The Beats by Dr. Dre Solo2 headphones are a great option for those looking for an excellent pair of headphones that can enhance the immersiveness of their music. Despite their construction, they are heavy, which may eventually cause discomfort. The carrying case is not as protective as some would like, but overall the majority should be satisfied with their more than 21 hours of playback time.
The Apple AirPods Max are a great pair of headphones for travel and commuting. They have a good noise cancelling ability, 21-hour battery life, and are light. However, they can be tiring to wear for long periods of time. The carrying case is also not very protective against damage. You will learn more about the AirPods Max in our full review.
Design
The AirPods Max are likely one factor in their high price. These cans have premium materials and the bold, clean lines that we expect from Apple-designed products. The unique, eccentric design quirk is a balance off the minimalist sophistication. When you first open the box for the AirPods Max, you’ll notice that the earcups are tucked inside a soft-touch rubberized Smart Case, giving the headphones the appearance of a strange clutch bag. Even the small divot on the cover of the Lightning port is present. A magnet used to close the Smart Case interacts with earcaps to put headphones into low power resting state. ..
Remove the AirPods Max case and you’ll be able to see how well-crafted and high-quality the headphones are. The extenders are made of silver stainless steel, while the earcaps are made of shimmering anodized aluminum. The headband is made of stainless steel wrapped in the same rubberized material as the case rather than leather or leather-like materials.
The earcups’ memory foam counterparts are modelled after the knit mesh that makes up the majority of the band. When the headphones aren’t on your head, an integrated optical sensor in each earcup notices this and stops the music until you’re ready to put them back on. Those fabric earcups will undoubtedly become a little dingy over time. If this occurs, you can purchase replacements for $69 per pair or choose a different color to give your cans a little more personality. There are several intriguing connectors, buttons, and ports on the headphones.
The headphones come with a digital crown on the right earcap and a noise-cancelling microphone. The left earcap has a mesh-lined opening for the top-mounted digital controls, including a USB Type-C port for charging. The headphones are available in Sky Blue, Pink, and Green, with Black and Space Gray also available. ..
Apple AirPods Max review: Comfort
The Apple AirPods Max are the best headphones you can buy, despite the fact that they may not be to everyone’s taste. They will easily believe there is a sizable price difference between them if you hand someone a pair of them and a pair of Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones.
The Sony headphones are noticeably cheaper than the Apple headphones. The memory-foam cushions between the cups and your head easily enclose even the largest ears, forming a seal that is gentle and surprisingly successful at physically obstructing sound. ..
The AirPods Max are significantly heavier than most other wireless headphones you might be considering, but they don’t feel heavy on the head and there are no pressure areas. We’ve been using the AirPods Max for almost two years and have never experienced any discomfort or fatigue.
The AirPods Max come with two physical controls on the top of the right-hand cup: a dial modelled after the Apple Watch’s digital crown, and a straightforward button for changing between noise-cancelling settings. This allows users to control their music without having to take off their headphones, which is great for when you want to take a break but still keep listening. ..
Connectivity
Bluetooth 5 is a more reliable and faster wireless technology than Bluetooth 4.0. Pairing is quick and reliable, and you shouldn’t experience any connection drops as long as you’re not more than 800 feet away from your phone and don’t put solid walls in the way. ..
Apple announced the AirPods Max, their newest wireless earbuds. The AirPods Max are different from the original AirPods in a few ways. First, they have a larger battery which lasts up to five hours. Second, they have a new design with a built-in speaker that is meant to be used with an iPhone or an iPad. Third, they require iOS 14.3 or later and an Apple device running it. Finally, they do not support Spatial Audio or Automatic Switching without an Apple device running iOS 14.3 or later. ..
Noise canceling
Apple’s AirPods Max have better noise cancellation features than the AirPods for $600. Nine microphones are included in the headphones, eight of which are meant to block out background noise while the other one is used to pick up voice calls or activate Siri. ..
The AirPods Max are better than the AirPods when it comes to noise cancellation. They can block out some of the noise from New York City, but it’s not as strong as with other headphones. ..
The AirPods Max’s noise cancellation significantly reduced the construction noise coming from a nearby Con-Ed vehicle during our daily stroll. There was already a little rumble, but listening to Gallant’s “Comeback.” at 40% volume drowned it out totally.
The ambulance’s blaring siren was several blocks away. With the cans we had at home, we discovered that the ANC fully turned off our LG TV when the volume was at 16. This was a little worse than what the Bose and Sony did, which both do at 17.
Transparency mode is a feature that allows you to hear what’s going on around you while still keeping your privacy. When turned on, the microphones let in a respectable amount of background noise. This meant that as we crossed the street, the sound of the approaching traffic formed an uneasy alliance with Erica Banks’ “Buss It.” Although there is a way to completely disable ANC, we highly doubt you’ll ever use it if you live in a busy city like we do. ..
Apple AirPods Max review: Audio performance
The AirPods Max are the perfect headphones for anyone looking for excellent audio quality. They have a large, well-balanced soundstage that gives each instrument plenty of room to sing, and when you add in some cool extras like Spatial Audio and automatically pausing your music when you take off the headphones, you have yourself a very special set of headphones. With a great sense of rhythm and stereo separation, the glitchy picked guitar had a lovely, rich quality to it.
The AirPods Max are great for listening to music because they have a neodymium ring magnet motor that drives the 40mm speakers, and they have a vivid and bright glockenspiel.
The AirPods Max can handle classical music with accuracy and precision, unlike the AirPods Pro. Only Apple’s own Apple Digital Masters tracks support Hi-Res Audio files, which are only accessible through Apple Music. ..
Apple Music’s lack of codec support and lossless streaming support is a major disappointment, given that it offers such great value for money.
Call performance
We’ve had a lot of success with the AirPods Max, and most of our callers were unaware we were using them—unless we were outside and an ambulance or police car was passing by while sounding its siren. The majority of our callers reported strong, clear sound in all but those rare instances. Even when we were outside, the majority of people couldn’t even tell that we were wearing headphones.
Our callers’ voices were audible and distinct on our end, despite the small ANC-induced muffling. We frequently heard background sounds, including our niece talking to our granny, because the volume was loud enough. ..
Battery and charging
Apple has claimed that 20 hours of listening to ANC can be obtained, and that a five-minute charge can provide 90 minutes of use. As with other Apple devices, charging is accomplished via a Lightning to USB-C cable (included in the box).
We’ve been happy with the battery life so far, but we’ve made sure to put these headphones back in their case when not in use. This is crucial because if you don’t, the low power mode won’t activate, and you might discover that the power has been used more than you anticipated when you return.
Price and availability
The Apple AirPods Max are significantly more expensive than the majority of the top over-ear headphones available now at that price. They cost $399 / £380 / AU$649, which is still expensive but a lot less than the AirPods Max.
Our review of the Philips PH805 wireless headphones, which cost $199 or £160, is where you can learn more about the best over-ear headphones for a reasonable price. The AirPods Max are without a doubt quite costly. Even if Apple does develop a less expensive, sports-friendly version of the AirPods Max, you can still expect to pay a hefty price for them.
Apple AirPods Max review: Conclusion
The AirPods Max are the best headphones I’ve ever used. They have great spatial audio, excellent noise cancellation, and are overall very well made. They’re also the most opulent and stylish I’ve ever come across.
The Beats by Dr. Dre Solo2 Headphones are a comfortable and effective way to listen to music, but their weak points include insufficient protection from the case, limited support for spatial audio, and a loose fit between the ear cups and headband on the side of your head.
