Apple Airpods Max
£549
No-one was surprised by the announcement of the Airpods Max. Apple’s first on-ear headphones were one of the tech world’s worst-kept secrets for months.
What did come as a surprise was the price: £549. But not only do these headphones justify this lofty tag, they also get our nod as the best premium headphones option around.
The styling might not suit everyone but the memory-foam cushions on the earcups easily surround even the largest ears, creating a seal that’s both gentle and surprisingly effective, even if at 385g the Airpods Max are somewhat heavier than you are used to.
In terms of overall battery life, Apple quotes around 20 hours of use from a full charge. That’s significantly less than the 30 hours you get from the Sony WH-1000XM4 (p38), but it should still be more than enough for most people.
On the top of the right-hand cup are two physical controls: a simple button for switching between noise-cancelling modes; and a dial inspired by the digital crown of the Apple Watch. The latter is a particularly neat and intuitive solution.
The lack of bundled accessories makes the Airpods Max look like rather poor value for their price, but Apple would claim that what you’re paying for is technology, engineering and, ultimately, quality that you don’t get anywhere else. And it would have good reason for doing that; there’s no denying the quality of materials and build, and the noise-cancelling is excellent.
The Airpods Max sound very special indeed. Their super-crisp and spacious delivery makes SBTRKT’S debut album sound thrilling. There’s a degree of clarity and energy that even the Sonys can’t match, and they sound more engaging and authentic. This is clearly a significant step-up in terms of sonic sophistication, as well as build quality. Trials Of The Past positively crackles with energy and attack.
Provide them with a sterner organisational challenge, such as Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, and the Airpods Max come up trumps once again thanks to a wide soundstage that combines substance and airiness, and a superior dynamic ability that highlights both the ominous chanting and huge crescendo.
The price might raise your eyebrows, but these headphones are more than worth it.