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 concern 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 major margin.
I actually say this as definitively as I can. After they first arrived, I put the AirPods Max towards the Sony WH-1000XM4, Bose Noise Cancelling 700, Mont Blanc MB01, Bowers & Wilkins PX7 Carbon, and Shure Aonic 50.
The primary distinction between these headphones and all of the others is how open they sound. From rumbling lows to shiny and clear highs, all the things finds a spot. Bands look 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 parts of every music journey completely atop them.
When listening to hard-panned seems like Elliott Smith’s guitars, they really feel like they’re approach on the edges of my musical imaginative and prescient, giving numerous room in the course 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 generally it is as if you’re pulling a layer of wool off of different flagship noise-canceling headphones whenever 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. Should 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 area.
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 residence theater with surround-sound audio system throughout you.
Apple says the AirPods Max USB-C mannequin will even be the one headphones that permit “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 all $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 price.
In contrast to different Apple merchandise, these are objectively the most effective of their class. Someplace within the ether, Steve Jobs might be jamming out with pleasure.
Function Upgrades
Among the best and most appreciated traits of Apple’s prime headphones has been the introduction of latest options that assist preserve them not solely related, however aggressive with revolutionary 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 assist 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 rely on whom you ask. Loads of audio professionals preserve that most individuals can not hear the distinction between a compressed audio observe and a high-resolution observe, particularly with at present’s high-quality compressed tracks on streaming companies 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 basically inconclusive. In different phrases, we could not at all times 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, when you’ve been fascinated with upgrading for the brand new lossless audio assist, chances are you’ll or could not discover a distinction—and when you do, it is going to in all probability be minor.
Musicians, producers, and hobbyists could have another excuse to think about 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 due to decrease lag time that Apple claims is on par with “native built-in audio system.” —Ryan Waniata
