Apple Announces $549 AirPods Max Over-Ear Wireless Headphones

Here in Canada, these puppies will set you back $780 (+ taxes). I was so looking forward to buying myself one of these pairs for the holidays, but when I saw the price tag, I almost spat my coffee onto my work laptop.

I honestly don't care how great they might sound, at this extremely high Canadian price tag, I'm not willing to find out. Way too expensive as far as I'm concerned.

As with all of Apple's products, these are *way* overpriced. They'll have to meet or exceed every single one of their touted features for me to even consider these headphones. I hope we see some reviews of them here.

I'm hoping someone who wears hearing aids will report what they think of these AirPods. I record and edit music in my home studio, so I have to wear headphones, but the headphones that I wear cause my hearing aids to produce feedback, which is not good at all. The AirPods Max's interior microphone gives me hope, though, that the noise cancelling technology will pick up when my hearing aids are producing feedback and will automatically correct the problem. The price tag is high, but for me, it would be well worth it to get hi fi headphones that don't cause that headache-making squeal.

I would agree with Jeff. While these sound like great headphones, they sound very similar to the Bose 700, which are almost half the price. I'm waiting for some reviews to see if people really think they sound that much better and are worth the extra money.

great announcement. too much money. but from reading on it, it sounds great.

I just got the original Airpods Pro a few months ago because when buying my house I got a $300 source gift card. These sound amazing and all, but wow. If I'm spending that much on headphones, they better have true surround sound, not whatever spacial audio tries to be. That's the price of a Playstation 5! Even my Sony 7.1 surround sound headphones weren't that expensive. Granted they don't have some of those other features but still! It genuinely seems like Apple is getting more and more expensive. I genuinely love their products, but I'm not rich.

I would go for them if and only if they had 7.1 surround sound, and they were about $200 off. I am not paying $549 for a headset and let's say another $700 for a phone. No thanks.

I think these are going to end up like the full size homepod, where they had to cut the price because people weren't willing to buy it at $350 (i got mine for only slightly less). I laughed at everyone comparing it to the amazon echo and google home, but it turns out people generally cared more about the perceived better smarts of Alexa and Google Assistant than they did about the high quality sound first that Apple was pitching with the HP.

I don't think I'll end up getting these, but I'll definitely be taking a look at them whenever the Apple stores here decide to reopen. I don't think you can really get a good idea of whether you will like headphones just by reading/watching reviews on YouTube since sound preference is a very subjective thing. Never mind that some of those reviews are written or produced in a way just to get clicks.

Yeah that's true. I do want to see what they look like. If ready player 2 world were real, I could just log on, feel them, and log out, and not buy.. Btw, orders have been pushed to early march for delivery. these are I think being eaten up like hot cakes.

I agree with the people who are saying that these are a bit too expensive... personally, I'm super excited. I currently have the Sony WH1000XM2"s, which are an older model of Sony headphones... Can't wait to see / hear review's on these headphones though... I think I'll get them if the reviewers are happy. :-)

I was surprised by the high price, but I placed an order anyway. My current over ear headphones are the Bose QC35's, and while they've served me well over the years, their behavior and audio quality during a Siri interaction leave something to be desired, and they of course don't provide a transparency mode with the closest thing being the complete disabling of noise cancelation which also disables the other audio processing normally performed by the headphones.

I wanted to try spatial audio when I first heard about it, but I don't believe AirPod Pro would have been a viable option for me given that I have a lot of ear blockages. I'll be satisfied with the AirPod Max headset if it provides audio quality on par with my existing AirPod earbuds, and if the noise canceling and transparency modes work well.

My youngest brother once suggested that my purchase of Apple products was like a hobby. To an extent, that's probably an accurate description since I generally enjoy buying Apple products, and I have the money to afford their premium pricing. Whether you love or hate Apple, for the most part, the products they make aren't crap, and even the packaging has a kind of perfection that's rarely found in the packaging of most other consumer products.

With taxes included, it will cost the same as a basic ipad pro in my country. If anyone gave me one as a gift I'd be very satisfied, but I just don't see myself spending money in such an expensive headphone.

Seriously? This is beyond ridiculous! This is almost as ridiculous as the $999 monitor stand for the iMac Pro. Not the monitor, a monitor stand! Hahahahaha! What are these people smoking? The only Apple product I'm willing to buy anymore is the iPod Touch. Everything is unreasonably expensive.

yep, and most models and colors of the device are now sold out. Uh, wow? I'm actually surprised people want to buy these. I do get the feeling though that they will have to eventually lower the price after all the backlash they might be getting via emails etc re the price.

For all you hi-fi fans, a question.

My iPhone sends as good as it gets music to my 7.1.4 surround sound system via Air Play, and the fidelity (like I said) is as good as it gets because there is zero compression. Loss Less out of the phone, Loss Less into the surround system, Loss Less out of all those beautiful speakers.

So what's my question?

Why can't we send loss less music from our iPhones to top hi-fi headphone made by Apple via Air Play? Why would Apple foolishly offer hi-fi headphones at this price that could only play bluetooth compressed music? Are we certain these headphones cannot play Air Play? Yes, I know, you'll say Air Play only sends to sound systems like stereos or TV's. And we can't send loss less music to headphones via Air Play . . . because . . . why?

Probably because apple closed that part of the code for their own devices. Think about the use of the stereo mics. Only third party apps can use this part of their API.

Hey every buddy. I love over-ear head-phones and this is perfect for me! I can trade my new apple watch witch I was about to get one. when I heard that the Airpod-max are coming I changed my mind.

Wow. That price though. I could get a pair of studio headphones for less money and they'd probably blow these out of the water. No way am I spending 549 bucks on a pair of these.

Looks like these will in fact support wired playback. Apple sells a lightning to 3.5 cable that says it's compatible with the AirPods Max and the Beats Solo Pros. Doesn't look like it's included though.

I agree with a comment I saw on another forum that if these are successful, other established headphone companies like Bose, Sony, et al will release higher end headphones to compete, which would be a win win for everyone. Look at the number of truly wireless ear buds that came out after the first generation AirPods.

Well, this means competition, and other companies can try and make their products better, or fail trying. I hope not?

Well, since that won't be able to be bought in the USA anymore starting in a while, I won't be able to tplay with them.

Subject line says it all. And in reference to an earlier comment, if an $80 set of noise cancelling earphones can include a cable for a wired connection, the fact that Apple doesn't include one in it's headphones that cost nearly seven times as much becomes even more highly offensive. If you want more info on these headphones, look them up on Youtube.

I love my 60 dollar headphones. I'm using them now. I also have a 120 dollar pair of headphones I use on iOs that work grate.

way too pricey in my country! I'm fine with my boat over the year headphones for now.
IPhone xr when I last checked was cheaper than this though pleasee don't quote me.
I'm excited to watch the unboxing videos though because the packaging of apple products is amazing and I love unboxing videos anyway :)

Subject line says it all really.

With early orders due to arrive from today, I would be keen to hear if anybody on here has a set yet and some initial thoughts to share?

For lossless CD rips, I use wired headphones and a DAC. For Apple Music, podcasts, movies and audio books, the AirPods Max is IDEAL pending further reviews.

I'm looking to replace the Sony WH1000-XM3 because the bass is flabby.

I would hope for the huge asking price that the audio quality would be much more than simply on par with your Air Pods. Heck for that price they should just be 7.1 compatible.

I have a question for those who have purchased and received them. As I understand it, turning the digital crown adjusts the volume. A YouTube review I listened to said that this allows for fine volume adjustment. I am wondering if this is so. Adjusting the volume using the buttons on the iPhone adjusts the volume in one sixteenth increments (6.25%). However, you can adjust the volume in control center by dragging the slider in less than one percent increments. Which way does the crown work? Does it in fact allow for fine adjustment or does it adjust in one sixteenth steps like the volume buttons on the phone?

How did I not know you could fine-adjust the volume in control center? I always assumed iot had the same increments. Mind blown.

I knew SIRI could change volume, but I'll have to try doing it to make finer adjustments.

For those who are in my close circle, I'm known as the "Headphone King",. I have a bin full of wireless headphones including:

• Headphones: SteelSeries Arctis 1, Razor Opus, Bose QuietComfort 35 II, Bose Noise Canceling 700, and AirPods Max;
• Earbuds: AirPods 2, AirPods Pro, Sony WF-1000XM3, Bose QuietComfort Noise Canceling Earbuds;
• Other: Aftershokz Air, Bose Frames.

Note: these are at least the ones that I remember or find worthwhile.

I am not even going to pretend to justify my headphone collection on the apocalypse and work from home. I had most of these from "The Before Time" and picked up a few this year to finally hit euphoria...

My desire has been to remove all friction and frustration from the Audio experience, making for high fidelity, near 0 latency, and where I don't feel they're on my head--immersive audio AR!

When I read that AirPods Max were out (ran out to my wife, showed her, said "you're not going to believe what came out!", and I don't want them), my wife pre-ordered them in Sky Blue before I knew it, but I didn't want to wait 12-14 weeks until March, so stood in-line for an hour on launch day, Dec 15, I was first in-line, and had AirPods Max Sky Blue in-hand in just over 5-mins, and it took longer to get them out of the box then it did for them to connect to my iPhone 12 Pro and it then was also available to my M1 MacBook Air.

Over the past couple of weeks, I have been able to really test them, push them to their limits, and fully understand and appreciate the AirPods Max.

Since 15-days ago, I have disconnected my Shure MV88+ or Apogee MiC Plus, and Twelve South AirFly Pro that are paired to Bose Noise Canceling 700. I did get these for video conferences (WebEx, Teams, Zoom, Meet) due to previously experiencing unreliable connections resulting in, it not connecting, dead battery, VoiceOver lagging, audio fading, and not to mention the multiple things that needed to be set.

AirPods Max microphone quality in video conferences and recordings sounds on the same level as my 2 dedicated microphones, the audio quality with VoiceOver and conferences is immersive, latency is non-issue with VoiceOver even while multitasking during meetings, and they are extremely comfortable to where I don't even feel like I have anything on my head. Using AirPods Max in video conferences and with VoiceOver feels like an engaging, immersive, and seamless audio AR experience. It's a true dream, euphoria, and delightful pleasant experience for a blind person.

I did order and get the Lightning to 3.5 mm Audio Cable, which I used once to test, and found out I don't need it because the wireless connectivity is spectacular and amazing! On Xmas, I saw that WaterField Designs (makers of great quality cases for Apple products) announced for pre-orders Best AirPods Max Shield Case which I have on my way in Blue!

I certainly appreciate a fantastic pair of headphones. But that's one heck of a collection. Doesn't having that many get redundant after a while though? Or is it just like a person with a huge shoe collection; whatever feels right on a given day?

Either way this is certainly high praise. Still can't justify the exorbitant price myself, but I do admit to being curious.

I get the environmental reasons for not including cables. Many times people already have them. Me, I hardly need another lightning to USB cord. But saying that, because they aren't shipping so many (and thus likely saving a lot of cost) I see no reason (other than corporate gred) they couldn't lower the price of purchasing the cables from what they were.

Hi All. I am considering getting the Airpod Max, but I need information from those who have them.

First, did you try them wired? If so, did you notice any change in latency compared to wireless?

Second, did you notice any improvement in music fidelity when you wore them wired? Did you try listening to a loss less source (meaning ultra hi-fi)?

Next, I wear hearing aids, and I get quite a bit of feedback from my Bose Quiet Comfort 35's. Tom (who did the podcast) also wears hearing aids. In his podcast, he said he has had no feedback issues with his Airpod Max.

Do you wear hearing aids? If so, have you had any feedback issues, and what hearing aids do you wear?

Next, does transparency mode turn off the primary signal (music, TV, whatever), or does it simply add outside-headphones sound to what you are already hearing?

Have you tried wearing the Airpod Max lying down? What was the Airpod Max comfort level then?

Second to last, can you continue using the Airpod Max, either wired or wirelessly, while charging the batteries?

Last, do you have the new third party case for the Airpod Max. What do you like and dislike about it?

Thank you for any information you choose to offer.
Bruce

I hope to answer some of the questions asked here.

As I was also hoping to hear of another Apple AirPods Max user on this topic. Hopefully, we will receive one.

In the meantime, I thought I weigh in in what I know and hope to put some of the questions asked to being answered.

Firstly, as mentioned in another forum post of my experience of the AirPods Max with my hearing aids. I have the Phonak brand. Thankfully, I can take my headphones down to my nearest audiologist to perform various feedback tests. This allows to eliminate when you are using a tight conformed headphone to not have any feedback. I must do this with changing over to various headphones. If you place any headphones that are around the ear and place them on your hearing aids. If they have feedback, then generally you can expect to have feedback with any other headphones. So, consider that with your purchase thoughts. Also, check to see if your audiologist can perform a feedback test to try and eliminate these feedbacks. A good test is to hold your palm of your hand over the aids. Do they squeal with feedback? If yes, have the audiologist correct that problem if you can.

The transparent mode allows you to hear not only what you are around but also what you are listening to with your headphones. So, if you are watching a movie you will still be able to hear noises around you. There are four microphones around the outside of the headphones that work with the transparent mode. So, yes, I will still be able to hear my movie or music in transparent mode.

Is there latency with the wired cord? Yes. It is very minimal, but it is there. I believe it has something to do with that the headphones are what we call pre-amped. So, there is a moment where it must process and convert digitally. Is it noticeable? It’s there but not like when you are using Bluetooth or the H1 technology. Sure, one can turn off the noise cancellation and the transparent mode, but you still need power just to adjust the volume of the Digital Crown meaning that it still is processing the sound digitally.

Can you change your headphones while you have them on? Yes. As long you are using the H1 or Bluetooth to listen in what you are listening it will charge just fine. So, no you can't use the wired cord to charge and listen via the cord.

Are they comfortable to lie down in bed with? Not really. They are bulky and big. They are perfect when sitting up in bed but not laying down with. I suppose that would be something of a personal subjective view. Could you find that perfect fluffy pillow to conform around your head and not put pressure on the headphones. It’s possible.

Can I tell if the lossless audio is better on wired than on H1or Bluetooth? This is subjective to the person hearing. My understanding is that Apple Music that I stream and listen to are in 256bits. With my hearing and which isn't much, but I really start to not tell the difference when it goes above 220bits. So, can one tell the difference of a 320bits to 256bits? That is a tough answer. Obviously on paper it should but there is that fine point where we start that any good person with great hearing may not be able to tell the different.

As for suggestions of a third-party case for the AirPods Max. I am only aware of one maker and it has a retail price of $99. I would imagine that more will be coming soon.

HTH

Hi hearing aid users,

After minimal testing, it appears my MFI hearing aids bleed too much sound to be able to use them in my recording studio in lieu of headphones, so I'm back to the drawing board with the Airpod Max, which I'd love to get for many reasons, all already identified by you. So, I'm seeing my audiologist January 15. I'll report back to you after that.

Joy and good health!

Bruce