Are Apple's AirPods Max Worth It, or Are You Better Off With an Alternative?

Back when Apple debuted the AirPods Max in late 2020, the eye-watering £549 asking price felt especially steep compared to the key rivals at the time, like Sony's WH-1000XM4 headphones, Bose's 700 series, or Apple's own Beats Studio 3. All three of those models launched at £349, and many have dropped in price since. In that time, the big AirPods have stuck with the £500+ tag, aside from a few price cuts during certain sales periods. So, are they overpriced or worth shelling out for?

That's what we're here to answer. And, well, anyone paying attention to developments in the wireless headphone world will have noticed that Apple is far from the most expensive player in the game anymore. You've got serious audio performance from the likes of the Mark Levinson No. 5909, Focal Bathys, and the Bowers & Wilkins PX8, with all of those models delivering more luxury and higher fidelity.

And there are still Sony and Bose models that are significantly cheaper and match the Max when it comes to noise-canceling. But there's also the Apple "walled garden" to consider, and we've got to say these are still the best bet for those comfortably ensconced in the world of Apple.

We've had our hands on the AirPods Max for a year now, and during that time we've tested and compared them to several key players from brands including Sennheiser, Bose, Sony, Bang & Olufsen, and more. Below, we look at how they stack up against the other top-end contenders.

Yes, AirPods Max Are Rewarding for Apple Users

We wanted to get this in right at the top of the review, but if you're an Apple super-fan and can afford these, you might as well stop reading now, head over to your online store of choice, click "add to basket" and get on with your day. We're serious. There's a reason the AirPods Max subreddit community is full of buyers who wished they hadn't waited around so long and had just bought them sooner.

Below, we may quibble about the sound or value for money, but if you have an iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and a Mac and you want a seamless pair of over-ear headphones, then these more than deliver and we've got to be frank, a lot of us can't tell the difference between many cans in the premium space. The sound you'll get out of these is pretty much as good as what we've heard from many others, but it isn't the end of the conversation if audio fidelity is the number one focus for you.

Apple AirPods Max Design and Controls

Let's consider design next. How do AirPods Max look? In a word, slick. The aluminum outer shell on the rounded-off square cups, as well as the stainless steel mesh headband, are both padded for comfort as you'd expect (the earpieces have soft fabric-covered cushions). They come in a range of colours: silver, grey, blue, pink, and green.

Controls are minimal, with a button to switch between noise cancellation and transparency mode, and a digital crown on one cup to adjust the volume or the track. If you've got an Apple Watch you'll be familiar with this small dial, which can be pressed in to activate Siri or answer calls. There's also a Lightning port at the bottom of the other cup to charge the headphones up in two hours. This port can be used to wire up the AirPods Max to your phone, iPad, or MacBook, but you'll have to fork out another £40 to buy a jack from Apple themselves.

The design is a little divisive, as it doesn't take the usual oval or circular visuals of other headphones at this price. We like elements of the look but probably find them both a bit weighty and dainty for everyday use – and they're a lot larger than others which makes them a little less ideal for travel.

There are decisions here that are frustrating too, like the lack of an on/off button, meaning you must use the unusual travel case (yes, it was mocked online for resembling a small purse or a bra, and it still does) to keep them in a low-power state. It's a strange choice, and we'd have preferred a button or toggle to switch them on and off.

Apple AirPods Max Noise-Cancelling and Transparency

Where the AirPods Max does deliver, though, is with comfort. We'd have no problem wearing these all day and they do a much better job with weight distribution and clamping force than a whole lot of other over-ears out there. The fabric earcups are more pleasant to have on than some leather ones, and you won't find that your ears overheat in these. They don't have quite as much passive isolation as a leather design, though. However, we don't find that a big deal because these are immense noise-cancellers.

Apple is well-known for being at the top of the pile when it comes to its active noise-canceling (ANC) tech, and that's the case here too. They adapt well to your surroundings, silencing chatter at the office, rumbles on a train or plane, or the din of your fellow customers at a coffee shop. In short, they're fantastic for noise-canceling and absolutely up there with top rivals from Sony and Bose.

After comparing several models that include this tech, we're confident in saying this: Apple's transparency is the best.

That's not all though. They also offer a transparency mode to amplify outside sounds – and it's a class leader in this department. It's not even that close. When engaged, it feels like you're not wearing them at all, and we've found it possible to have entire conversations without needing to remove them. In this area, rivals have loads of catching up to do, and they haven't managed it in the years since the Max launched.

Apple AirPods Max Sound Quality

From an audio perspective, the AirPods Max are a high-quality option in the Bluetooth realm. Obviously, they're not going to match the fidelity of the best wired headphones, but they do stand toe-to-toe with their main rivals from Bose, Sennheiser, Bang & Olufsen and Sony. They sound superb, with a relatively neutral signature that is free from distortion and has a good amount of width to the soundstage.

In our direct side-by-side comparisons, we came away feeling that most people would be delighted by the performance, especially with the way that Apple's "Adaptive EQ" kicks in to recognize what kind of music you're playing and automatically adjust the levels to give you a better experience. Whack on some Childish Gambino and the bass is boosted, or mellow out to Fleetwood Mac, and the vocals are prioritised without you having to lift a finger.

However, we'd also say that these are "particularly good" rather than exceptionally outstanding – if that distinction makes sense. If you're after audiophile-grade wireless listening, we would now recommend a few other models at around the same price or higher. Consider the excellent Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2 (£379) for a step up, or the Master & Dynamic MW75 (£549) are also a further improvement on the Max. For a serious upgrade, look at the Bowers & Wilkins PX8 (£599), Focal Bathys (£699) or the sheer audio nirvana that is the Mark Levinson No. 5909 for £999.

The key thing to say here is that while the AirPods Max sound good, they're not that much better than direct rivals and there are several improved alternatives. Food for thought if audio is your top priority.

AirPods Max Battery Life

When the AirPods Max were unveiled, their battery life was comparable to the other main contenders at the time. In 2023, they're just a bit behind the rest of the pack. The AirPods Max lasts up to 20 hours with the ANC on, but others now typically last around 30 hours, and some battery life beasts go up to 50 hours or more with the noise-canceling on. Now, we don't know about you, but we'd find 20 to 30 hours more than enough given that we're not often away from a charger for that long, but it's an important aspect of the cans to note.

Also, in our hands-on use, we think it's important to talk about how fiddly the AirPods can be when it comes to power management. They go into a low-power mode after you haven't used them in a while, or when back in their funny charging case, but if you forget to do this, they do seem to drain juice in the background. It's a bit of an annoyance that you have to remember this behavior, and it's something that would be solved with the addition of a power button.

Still, that should see about two days' worth of use on a single charge and is still a damn sight better than most noise-canceling earbuds, which will need to go back in their charging cases after around five to six hours.

Apple AirPods Max Extra Features

If you're big into watching movies or shows on your iPhone, MacBook, iPad or Apple TV, the AirPod Max gives you a fantastic cinematic experience, with "spatial audio" surrounding you from all directions. Yes, this means we can pop Tenet on and finally hear what The Protagonist is saying, though that might be wishful thinking. In our tests, we've loved using this ability for everything from Andor to Severance, and there's loads of stunning Dolby Atmos content available from the likes of Apple TV+, Disney+ and Netflix.

There's also a major benefit if you use Apple Music as your main music streaming platform, as you'll find music in spatial audio available within the service. Depending on the quality of the recording and the mastering, this can sound astonishing. We have been shocked by how listening to Elton John's 'Rocket Man' or Billie Eilish's 'Bad Guy' made us feel like we were right there in the studio.

Another point for Apple: these headphones can share audio between other Apple AirPods or Beats headphones if you're listening on an Apple device, so you and your partner or mates can still enjoy stuff together without buying one of those headphone splitters. We've used this while binge-watching the first season of Yellowjackets on a train journey, and it worked perfectly for sharing audio with the Beats Solo Pro on-ear cans.

If you're Team Android, these will still sort of work with your devices, but we have no idea why you'd be buying the AirPods Max when you're rocking a Google Pixel. As you can't tweak the settings without an Apple device, we'd say they're a non-starter for Android fans, and that makes them far less versatile.

Apple AirPods Max Verdict

After all that, let's answer the real question: are these worth it? Well, sort of. We'd struggle to wholeheartedly say yes, primarily because they don't last quite as long, travel as well, or sound quite as incredible as the new kids on the block. However, if you're an Apple fanboy, it's a different story.

There's nothing else out there offering the supreme simplicity of how these slot into your Apple ecosystem, merrily getting along with all your other kit and instantly pairing to all your devices.

Enjoying your tunes through Apple Music and Dolby Atmos? These make the experience that much better. Delving into the world of Severance on Apple TV+ or Mando's adventures on Disney+? Yes, that enveloping spatial audio is worth it. And if you're not a fan of leather, the comfort is terrific, even if they feel a little dainty.

The downsides include a weird charging case, lack of a power button (really!) and that it uses Lightning over USB-C, along with not-that-good passive isolation or overall sound compared to certain rivals. However, the noise-cancelling is still better than many headphones, the transparency mode is the best in the category and we can't deny that they're just more convenient for Apple users.

It's also worth keeping in mind that these are starting to get a bit old, and we think Apple is likely to update them at some point. That may be as good a reason as any to hold off on parting with your hard-earned dosh.

Apple AirPods Max: The Need-to-Know

• Weight: 384.8g
• Battery Life: Up to 20 hours with ANC on
• Quick Charging: Five minutes of charging provides around an hour and a half of listening time
• Charging Port: Lightning port
• Drivers: Custom drivers, material not specified
• Water Resistance: No official water resistance rating

Apple AirPods Max: Other Rivals to Consider

It's not 2020 anymore, and the over-ear headphone market has changed considerably in the years since Apple released its sole competitor. To say that the AirPods Max cans are overdue an update feels like an overstatement at this point, and it's true that you can either pay more for a significant leap in quality, a little less for better performance for around the same cash.

While Cupertino has been sitting twiddling its thumbs, the likes of Mark Levinson, Focal, Bowers & Wilkins, Bang & Olufsen and Bose have caught up (and in some ways surpassed) what the Max offers. Unless you need Apple niceties like audio sharing and Find My support or exclusive features including spatial audio that are handy for Apple Music subscribers, we'd recommend looking at one of the key rivals below:

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay HX for £449: While they're distinctive, there are several other cans we'd consider a bit more stylish than the AirPods Max in 2023. They're starting to become more popular, and we see them more often when commuting to work on the Elizabeth line in the morning, so if you're after something unique that stands out it's worth considering the Scandi delights on offer from the Beoplay HX or Bang & Olufsen's Beoplay H95 (£779). For something really unusual, we'd also consider KEF's Mu7 (£349) noise-cancellers with their futuristic appeal.

Bowers & Wilkins PX8 for £599: For sheer luxury, we'd still opt for these over all the other contenders. They sound stunning and have a gorgeous soundstage. The look is pristine and high-end, and we love almost everything about the experience of using them. Sure, they're expensive too, but you could get the PX7 S2 for £379 and still get the majority of what's great about the PX8.

Mark Levinson No. 5909 from £899: We've already mentioned above that there are quite a few performers that sound better than the AirPods Max, and the 5909 is the top achievement when it comes to audio reproduction over Bluetooth. They're highly expensive but worth it and are perfectly optimised to the Harman curve for outstanding performance, especially with vocals. The Focal Bathys (£699) are a worthy option here too, offering a little more comfort and a slightly more bass-forward signature that is an addictive pleasure to listen to. Both of these cans make you feel like you're in your own little musical bubble.

Bose QC45 for £249: If active noise-cancelling is your primary focus when searching for a new pair of headphones, we think it's worth either looking at these or the Sony WH-1000XM4 for £219. They're both much more affordable than the AirPods Max while delivering just as good if not better noise-cancelling in a more travel-friendly and lightweight design. They're a no-brainer if space in the travel holdall is limited.

From: Esquire UK