AirPods Max Review: Is Apple’s $399 Headphone Really Worth It?

Let’s talk about Apple’s AirPods Max. These are expensive at $399, and that price tag is just so much more than people would have imagined a pair of wireless over-ear headphones to cost, even coming from Apple. The number is something else entirely.

Now, when Apple pushes a product onto the market, especially something that represents their first attempt at a category, they usually bring out something that is difficult to compare to other players. They don’t just make clones of competing products.

Combine that with different colored ear cups and the ability to customize the colors of ear cushions, and you have something built entirely differently. This is a completely different type of headphone look compared to everything else on the market.

Build Quality and Design

The AirPods Max are built really well, and there is no way to deny that. There is a lot of metal going on, and the construction, build quality, and finish are just really well done. If you compare them to Sony’s XM4s, those have never felt poorly made in any sense.

They have always felt really well built, but they are plastic. There is a lot of plastic in that construction. It is just a different class of product when you compare it to the build quality of the AirPods Max.

That being said, is it really worth paying extra just for metal ear cups? Who knows. But let’s be real here. These ear cups are milled out from a single block of aluminum. There are no seams. It is just one piece of machine time, and there are two of them. This does not come cheap.

The metal ear cups give the AirPods Max a very distinct look, but they do introduce a couple of issues. The first is weight. These are definitely heavier than your average pair of wireless headphones. The second is durability, and not in the sense of breakage.

These are very well made and are unlikely to break. But in terms of the aluminum finish, they can scratch and be damaged quite easily if you do not take good care of them. The fact that Apple includes a case when you buy them makes it very obvious that these are relatively delicate in terms of their finish.

When was the last time Apple included a protective case with a product? It is always some kind of third-party accessory they sell you separately. In this case, they had to include one because they know the finish requires protection.

Fit, Comfort, and Headband Design

In terms of fit, the headbands have a fully adjustable arm that lets you set them to whatever position you want, instead of the ratcheted clicks found on most headphones.

That might not sound like a big deal because most headphones have always used clicks and people have been perfectly happy with them, but being able to make those small, precise adjustments does make a difference.

Personally, the weight is a concern, though this is going to be very subjective depending on the way it sits on your head and your head shape. These are noticeably heavier than other headphones, and that is something you can feel during extended wear. That does not mean they are uncomfortable, but the extra weight is definitely noticeable.

Taking them for a run, even though they are clearly not meant for that, just confirmed that there is so much mass to these that every step creates a sense of momentum going up and down. It is not a great experience for physical activity.

The mesh on the top is also a little different from anything else in this category. There was some hope that it might help with keeping hair unflattened over time for people who wear their hair up, but it will still flatten your hair. So if that is something you care about, now you know.

Controls and Interface

There are two control components on the AirPods Max. There is a button for toggling active noise cancellation on and off, and then there is a jog dial very similar to the Digital Crown on the Apple Watch. The noise cancellation button is in a great spot and works exactly as intended.

The crown is distinctly Apple and looks really neat, but the placement on the top might take some getting used to. Most other wireless headphones have controls on the bottom or back, so having them on top is different. It looks nice, but it does not necessarily provide a better experience than having regular buttons in a more traditional position.

Battery Life

The battery life on the AirPods Max is rated for 20 hours, which seems pretty decent. Any kind of electronic device that can last 20 hours unplugged is usually considered good. However, in this product category, competitors are offering 30 to 35 hours of battery life, so the AirPods Max do not really stand out as impressive in this department.

That said, most people using these will be perfectly happy with 20 hours. It is really only something to keep in mind for people who travel frequently and go through stretches where access to a charging outlet is limited.

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Sound Quality

Sound is obviously really important when it comes to $399 headphones. Comparing them most directly to the Sony XM4s, the AirPods Max do sound better. They are simply a better sounding pair of headphones than the Sony XM4s.

Starting with the Sony XM4s, the sound has always been likeable, and for certain types of music they are particularly good. For electronic and EDM music, the bass on these is nice. It is thumpy, it is rich, and it just delivers a solid low-end experience.

However, if you are listening to music with more higher frequencies, like classical music, the XM4s have always had a slightly darker sound. The bass is just too enriched at stock settings, giving everything a thicker feel in the lower frequencies. You can always adjust it with EQ, but out of the box, that is the character of the Sony sound.

The AirPods Max are just brighter. They also have a wider soundstage, better instrument separation, and more width to the audio profile compared to the Sony XM4s. If you listen to a variety of genres, the AirPods Max handle that range more naturally and with more clarity across the frequency spectrum.

Noise Cancellation Performance

In terms of noise cancellation, the Sony XM4s are arguably the best in the business right now. They are very well reviewed, and after spending several days trying to discern the differences between the two, they are very similar in terms of their noise cancellation capabilities.

The Sony XM4s are better at removing consistent environmental sounds. If someone has a hairdryer running in the background, for example, the XM4s are better at reducing that kind of steady noise. On the other hand, the AirPods Max seem to be slightly better at handling less consistent sounds, like a voice in the background or someone watching a TV show nearby.

In that scenario, the AirPods Max do a slightly better job of cutting through and removing that kind of unpredictable sound. That said, this really comes down to splitting hairs. Both are really, really good, and you genuinely cannot pick one over the other based solely on noise cancellation capabilities.

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Microphone Quality

Testing the microphones on both pairs reveals that the AirPods Max perform slightly better when it comes to isolating your voice from environmental sounds. Recording in a quiet room sounds clean on both, but once background noise is introduced, such as running water, a hairdryer, and audio playing nearby.

The AirPods Max hold up marginally better at keeping your voice clear and separating it from the surrounding environment. Both are impressive, but the AirPods Max have a slight edge in mic performance.

Spatial Audio

One of the standout features exclusive to AirPods Max and AirPods Pro is Spatial Audio. It might seem a little gimmicky at first glance, but actually experiencing it changes that perception quickly. It is genuinely cool and delivers a very immersive experience when watching shows or movies.

It is difficult to describe in words, but the basic idea is that as you move your head, the sound sources move in correlation with the screen. It adds a layer of depth and presence to audio that you really have to experience firsthand to fully appreciate.

The Pricing Strategy and Apple’s Positioning

Now for the big conversation: the $399 price point. It is expensive, full stop. But before dismissing it entirely, it is worth thinking about how Apple approaches pricing, because they are really, really good at it. They do not pull numbers out of thin air.

There is clearly a team and a strategy behind every product price. They take a lot of things into consideration. What is this product for? Who are they trying to sell it to? Does this product bring people into the Apple ecosystem? Does it keep them there? These are all part of the calculation.

At $399, the AirPods Max are not a good value. It does not matter how you spin it. They are expensive. But here is the thing: they are not meant to be a good value. They are meant to be a premium luxury product from Apple, designed and priced at a point where Apple can make money while still attracting buyers.

Apple has priced these at that sweet spot where they are expensive enough to maximize revenue without being so expensive that they push potential buyers away entirely. That is exactly the kind of pricing calculation that Apple has always been exceptional at.

Comparison Table

Feature	AirPods Max	Sony XM4s
Price	$399	More Affordable
Build Quality	Aluminum, Premium	Plastic, Well Built
Weight	Heavier	Lighter
Sound Quality	Brighter, Wider Soundstage	Bassier, Darker Sound
Instrument Separation	Better	Average
Noise Cancellation	Better at irregular sounds	Better at consistent sounds
Microphone	Slightly Better	Good
Battery Life	20 Hours	30 to 35 Hours
Spatial Audio	Yes	No
Controls	Digital Crown + Button	Traditional Buttons
Headband	Smooth Adjustment	Ratcheted Clicks
Protective Case Included	Yes	No
Best For	Apple Ecosystem Users	Value Seekers
Overall Value	Low	High

Final Thoughts on the AirPods Max

The AirPods Max are a fascinating product because they are simultaneously hard to justify and hard to dismiss. The build quality is genuinely in a class of its own. The sound is better than the competition in meaningful ways. The noise cancellation is excellent, the spatial audio is a real differentiator, and the microphone performance is impressive. The design is unmistakably Apple and unlike anything else in the headphone market.

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