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

They work very well, audio quality is high, battery is long lasting, very light weight and comfortable, noise cancellation is top tier, and the physical controls on the top beat all of the stupid motion and tap controls of other headphones. Only worth it if you have an iPhone, the integration is flawless.

The AirPods Max exceeded my expectations from the very first moment. The sound quality is impressive: deep bass, balanced mids, and crisp highs. The noise cancellation is one of the best I’ve experienced — it truly isolates you even in very noisy environments. Comfort is another highlight. The ear cushions are soft, the headband distributes the weight well, and I can use them for hours without discomfort. The connection with Apple devices is instant and stable, and the Transparency Mode feels very natural. Although the price is high, the quality is noticeable in every detail. If you’re looking for a premium audio experience and long-lasting headphones, they are definitely worth the investment.

I am a certified audio engineer for music/films so this review is coming from that perspective. EXEC SUMMARY: if this fits in your budget or you can stretch these, GET THEM! Omg! The sound. The comfort. The battery life. Wow. Now onto the specifics. I’ll start with the one negative I’ve consistently read/heard from reviews: the weight. They are noticeably heavy taking them out of the box. BUT- not a worry. You will never feel this weight wearing them b/c they are SO COMFY. You actually do forget that there is even a headband (probably the biggest reason they are so comfy, but the extra large cans also as it never interferes with your ear). As i write this now I’ve been wearing these for 18 straight hours. Still don’t feel them or am cognizant of them being on beyond the sound coming into my ear (and especially with Spatial Audio since it mimics the audio as if it’s coming from your surroundings). CLARITY: We’ll start with the sound first (why we buy these things right?) UNREAL. As a certified audio engineer i can’t believe this sound is possible from headphones. Imagine the best surround sound experience in a theatre you ever experienced- believe it or not this is even better than that. The sub-woofer effect is better than any sub-woofer experience I’ve had regardless of form or venue or location. That’s “holy cow how is that possible” component #1. #2 is the spec i read that convinced me to get these- automatic multi-band compression. This is stuff only the most advanced audio engineers do but so complicated and easily F’s up your mix even if everything else is perfect. Basically different components to sound are where different things sit mostly, like vocals, high ends, sub-woof rumbles, filler/thickness of sound. Those are what the “bands” mean. To automate and smooth out each band/category so it’s always at the optimal level is just… freaking next level. Most audio engineers dont’ even touch this (myself included) it’s so intricate. THESE HEADPHONES DO IT AUTOMATICALLY! And yeah.. wow. The cleanest, clearest, yet deepest, thickest, intricate sound I’ve ever experienced. CONNECTIVITY: can’t speak for droids as i am apple ecosystem. It auto detects if you put these on or not and that’s better than the earbuds who connect as soon as you take them out of the case/charger. it immediately disconnects and stops when yo lift them off your ears. Nice. FUNCTIONALITY: Apple ecosystem-ish here too. I prefer HEY SIRI which I’ll explain later. One weird thing is this. Sometimes when I’m playing a DOLBY ATMOS or surround selection, the settings say “SPATIAL AUDIO NOT AVAILABLE” and is greyed out as if it’s off, yet it’s actually clearly working and on. So if you’re a Spatial Audio person and turn it on, just know it is always working when anything is actually mixed to be so- no worries. CONTROL BUTTONS: The one gripe i have is here. The volume scroll button is way too easy to accidentally touch and thus I’ve turned up the volume quite a bit many times not meaning to. HEY SIRI works great so i just do that instead. 2 buttons: operation (scroll wheel for volume that is also a button for music/phone control- start/stop/forward/back or answer/end/hold, etc), mode button (noise cancellation enable/disable/off <- to save battery). But everything except Spatial Audio (that i can tell) can be done via HEY SIRI. DURABILITY: obviously i can not test this having these for less than 24 hrs but what I CAN say is what everybody else has said- the quality of build and materials is OBVIOUS. No plastic. The fabric/flexi headband is not only comfortable but also won’t disfigure or crack or break. Other parts are metal so will hold up better also. And because it’s so comfy you won’t need to be adjusting or moving it like you do most other ones (or at least i do) so less touching and adjusting means less human wear and tear. Oh and i love that the actual ear pieces are magnetic which means if either ear piece/speakers go bad, it probably means we can buy replacements and keep these going as long as we want without needing to buy a whole new set down the road. LOVE IT! SUMMARY: yeah. If you can afford or splurge- so way and above better than anything else I’ve tried. And I’ve tried a lot over the years (mostly earbuds). My go to previous to this (and will now use as my gym set) are the Bose QuiteComforts. They don’t even compare in sound, comfort, battery life, controls, build quality, noise cancellation/isolation, and just that “it factor” in experience. IMMEDIATELY noticeable. And that’s from a certified audio engineer of music/film perspective. WHO WON’T LIKE THESE: those that want boomy boomy heavy bass (as most people do). These are just as deep and thick, but tighter and cleaner so you can “hear the frequencies better” rather than have any frequencies “muddy” up other frequencies and cross lines. It’s’ an audio engineering thing. lol. But even those people may appreciate just how awesome these sound in the low end especially come movie watching time (you can still clearly hear vocals and high end without the boomy bass muddying what people are saying).

These are premium headphones and they sound amazing. They have great ANC and are super comfortable. They pair perfectly with the Apple ecosystem, and while they are a little pricey, the build quality and experience make them worth it.

Overall still your best option even in 2025. As a medical student who's used them 12 hours a day for a few months of use here is my review. Transparency mode is the best on the market, noise cancellation is also outstanding. The accommodating ear cups are very comfortable unlike the shallow cups of the Sony MX6s. The build quality is second to none. The sound quality is exceptional and more vivid and immersive than AirPods pro 3 thanks to the bigger more capable drivers. Even with that being said I would have loved if they updated this 2024 release with the H2 chip, a lighter design, and better battery life/ANC, but even still they are on top. If you have more than two apple products like say a mac and iPhone and want headphones (not ear buds) these are a no brainer. I use my AirPods pro 3 for working out and phone calls but these for long study sessions as the silicon tips of AirPods build up ear wax after some time and for that reason are uncomfortable for me for extended use. I don't feel the weight becomes an issue for long use, but I do take them off for at least 5 mins an hour so I can take a quick break. I will say out the box they are quite tight but you can modify that search on google "Finally solved the AirPods Max clamping force tightness" and read the post on that. After stretching them out on my 15 hour study days I wear them about 12 hours. The 20 hour battery life for my purposes is excellent. They go into low battery mode after 5 minutes of not being on, even when not in the case, however the low power mode is slightly more efficient in the case as the bluetooth turns off, but this is negligible, and overall I will say the idle battery life is amazing. As far as the smart case, I like it, it's simple and effective, but its not fully protective so I wouldn't be throwing your AirPods in a bag with anything sharp that can damage the mesh headband. I also would be careful to order a light colored one if you wear anything on your skin often or expect them to get dirty/stained. Overall very happy with these airpods and use them everyday when I study.

These are the best headphones I've ever owned. The sound quality is excellent, 3D spatial placement works well, noise cancellation works exactly as described. And pairing with a laptop seems flawless. Battery life is fine, good for a week or longer with no recharging.

Most all of my personal electronics are Apple devices, largely because of the quality and the ability to go from product to product with ease. I've also been sold on noise-canceling headphone listening since I first began with Sony XM noise-canceling over-the-ear phone years ago. But I switched to Apple devices some time ago. These headphones, oddly designated as AirPods Max (they don't seem to be Pods to me), are pricey, but elegant, comfortable, and convey the kind of sound beautifully for the music I like (largely classical and neo-classical). The noice-cancellation is outstanding, and comes with what is pretty much standard aspects including ambient sound options that I rarely use. They feel heavy when picking them up -- but I can wear them for an extended period of time without tiring, and they feel remarkably light. The design for me is the best i've worn or seen. Sleek, easy, with only two subtle buttons on the upper right side. There have been some complaints about the "case" -- there is only a kind of packet that contains most of the phones, but nothing that encases the entire headphones. I haven't timed the battery/usage, but they do seem to use it up pretty quickly. Other more tech-savvy users will have more data on this and other details. I've had these a few short months and have no real complaints. Price is price -- you pay it or you don't. But I like what I got, and would buy them again in a heartbeat.

Absolutely amazing headphones super premium quality. I love the material on the air cups and headband. It is super soft and comfortable. The ear cups are very soft on your ears and I believe the headphones are mostly aluminum with very strong plastic as well. They connect to your iPhone, practically instantly The noise cancellation and transparency mode is top-tier with transparency mode on and having a conversation it’s like you don’t even have the headphones on the type C charging is super convenient and charges really quick and on top of all that these are absolutely without a doubt the best headphones you’ll ever hear. I tried the nothing headphones the beat studio pro Sennheiser momentum for and these AirPods Max are for sure the best in all categories.