluetooth Headphones for iPhone – Space Gray

UPDATE OCT 2023: Here is my original review which still holds true now that I have owned the Bose NC 700 for a couple of years. Last week, I bought the new Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra over-ear headphones. I added that review and comparison at the bottom. ———————— Original review…… For the past ten years I have enjoyed and been dependent upon noise canceling headphones. With that has come a journey into the audiophile community with others who are on a quest for high-fidelity sound. My journey led me to many headphones that sound absolutely pristine but none with noise canceling and few are wireless. Until late, the Bose Noise Canceling 700 are my compromise for great sound and noise canceling in a wireless headphone. So, when Apple announced the AirPods Max, I had to try them to know how they compare to my Bose 700. Here are my conclusions so far... STYLE The fit and finish on the AirPods Max is absolutely beautiful! Love it much more than the Bose. I just like the way they look and feel. Before I purchased the AirPods I probably watched 50 unboxing and review videos. So, I thought I had a good idea of how they looked. They are nicer in person. Sleek, premium, modern and minimalistic. COMFORT Comfort is about the same! AirPods Max are definitely heavier but do not necessarily feel much heavier on he head as the weight is balanced well. I have larger ears and the ear cups on the Bose 700 go a little deeper to make room for my ears. So, over several hours, the Bose do feel slightly more comfortable. The Bose also do not get as warm as the Apple. TRANSPARENCY MODE Transparency mode, in my opinion, is actually more natural on the Bose. The Apple headphones actually amplify the sound around you a few decibles too much. In other words, things sound louder than they actually are with the transparency mode on the AirPods Max. Also, the Bose reproduces your own voice much more naturally when in transparency mode. SOUND QUALITY Sound quality at certain volume levels is almost exactly the same. Kind of unbelievable. It is as though Apple reverse engineered the Bose 700 and copied its sound signature and noice canceling to within 5 percent. There is a definite sound quality difference though that changes with the volume level. This is all about the DSP. Of course, the digital signal processing (DSP) is called Computational Audio on the Max and Volume Optimized EQ on the Bose. This is what works differently and what accounts for sound differences dependent on the volume. Basically, the Bose sound better at 60 percent volume and below. Bose just has it dialed in so that everything sounds rich and balanced. I usually listen to music at about 55 percent volume on my iPad. So, I prefer the sound of the Bose. The sound at 60 percent and below on the AirPods Max suffers from a veiled upper midrange. An alto saxophone, for example, will sound as though it is being played behind a wooden door. Now between 60 and 70 percent volume is where both headphones sound virtually the same. It is uncanny! Both sound absolutely wonderful. Probably the best you will ever hear on wireless noise canceling headphones (yes, the Sony has an amplified and unnatural mid-bass making them sound deep but not high fidelity). At 70 percent volume and above the Bose DSP begins to lower the bass response to avoid distortion. The bass gets progressively quieter as you increase on the Bose to where there is virtually no bass at about 90 percent volume. The AirPods Max, on the other hand, handle bass very nicely from 70 all the way up to 100 percent. In fact, they sound perfectly balanced all the way from 60 to 100 percent volume with no sound quality degradation. If there is a fault it is that the bass loses a little nuance. In other words at high volumes the bass is a little over controlled. The softer vibrations like on the trail of a bass string get lost a little. So to summarize the sound comparisons. The two headphones sound equal from 60 to 70 percent volume. The Bose sound bette at 60 percent volume and below. Finally, the AirPods sound better (by quite a bit, it’s not even close) at 70 percent volume and above. CONTROLS The final comparison are the controls. Apple wins in my book. The Digital Crown has a perfect feel to it. It rotates very smoothly with a perfect amount of resistance. It presses well also. Apple has hyper dialed-in these controls. It makes me never want to have to use the touch-pad on the Bose 700 ever again. WHICH ONE IS FOR ME? Everything is comparable on these two headphones, but in the end, sound quality at my preferred listening level wins out. Since I listen to at about 50 percent volume, the Bose continue to be he choice for me. I just have a fixed routine for when I use noise canceling headphones. Now, I am sure that Apple could probably update their firmware to adjust the computational audio in order to fix the balance issues below 60 percent volume. If they did, then the fit and finish and controls might win me back over to the AirPods Max. But, the slight compromise in long-term comfort would cause me to hesitate a little. ONE LAST THING One last thing, the spatial audio is pretty Amazing. If I had to watch movies on my iPad these headphones would be a must. The surround sound effects are as good (slightly better) than my Bose home theatre system. The overall sound quality for movies is slightly less (more sterile and hollow sounding, probably because of the limited Bluetooth codec) than my Bose home theatre system. —————————- BOSE QUIET COMFORT ULTRA VS BOSE NC 700 (and AirPods Max) Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones Several years ago, I discovered Bose Quiet Comfort headphones. My first pair wore the QC15 and I have owned every iteration since then. Until now, the best of the best have been the Bose NC700 which are spectacular headphones. Now, I find myself the proud owner of the company’s newest over-ear headset, the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra. After thorough comparison, I can confidently say that the new Ultra are an upgrade in every way. There is especially one aspect which causes the Ultra to make them an absolutely must-have for music lovers. I will get to that in a moment, but first here are my thoughts on how the NC700 and QC Ultra compare: COMFORT I am very happy to report that the Bose QC Ultra are more comfortable than the NC 700 headphones. They are lighter, there is less clamping force and the headband distributes weight better on the top of your head. I used to consider the NC 700 headphones as the second most comfortable pair of over-ear headphones second only to the QC45. Well, the Ultra now take this 2nd place spot and they are almost as comfortable as the 45. Very Great! NOISE CANCELING Yes, Bose has also improved the noise canceling. When in quiet mode the headphones put you in a place where the world simply disappears. Each iteration of Bose headphones through the years has improved upon the previous in this area. The Ultra are no different. In fact, when I was testing them out my wife was standing 3 feet from me and trying to talk to me. I never even knew she was talking. This has never happened with my older NC 700. SOUND QUALITY The QC Ultra are more of a spiritual successor to the NC700 than they are the QC45. The sound is much more similar to the NC700. What they retain is the excellent clarity and instrument separation. The mids are just as perfectly present. Also the highs have a very pleasing ring without ever sounding harsh. What was great on the 700 but even better on the Ultra is the bass. Bose says that the new Ultra are now taking samples of sound inside the ear ups and then actively adjusts the bass to sound best dependent on the shape of ears, the seal of the pads, etc. This really does make a difference. I wear glass which compromises the acoustic seal. The Ultra compensates for this and makes the bass sound deeper and have a greater punch than my NC700. So, the sound signature overall is better and gets WAY better with immersive audio. But, we are getting to that. IMMERSIVE AUDIO This is the feature! If you are a music lover then this is the feature which gives the biggest incentive to upgrade from the NC 700. Music with immersive audio just sounds better. I have several setups of actual stereo bookshelf speakers around my house. I always preferred a good pair of music monitors over headphones. Why? Because you can hear and imagine the soundstage in front of you. Good recordings place an orchestra or band members several feet from each-other as you listen. With live listening you can hear the music spread throughout the venue and this is what immersive audio on the Quiet Comfort Headphones does. It places the band a couple feet in front of you. It feels like you can point to and reach out and touch the various vocalist and instruments. It is so great! It is exactly like advertised. Immersive audio makes it sound like you are listening to a good pair of speakers in a room acoustically ideal for premium audio. Now that I have heard it, I can never go back to regular headphones. CONCLUSION There is so much more good that I could say about the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra headphones. The buttons are well placed and are useful - even the touch-sensitive volume slider works well enough! The app also just works and all the needed settings are there to easily adjust. The carrying case looks premium and is compact. It is smaller than the NC700 case and even more compact than the QC45’s storage option. There are some things I do not like about the headphones. For example, immersive audio for movies is still not as good or immersive as Spacial Audio on Apple’s AirPods Max when watching Dolby content. Also, the placement and function of the buttons is different than what I am used to on the 700. In the end though, I am ecstatic with what Bose has done in their newest iteration of Bose over-the-ear noise canceling headphones. My NC 700 are going on eBay and I look forward to many great years with the Ultra. Well done Bose!

After I perused the specs and got over the sticker shock of the price tag, I thought, “These might be worth the investment for me.” I have high-end hearing loss, and because of that, most speakers, earbuds, and headphones don’t do much for me. I have an especially hard time hearing dialogue on our TV unless the sound is being pumped through our HomePods. That is what caused me to pause and really consider the purchase. “What if the AirPods Max is like putting HomePods on your ears?” That was worth it to me. After setup was completed, I put the headphones on my ears and heard the first sounds through the AirPods Max. It was a Christmas song that I had heard dozens of times before. The sound was so rich, deep, and clear that it was like I was hearing the song for the first time. “Ok, there is no way these sound this good.” At that moment, Robyn, my fiance, walked into the room and said, “So, are they like having HomePods attached to your ears?” All I could do was nod yes. She gave me a look and I handed them over to her. She put the headphones on her ears and scrolled through my library until she found something she wanted to play. She then said she had to have a pair. When I test headphones, I have a few go-to songs I like to try out so that I can get an idea of the listening experience of the headphones from every angle. The songs are pulled from a variety of genres including soundtracks, rock, grunge, punk, classical, and even a bit of rap. The AirPods Max does an incredibly nice job with all of them. The headphones keep a nice, deep bass sound while protecting the integrity of the rest of the track. I also found that vocals are crisp as well and I really love that as I turn up the volume, that I don’t get any distortion. That’s not been the case with other headphones I’ve used. Overall, I’ve been impressed with all the features of the AirPods Max. Here’s a brief rundown of my thoughts on the main features of the headphones. Active Noise Canceling (ANC): Until I used the AirPods Max, the ANC on the Sony headphones was the best I’ve ever used. I took the Sony headphones on a flight a few years back and never heard the airplane’s engine noise. Therefore, I’ve always regarded the ANC on the Sony MDR-1000X as the ‘best’. While I haven’t taken the AirPods Max on a plane yet, I can say that it deadens ambient noises like dogs barking, vacuums, and TVs that are left on in the background. Mesh Headband: I love the look of the headband. I think it looks very clean and it accentuates the lines of the AirPods Max. The design is right up my alley. Weight: I’ve heard some people say that the weight of the headphones is an issue for them. I have noticed that they feel a bit heavier than other headphones I’ve used, but the weight seems evenly distributed to me and so it doesn’t bother me. I’ve worn the headphones for several hours at a time and have not had any issues with headaches or soreness. Buttons: I am a big fan of the buttons. This is odd for me to say since I never thought I would be a proponent of moving to analog from digital, but Apple did a nice job of blending in the Digital Crown and the ANC button. Smart Case: This is one thing I would have reconsidered if I were designing the AirPods Max — the Smart Case. I really consider it more of a ‘sleeve’ than a case because — well, that’s what it is. The sleeve is made with a single piece of what seems to be polyurethane material and utilizes magnets for the closure. While the sleeve does protect the metal earpieces of the headphones from getting scratched up, for the most part, it doesn’t protect the headband and there is even a cut out on the bottom that leaves the headphones exposed to the elements and potential damage. I also noticed that when I take the headphones out of the sleeve that the AirPods clink together. The only way I’ve been able to stop that from happening is if I physically place my hand there. Even though there might be a few minor things I would like to see improved about the AirPods Max, I’m absolutely thrilled with them. They are far superior to any other listening experience I’ve had and think that their price tag is worth the investment. Even though the cost is prohibitive for many, if you want the ultimate listening experience, I can’t recommend the AirPods Max enough.

I am an Apple fanatic, so I will say that my review isn't completely objective. This is not a sponsored review. I spent my own money on these. I will be honest, I had so much hesitation prior to purchasing these headphones based on some of the reviews. The biggest concerns were all the reviews that mentioned connectivity issues and the condensation issues. I can honestly say, after using these for a solid month, that I have not experienced any of these issues whatsoever. They connect automatically once on my head, and when I am using multiple apple devices, they will switch automatically based on whatever device is playing audio (except my MacBook Pro, but I do not mind manually connecting them. I literally takes two clicks...). The audio quality is probably the best of any headphones that I have ever owned. My favorite features are the immersive seal and the noise cancellation. The design of the headphones allows for your ears to be completely enveloped in sound, and when that seal is combined with noise cancellation, it is like the world around you disappears. I love them. They are pricey, but I have ABSOLUTELY NO REGRETS purchasing them. I saved up for them, and they are, in my opinion, worth every. single. penny. I did purchase Applecare+ for an additional 60 dollars. That's a no-brainer, seeing as how expensive these things are. I also bought a thin silicon covering to protect from scratches. All in all, if you have the money, and you love apple products, and you like that premium apple feel, BUY THESE! Totally worth it. UPDATE: 2 months in, and they still work great! After a recent update on my Mac, I’ve noticed that the headphones now connect automatically. Hand-off is now seamless with my iPhone, iPad and MacBook Pro. A small update, but a good one!

So, this is day one of having these so I’ll probably do an updated version of this. The headphone itself is sturdy, full of metal so it’ll be heavy be prepared for that but it’s not overbearing. It’s pretty heavy when taking it out of the box. The headband is mesh, so after a while it’s gonna become useless, so I’d get yourself a headband that’ll grab on the the existing one so then it can not wear and turn overtime, but it’s comfortable without it, just be warned. When taking them out of the case itself, the headphones will clank together, but no damage will happen. *Clank* The sound quality is great especially with the volume control on top of the right headphone. For my headphone users, they can sound quiet, but I assure you that it’s working just fine, that’s how it’s suppose to sound. You’ve got everything that the AirPod Pros have when it comes to the noise cancellation and the transparency, now I may have forgotten a system that the pros had but those are the two things this has. For my big head people, they fit you. They have enough room to fit our big heads. The buttons on the headphones are great to have with the functionality. The connection at first wasn’t great until I looked up how to fix it. So if you run into this problem, hit the 2 buttons on top of the right headphone for 5-8 seconds until you see a white light at the bottom of the headphones. This’ll factory reset it. Then it’ll appear on your phone. Then it’ll sound just like your pros when you put them on. The adjustment is great if you wanna have them on for hours at a time. Short time users are fine too. The headphones pieces are magnetic, so if you need to replace them, you actually can. Grab the earpiece and play with it to see.

Since I mostly work from home and listen to music when I'm not on the phone I use several bluetooth ear pods including AirPod Pros. The Max version has always intrigued me but I have quite a few over ear headphones so until they went on sale there was nothing compelling me to purchase them. I've had them long enough to break in the drivers to some degree. Yes like most dynamic headphones these need to be broken in for 20 to 50 hours before they can be judged for sound quality. 1. I'm a headphone guy so sound quality is my first priority. This is an excellent headphone. They blow away my bluetooth Sennheisers on sound quality. They even compete with some wired headphones. They may not reach the level of my Grado 325's but they are much more comfortable. My Focal Clears, which incidentally match well with the output voltage of my iPhone, are superior but are much more expensive. And wired. BTW you can't get Lossless audio through Bluetooth so a wired headphone has that advantage. And you can't talk through the Clears. My wired Sennheisers don't really have the output levels to match an iPhone so they are not in the consideration. These have a wide range sonically and reproduce all kinds of music well. And unlike some Beats models they are not bass heavy. I think they work best with Spatial Audio off. iMy only complaint is that the midlevel sound stage is a bit compressed regardless of volume. Apple did their home work in designing these headphones. I'd go so far to say that you will not find another headphone wired or not that has as good as sound for the money. 2. Comfort/Fit. One goes with the other. The head band is comfortable for my large head and does not squeeze my ears. The ear pad material is not what I'd like but it is surprisingly comfortable. Typical of any headphones they are best used without glasses for maximum comfortable. If you use glasses put the pads on your ears with the glasses on for maximum comfort. I do not notice any weight - these are much lighter than most wired headphones. The ear space fits my large ears although ideally a couple of extra mm's would be better. 3. They connect easily once you go through the initial connection procedure. Most importantly they have excellent battery life. They have double or more battery life than Pros. Put them in the case when you are through with them for the day as it is the only way they turn off. You will otherwise lose battery life as they are otherwise constantly scanning for possible bluetooth targets. The case is not great but it works well for being put into a bag or backpack. Generally they do a good job of picking up your voice in telephone or FaceTime mode. 4. They are an excellent value. Usually a substantial discount means that there is a newer model is coming out. My research suggests that is not the case. There is likely to be a newer model of the Pros coming out which explains their greater discount. I am very pleased with these headphones and I think that you will be equally as pleased.

These are my favorite headphones. When you account for the sound quality, noise cancellation, convenience, comfort and the quality of the build, it makes the price more palatable. That said, there's no denying that they are expensive. At the same time, they pretty much reside in their own category of headphones. You can easily get better sounding headphones for less than $200 - but those are wired and lack active noise cancelling. You can shop around other Bluetooth headphones with ANC (XM4, QCII35, 700 etc…) but those don't sound as good. Though they certainly don't sound bad and they're a couple of Benjamins cheaper. I firmly believe the Max's ANC is also better than all the previously mentioned gear, though not by much when compared to the XM4s. One very nice thing about the AirPods Max is the ANC causes no hiss at all, not even a little. But there's just no comparison when you compare the build and comfort. Other Bluetooth ANC headphones feel cheap. Once you handle the faux leather and creaky plastic parts you understand why they're much less expensive. The cloth and foam ear pads on the Max are nearly perfect. They form a good seal, even with glasses, and they’re comfortable for long listening sessions. The aluminum and stainless steel parts feel both durable and even luxurious. The mesh headband distributes the Max's substantial weight very evenly. Moreover, everything is modular and repairable on the Max. The circuit boards, batteries, cups, pads, the headband itself - all disassemble with relative ease so your purchase may just last for decades. Much has been made of the Max’s weight. In my experience, it’s a non issue. Lounging in the house, washing dishes, sitting at the computer - the weight is fine. BUT, the clamping force is another matter. These things firmly squeeze your head. Initially, I thought I was going to have to return them. Having used them for a couple weeks, they’ve loosened significantly. Possibly, I’ve also acclimated to them. Transparency mode is amazing. Without doubt, it’s the best implementation I’ve heard. I’ve yet to try out Spacial Audio because until it works with my TV, it’s a gimmick that I don’t care about. I don’t watch movies on my iPhone or even iPad. If you do, you may feel differently. I do wish I could use them to block out sounds without playing music or white noise. But when not playing audio, the ANC causes too much pressure on my eardrums. I also wish there were an accompanying App that enabled more intuitive EQ or control of other settings: like perhaps degrees of ANC or better monitoring of battery life and standby. This seems like an oversight on Apple’s part. Yes, the case isn’t much of a case and it is annoying that they don’t include a cable for wired listening. But those are small things and do not detract from the sound quality, convenience and materials of the headphones themselves. The ear pads do make my ears warm in my usage. I don’t see how any closed back headphone with a decent seal wouldn’t make one’s ears warm. That said, the warmth doesn’t bother me at all and I don’t feel that they’re uncomfortably hot. Recently, there have been many reports of condensation and/or sweat accumulating beneath the ear pads on the plastic housing that protects the drivers. Though I don’t doubt these accounts, I have yet to have it happen. After using the AirPods Max for three to four hours, at my desk and around the house, they’re as dry as can be. I don’t know what combination of temperature, humidity, body heat and time causes moisture to appear. All I can suggest is that if you purchase the AirPods Max, try and reproduce the issue with your normal usage. Hopefully, it will be a non issue for you as well. If you own a couple of Apple devices, say a Mac and an iPhone, the Max’s convenience makes them even more compelling. Normal Bluetooth pairing can be mildly annoying or, depending on your devices, VERY frustrating. There’s no such hassle with the AirPods Max. They just connect. They just switch. They just work. If you’re cross shopping, there are a couple of Bluetooth headphones that might sound slightly better, but they lack ANC. There are many, many headphones that are both cheaper and sound better, but they are wired and lack ANC. The AirPods Max really are in a different class compared to the $350 range of Bluetooth ANC headphones the market has become used to. In my opinion, these should not be compared with lesser ANC BT headphones but with the BO H95s. Though I've never owned the H95s, I have held, listened to and envied them. They’re amazing. But they’re also $800 and the ANC is not as advanced. In comparison, the AirPods Max are a bargain, even if they don’t sound quite as nice as the H95s - though they are very close. I’m very pleased with the AirPods Max. As a complete package, I’m not aware of any other headphones, at any price, that are competitive. *UPDATE* This morning I shoveled snow for a little over an hour while wearing the AirPods Max. Admittedly, my understanding of atmospheric physics is pretty low, but I figured my very warm head combined with freezing temperatures affecting the aluminum would likely induce some condensation. But, after shoveling, they were as dry as can be. Again, I'm not casting doubt on the many reports of moisture below the ear pads, but I can't reproduce the effect.

I am going to forego the normal discussion regarding how much they cost and if it is worth it. That's seems to be strictly individual to me. They are expensive and I will leave it at that. I also own the Sony XM4's, which will I compare them to. Comfort. These are heavy headphones and definitely taking some getting used to. In addition, if you have a large head, as do I, the clamping force on your head may be a dealbreaker for you. I have learned to adjust the position on my head to mitigate that. Unlike many headphones, you will spend a little more time adjusting them for comfort. The Sony XM4s are definitely more comfortable. Controls. The two button controls are simple and easy to use which is the same setup on the Apple watch. I prefer this setup to the touch controls on the XM4, which can be hit and miss. You can adjust the direction for volume up or down based on what is more intuitive to you. Sound. The sound is absolutely amazing. Hands down the best I have ever heard. While listening to music is often discussed, not much is said about using them with AppleTV which is actually the primary reason I purchased them. Listening to a movie or TV show through the Airpods Max is simply unbelievable. Spatial audio is a brilliant audio enhancement. Battery life. I have been able to get the 21 hours they advertise. Battery life is not nearly as robust as the XM4s however. Much has been made about the fact that they can't be turned off. I have not found that to be an issue, although it does force you to put them in the case in order to put them in sleep mode. Noice cancellation is excellent. Miscellaneous. Yes, the case is ridiculous. I purchased a more viable case for. It does not come with a charging adapter (brick). That was a not a real issue for me. I was far more upset when they shipped iPhone 12s without them. I find them too heavy to for exercising. I use the XM4s for that. I do not use them for business meeting calls (Zoom, etc.), so I have no opinion on that. If you are going to purchase AppleCare, purchase it through Amazon. Adding it with Apple is a hassle if you purchased them from Amazon. Summary. The construction of the Airpods Max is something to behold. If you are an iPhone, Apple Music, AppleTV user, you will definitely want to consider these. I was on the fence for awhile because of the price, but after using them I have no regrets. I give them 4.5 stars. The weight prevents me from giving it 5 stars.

I’ve been using the Apple AirPods Max (mine are in Space Gray colour) for a while, and I’m genuinely impressed. The color is sleek and sophisticated, matching perfectly with my iPhone 15 pro and adding a touch of elegance to the overall design. The fit is another highlight. The ear cups are incredibly soft and comfortable, creating a snug seal without feeling too tight. The adjustable headband ensures a perfect fit, even for extended listening sessions, and it distributes weight evenly so there’s no strain or discomfort. The sound quality is phenomenal, with deep bass, clear mids, and crisp highs that elevate my music and podcasts to a new level. The active noise-cancelling is top-notch—it effectively blocks out distractions, whether I’m working at home or commuting. The transparency mode is a great feature, allowing me to stay aware of my surroundings without taking off the headphones. The personalized spatial audio with Dolby Atmos creates an immersive listening experience, making it feel like the sound is coming from all around me. The build quality is premium, as you’d expect from Apple. Pairing with my iPhone was seamless, and the battery life is excellent—I can go several days without needing a recharge. While the price is on the higher side, I believe the performance, comfort, and style justify the investment. These are some of the best headphones I’ve ever owned. Highly recommended!

I took a chance and purchased the Air Pods Max because I’m a big fan of noise cancelling headphones and already own the Sony XM4 and the Bose QC35. Note: I used to own the Bose 700 but returned them because the head band was so tight it gave me headaches and I couldn’t wear it for more than 20-30 minutes. Here is my experience with each. Best Noise Cancelling: Air Pods Max Sony XM4 Bose QC35 I use all 3 headphones with televisions in the background, small children and outdoors. The Air Pods Max is very close to the XM4, I would rate it as a 10% difference – it’s almost tied. The QC35 on the other hand, I can hear faint television/small children in the background, even at high volume. Long Term Comfort: Bose QC35 Air Pods Max Sony XM4 Nothing will ever beat the QC35’s. I can wear them all day and take video and phone calls however, it does give me a slight disorientation effect and minor vertigo, similar to diving or moving to an elevated height (driving up a mountain for example). The Air Pods Max are comfortable, and the ear cups surround my large ears just like the QC35 however, there the clamp is noticeable – this may go away after some time; the clamp causes minor discomfort with glasses; I removed my glasses for the purpose of this short review and the discomfort has faded, even after 60 minutes of listening – it does clamp more than the QC35 and XM4s. Something to keep in mind is the XM4 earpads are not thick enough and my ear brushes against the speaker area; this also makes my ears get hot after 30 minutes and I eventually have to take a short break – this does not happen with the Air Pods Max – there is lots of room for my ears and the cushions are thick enough that my ears do not touch the speaker area. Microphone: Air Pods Max Bose QC35 Sony XM4 I completed several zoom video/audio calls, Facetime and regular calls. I asked my friends/family to compare my voice quality on each headset and every time, the Air Pods Max was the winner. Bose QC35 is still great in this department however – I was using them as my primary driver for calls prior to getting the Air Pods Max. The Sony XM4’s are below average; people cannot hear me clearly. In-fact, I stopped using them entirely for business calls because colleagues would make remarks about my microphone. They are ‘okay’ for personal calls, but not desirable for me at least. Synchronization: Air Pods Max Bose QC 35 Sony XM4 I place the Air Pods on my head and it immediately connects to my phone. I do not have to touch anything on either of my devices. When I place the Air Pods Max around my neck or left one ear cup, the music pauses. When I place both ear cups back on my ears, the music auto resumes. I tested this for several hours and it has never failed. As for the Bose QC35 and XM4’s, no matter if they both have multi device pairing, I am always having issues. Both headsets never switch to my other device without me having to manually disconnect 1 of 2 devices (the one I’m not using). This is frustrating and I hate doing this multiple times per day. Music Quality: Air Pods Max Sony XM4 Bose QC35 The Air Pods Max I would rate have 30% better music quality than the XM4. I tested Hip-Hop, Bossa Nova, Jazz, Classical, Deep House, D&B, Techno, Trip Hop, Dubstep and Lounge. The must is more engaging, and I can hear the instruments and vocals in more detail – an elevated musical experience. The biggest difference for me was Jazz, Classical, Bossa Nova and Salsa – I would say a 50% better listening experience for these genres. Build Quality: Air Pods Max Sony XM4 Bose QC35 Air Pods Max are easily the highest quality headphones I have handled; they look at and feel premium and are crafted exceptionally well – even the buttons are strong and durable; these are basically on another level entirely. When extending the headphones, there is a steel connector with resistance when adjusting the sizing to fit your head properly. The XM4/QC35 are hard plastic – nothing special or extravagant; the XM4 look better than the QC35 however. Spatial Audio Note: I was completely blown away when I loaded an Apple TV series on my phone to test the spatial audio feature. It felt like I had speakers surround me in a 360 fashion at the move theatres. I stood there for 5 minutes with my eyes wide opened in disbelief that headphones were capable of offering this level of experience. It is something that you have to try it to believe it. This is what sold me the most. --- Are the Air Pods Max worth the price? Based on my experience so far, I would say yes. I was actually expecting them to be close to the XM4’s, but on certain categories, they have accelerated immensely.

Eh tenido audifonos de muchas marcas, Sony, Bose, JBL, Beats, Earfun entre otros y estos son literalmente los mejores, su cancelacion de ruido, el modo ambiente, audio espacial, calidad de sonido, sinceramente son excepcionales, claro, no son nada baratos, pero si considero lo que eh gastado en los otros, estos, por su precio valieron cada centavo. Si te gusta la musica, el cine, el audio en si y buscas comodidad y calidad, estos son lo que estas buscando, no dudes en tener tus Airpods Max.

Estos fueron un regalo para mi hijo, tienen una calidad muy encima de la media, si tienes el ecosistema Apple pues seran una pasada, sino, no te los recomiendo. El precio es elevado para la calidad que manejan, hay de mejor calidad de audio a un precio menor. La cancelación de ruido si es bastante buen, compite con los Sony al respecto, pero no por calidad de construcción. Un tema a tomar en cuenta es que son sumamente pesados, literal, cansan el cuello despues de un par de horas de uso.

Excelente compra!

17 feb 2021 Como todo lo que hace Apple, estos audífonos no son la excepción. Los materiales son de muy alta calidad (al menos así se percibe desde que abres la caja). Solo la caja la podrías vender en mil pesos. He visto reseñas que por la mitad de precio podrías conseguir algo de igual o mejor calidad, puede ser, pero dudo que superen la interfaz de usuario que Apple logró con estos. Acercas los audífonos al teléfono y listo. Yo no soy audiófilo, por eso puedo decir que por mucho supera a mis anteriores audífonos (Marshall II) El modo ambiental es super pro, es como si se modulara el ruido exterior y llegara a tus oídos una onda de sonido perfectamente modulada. Actualización 26 julio 2022. Aunque al principio me parecían unos audífonos excelentes poco a poco fueron perdiendo mi respeto. Me compré un mouse MX Master 3 y MX Keys de Logitech y comenzó el suplicio. Al parecer los audífonos entran en interferencia con el blutooth de estos dispositivos, por lo que tuve que usar el conector USB Bluetooth para sincronizar mi teclado y mouse con la computadora, de otra forma la voz se escuchaba robotizada. Otra cosa que odie a los pocos meses, en la zona donde vivo es calurosa un día normal estamos a 29º y el promedio es de 30º y es que empecé a notar que los audífonos tenían mucha condensación y debajo de las esponjas se empieza a ver como se forman gotitas de sudor/agua, evidentemente hay que estar lavando las esponjitas porque si no huelen terrible. Otra cosa que pueden ver en una de las fotos es que parece que una parte de los audífonos está perdiendo la pintura, no entiendo a que se debe, pero pareciera si constantemente los frotara contra algo y la verdad es que nunca los saco y siempre están en su case cuando no los utilizo. La verdad lo pensaría dos veces antes de hacer esta compra