Whether Apple AirPods Max are as good as their reputation depends strongly on the specific needs and preferences of the user, as well as the criteria used for comparison.
The AirPods Max are generally praised for their sound quality, offering strong bass, clear mids, and present highs. They also provide very effective active noise cancelling, significantly reducing environmental noise. In this area they can easily compete with other headphones such as the Sony WH-1000XM4, the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700, or the Ultrasone ISAR.
A major advantage of the AirPods Max is their seamless integration into the Apple ecosystem. Features such as automatic device switching, audio sharing, and the intuitive control via the digital crown make them particularly convenient within an Apple-centered setup.
The AirPods Max feature a distinctive design with a stainless steel and aluminum frame and memory foam ear cushions. However, they are significantly heavier than many competitors, which many users find less comfortable during longer listening sessions.
Battery life is also not particularly competitive. At around 20 hours with active noise cancelling enabled, they fall behind models such as the Sony WH-1000XM4, which can reach about 30 hours, or the Ultrasone ISAR, which can achieve up to 40 hours.
The AirPods Max are also more expensive than most competitors. For many users, this can be a decisive factor—especially when similar features and performance are available at lower prices.
My opinion on this:
After extensively testing the Apple headphones and comparing them with the Sony and our ISAR, several things became immediately clear.
What clearly speaks in favor of the Apple model is the noise cancelling. I have never experienced such silence under a pair of headphones before. Even the previous benchmark—Sony—was clearly surpassed.
The integration into the Apple ecosystem is certainly nice, but it would not be a decisive purchase reason for me, as other devices can also integrate smoothly.
The biggest arguments against buying the Apple headphones, in my view, were the price—almost three times as much as our ISAR—and the limited wearing comfort due to the high weight and the uncomfortable headband. I also did not find the operation or the sound to be appropriate for the price. In my eyes, it is a typical Apple product—and I own many of them.
What I personally missed was the legendary natural ULTRASONE S-LOGIC sound, which allows even a long-haul flight to be enjoyed without listening fatigue. In that respect, no other product on the market can keep up.
Very well marketed, very good build quality, and some good ideas—but not much that others cannot do as well or even better.
Except for the noise cancelling. As I said—that is truly unique.
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