Apple launches $550 over-ear headphones into crowded market

Apple Inc. launched its first over-ear headphones, entering a competitive market dominated by rivals like Bose Corp. and Sony Corp., and expanding its push into accessories to supplement revenue generated by its signature iPhone.

The pricey $550 headphones include wireless pairing and noise cancellation, like many on the market. They go on sale Tuesday and start arriving Dec. 15, Apple said on its website. The company touted superior audio quality, ear cups that independently pivot and rotate, and 20-hour battery life in its announcement.

The headphones work with Apple’s voice-activated Siri digital assistant and have a physical side control called the Digital Crown, the same mechanism on the Apple Watch, to control music playback. The headphones come in several colors: space gray, silver, blue, green and pink.

At $550, the headphones are some of the most expensive on the market, rivaling the priciest offerings from Sony, Sennheiser and Dolby. The new model comes about five years after Apple acquired Beats by Dre’s headphone division, putting Apple now in a position to compete with its own subsidiary. The highest end Beats headphones, the Beats Pro, cost $150 less than Apple’s new offering.

The AirPods Max have several microphones and use what Apple calls computational audio to provide its sound quality. The headphones come in a leather case and charge via the iPhone’s Lightning Connector.