No-one was stunned by the announcement of the AirPods Max. Apple’s first on-ear headphones had been one of many tech world’s worst-kept secrets and techniques for months.
What did come as a shock was the worth: £549 ($549, AU$899) makes them vastly dearer than the good majority of premium (if we are able to even nonetheless name them that) wi-fi noise-cancelling headphones. Can they probably justify such a relatively enormous outlay?
The quick reply is that sure, they will. They’re so a lot better than the present competitors that, arguably, they cross the road from wi-fi audio into wi-fi hi-fi.
Consolation
Whereas the styling will not be to everybody’s tastes, there may be completely no denying the standard of the supplies and construct of the Apple AirPods Max. Hand somebody a pair of them along with a pair of Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones and they’ll haven’t any bother in any respect believing that there’s a £200 ($200, AU$450) value distinction between them.
The Sonys appear and feel virtually low-cost in contrast with the Apples, which boast pristinely machined, single-piece anodised aluminium ear cups related by a stainless-steel headband. Between the cups and your head are memory-foam cushions that simply encompass even the biggest ears, making a seal that’s each mild and surprisingly efficient at bodily blocking out sound.
The premium supplies make the AirPods Max considerably heavier than the present wireless headphones you may also take into account – at 385g, they weigh greater than 100g greater than the Sony WH-1000XM4, for instance. However, such is the effectiveness of the weight-distributing design, they actually don’t really feel heavy on the top and there are not any pronounced stress factors. We have been dwelling with the AirPods Max for months now and often embark on lengthy, uninterrupted listening periods, and we by no means really feel any discomfort or fatigue.
Apple has resisted the urge to combine contact controls into the design of the AirPods Max, however has additionally, fortunately, not gone totally hands-free. As a substitute, on the highest of the right-hand cup are two bodily controls: a easy button for switching between noise-cancelling modes; and a dial impressed by the digital crown of the Apple Watch. The latter is a very neat and intuitive resolution, though it’s a little too straightforward to knock when adjusting the headphones, and its low resistance means you’ll be able to by accident modify the quantity by slightly giant levels.
That mentioned, when utilizing the crown deliberately, it’s a tactile pleasure. Twist it to extend or lower quantity, click on to play/pause, double-click to skip forwards and triple-click to skip again. Holding the crown down invokes Siri, though by default the AirPods Max are additionally all the time listening for the ‘Hey Siri’ command.
Construct
One other distinctive characteristic of the Apple AirPods Max is their case, which has been slightly humorously in comparison with a bra or a gun holster. Not solely does it look daft, it doesn’t carry out even essentially the most primary perform of a typical case, which is defending the product contained inside from knocks, scratches and grime. This case doesn’t cowl the headscarf or the tops or bottoms of the cups, so is simply vaguely extra protecting than merely shoving them bare into your bag.
Apple AirPods Max tech specs
Kind Over-ear
Bluetooth model 5.0
Noise cancellation Sure
Battery life 20 hours
Voice management assist Sure
Weight 385g
Finishes x5
The case continues to be helpful, in that it prompts the AirPods Max to enter an ultra-low-power mode that may apparently protect the cost for months, however anybody aspiring to take them out of the home even often will wish to critically take into account investing in a third-party case that may shield the headphones in addition to assist their sleep mode. That that’s mandatory is ridiculous, significantly given the worth of the headphones.
One might additionally really feel aggrieved on the lack of a bundled wall charger, though that is at the very least pretty typical of wi-fi headphones nowadays. In the event you don’t have already got one, you’ll wish to price range for a USB-C charger – Apple’s 20W model will set you back £19 ($19, AU$29) however will guarantee you’ll be able to reap the benefits of quick charging for the AirPods Max (a five-minute cost will get you an hour and a half of listening with noise-cancelling switched on).
By way of total battery life, Apple quotes round 20 hours of use from a full cost. That’s considerably lower than you get from the Sony WH-1000XM4, which supply 30 hours, however we discover it laborious to think about many individuals discovering it to be not lengthy sufficient – significantly as our testing suggests it’s a reasonably conservative determine.
The truth that you may get an honest quantity of use out of a really quick cost is especially worthwhile, as a result of Apple hasn’t discovered its approach to together with an audio cable within the field, both. If you wish to use the headphones in a wired capability (with a console controller or in-flight leisure, maybe), the one approach to take action is with the elective £35 ($35, AU$55) Lightning-to-3.5mm cable. Even then, the AirPods Max received’t work in passive mode: if the battery’s lifeless, the headphones are ineffective.
The shortage of bundled equipment makes the AirPods Max seem like slightly poor worth for his or her value, however Apple would presumably declare that what you’re paying for is expertise, engineering and, in the end, high quality that you simply don’t get anyplace else.
On the expertise entrance, Apple has put in considered one of its H1 chips in every of the earcups. Between them, these processors analyse info coming in from eight microphones dotted round and contained in the headphones (there’s additionally a ninth microphone for choosing up your voice, which comes by way of very clearly on calls) to not solely actively block exterior noise but additionally tailor the sound in real-time to the match and seal round your ears. It’s this lively processing that’s distinctive: if any non-Apple headphones are making 200 changes per second, because the AirPods Professional Max are, the producer accountable is remaining peculiarly quiet about it.
By way of acoustic engineering, Apple has developed its personal 40mm driver, which encompasses a twin neodymium ring magnet motor. Apple claims that this design permits the AirPods Max to keep up complete harmonic distortion of lower than one per cent throughout the whole audible vary.
Sound
First issues first, the standard of the noise-cancelling is great. Provided that we’re reviewing throughout a pandemic, we haven’t carried out our common on-flight and even on-bus testing however, utilizing audio system and keen take a look at topics, we’re capable of get a good suggestion of how headphones will carry out in these conditions.
In the end, whereas the Sony WH-1000XM4 appear to be simply marginally higher at blocking fixed, constant noise (engine sounds, for instance), the AirPods Max additionally let little or no by way of right here and are only a contact higher at combatting chit-chat – one thing that’s a lot tougher to do. Briefly, the Apples do an excellent job of limiting how a lot exterior noise makes it by way of to your ears.
If you wish to be extra conscious of what’s happening round you, there’s additionally a Transparency mode, which actively processes exterior noise and pumps it by way of to your ears. There’s a barely artificial high quality to a few of this noise and we’re undecided of how a lot use a Transparency mode is to a pair of headphones akin to this (it’s usually extra helpful with in-ears that is likely to be used whereas exercising exterior), nevertheless it works properly do you have to ever discover you want it.
It’s value declaring, although, that the AirPods Max sound their greatest with each the noise-cancelling and Transparency mode switched off. There’s not lots in it, however there’s positively a slight flattening of dynamics and softening of punch, and the treble turns into slightly extra pronounced when noise-cancelling is switched on. It’s not sufficient that it is best to keep away from utilizing the noise-cancelling however, whenever you’re capable of (which, because of the efficient bodily noise-isolation, ought to be pretty usually) it is best to swap it off to listen to the AirPods Max at their absolute best.
As we embark upon some severe listening, it turns into clear that the AirPods Max are very particular certainly. Kicking off with SBTRKT’s debut album, we’re immediately thrilled by the super-crisp and spacious supply. There’s a level of readability and power that even the Sonys can’t match, they usually sound extra participating and genuine. Lighter on their ft, much more exact and thrilling, they really feel like a big step-up when it comes to sonic sophistication, in addition to construct high quality. Trials Of The Previous positively crackles with power and, whereas the Sonys do an excellent job with this monitor, the Apples add an additional layer of sizzle and assault that’s unimaginable to disregard.
Change to the Tidal Grasp recording of The Highway (by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis) from the movie of the identical identify, and the supply is gorgeous. The AirPods Max nail the attractive inconsistencies within the timing and stress of the piano notes that come from the reside nature of the recording. They’re each natural and exact, with beautiful, refined degradation to the tail of every notice, however a particular, exact finish when the vibration of the strings is stopped. The entire notes are full and stable, lending a physicality to the recording that’s missed by lesser headphones, plus a texture that makes every little thing that bit extra shifting.
The Sonys do properly with this monitor as properly, however the AirPods Max are undeniably extra crisp, exact and spacious. The sound is that bit extra participating on account of that precision, and extra atmospheric because of the added openness and the house given to every instrument. It’s a extra transportative expertise: it feels as should you’re sitting within the room because the musicians mess around you.
Present them with a sterner organisational problem, akin to Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, and the AirPods Max come up trumps as soon as once more. That spaciousness performs a giant half as soon as extra, making a soundstage that mixes substance and airiness, and their dynamic capability ensures that the low-level, threatening chanting is thrillingly juxtaposed with the massive crescendo.
The Apples are revealing sufficient to reveal poor recordings, significantly within the excessive frequencies, however right here the treble is great, with the triangle on the finish twinkling brilliantly. The entire presentation is organised so exactly that even at its busiest, the monitor is straightforward to make sense of. The AirPods Max by no means change into confused and the presentation by no means turns into muddled.
Up the offended ante with Kenai by 36 Crazyfists and the AirPods Max thrill as soon as extra with the tempo and assault of the supply. They’re so pushed and in your face, however in precisely the way in which the monitor calls for. The supply from the Sonys is smoother but additionally much less clear and crisp. It takes the sting off a bit, and that’s not an excellent factor right here.
Change from music to motion pictures and the AirPods Max have a trick up their sleeve within the type of spatial audio, which offers a digital encompass sound expertise from 5.1, 7.1 and even Dolby Atmos content material. Not solely that, however built-in head monitoring implies that the sound is all the time relative to the display screen, even whenever you transfer your head or the iPhone or iPad on which you’re watching.
All informed, the impact is great. The entire presentation could be very open, spacious and convincing, and the monitoring is amazingly clean and correct as you progress your head.
The opening of Gravity is recreated brilliantly by the AirPods Max. The location of the varied voices coming by way of the radio is brilliantly exact and convincing, there’s wonderful weight to the boring thumps towards the satellite tv for pc and the heavy bass notes of the soundtrack, excellent all-round readability, and wonderful dynamics because the peaceable scene turns threatening after which catastrophic. It’s straightforward to neglect that you simply’re listening utilizing headphones, such is the spaciousness of the supply. It’s terrifically cinematic.
To many potential patrons, maybe the film efficiency is a reasonably low precedence; however to some it may very well be a giant deal – significantly frequent flyers who wish to flip their lengthy haul flights into digital journeys to the cinema. And, in fact, that is one thing you don’t get from rival fashions, as you want that collaboration between the supply and the headphones. Merely put, combining an iPad with a pair of AirPods Max headphones will get you essentially the most convincing transportable cinema expertise that we are able to consider.
Verdict
Unsurprisingly, you do want an iPhone or iPad with the intention to get essentially the most out of the AirPods Max. They may work with non-Apple merchandise utilizing normal Bluetooth 5.0, however you’ll miss out on lots of their distinctive options. In the end, we are able to’t think about anybody not already pretty properly ensconced within the Apple ecosystem would take into account shopping for a pair. Frankly, we’d be stunned if such an individual has made it this far into this overview.
Assuming you’re a eager Apple person, the AirPods Max are the perfect wi-fi headphones you should buy – and never by a small margin. Their authenticity, element, crispness and spaciousness elevate them thus far above the earlier greatest within the wi-fi noise-cancelling class that the comparability begins to change into slightly redundant and also you as a substitute start to think about them alongside correct hi-fi merchandise.
There’s no denying that they value much more than typical merchandise on this class however, if sound high quality is king, there’s equally no denying that they’re value it.
SCORES
MORE:
Try our round-up of the best noise-cancelling headphones
Learn our Sony WH-1000XM4 review
Learn our Bowers & Wilkins PX7 review
Try the best Apple deals reside now
https://www.whathifi.com/us/evaluations/apple-airpods-max | Apple AirPods Max overview | What Hello-Fi?
