Apple Airpods Max

Apple Airpods Max

Apple Airpods Max

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BEST RATING
Battery Life:
5.0
MUSIC: Good7.3/10
CALLS: Fair6.6/10
GAMING: Poor5.5/10
TV: Poor5.7/10
PODCASTS & AUDIOBOOKS: Very Good8.0/10
EXERCISE: Fair6.2/10
AIR TRAVEL: Excellent9.4/10
NOISE REDUCTION: Best in Class10.0/10
BUILD QUALITY: Excellent9.0/10
BATTERY: Best in Class10.0/10

The Apple Airpods Max are over-ear, closed-back headphones known for excellent build quality, comfort, and noise isolation, making them ideal for air travel and environments where you want to block out distractions. They're wireless with the option for a wired connection and have a good reputation for sound quality and a built-in microphone that is suitable for calls. However, for gaming and TV, they may not be the best due to lower performance scores in those areas. They are not sweat or dustproof, which makes them less ideal for exercise, but they do offer 21 hours of battery life for extended listening sessions. They're optimized for Apple devices and support features like ear/head detection and have an integrated mic. The headphones can be folded for easier portability, though they're on the heavier side at 385.5 grams. Keep in mind, they are considered a high-end product, which is reflected in their price. Give Feedback

this description is based on the product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars.




Evaluation

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Pros
  • Very good overall sound quality
  • Good comfort and build quality
  • Excellent noise isolation
  • Optimized for Apple devices
  • Has a detachable cable
Cons
  • Fair portability, not foldable
  • Poor score for gaming, TV watching
  • Average battery life, no wireless charging
  • Pricey relative to competition

Ratings by Category

Battery Life:
5.0
The Battery Life rating is based on hours of typical, actual usage.
Air Travel:
4.9
This score evaluates the product for use on airplanes and other similar kinds of travel. It takes into account noise reduction and portability, including case shape, case size, and weight. It also incorporates the battery life of the product, long-haul comfort, noise reduction (both active and passive), and sound quality. We generally consider wireless products to be more suitable for air travel.
Podcasts & Audiobooks:
4.4
This score evaluates the product when used solely to listen to podcasts or audiobooks. It takes into account sound quality and sound signature, to be able to keep voices clear and intelligible. It also considers battery life, when available, and comfort.
Music:
4.2
The Apple Airpods Max deliver very good overall sound quality with closed enclosures that help in creating a private listening experience, and, although they do not support lossless codecs wirelessly, they do have virtual surround sound which can enhance the spaciousness of audio.
Calls:
3.6
This evaluates the product when used solely to make and receive calls. It takes into account how well the products are able to clearly reproduce the human voice, the quality of the integrated microphones and the battery life, when available, to be able to use them for longer sessions or conferences.
Portability:
3.5
The Portability score is based on an overall assessment that includes volume and maximum dimension of the product (and case, if relevant), and its weight. Special features like foldability for headphones are also taken into account.
Exercise:
3.2
This score evaluates the product when used for exercise and physical activity. It mainly takes into account comfort, whether or not the products are sweatproof and how secure are the earbuds or headphones while wearing them. We also consider products with wireless capabilities to be more suitable for this particular scenario

Full Specs

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GENERAL

Price
$549
Brand
Apple
Release Date
December 1, 2020
Form Factor
Headphones
Connectivity
Wired + Wireless

SOUND

Music Score
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7.4/10
Phone Calls Score
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6.6/10
Gaming Score
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5.5/10
TV and Video Score
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5.8/10
Exercise Score
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6.2/10

PERFORMANCE

Battery life
21 Hours
Wireless charging
No
Charging time
2 Hours
Bluetooth version
5

FEATURES

Active Noise Cancelling
Yes
Noise Reduction Score
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10/10
Virtual Surround
Yes
Android App
No
iOS App
Yes
Mic Quality
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7/10

BUILD AND DESIGN

Build Quality
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9/10
Comfort score
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7/10
Weight
385.5 Grams
Microphone style
Integrated
Waterproof Rating
0

Shopping

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Apple Airpods Max

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Sound Guys

Adam Molina | July 2023
"Objectively, the AirPods Max is a spectacular pair of headphones. I appreciate the smart features like auto-pause and the transparency mode are super practical. It also sounds great, is well-built, and has solid battery life."

Comparison charts

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This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec earbuds & headphones team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest earbuds or headphones information and makes it digestible for you.

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About the Earbuds or Headphones team

Joe Golden, Ph.D

CEO and Earbuds and Headphones Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.

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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.

Chandradeep Chowdhury

Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.

Luis Torres

Earbuds and Headphones Expert
Luis is a Mexico-based headphones expert. He’s been making headphone recommendations for five years and has close to 100 pairs in his personal collection.

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