Apple AirPods Max

A comfortable, well-built pair of over-ears with class-leading noise canceling and good sound that suits Apple users, but Apple-centric quirks, weak case, no folding or water resistance, and a high price hold it back.

Premium, well-built over-ears with outstanding noise cancelling, long battery life and seamless Apple pairing, held back by heavy weight, a weak mic, no true power-off and limited usefulness outside the Apple ecosystem.

The AirPods Max deliver immersive, warm sound, excellent noise cancellation and seamless Apple integration, but their heavy build, short battery life, limited customization and high price make them a polarizing choice best suited to Apple users.

8.9/10

Five years on, the AirPods Max remain excellent-sounding, well-built noise-canceling headphones that are still a solid pick for Apple users, though newer Sony and Bose rivals at a similar price cancel noise better and weigh less, and the aging H1 chip and weak case hold them back.

~7.5/10

The AirPods Max are premium-feeling, great-sounding headphones with strong noise cancellation and seamless Apple integration, but their high price, middling battery life and weak case make cheaper rivals from Sony and Bose a better value for many buyers.

A very good-sounding Bluetooth over-ear headphone with excellent active noise reduction, held back by slightly bassy, soft, sizzly sound, fit problems for larger heads and ears, and several features that only work fully with newer Apple devices.

The writer finds the AirPods Max exceptional premium noise-canceling headphones with great design, sound and spatial audio, worth the high price for those who can afford it despite a poor case and no power switch.

4/5

Outstanding sound, strong noise cancellation and polished Apple-ecosystem features make these excellent headphones, but the very high price, missing wired/Hi-Res support, and limited Android benefits mean they suit mainly well-funded iOS users; by 2024 the reviewer advised waiting for a sale, a successor, or choosing the cheaper Bose QuietComfort Ultra.

8/10

The writer found the AirPods Max to be the best-sounding and best-built noise-canceling headphones they have tested, and judged them worth the high price despite a pointless case, no true power-off, and middling battery life.

Even four years after launch, the USB-C AirPods Max are superb-sounding, comfortable and well built over-ears that suit Apple users, with only modest drawbacks such as no lossless audio, no EQ options and middling ANC battery life.

The AirPods Max remain among the best wireless headphones for committed Apple users thanks to natural, engaging sound, superb build and seamless iOS integration, though they are expensive and newer rivals offer greater clarity, longer battery life and more features.

The AirPods Max 2 are a refined update with best-in-class noise cancellation, excellent comfort and smart Apple-ecosystem features, though weight, battery life and limited EQ and codec support hold them back, and the reviewer gives them an Editors' Choice award.

The AirPods Max are excellent-sounding, comfortable and feature-rich headphones with top-tier noise cancellation, but their high price, weight, poor case, missing power button and heavy reliance on Apple's ecosystem limit them to committed Apple users.