AirPods Max Wireless Over-Ear Headphones, Pro-Level Active Noise Cancellation, Transparency Mode, Personalised Spatial Audio, USB-C Charging, Bluetooth Headphones for iPhone, Midnight ​​​​​​​

I’ve been wearing my Apple AirPods Max every night for nearly a year, and they’re still as good as new — which really says something about their build quality. The Midnight finish looks sleek and hasn’t shown a single scratch or scuff. They feel extremely comfortable, even after hours of wear, thanks to the breathable mesh headband and plush memory foam ear cushions. The sound quality is phenomenal. Personalized spatial audio truly makes movies and music feel immersive, while the active noise cancellation is powerful enough to block out background sounds completely. I also love being able to switch quickly to transparency mode when needed — everything sounds natural and clear. Battery life easily lasts overnight and recharges fast via USB-C. Bluetooth connection with my iPhone is flawless every time. These headphones aren’t cheap, but the quality, comfort, and reliability make them worth every bit of the investment.

TL/DR: Superb build quality, astonishingly good audio quality and best in class ANC add up to be the very best noise cancelling headphones you can buy, as long as you intend to use them with Apple hardware. Users of Android phones or windows desktops are probably better served by other options. Longer review: The first impression when these come out of the box is the sheer excellence of the build quality. The aluminium ear cups, stainless steel head band and soft memory foam ear pads all add up to a build quality that looks, feels and is light years ahead of any other offering at this or even much higher price points. By comparison competing headphones that are made of plastic, however well made, feel nastily cheap by comparison. Apple always focus on build quality and aesthetics and here they have outdone themselves. Comfort is surprisingly excellent. These headphones feel and are weighty but never feel heavy even after lengthy listening sessions. The fabric & memory foam ear pads combine with the mesh on the head band to make them surprisingly comfortable despite their relative weight. Again full marks in this department. The active noise cancelling is very impressive. When switched on the outside world really does simply disappear. Best of all, the sound signature is in no way affected by turning on ANC. No distortion, no hiss, no background noise at all. Again very impressive. Similarly transparency mode is handled equally well - turn it on and the effect is that of the headphones seeming to disappear. External sound is clear but so is whatever music you have playing. The engineers at Apple did a superb job with the transparency mode. Being headphones the £1M question is of course how do they sound? The answer is very good indeed. The sound signature is close to the Harman curve so the Airpods Max have a natural and neutral sound. Detail and separation are excellent. The sound stage is good though admittedly not as wide as other headphones I've tried. Bass is punchy but detailed and doesn't sound muddy in the slightest. Treble is tight and highs are handled again with detail. Be aware though that because the sound reproduction is excellent these headphones will severely punish low quality or poorly done recordings. In terms of ease of use, I don't think I've ever had a pair of bluetooth headphones that are as easy to use. Pairing with Apple devices is effortless (I use with an iPhone 12 pro max and a 2019 iPad pro) and switching between Apple devices is seamless and "just works." Android or WIndows users will however be missing out on a number of features and are probably best served by other options. One final point - the case that these headphones come with is a horrible joke. Given how carefully designed and engineered the headphones are the case is head scratchingly awful. It feels nice and is made of decent material but it does a very poor job of covering the headphones. I would imagine that everyone who buys Airpods Max will instantly also buy a proper third party hard case to go with them. No idea what Apple were thinking there but the included case is quite literally nearly pointless as an actual case. All in all, are the Airpods Max worth the (relative to the competition) very expensive price? Value is obviously a subjective thing but in terms of build quality, ease of use, convenience and most importantly audio quality these far exceed all of the competition. For me personally they're definitely worth the price and I genuinely find it hard to put them down. 9.5/10 for the Airpods Max, 2/10 at most for the pointless included "case."

The AirPods Max deliver excellent audio quality, strong ANC, and a premium metal build that feels durable and comfortable. Spatial Audio adds real depth to movies and supported music, and the controls and connectivity work seamlessly across the Apple ecosystem. The main drawbacks are the weight during long sessions and the included case, which doesn’t offer much protection. Battery life is solid but depends on using the case for low-power mode. Overall, they’re worth the money if you’re already using Apple devices and want top-tier sound with smooth, effortless integration.

After reading several reviews and seeing that some people have had mixed reviews I finally decided to take the plunge and invest in the AirPod Pros and I’m so glad that I did. I have to admit I’m deep into the Apple ecosystem so the connectivity and quality of the product was very important to me and definitely didn’t disappoint. Connection to my iPhone and iPad was seemless as is switching them. The headphones are extremely well made and so comfortable to wear. I’ve worn these for several hours and have actually forgotten that I was wearing an over the head pair of headphones. The quality of sound is next level and the noise cancellation is literally perfect. Overall I know they are pricey, but honestly it’s worth the price to have a premium experience.

Fantastic headphones with a premium build quality, excellent Active Noise Cancelling and great sound quality. They are pricey and could do with a better carry case.

I’ve been using the AirPods Max for a few weeks now, and while there’s a lot to like, I’ve found myself going back and forth on whether they truly justify the premium price tag. Pros: Sound Quality: These sound fantastic, easily among the best in the consumer market. The spatial audio feature is surprisingly immersive, and the clarity and balance across frequencies are top-notch. Build and Materials: The craftsmanship is undeniably premium. The metal ear cups and mesh headband feel substantial and durable, unlike the typical plastic feel of many competitors. Noise Cancellation: Excellent. Apple has done a remarkable job with ANC, comparable to Bose and Sony's top models, if not better in some environments. Integration with Apple Ecosystem: Seamless pairing, instant switching between devices, and hands-free Siri are genuinely convenient if you're already in the Apple world. Cons: Price: This is where things get tricky. For the cost, I expected not just great performance, but also a sense of long-term value. Unfortunately, with no hardware updates since their original release, it’s tough to justify the investment, especially knowing competitors update more frequently at lower price points. Weight and Bulk: They are noticeably heavier than other over-ear headphones I’ve owned. Not unbearable, but after longer sessions, the weight becomes more apparent. The included case also doesn't do much to protect them, which is surprising for a product at this price level. Lack of Updates: Considering how long these have been on the market, I would have liked to see some refresh by now, even something simple like USB-C charging or improved battery life. Final Thoughts: If you're deep in the Apple ecosystem and value top-tier audio performance paired with Apple’s design and software integration, the AirPods Max are a very compelling choice. However, for the price, I’d expect more, or at least a sign that Apple is still actively evolving the product. They're impressive, but they sit in a strange place: luxury performance with a premium price, yet overdue for a refresh.

Apple really packed this product extremely well but, given the exceptionally high price, they no doubt need to ensure it arrives to customers in pristine condition. I have lately been looking at wireless headphones since my hi fi is at the other end of the room, doesn't have a bluetooth option, and I didn't fancy an extra-long cable running across the floor. The headphone model I was particularly interested was out of stock (everywhere, not just on Amazon) but all independent reviews I've been reading put the AirPods Max to the top of their lists. In spite of the huge price, I decided to order a pair for myself and check them out. I won't go into full specifications since these are available on this Amazon page and the Apple webpages. I will say that I investigated the possibility of an upgrade since Apple frequently upgrades its products and it is generally thought it could be around 2 more years at least before there are any changes to the specs of this product. I chose not to wait for that length of time. I ordered the blue colour (okay, yes, to more match the blue tone of my new iMac) and was impressed, not only with the excellent packaging (all recyclable if you need to dispose of it) but with the feel and the weight of the headphones. Unlike other headphones that are suited also to conversation on an iPhone, these AirPods Max have only two buttons on the top right - nothing could have been simpler! I expanded the headband both sides by about 3cm or so to match the usual size of headphones but that made them too big and so I had to push them back into the original size. These are clearly not designed for people with quite small heads so fit coud be problem for some people. Pairing to the iPhone took seconds and it was all set up ready to use - and, as expected, the AirPods Max were also immediately ready for use with the iMac without any need to do more "work". This is perfect for people who might be using one item and then want to move away and use the other. I selected an assortment of single tracks to listen to, ranging from classical, folk, pop to rock (I have a wide range of music interests) and played some on the iPhone (instead of using the AirPods Pr 3 I have just bought) and then switched to the iMac. Audio quality? I was impressed. I did have to make an adjustment to the balance since I have better hearing in one ear than the other, and I did have to adjust the volume knob on the AirPods Max because the iPhone volumes are always lower than the iMac volumes (caution, beware of loud volumes over extended periods, it will damage your ears). Result? The bluetooth connection held steady throughout and I deliberately walked around my apartment so at times I was around 25m away from both the phone and the computer, and there was no drop in signal or interference. The audio quality was better than I would have expected, it was nicely balanced through the musical ranges without being overloaded in bass or treble. I was hearing sounds in the "background" that my own equipment had never given me, which actually matched comments made by professional reviewers. I also tested with ANC off, half way (which is my preference) and fully on. A "smart case" comes with the headphones. This is, essentially, just a cover for the ear pieces but it is important since when the AirPods are returned to this "case" they go into low power mode and so save battery life. To be honest, when I saw smart case as part of the product I was expecting a solid, fitted case but that is not what we get. Instead, it is a protective cover for the vital parts of the AirPods Max and using it dispenses with the need for an on/off switch. All in all, a nice touch from Apple. As I mentioned, full specs are available on the Apple website and this Amazon page has more than enough to satisfy curiosity. The audio sound (for me, at least) is the most important and I was more than happy with what I heard on the variety of tracks I played. Yes, these are massively expensive but, as many professional reviewers have pointed out, these might not be the best looking headphones, nor the smallest, but you pay for the sound. I will certainly be keeping these and can certainly recommend them.

Ok, this is going to be controversial, but this is my honest opinion. I bought a set of these, as I use the Apple ecosystem extensively, and have used various iterations of the Apple earbuds - which are good if you are in the Apple ecosystem. Various Apple specific features and all the general things that make them a popular consumer product - I think most people agree on the quality of the Apple in-ear AirPods. The AirPods Max are a different story. These have to be the most disappointing headphones I have ever used. I cannot see how these are a flagship product? The flagship product is the Apple AirPods Pro 2 at the time of writing, and they are head and shoulders above the AirPods Max - by a country mile. Price AirPods Max are categorically not a circa £500 headphone. Never in a million years. These headphones should be in price range of AirPods in ear headphones. Don’t get me wrong, they have a unique style, aluminium body and all the other “build quality” bits, but they sound “average”. There is nothing special here that justifies the price tag. Noise cancellation Bose and Sony noise cancellation is just as good - but at a cheaper price point, and I’m sure there will be others in a pretty saturated market. Case The worst. It is just awful. I had seen commentary about this before buying, but seriously - this is the worst headphone case I have ever seen. I understand that it is designed to put the headphones into a battery conservation state, but come on? For £500 you would expect something a little bit more robust. Overall sound Unimpressive. Sounded very “average” to me. Nothing exceptional. But you would expect exceptional for this product. Lots of hype, lots of marketing, but seriously - you will get better audio elsewhere for less money (AirPods Pro 2, for example). I really wanted to like these. There is absolutely no way I could recommend these at the current price point. The noise cancellation is good - but it is good on other headphones too. Build material looks good too. A heavyweight set of headphones, with aluminium housings etc. The question is: “Does the materials used add value to the buyer?”. The short answer is, “No”. I returned mine the same day I bought them. I would strongly recommend that anyone considering buying these to try them in-store first, and see if they are for you. There absolutely is a market for these, and some people like them. I personally don’t, but I really like AirPods in-ear buds. Hope this review has been helpful for potential buyers.