March 2021 • Macworld 45to use your Bluetooth headphones on
an Android phone or a Windows PC,
the AirPods Max will work as standard
Bluetooth device, but you’re going to
miss out on a lot.
The simple pairing is a well-
known AirPods feature by now, but
consider that hands-free assistant
support only works with Siri, too.
There’s no way to adjust features
like reversing the digital crown dial
without an Apple device. With iOS
14 and macOS Big Sur, AirPods can
automatically switch from one Apple
device to another when you start
playing audio somewhere else. It’s
incredibly convenient.
One of the coolest features of
the AirPods Max (and AirPods Pro)
is Spatial Audio, whereby Dolby
surround is massaged into a sort
of faux-3D sound stage. It even
reorients itself as you turn your head.
It’s an awesome party trick, but it
currently only works with iPhone and
iPad, which is a total waste. How
often do you watch surround-sound
movies on those devices? Apple
desperately needs to bring Spatial
Audio support to Apple TV and the
Mac. Until then, it’s an awesome
feature with such limited practical
use that it’s hardly a reason to choose
AirPods over other headphones.VERDICT
Are the AirPod Max the best wireless
noise-cancelling headphones you can
buy? For those who rely on the Apple
ecosystem, yes. They offer sound
quality on par or even slightly better
than their competitors, and superior
noise-cancelling.
Is that worth paying nearly
double the price, though? You’re
definitely getting something for that
price premium. The materials and
build quality puts other consumer
headphones to shame. If you want
to ‘flex’ your financial success with
a pair of quality headphones that
everyone will instantly recognize,
and recognize the high price,
AirPods Max are for you.
But there are a host of legitimate
drawbacks worth considering. The
heavy weight and lack of sweat/
waterproofing makes them all but
useless for doing yard work or working
out. If you want to plug into a 3.5mm
jack, you have to buy a separate £35
cable. The Smart Case is without
exaggeration one of the poorest-
designed and badly-made products
Apple has ever graced us with. One
of the coolest features, spatial audio,
doesn’t work with Macs or Apple TV.
It’s upsetting to think that such
expensive wireless noise-cancellingMarch 2021 • Macworld 45to use your Bluetooth headphones on
an Android phone or a Windows PC,
the AirPods Max will work as standard
Bluetooth device, but you’re going to
miss out on a lot.
The simple pairing is a well-
known AirPods feature by now, but
consider that hands-free assistant
support only works with Siri, too.
There’s no way to adjust features
like reversing the digital crown dial
without an Apple device. With iOS
14 and macOS Big Sur, AirPods can
automatically switch from one Apple
device to another when you start
playing audio somewhere else. It’s
incredibly convenient.
One of the coolest features of
the AirPods Max (and AirPods Pro)
is Spatial Audio, whereby Dolby
surround is massaged into a sort
of faux-3D sound stage. It even
reorients itself as you turn your head.
It’s an awesome party trick, but it
currently only works with iPhone and
iPad, which is a total waste. How
often do you watch surround-sound
movies on those devices? Apple
desperately needs to bring Spatial
Audio support to Apple TV and the
Mac. Until then, it’s an awesome
feature with such limited practical
use that it’s hardly a reason to choose
AirPods over other headphones.
VERDICT
Are the AirPod Max the best wireless
noise-cancelling headphones you can
buy? For those who rely on the Apple
ecosystem, yes. They offer sound
quality on par or even slightly better
than their competitors, and superior
noise-cancelling.
Is that worth paying nearly
double the price, though? You’re
definitely getting something for that
price premium. The materials and
build quality puts other consumer
headphones to shame. If you want
to ‘flex’ your financial success with
a pair of quality headphones that
everyone will instantly recognize,
and recognize the high price,
AirPods Max are for you.
But there are a host of legitimate
drawbacks worth considering. The
heavy weight and lack of sweat/
waterproofing makes them all but
useless for doing yard work or working
out. If you want to plug into a 3.5mm
jack, you have to buy a separate £35
cable. The Smart Case is without
exaggeration one of the poorest-
designed and badly-made products
Apple has ever graced us with. One
of the coolest features, spatial audio,
doesn’t work with Macs or Apple TV.
It’s upsetting to think that such
expensive wireless noise-cancelling