AirPods Max Offer Incredible Sound & Noise Cancellation For iPhone Users At A Very Premium Price
The entire housing of the headphones apart from the mesh headband is made on aluminium. If you want to know what peak luxury design feels like, the AirPods Max is your answer. However, since the headphones are made of aluminium; it does add extra weight. To compensate for the weight, the headband is also quite different from what I am used to. It uses a mesh headband which reduces the pressure put on your head due to the weight. In our usage, I did not feel the weight at all thanks to this mesh headband and makes using metal headphones quite viable. © MensXP/Akshay Bhalla My major issue with over-the-head headphones is a personal one since I wear glasses. Many a time I have found myself taking a break from over-the-head headphones as it causes quite a discomfort.
In the case of the AirPods Max, after using it all day while working and writing stories; I did not experience the same discomfort. The insides of the earcups have a fabric padding which means these headphones are not ideal for use at the gym. On the outer side of the earcups, you will find four microphones on each cup that help in the noise cancellation feature and three additional microphones for voice pickup or making calls. On the upper right side of the earcup, you will also find a digital crown style dial that is used for music playback. The crown can also be used to adjust the volume by simply rotating it to either side. Right next to the Digital Crown dial, there is a dedicated button that can be used for activating or deactivating noise cancellation as well. Additionally, the headphones also come with an Optical sensor (each ear cup), Position sensor (each ear cup), Case-detect sensor (each ear cup), Accelerometer (each ear cup), and a Gyroscope (left ear cup) sensor. I Thought Cases Were Meant For Protection © MensXP/Akshay Bhalla While I do love things designed by Apple, in general, including these headphones, I really can’t justify the carrying case that comes with the AirPods Max.
The main purpose of any case that comes with a headphone is to protect it from damage, scratches and dings. However, in the case of the AirPods Max; the carrying case does none of it. The only thing it is good at doing is putting the headphones to sleep when enclosed. It seems like the case was designed by an entirely different team which was not on the same page as the audio team. At best, the case only protects the earcups fully from the side which is not enough for a pair of headphones that cost as much as an iPhone. The most vulnerable part of the headphone is the mesh headband itself and it gets no protection whatsoever from the case. Even the bottom of the case does fully protect the earcups from fall damage. Thankfully, third party companies are now working on cases for the AirPods Max and make up for Apple’s mistake. I do have to say that I love the leather-type material of the case however it would have been a better offering if it protected the headphones. Sound Quality, Noise Cancellation and Features © MensXP/Akshay Bhalla Now that I have that rant out of my system, it’s time to talk about what makes these headphones great.
The AirPods Max are the pinnacle of great wireless audio products that is currently unmatched by its competitors. The sound quality is at par with some of the higher-end professional headphones that I use for mixing tracks. Every individual instrument track can be heard clearly and feels layered on the AirPods Max. The headphones shine the most when it comes to balancing low and mid frequencies which left me quite astonished. Mids don’t particularly the overpower the rest of the frequencies and is quite beautifully controlled. The high frequencies are extremely clear as it breathes life and excitement into punchier sounds and vocals. The AirPods Max might just be the best tuned wireless headphones I have used this past decade. Having said that, if you like to adjust your EQ there is no way to do that apart from using preset EQs from the settings menu on your iPhone. While you can adjust the EQ manually if you listen to music via Spotify, there’s no way to do that with Apple Music at the moment. So, if if you like to amp up the bass in your tracks or tone down the highs, you might be a bit disappointed here. One of my favourite features on the AirPods Max is its ability to use ‘Adaptive EQ’. The AirPods Max adults the sound according to the fit and seal of the ear cushions. The headphones use software and sensors to measure sound signal delivers to a user and adjusts the mid and low frequencies accordingly. Apple may not provide a manual EQ adjustment feature, it does however make up for it with this one feature. The AirPods Max marquee feature might be its sound, but that has been perfectly paired with great Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) performance. The outward-facing microphones at detecting ambient noise and isolate it when you’ve got ANC mode turned on. I couldn’t test the headphones outdoors but I’ve three particularly loud dogs. In my test scenario, the headphone was able to isolate the barking sounds from all three dogs quite effectively without comprising the integrity of the sound. © MensXP/Akshay Bhalla Noise cancellation also adapts according to fit and movement in real-time which means you can use them without hearing ambient noise when walking down the street.
However, if you do wish to hear sounds from your surroundings, you can simply press the dedicated button to switch to ‘Transparency Mode’. This lets in ambient noise into the headphones and you can hear the surrounding sounds quite clearly as well. This is best used when you want to have a conversation with someone or want to be mindful of oncoming traffic on the street. © MensXP/Akshay Bhalla For people who love to watch video content on their iPhones and iPads, the AirPods Max truly utilise the Spatial Audio feature to its full potential.
It gives an atmospheric vibe to the sound and feels like as if you are watching content on a surround sound system. It’s immersive and comes very close to a home theatre experience. Having said that, you do need to watch the content of Apple TV+, Netflix or Prime Video that supports 5.1, 7.1, or Dolby Atmos sound. The headphones use the gyroscope to track a user’s head movement and remaps the sound field. No other headphone does this at the moment and proves Apple’s commitment to offering superior sound with their audio products. Battery Life © MensXP/Akshay Bhalla The AirPods Max are rated to last 20 hours on a single charge while using ANC and in our tests, it comes quite close to that claim. If you want to save battery or turn off the headphones, you do have to put it inside the protective case that comes with the headphones.
Battery life on the AirPods Max is long enough so that you can use it in some of the longest flights as well. Having said that, there is no additional audio port so that you can still listen to music in the event of zero per cent battery. You can, however, use a Lightning-to-Lightning or a Lightning to 3.5mm headphone cable to continue listening to the audio on your preferred device. I managed to use a Lightning to 3.5mm dongle and used it with the PlayStation 4’s controller for gaming sessions. The headphones were able to offer directional audio in games like Call of Duty: Warzone. The Final Say © MensXP/Akshay Bhalla The AirPods Max gets many things right with its luxurious design and incredible sound performance. They sound fantastic and additional features like spatial sound, adaptive EQ and noise cancellation to enhance the overall experience.
The AirPods Max are perfect for music listeners and movie watchers alike. However, I do feel Apple needs to go back to the drawing board when it comes to the case as it offers little to no protection. If you have been wanting the ultimate wireless headphones for your Apple device, the AirPods Max should be on the top of your list.
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