AirPods Max reaction: Pricier than my next phone

 

So, on December 8th, 2020, Apple released a press release (speech 100) that detailed the release of the AirPods Max, Apple's venture into the over-ear headphone market. The TL:DR is that the AirPods Max are Apple's Over-Ear AirPods that combine their ANC technology with precision sound and tuning learned from beats, combine that with the seamless Apple experience you have the $549 AirPods Max. Here are my reactions, thoughts, and analysis to the breaking news. 

The Basics 

So, let's start at the basics and what we do know right now, the AirPods Max come in with a smooth, very AirPods design. It has a mesh band that connects the two sides of the headphones with a stainless-steel rod that allows for smooth adjustment without the need for set points in the band allowing for custom adjustment and comfort. There's also some memory-foam earcups that detach magnetically and attach the same way, I'm not sure if this is to offer modularity or perhaps offer an upgrade in the future but needless to say the design is very Apple.  

Image Credit: The Verge

There are also some on-board controls to look at, there's a button that switches between ANC (noise cancellation) and ambient mode, there's also the return of the digital crown that will be used to control volume, play/pause, and Siri. It stays to be seen if the controls will be intuitive or well-received, but it still holds a lot of promise. They don't have a power button, instead they rely on the accelerometer and sensors to figure out when you have the headphones on and when their off, this also allows for pausing when you take the headphones off. Here's a statement from Nilay Patel at The Verge: 

 

 The AirPods Max don’t have a power button, which is very Apple; they just go to sleep when they haven’t been on your head for a while, and then wake up when you put them back on. Clever.-Nilay Patel, The Verge

It charges via lightning cable like most Apple products, and again, surprisingly enough, they don't have a 3.5mm headphone jack for plugging in. Now not all ANC headphones have this, but most do, it's commonplace for those wanting to take full advantage of the audio quality that their headphones supply and for those who fly often to watch movies on the airplane. This does explain why they did not go with the long-rumored AirPods Studios moniker, the just wanted to focus on the wireless aspect but regardless Apple is perfectly willing to sell you a $35 lightning-3.5mm dongle cable. 

Image Credit: The Verge

Now let's talk sound. Each earcup has an H1 processor that share the ANC, sensor, 40mm drivers, and spatial audio workload. The ANC should be one of the highlight features, but it still is to be seen if it can sustain battery life, however I have full confidence in that the AirPods Max ANC should be delightful. There's also a 9-mic array that's used for ANC and the ambient mode, I also assume them to be adequate for regular phone calls and Zoom. As for battery life Apple is claiming 20 hours with ANC or ambient mode on, it's ok but with Sony's WH-1000XM4 lasting 30 hours with ANC/Ambient on it's just disappointing, I will await further development before really judging those stats. 

Image Credit: Apple 

About that case, the case is as far as I know disappointing, a case that recharges the Airpods like regular Airpods would have been really cool; the fact that the case just looks awkward is just insult to i. As for fast charging the AirPods Max can get 90 minutes (about 1 and a half hours) of music in 5 minutes of charging, there is no specifics of wattage used to achieve that or the threshold of how much wattage it can handle.  

 

 Price & Conclusion

So, what are my thoughts? I personally think that Apple is onto something here, Apple is using the AirPods aesthetics and integration with the ecosystem to place these Headphones as the best ANC headphones for the Apple faithful. Apple knows how to use their silicon to create booming speakers like the HomePod, a wide soundstage with the 16-inch MacBook Pro, ANC that works with the Beats Solo Pro and Studio, and detailed Audio in every note with the...HomePod? 

Look Apple doesn't make many products and adding the AirPods Max does make the lineup better, but I also must realize that these are here to appeal to the premium consumer that want's the best audio from wireless and it would make sense if they just included the 3.5mm headphone jack. I'm sorry but with Sony WH-1000XM4 and Surface Headphones 2 running around you just must be a certain type of person to justify even smelling the $549 price tag. 

 
I cannot give a full opinion, but I can say one thing, this is not going to be a mainstream product barring a massive price cut. Apple has always been a consumer specialist brand leaving the pros to their Macs, it adds up in a sense, but the competition is too fierce, and the omission of basic features really do kill the mood of the AirPods Max. Their most likely to be more expensive than my next phone and for some it me just what their looking for but for me I am going to need more convincing.