Review: AirPods Max

As the pandemic wheezes on, noise-canceling headphones have gone from being a tool for jet-setting business types to a requirement for work-from-home sanity.

From the excellent new on-ear Beats models to the in-ear AirPods Pro (8/10, WIRED Recommends), Apple’s been making some of the best noise-canceling headphones for some time now. But in the tradition of a man named Jobs, some of the best won’t do. And so, with their bespoke aluminum ear cups, perfectly balanced volume knob—and $550 price tag—we are graced with the new AirPods Max.

The pair of ultra-premium headphones is meant to destroy the competition from Sony and Bose, and they quickly turned me from skeptic to true believer.

The AirPods Max are not without quirks, but in terms of sound, build quality, and features, they are the best noise-canceling headphones I’ve ever tested. It’s annoying for those of us with shallow pockets and partially compatible Android devices to admit, but Apple has once again proved its point: When you’ve got the best product, you can charge what you want for it.

The thing people love about Apple's in-ear AirPods headphones is how well they work. Especially the pairing procedure. You pop open the case, put them next to whatever Apple-made device you’ve got on hand, everything syncs up, and you’re off to the races. That's also true here with the AirPods Max; after sliding the rounded rectangular ear cups out of their bra-like soft case, I had music from my iPad playing through them in seconds.

But before I got them on my head to listen to Taylor Swift, I noticed another thing: They’re extremely well made. From the milled aluminum casing to the metal headband with mesh padding resembling the texture of a Herman Miller Aeron chair, the components all feel hyper-premium. They feel significantly nicer than Bose and Sony models, and they even best the equally pricey Montblanc model I fell in love with last year.

Even the folks at iFixit were impressed with the headphones' build quality—with everything from replaceable magnetic ear cups to screwed-in components, these appear to be among the only Apple products that are user-repairable.

My favorite part of the headphones isn't the flashy materials, though, it's the volume knob. On the top of the right ear cup, Apple stuck a pushable wheel just like the Apple Watch's digital crown. This acts as a Play/Pause button when you press it, and it controls the music volume when you twist it. There's a smaller second button next to it that adjusts noise cancellation. No stupid touch controls, no wondering what things do, no muss, no fuss. The AirPods Max even have head sensing; slide them over your ears and they wake automatically out of standby mode and connect to your closest paired iOS device.

One quirk is that Apple has once again implemented its wonky reverse scroll behavior on that volume knob. Using the default settings, a counterclockwise turn raises the volume, and clockwise lowers it. Any self-respecting knob enthusiast knows this is sacrilege. I found myself turning the volume up when what I wanted was to turn it down. This is presumably why you can change the scrolling direction of the knob in an iOS settings menu. I did, and didn't look back.

The weird rotation direction isn’t my only problem with Apple’s first ever premium noise-canceling over-ears, though. The soft case, which looks like the AirPods Max designers went shopping for tops at Victoria’s Secret, is extremely stupid.

The fabric flaps offer essentially no protection for the headband, which is the part most likely to get damaged in your shoulder bag or backpack. The case is also, somewhat inexplicably, among the only ways to get the always-on headphones to their lowest power mode.

Yes, you read that correctly: You can’t turn the AirPods Max off. You can only turn them to low power mode, either by setting them down for five minutes or by returning them to the case. That means bringing the world’s most useless case with you everywhere if you need to save juice. It also means the AirPods' battery is always and forever slowly being drained. In practice, if you actually use the headphones often, this isn't a problem. Just don't go looking for them to have a ton of battery left if you leave them unused for a week or more.

The reason for the always-on nature of the headphones is to enable both fast device pairing and the Find My iPhone feature. All that’s fine, but I wish I could actually turn the damn things off when I’m not using them and save my battery. Pretty basic stuff.

Speaking of, the AirPods Max have 20 hours of battery life. That's good, but it's 10 hours less than what you get from high-end headphones from competitors like Sony, Bowers & Wilkins, and several others. Since the AirPods Max cost nearly twice as much as some of those (and considering these headphones are already large and relatively heavy), I want matching battery life. It's not a deal-breaker, but still.

One thing I can't blame Apple for is that the audio quality of the headphones significantly degrades when I take Zoom calls on my Mac. I have had similar issues with other noise-canceling headphones. Representatives from the company weren’t able to explain my problem, and I didn’t have the issue using them for Zoom calls on my iPad. On the other hand, some users have been complaining about moisture build-up in the headphones after short listening sessions, and I haven't had this issue.

The small annoyances disappear as soon as I put the AirPods Max on. Compared to the similar Sony or Bose models, they're heavy. But they still feel nice on my head, thanks in large part to that springy mesh headband and the soft fabric ear cups.

Apple’s noise-canceling is once again excellent, with HVAC and keyboard noises disappearing instantly. I’m not shocked, given that senior writer Adrienne So claims her toddlers routinely scare the crap out of her when she’s using the AirPods Pro. Never fear though, conversationalists: With a quick push of the button on the top of the headphones, sound from the room is piped into your ears, which makes quick chats a breeze.

It’s really the sound quality itself that takes the AirPods Max to the level above their competition. Put simply, these are the best-sounding wireless headphones I’ve ever heard, and by a significant margin.

I honestly say this as definitively as I can. When they first arrived, I put the AirPods Max against the Sony WH-1000XM4, Bose Noise Cancelling 700, Mont Blanc MB01, Bowers & Wilkins PX7 Carbon, and Shure Aonic 50.

The main difference between these headphones and all the others is how open they sound. From rumbling lows to bright and clear highs, everything finds a spot. Bands appear to be playing in bigger rooms in your mind’s eye, and each instrument becomes more distinct than ever in the fog of busy mixes.

I love listening to detailed pop from newer artists like Billie Eilish, because her brother Finneas’ creative production techniques come into complete focus. Each little shimmer and growl seems more distinct than ever. Hip hop is equally enthralling because the bass is punchy and defined but never boomy or car-stereo flabby. 808 kicks and detuned voices never blend, and brighter elements of each song ride perfectly atop them.

When listening to hard-panned sounds like Elliott Smith's guitars, they feel like they're way at the edges of my musical vision, giving lots of room in the middle of the sound. The overwhelming sense of musical clarity is insane for noise-canceling headphones. Some competitors can keep up with Apple's work better than others, but in most cases it's as though you’re pulling a layer of wool off of other flagship noise-canceling headphones when you switch to the AirPods Max.

Another excellent feature that sets the AirPods Max apart is spatial audio that's actually usable. If you’re watching on a compatible app (I watched on HBO Max on an iPad), the AirPods Max will simulate object-based surround sound like Dolby Atmos, so that audio effects seem to materialize out of imaginary “speakers” placed all around you in a 3D space.

Turn your head and the audio stays locked to the original orientation. It makes sounds a bit more sibilant (or “brighter”), but the feature does really immerse you in the viewing experience. It's as though you’re in a true home theater with surround-sound speakers all around you. I can’t wait for this feature to become available on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video too.

The AirPods Max, like any $550 accessory, are obviously not for everyone. But despite their exorbitant price tag (and a few small quirks), the build quality, ease of use, and astonishing fidelity they offer make them worthy of the cost.

Unlike other Apple products, these are objectively the best in their category. Somewhere in the ether, Steve Jobs is probably jamming out with pride.