March 2021 • Macworld 43- Doesn’t really protect your
headphones. - Doesn’t make a meaningful
difference in battery drain. - Doesn’t hold any accessories you
need when you travel.
Whatever Apple’s product
development and approval process is,
it failed here. This should never have
made it to market. Fortunately, it’s
not a critical component and can be
more or less ignored.SOUND QUALITY AND
NOISE CANCELLING
AirPods Max are extremely well
designed and crafted (aside from the
Smart Case, which is the opposite
of that), but that means nothing if
they don’t sound great. Fortunately,
they’re a delight for your ears. Audio
reproduction stands shoulder-to-
shoulder with the best wireless
Bluetooth headphones, and the
active noise cancelling is perhaps
the best I’ve ever heard.
The audio profile of the AirPods
Max is not studio-grade. You should
not expect a flat frequency response
curve. Apple has tuned the AirPods
Max to boost bass and mid-high
frequencies a bit, which most listeners
will probably find quite pleasing. Thebass has kick when it’s called for,
and it’s clean with no distortion, but
it doesn’t have the overwhelming
thump of Sony’s XM4s or most Beats
headphones, for example. These
aren’t going to vibrate your skull, if
that’s what you’re looking for.
I’m struck by how remarkably
consistent the sound quality is.
Most headphones change tone
depending on exactly how they’re
sitting on your ear or how loud you
have the volume cranked up. AirPods
Max manage to sound exactly the
same no matter how they’re shifted
on your head, and whether you
have them set low in a quiet room
or cranked loud outdoors. If this is
the ‘adaptive EQ’ thing in Apple’s
marketing copy, it really works.
Overall sound reproduction
quality is on a par with other high-
end premium Bluetooth headphones,
though with a somewhat different
character. It’s a little more natural and
neutral, and likely to be pleasing to all
types of listeners. If you’re a serious
audio nerd, know that these are not
going to compete with the £1,500
open-back wired headphones and
£400 pre-amp you listen to FLAC
files with, nor is it meant to.
Noise-cancelling quality, however,
is a cut above the rest. The AirPodsMarch 2021 • Macworld 43- Doesn’treallyprotectyour
headphones. - Doesn’tmakea meaningful
differenceinbatterydrain. - Doesn’t hold any accessories you
need when you travel.
Whatever Apple’s product
development and approval process is,
it failed here. This should never have
made it to market. Fortunately, it’s
not a critical component and can be
more or less ignored.
SOUND QUALITY AND
NOISE CANCELLING
AirPods Max are extremely well
designed and crafted (aside from the
Smart Case, which is the opposite
of that), but that means nothing if
they don’t sound great. Fortunately,
they’re a delight for your ears. Audio
reproduction stands shoulder-to-
shoulder with the best wireless
Bluetooth headphones, and the
active noise cancelling is perhaps
the best I’ve ever heard.
The audio profile of the AirPods
Max is not studio-grade. You should
not expect a flat frequency response
curve. Apple has tuned the AirPods
Max to boost bass and mid-high
frequencies a bit, which most listeners
will probably find quite pleasing. The
bass has kick when it’s called for,
and it’s clean with no distortion, but
it doesn’t have the overwhelming
thump of Sony’s XM4s or most Beats
headphones, for example. These
aren’t going to vibrate your skull, if
that’s what you’re looking for.
I’m struck by how remarkably
consistent the sound quality is.
Most headphones change tone
depending on exactly how they’re
sitting on your ear or how loud you
have the volume cranked up. AirPods
Max manage to sound exactly the
same no matter how they’re shifted
on your head, and whether you
have them set low in a quiet room
or cranked loud outdoors. If this is
the ‘adaptive EQ’ thing in Apple’s
marketing copy, it really works.
Overall sound reproduction
quality is on a par with other high-
end premium Bluetooth headphones,
though with a somewhat different
character. It’s a little more natural and
neutral, and likely to be pleasing to all
types of listeners. If you’re a serious
audio nerd, know that these are not
going to compete with the £1,500
open-back wired headphones and
£400 pre-amp you listen to FLAC
files with, nor is it meant to.
Noise-cancelling quality, however,
is a cut above the rest. The AirPods