The AirPods Max

(A note from Kurtis - The Connected is an article-a-page site that reviews a variety of products related to technology and my interests. Click on Apropos for more information. I will usually post a new article 2-3 times a week, so, if you love deep-dive reviews with lots of pictures, please check back often!)

The first article I wrote for this site was about my Beats Studio3 Wireless headphones. I shared it in a few places, and I’m pretty sure most people who saw it were wondering - what’s the point of reviewing a device that’s years old that everybody already knows about?

Well, my plan moving forward will be to continue writing not just about new things I buy, but old things I use and love, including, eventually, some classic devices like the old iPod Shuffle. Today, though, I’ll be writing about something that is probably more relevant to peoples' immediate interests: the AirPods Max.

The Design
One of the reasons why Apple stands above many other companies is the amount of effort and consideration they put into how they design their products. When they release something, it is always distinctly Apple. Probably because of their focus on design, Apple usually finds themselves under a microscope when it comes to any new product. A quick search on Reddit, or MacRumors, will reveal a long history of Apple fans (or haters?) ripping apart whatever new product they release, decrying its look, use, and cost, predicting that a failure is imminent, only to be proven wrong a few years later.

The original AirPods were certainly an example of that. People mocked their look, and questioned why anybody would spend hundreds of dollars on something that is effectively no difference than $40 EarPods, except for the lack of a couple of wires. Then, people started buying them, they started using them, and they realized just how revolutionary they were. Now, AirPods are everywhere.

That instinctive, “it’s ugly, I hate it, and way too expensive, who would buy it?” response was, of course, frequently expressed in the days after the AirPods Max launched, and yet, within hours, new orders for the headphones from Apple’s website saw their promised delivery dates pushed into February and March.

So, what do they actually look like in person? How does it feel to use them? What about the “bra” carrying case? Let’s take a closer look.

Unboxing an Apple product is always an experience. I was in a bit of a hurry when I unboxed my pair - apologies that the quality of the photos aren’t great. When you slide the lid off, you get what you expect. A clean, no-frills presentation that informs the buyer on exactly what to anticipate from these headphones.

The carrying case is, by all accounts, the worst part of the AirPods Max experience. People have expressed the view that they look silly, they don’t protect the silicon headband, and, when they are being carried, they resemble a purse. Truthfully, and I might be the only person who feels this way, I have few problems with the case.

Think about the design of the AirPods and AirPods Pro. Encased in a wireless, protective shell, the cases for those two products offers up a powerful visual that literally every other company has since copied following their releases. The AirPods Max carrying case is designed to remind you of the other versions of AirPods. They also serve to place the headphones into a low-battery deep-sleep mode, which preserves the 20+ hour battery life which accompanies the headphones. Would a more traditional hard case have been better? Perhaps. It certainly would have been less controversial. But most users aren’t going to go out in public just carrying headphones around with them - they are going to place them in bags or backpacks, along with any number of other devices, and the AirPods Max case protects both the aluminum shell and the earphones themselves from being damaged by whatever else is in your bag.

Probably the one big issue I have with the case is the charge notch. It’s not “broken” by any means, but it seems like a mistake of design that Apple would allow something like this to go into production. It simply doesn’t line up with the lightning port used for charging. It’s still usable, but the fact that it doesn’t line up perfectly is simply not something I expect from Apple.

Let’s talk about the actual headphones now. Apple has boldly chosen to produce these headphones without branding. But if you think about it, it makes sense. Everybody knows what Apple products look like. And the AirPods Max are unmistakably Apple. The AirPods Max’s cups are anodized aluminum, a fairly bold choice in the over-ear headphones market. This makes them heavier than average headphones, although the heaviness is mitigated by the mesh headband.

The headband is made from a breathable knit mesh, and is incredibly comfortable. If you read my previous article about the Beats headphones, you might remember - I have a giant head. Like, a giant head. Historically, every pair of headphones I’ve worn have been uncomfortable after a short period of time. The AirPods Max feel like they were built for my head size - and they should also certainly be comfortable for people with ordinary-sized craniums.

The AirPods Max are adjustable to fit larger and smaller heads through a stainless steel frame, which can be slid to extend size fairly easily, but while requiring enough force to mean they won’t accidentally be moved out of your preferred setting.

The AirPods Max also come with an innovative means of controlling sound and noise cancellation. I’ll write more about both of those features later in this article. Closely resembling the Apple Watch, the volume control is managed by a digital crown. I found the default volume settings to be counter-intuitive, but you are able to go into the settings on your phone to change it to your tastes. Pressing on the digital crown in different ways is also how the user controls play, pause, next track, or previous track. Noise cancellation is controlled by the only real “button” on the headphones. An avid AirPods Pro wearer, I’ve always found it slightly difficult to differentiate between when noise cancellation is on or off - but with the AirPods Max, the difference is instantaneous and unmistakable.

Choosing to go with textile mesh wraps, rather than leather, for the earcups was a bold move by Apple. When people are spending tons of money on earphones, they expect a premium look/feel, which normally means soft leather, or leather-like material. The AirPods Max definitely look premium even with their mesh, and as someone who has the propensity to sweat a lot, I greatly appreciate the breathable nature of the wraps.

But here’s the big question - are they comfortable? In my Beats Studio3 article, I wrote a lot about ear fatigue and how I’ve literally never owned a pair of headphones that don’t hurt my ears after a fairly short period of time. The AirPods Max, thankfully, are the first to overcome that obstacle. They are also the first over-ear headphones I’ve owned that actually fit completely over my ears. (And it’s not like my ears are gigantic.) The mesh is designed to work like memory foam, and to adjust to your ear shape the more they are used.

The earphones are also magnetic, and easily replaceable. As I will discuss under the “issues” section, I’m glad that I can remove them so easily, as some people have reported that the AirPods Max’s cups are notorious for retaining moisture, which we wouldn’t know about if we couldn’t take the earcups off to check.

Ultimately, in terms of design, I’ve never seen a pair of headphones as beautiful as these. They are pleasant with which to interact, and it’s clear that a lot of thought went into their creation.

As an addendum, I almost forgot to mention that the headphones come in an assortment of colours. I chose silver, though I really, really had trouble between that and the space greys. I’m not a big fan of non-neutral colours, such as the green, sky blue, or pink options, but anytime I’ve seen them, their colours appear quite understated to me, and not at all garish. I could easily see myself wearing the sky blue AirPods Max.

The Sound
Ok, fine, looks are important, but most important - how do they sound?

I am not an audiophile. I am hardly a music expert, and I have not gotten to 41 years of living without having suffered some amount of hearing loss, just like everyone else. But, to my ears, they sound amazing. Before I bought them, I watched a lot of videos on YouTube in which people discussed the sound, especially in comparison to industry leaders like Sony and Bose, and per their reviews, the AirPods Max were comparable. Maybe better, but not better enough to justify the added expense.

But pretty much none of those reviews actually addressed the killer feature of these headphones - Spacial Audio. Spacial Audio is Apple’s secret sauce to producing incredible devices designed for listening to music and consuming media. When I watch a movie from home - really my only option right now, due to COVID - I can feel immersed in sound similar to my experiences in IMAX and VIP movie theaters here in Toronto. Spacial Audio creates the illusion that I am in a room surrounded with speakers. If the film I’m watching includes explosive sounds which are meant to come from “behind” the viewer, then, with Spacial Audio, they sound as though the source is actually behind you.

As to the audio profile of the headphones, to my untrained ear, music is crisp and all-encompassing. And, though my experience is somewhat limited with Noise Cancellation, that feature, coupled with Apple’s Transparency Mode, is ridiculous. With a simple push of a button, I can literally remove the sounds of whatever room I’m in, even in those cases when I’m someplace noisy. And by turning Noise Cancellation off, and entering into Transparency Mode, the numerous microphones Apple has placed throughout the headphones creates an effect that honestly feels like a magic trick. I can go from hearing nothing to hearing everything as if I had nothing covering my ears. It’s crazy how cool that feature is to use.

In terms of the “cons” of how sound, I have very few. It boils down to adjustability. Many top-end headphone companies offer apps that allow the user to adjust how the music is played, such as lowering the mids, or increasing the bass, but Apple has chosen to manage that for you. I’m perfectly happy with how they sound, but I suspect that some people out there would like to be able to adjust how the sound comes through.

The Cost
The question of “are they worth it,” is really a personal one. Is it really worth buying a pair of headphones that you might use for a couple of hours a day, when, for the same price, you could be well on your way toward buying a new computer, or phone? I can’t answer that for you. But, without a doubt, $549.00+tax is a hefty price tag.

For me, even though I had to pay a higher premium because I live in Canada, the headphones are worth the cost. My biggest focus is on two fronts - how they sound, and how they connect. (What else would you expect from a site literally called “The Connected”?) Having the ability to easily, almost always flawlessly transfer my AirPods Max from my phone, to my iMac, to my iPad, or to my MacBook makes these headphones totally worth the cost. If you aren’t fully engrossed in the Apple ecosystem, though, I can’t imagine that they would possibly be worth it for you.

Issues?
Apart from the cost, probably the biggest issue/concern with the AirPods Max has been the news reports surrounding the collection of moisture in the ear cups. From what I’ve seen and read, even when the wearer is not particularly hot/sweating, aluminum serves as a heat sink and, after prolonged periods, can produce moisture behind the textile mesh wraps. This is potentially a huge issue, because prolonged, or prolific exposure to moisture could eventually begin to damage the machinery within the earphones.

However, what I will say is that I haven’t encountered that issue a single time. I’m sure it’s possible, based on pure science, that many AirPods Max produce internal moisture when worn for long periods of time, but I’ve worn the headphones for multiple hours and have never seen a drop of moisture behind the cups. I’ll even mention this - I’ve worn them while watching movies, or shows, and eating incredibly spicy food and have still never had an issue with moisture. It’s an issue you should be aware of, and if you buy a pair, I would absolutely recommend that you check them regularly, but it does not appear to be a universal issue with the headphones. In fact, I would guess that it’s an issue in a minority of them.

The other issue I’ll briefly mention is the weight. By all metrics, these are heavy, and certainly are a lot heavier than many popular headphones on the market. Maybe it’s just a symptom of the size of my head, but I’ve never felt any kind of discomfort while wearing them. The headband is designed to offset the weight, and it performs splendidly.

Final Thoughts
The AirPods Max are now my go-to headphones for when I want to seriously listen to music, or watch a movie or TV show on one of my devices. They are expensive, but they are beautifully designed (even the criticism against the carrying case is overblown in my opinion), and they offer killer features that no other headphone on the market can match (at least, for now). Do you need these? Does anybody really need $549 headphones? Of course not, but these are a luxury item that will change the way you consume media for the better.

I was really on the fence about buying them. I honestly feel a bit guilty, especially in consideration of the cost. But I’m happy to own them, and would buy them again if given the opportunity to do so.