I pitted the AirPods Max against my $3,000 audio setup
I’ve been using the AirPods Max for the better part of six months now, and I like the headphones quite a bit. They have a stylish design, and although they’re heavier than they look, I didn’t run into any fatigue even with extended use, and the sound quality is phenomenal.
Hardwired
In Hardwired, AC Senior Editor Harish Jonnalagadda delves into all things hardware, including phones, audio products, storage servers, and networking gear.
I got the USB-C version of the AirPods Max, and I was excited about plugging these into my gaming machine and using them as my daily driver. However, that wasn’t possible as they wouldn’t connect via USB-C — until now. Apple has started delivering the update to unlock 24-bit/48 kHz lossless audio via USB-C (you’ll need to update to build 7E101), and it makes the AirPods Max so much better.
Now that I’m finally able to connect the headset to Windows, I wanted to see how good they actually are, so I paired the AirPods Max against my audio setup, which includes an Audeze MM-500 that’s hooked up to a Fiio K19 DAC. Although the MM-500 are aimed at mastering, they have a vibrant sound that lends itself well to gaming and casual listening, and I’ve been using the headphones for over a year. With the MM-500 retailing for $1,699 and the Fiio K19 coming in at $1,364, the two products cost more than six times as much as the $479 AirPods Max.
As is the case with all Apple products, the AirPods Max have tight integration with the iPhone, iPad, and macOS devices. While there’s no mention of Windows, I was able to connect the headphones to my Windows 11 gaming machine without any issues via the provided USB-C to USB-C cable. Windows detected the AirPods Max as headphones, and I was able to use the 24-bit/48 kHz mode to take full advantage of the audio potential.
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I immediately put the AirPods Max to the test, launching Roon and listening to some of my favorite albums. The headphones held up better than I imagined, and were thoroughly enjoyable to use. That said, they didn’t quite measure up to the open-backed MM-500; Audeze’s headphones delivered a significantly cleaner sound with a rumbling low-end, crystal-clear mids, and detailed treble. The Max have a good low-end, but the recessed mids makes vocals sound a tad artificial, and you don’t get the same engaging soundstage.
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That was always going to be the case considering the use case of either headset, and even $349 closed-back products like the Beyerdynamic DT 1770 Pro sound much better. But where AirPods Max win out is the sheer versatility; they can be used in a wide variety of settings that just isn’t feasible with the MM-500 or the DT 1770 Pro.
The MM-500 has been sitting on my desk this past year, while I took the AirPods Max with me on flights, paired it with my iPad Pro M4 and used it to watch movies and TV shows, and used it while working out. The biggest bonus is the ANC; the AirPods Max have the best noise isolation of any headphones I used, and that’s immediately evident even from switching from the Sony WH-1000XM5.
While they are heavier than most Bluetooth headphones, they don’t have anywhere close to the same heft as the MM-500, and the mesh headband does a great job distributing the weight while providing good ventilation. They also have a cleaner design, and the blue variant I’m using looks pretty stylish. They also have just the right amount of clamping force, and don’t exert too much pressure — a key consideration for prolonged use.
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What I like the most about the lossless audio update is that I can plug in the AirPods Max to my iPad Pro; I dabble in music production, and the ability to plug in the headset is highly convenient. Don’t get me wrong; they did a decent enough job over Bluetooth, but they sound better when plugged in, and there’s no latency whatsoever.
If anything, my main issue with the AirPods Max is the case; it does little to safeguard the mesh headband, and I constantly worry about it getting damaged whilst in my bag (though not so much to actually buy a hard shell case). Outside of that, the AirPods Max have been fantastic in daily use, and the ability to plug them to my Windows machine and use lossless audio makes these a standout choice.
The AirPods Max combine a comfortable fit with great sound, and with the lossless audio update, you can make the most of the headset.
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