Apple AirPods Max Reviews: Are They Worth The Money?

The best thing about the AirPods Max is their sound, which is nothing short of outstanding. They can easily compete with the Sony WH-1000XM4 in this regard, with a wide, immersive soundstage and carefully balanced profile, with crisp trebles, smooth mids, and powerful bass frequencies.

With high levels of detail and clarity, the AirPods Max reveal elements in your favorite songs that you may not have noticed before – and that’s the mark of a pair of really fantastic-sounding headphones.

The active noise cancellation is also class-leading, sitting shoulder to shoulder with the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 – and the Transparency mode is undeniably handy when you need to quickly tap into your surroundings.

The design, although divisive, is another win for Apple. With large, flat earcups crafted from hunks of stainless steel, the AirPods Max look unmistakably ‘Apple’, focussing on simplicity and functionality.

Unsurprisingly, you do need an iPhone or iPad in order to get the most out of the AirPods Max. They will work with non-Apple products using standard Bluetooth 5.0, but you’ll miss out on many of their unique features. Ultimately, we can’t imagine anyone not already fairly well ensconced in the Apple ecosystem would consider buying a pair. Frankly, we’d be surprised if such a person has made it this far into this review.

Assuming you are a keen Apple user, the AirPods Max are the best wireless headphones you can buy – and not by a small margin. Their authenticity, detail, crispness and spaciousness elevate them so far above the previous best in the wireless noise-cancelling class that the comparison starts to become a little redundant and you instead begin to consider them alongside proper hi-fi products.

There’s no denying that they cost a lot more than typical products in this class but, if sound quality is king, there’s equally no denying that they’re worth it.

But a lot of people want to know whether the AirPods Max sound so much better to justify their high price. And there’s no easy answer. If you’re nitpicky about audio quality, you’ll notice how great these sound. But the Sony 1000XM4s are popular for a reason, and one of them is booming bass, a criteria where they can still handily beat out the AirPods Max. Other noise-canceling headphones like the Sennheiser Momentum 3 Wireless also give Apple a run for its money on sound quality.

When it comes to active noise cancellation, Apple is neck and neck with the very best. The AirPods Max do an equally good job as Sony and Bose at quieting the outside world. They might even be better, but it’s all very close. They aced my tests at the coffee shop, on the subway, and walking through Manhattan. When you do need to hear what’s happening, transparency mode sounds just as natural here — almost like you’re not wearing headphones at all — as with the AirPods Pro. Apple leads the pack on this feature.

It’s really the sound quality itself that takes the AirPods Max to the level above their competition. Put simply, these are the best-sounding wireless headphones I’ve ever heard, and by a significant margin.

I honestly say this as definitively as I can. When they first arrived, I put the AirPods Max against the Sony WH-1000XM4, Bose Noise Cancelling 700, Mont Blanc MB01, Bowers & Wilkins PX7 Carbon, and Shure Aonic 50.

The main difference between these headphones and all the others is how open they sound. From rumbling lows to bright and clear highs, everything finds a spot. Bands appear to be playing in bigger rooms in your mind’s eye, and each instrument becomes more distinct than ever in the fog of busy mixes.

The AirPods Max are the best Apple headphones, so it’s a shame they’re not in a more palatable price range. But these headphones round out Apple’s ecosystem in a way I didn’t think I cared about, and now that they’re here, I’m having a hard time desiring any other over-ear headphones right now. The combination of cushy comfort, pristine audio quality and killer features like spatial audio is hard to beat.

Besides the fact that they’re more compatible for Android users, the Bose 700 and Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones both cost hundreds of dollars less and offer comparable noise cancellation. Plus, both come with practical cases, a headphone jack and an off switch.

If you can look past these caveats and have the dough to spend, the AirPods Max are your ticket to listening luxury. You might feel pressured to hop on the train with Apple’s legion of loyal customers, and I’m here to tell you that’s okay. The AirPods Max aren’t frivolous — they’re exceptional.

Spatial Audio, like many aspects of the Apple AirPods Max, is seriously impressive. It’s wonderfully convincing and, coupled with the headphones’ all-round audio quality, impressive noise cancellation and transparency mode, contributes to a super all-round experience.

Added to which, the AirPods Max are the most luxurious, attractive, well-made headphones I’ve come across, with a headband that takes the weight off the top of your head, making them comfortable for long listening sessions.

But there are weak spots, too. The case isn’t protective enough, Spatial Audio support is currently limited and, most importantly, the loose fit of the ear cups and clamping force of the headband on the side of your head mean the noise-cancelling seal can be easy to break for those with narrower faces and more angular jawlines.

Ultimately, if you can justify the price to yourself you’ll almost certainly not be disappointed with the Apple AirPods Max. They’re undoubtedly a mighty fine pair of headphones with a raft of fantastic features and capabilities

The Apple AirPods Max are big, expensive and flashy noise cancelling-headphones that manage to stand out in a crowded market. They sound fantastic with most genres of music, brilliant with movies including some fancy virtual surround tech, plus superb noise cancelling that matches the best in the business.

As with the firm’s earbuds, the new headphones have Apple-exclusive features, such as spatial audio, instant pairing and automatic switching. Plus seamless device switching, which also works with non-Apple gear.

They are also some of the most comfortable headphones I have worn, particularly over long listening sessions, despite being heavier than most.

But they cost £200 more than some exceedingly good headphones and I do not think they do much to justify the difference. You will also need to spend another £35 for the cable to use them with aeroplane entertainment systems. And the case/bra-thing is just weird, particularly because you need it to turn them off.

I would not recommend them for non-Apple users, but if you are looking to splash the cash on a luxury set of noise-cancelling headphones with exquisite audio, the AirPods Max deliver.