Macworld - USA (2021-03)

46 Macworld • March 2021

AIRPODS MAX

headphones essentially require

you to buy a third-party case and

an overpriced 3.5mm cable, both of

which should be included.

The AirPods Max occupy a strange

no-man’s land of both price and

quality. They’re more expensive than,

and more premium than, competing

consumer wireless noise-cancelling

headphones like the Sony XM4s or

Bose 700s. But they don’t offer sound

quality up to the standards of more

expensive audiophile headphones,

like those from Sennheiser or Focal.

It would be easier to recommend

them despite their shortcomings if

Apple included the 3.5mm cable, a

proper case, and charged £100 less.

You’d still be paying a premium over

competing products from the likes of

Bose or Sony, but with materials and

build quality to justify it. This is a good

product, but the intersection of what

you pay and what you get is way off

the mark. Jason Cross

SPECIFICATIONS

• Apple-designed dynamic driver


• Active Noise Cancellation


• Transparency mode


• Adaptive EQ


• Spatial audio with dynamic head
  tracking


• Optical sensor (each ear cup)
  
  
  • Position sensor (each ear cup)
  
  
  • Case-detect sensor (each ear cup)
  
  
  • Accelerometer (each ear cup)
  
  
  • Gyroscope (left ear cup)
  
  
  • Nine microphones in total: eight for
    Active Noise Cancellation; three
    for voice pickup (two shared with
    Active Noise Cancellation and one
    additional microphone)
  
  
  • Apple H1 headphone chip (each ear
    cup)
  
  
  • Digital Crown
  
  
  • Noise control button
  
  
  • Bluetooth 5.0
  
  
  • 187.3x168.6x83.4mm
  
  
  • 134.5g
  
  
  
  

46 Macworld • March 2021

AIRPODS MAX

headphonesessentiallyrequire

youtobuya third-partycaseand

anoverpriced3.5mmcable,bothof

whichshouldbeincluded.

TheAirPodsMaxoccupya strange

no-man’slandofbothpriceand

quality.They’remoreexpensivethan,

andmorepremiumthan,competing

consumerwirelessnoise-cancelling

headphonesliketheSonyXM4sor

Bose700s.Buttheydon’toffersound

qualityuptothestandardsofmore

expensiveaudiophileheadphones,

likethosefromSennheiserorFocal.

Itwouldbeeasiertorecommend

themdespitetheirshortcomingsif

Appleincludedthe3.5mmcable,a

propercase,andcharged£100less.

You’dstillbepayinga premiumover

competingproductsfromthelikesof

BoseorSony,butwithmaterialsand

buildqualitytojustifyit.Thisisa good

product,buttheintersectionofwhat

youpayandwhatyougetiswayoff

themark.JasonCross

SPECIFICATIONS

• Apple-designeddynamicdriver


• ActiveNoiseCancellation


• Transparencymode


• AdaptiveEQ


• Spatialaudiowithdynamichead
  tracking


• Optical sensor (each ear cup)
  
  
  • Positionsensor(eachearcup)
  
  
  • Case-detectsensor(eachearcup)
  
  
  • Accelerometer(eachearcup)
  
  
  • Gyroscope(leftearcup)
  
  
  • Nine microphones in total: eight for
    Active Noise Cancellation; three
    for voice pickup (two shared with
    Active Noise Cancellation and one
    additionalmicrophone)
  
  
  • Apple H1 headphone chip (each ear
    cup)
  
  
  • DigitalCrown
  
  
  • Noisecontrolbutton
  
  
  • Bluetooth5.0
  
  
  • 187.3x168.6x83.4mm
  
  
  • 134.5g