Apple AirPods Max (2020) Review: Insanely Great, Insanely Expensive

Apple’s noise commissioner is excellent again, with CVC and keyboard noises instantly disappearing. I am not shocked, since the main writer Adrienne claims that his toddlers regularly scare her when she uses AirPods Pro. Do not be afraid, however, the conversationists: by quickly pressing the button at the top of the headphones, the sound of the room is killed in your ears, which makes quick discussions.

It is really the sound quality itself which brings the AirPods Max to the level above their competitors. In simple terms, it is the most constituted wireless headphones that I have ever heard, and by a significant margin.

Honestly, I say that as definitively as possible. When they arrived for the first time, I put the AirPods Max against the Sony Wh-1000XM4, Bose Noise Annuling 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 look. From redheads with brilliant and clear highs, everything finds a place. The groups seem to play in larger pieces in your mind, and each instrument becomes more distinct than ever in the fog of occupied mixtures.

I love listening to the detailed pop of more recent artists like Billie Eilish, because the creative production techniques of his brother Finneas are completely concentrated. Each small flicker and growl seems more distinct than ever. Hip-hop is just as exciting because the bass is punchy and defined but never explosive or flasque-stereo. 808 The kicks and the disordered voices never mix, and more brilliant elements of each song take place perfectly at the top.

When you listen to sounds of the hard ball like Elliott Smith guitars, they feel like they are in the edges of my musical vision, giving a lot of room in the middle of the sound. The overwhelming sense of musical clarity is crazy for the headphones of comedy with noise. Some competitors can follow Apple’s work better than others, but in most cases, it is as if you withdraw a layer of woolen from other flagship noise headphones when you go to AirPods Max.

Good for movies

Another excellent feature that distinguishes airpods outside is the space audio which is really usable. If you look at a compatible application (I looked at HBO Max on an iPad), the AirPods Max will simulate sounds based on objects like Dolby Atmos, so that the audio effects seem to materialize imaginary “speakers” placed all around you in a 3D space.

Turn your head and audio remains locked in the original orientation. This makes sounds a little more sibilant (or “brighter”), but the functionality really immerses you in the visualization experience. It is as if you were in a real house theater with surround speakers all around you.

Apple says that the AirPods Max USB-C model will also be the only helmet that will allow “musicians to create and mix in the personalized space audio with head tracking” with the latest functionality upgrades, which makes space sound all the more useful.

Buy or not buy

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

Unlike other Apple products, they are objectively the best in their category. Somewhere in the ether, Steve Jobs probably blocks with pride.

Upgrades of features

One of the best features most appreciated by the best Apple headphones has been the introduction of new features that help maintain them not only relevant, but competitive with innovative competitors. After publishing a USB-C model in 2024, Apple added new intriguing features in March 2025, including 24-bit / 48 kHz loss-free audio support when it is connected to an Apple Updated appliance with iOS 18.4, iPados 18.4 and MacOS Sequoia 15.4 for AirPods Max with USB-C.

Does this count? It may depend on who you ask. Many audio professionals argue that most people cannot hear the difference between a compressed audio track and a high resolution track, especially with today’s high -quality compressed tracks on streaming services like Spotify or Apple Music. And in fact, this is what our tests revealed with the AirPods Max. In the blind A / B tests between the best compressed tracks of Spotify and the loss -free tracks on Apple Music or Tidal, our results were essentially not conclusive. In other words, we could not always hear the difference.

What made a notable difference was listening to trendy music compared to streaming on Bluetooth. This is good news for users of the Lightning Airpods Max, who did not obtain the audio update without loss. As such, if you have thought of upgrading for the new loss audio support, you may or not notice a difference – and if you do, it will probably be a minor.

Musicians, producers and amateurs may have another reason to consider going to the AirPods Max USB-C, because Apple has also announced the “ultra-patient latency” which should do work in Apple music recording applications as a more transparent Logic Pro. This feature can also benefit players and livestreamers thanks to a lower delay time which, according to Apple, is tied with the “native integrated speakers”. —Yan Waniata