Apple AirPods Max (2020) Overview: Insanely Nice, Insanely Costly

Apple’s noise-canceling is as soon as once more glorious, with HVAC and keyboard noises disappearing immediately. I’m not shocked, on condition that senior author Adrienne So claims her toddlers routinely scare the crap out of her when she’s utilizing the AirPods Professional. By no means worry although, conversationalists: With a fast push of the button on the highest of the headphones, sound from the room is piped into your ears, which makes fast chats a breeze.

It’s actually the sound high quality itself that takes the AirPods Max to the extent above their competitors. Put merely, these are the best-sounding wi-fi headphones I’ve ever heard, and by a big margin.

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

The principle distinction between these headphones and all of the others is how open they sound. From rumbling lows to brilliant and clear highs, all the things finds a spot. Bands seem like enjoying in larger rooms in your thoughts’s eye, and every instrument turns into extra distinct than ever within the fog of busy mixes.

I like listening to detailed pop from newer artists like Billie Eilish, as a result of her brother Finneas’ artistic manufacturing strategies come into full focus. Every little shimmer and growl appears extra distinct than ever. Hip hop is equally enthralling as a result of the bass is punchy and outlined however by no means boomy or car-stereo flabby. 808 kicks and detuned voices by no means mix, and brighter components of every track trip completely atop them.

When listening to hard-panned feels like Elliott Smith’s guitars, they really feel like they’re method on the edges of my musical imaginative and prescient, giving a number of room in the midst of the sound. The overwhelming sense of musical readability is insane for noise-canceling headphones. Some rivals can sustain with Apple’s work higher than others, however typically it is as if you’re pulling a layer of wool off of different flagship noise-canceling headphones while you swap to the AirPods Max.

Good for Films

One other glorious function that units the AirPods Max aside is Spatial Audio that is truly usable. In the event you’re watching on a appropriate app (I watched HBO Max on an iPad), the AirPods Max will simulate object-based {surround} sound like Dolby Atmos, in order that audio results appear to materialize out of imaginary “audio system” positioned throughout you in a 3D house.

Flip your head and the audio stays locked to the unique orientation. It makes sounds a bit extra sibilant (or “brighter”), however the function does actually immerse you within the viewing expertise. It is as if you’re in a real dwelling theater with surround-sound audio system throughout you.

Apple says the AirPods Max USB-C mannequin may even be the one headphones that enable “musicians to each create and blend in Customized Spatial Audio with head monitoring” with the most recent function upgrades, making Spatial Audio all of the extra helpful.

To Purchase or To not Purchase

The AirPods Max, like several $550 accent, are clearly not for everybody. However regardless of their exorbitant price ticket (and some small quirks), the construct high quality, ease of use, and astonishing constancy they provide make them worthy of the fee.

In contrast to different Apple merchandise, these are objectively the perfect of their class. Someplace within the ether, Steve Jobs might be jamming out with delight.

Characteristic Upgrades

Probably the greatest and most appreciated traits of Apple’s high headphones has been the introduction of latest options that assist preserve them not solely related, however aggressive with progressive rivals. After releasing a USB-C mannequin in 2024, Apple added some intriguing new options in March 2025, together with 24-bit/48-kHz lossless audio help when plugged into an Apple gadget up to date with iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and macOS Sequoia 15.4 for AirPods Max with USB-C.

Does that matter? It could depend upon whom you ask. Loads of audio professionals preserve that most individuals can not hear the distinction between a compressed audio monitor and a high-resolution monitor, particularly with right now’s high-quality compressed tracks on streaming providers like Spotify or Apple Music. And in reality, that is what our testing revealed with the AirPods Max. In blind A/B testing between Spotify’s finest compressed tracks and lossless tracks on Apple Music or Tidal, our outcomes had been primarily inconclusive. In different phrases, we could not all the time hear the distinction.

What did make a noticeable distinction was listening to music plugged in versus streaming over Bluetooth. That is excellent news for customers of the Lightning AirPods Max, which didn’t get the lossless audio replace. As such, if you happen to’ve been fascinated by upgrading for the brand new lossless audio help, chances are you’ll or might not discover a distinction—and if you happen to do, it is going to in all probability be minor.

Musicians, producers, and hobbyists might have another excuse to contemplate upgrading to the AirPods Max USB-C, as Apple additionally introduced “ultra-low latency” that ought to make working inside Apple’s music recording apps like Logic Professional a extra seamless expertise. This function can even profit avid gamers and livestreamers because of decrease lag time that Apple claims is on par with “native built-in audio system.” —Ryan Waniata