Apple Airpods Max: Specs

• Weight: 385g
• Dimensions: 187.3 mm X 168.6 mm X 83.4 mm (H X W X D)
• Noise cancellation: Yes
• Battery life: 20 hours
• Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0
• Chip: Apple H1 headphone chip (each ear cup)
• Controls: Digital Crown, Noise control button, Siri

Apple Airpods Max: Design

The Apple AirPods Max stirred up quite a fuss not just with their price but also with their appearance. They stand out from other headphones with their big flat earpieces made from stainless steel and a unique carrying case. Some folks see them as sleek and simple, while others find them lacking in features. 

Apple AirPods Max seem special compared to other headphones, feeling solid and high-quality for the price. Due to the stainless steel earpieces, they're quite heavy at 385g. This weight might be a bit much to carry around all day. However, they're quite comfy to wear, though may not be as comfortable as the Sony WH-1000XM4.

The AirPods Max have minimal on-ear controls, including a Digital Crown dial like the one on the Apple Watch. This dial allows precise volume control and managing audio playback and calls. There's also a noise control button for switching between noise cancellation and Transparency mode. The earpiece also features an Apple Lightning port for charging but lacks a 3.5mm audio port.

Another design choice causing debate is the Smart Case. People have noticed its strange look and compared it to things like a bra or a sleeping mask. Unfortunately, it doesn't fully keep the headphones safe. The headband is still exposed, which makes it easy to damage. Also, the rubbery material it's made from gets dirty and scratched easily, making it look less nice. 

Apple Airpods Max: Audio Performance

The audio quality provided by the Apple AirPods Max is exceptional. They deliver a wide and well-balanced soundstage, allowing each instrument to stand out clearly. Plus, they have neat features like pausing music automatically when you take them off and Spatial Audio, making them quite special.

The AirPods Max are versatile for all music genres, from pop with strong vocals to hip-hop with deep basslines. Unlike the AirPods Pro, they handle classical music well too. Listening to Mozart's Jupiter, the grand opening felt expansive, and the delicate flute passages were handled with precision.

Despite their high price, the AirPods Max have limited support for Hi-Res Audio files, mainly Apple's own Apple Digital Masters tracks available through Apple Music. This limitation feels disappointing considering the price, especially now that Apple Music offers Lossless Audio without support from the AirPods Max.

Spatial Audio

Similar to the AirPods and AirPods Pro, the AirPods Max are equipped with the Apple H1 chip in each earcup. This chip boasts 10 audio cores, enabling features like Adaptive EQ, active noise cancellation, Transparency mode, and Spatial Audio.

Spatial Audio, introduced with iOS 14 and initially available on the AirPods Pro, works with content in 5.1, 7.1, and Dolby Atmos formats. It creates a virtual sphere of sound around the listener, allowing for an immersive experience. 

What's special about Spatial Audio is that the AirPods Max can track head movements using built-in accelerometers, gyroscopes, and the position of your iOS device. This means that as you move your head, the audio adjusts to maintain its origin from the screen.

To experience Spatial Audio, you need content available in surround formats like Apple TV Plus, Disney Plus, and HBO Max. While Netflix and Amazon Prime Video haven't added surround sound support for their iOS apps yet, stereo content can still be converted to Spatial Audio using the AirPods Max or AirPods Pro settings on your device.

Testing Spatial Audio with content from Apple TV Plus on the AirPods Max proved to be very effective. While it may not replicate a true Dolby Atmos setup, it significantly enhances the immersion of movie-watching, especially for those who enjoy TV shows and films on an iPhone or iPad.

Noise Cancellation

The noise cancellation capability of the Apple AirPods Max is quite strong, comparable to popular models like the Sony WH-1000XM4 and the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700.

Each ear cup of the AirPods Max has three microphones facing outward to pick up surrounding noise, while one microphone inside the ear cup monitors the sound reaching your ear. 

Using the AirPods Max in noisy environments, such as working in a loud kitchen or traveling, provides a sense of peace and quiet.

The Transparency mode is also handy; by pressing the noise cancellation button on the right earcup, you can allow environmental sounds to pass through the headphones. This feature is useful for quick conversations without pausing your music.

Battery Life and Connectivity

Apple states that the AirPods Max can deliver up to 20 hours of high-quality audio, talk time, or movie playback. This might not seem like a lot at first, but considering it includes Active Noise Cancellation, it's actually quite impressive.

Typically, the best over-ear headphones offer around 30 hours of battery life, but even many good models only manage around 20 hours. Either way, it's usually enough for a full day or two of use, depending on how much you use them.

The claimed battery life seems accurate, and the Smart Case helps conserve power. However, it's odd that you can't actually turn off the AirPods Max. Nonetheless, after leaving them in the Smart Case overnight several times, there wasn't a noticeable drop in battery life.

For connectivity, Bluetooth 5 is used, ensuring fast and stable pairing. You shouldn't experience connection drops as long as you stay within about 800 feet or put thick walls between the AirPods Max and your phone.

Apple specifies that the AirPods Max require certain Apple devices for full functionality, such as iOS 14.3 or later, iPadOS 14.3 or later, macOS Big Sur 11.1 or later, watchOS 7.2 or later, or tvOS 14.3 or later. While they can work with Android and Windows devices, features like Spatial Audio and Automatic Switching won't be available without one of the mentioned Apple devices.

Final Thoughts

The Apple AirPods Max are a truly excellent pair of over-ear headphones—and among the best-sounding headphones. They're incredibly easy to use and noise cancellation stands up to the best in the bunch and they look sleek and a little unusual.

However, they're incredibly expensive and there are limitations for Android users. There's also no 3.5mm audio port here either, which means we'd only recommend them to iOS users with a lot of money to spare—and no interest in Hi-Res Audio.