The AirPods Max are Apple’s top-of-the-line headphones. But don’t be fooled—this is one of the worst purchases I’ve ever made. Here’s why I regret buying them.
1High Cost Compared to Similar Headphones
My first problem with the AirPods Max is the cost. The headphones retail for $549.99. While the headphones have a lot of great features like Spatial Audio, you can find over-ear headphones in the same class for much, much less.
One of the most iconic pair of ANC headphones, the Bose QuietComfort, retails for $200 less. And you can even find comparable options, like theSoundcore Space One Pro I reviewed, for $350 less.
The AirPods Max look fashionable, but there’s no reason these headphones should cost so much.
2Battery Life Is Subpar
Another one of my daily annoyances with the AirPods Max is the battery life. Apple states you may expect up to 20 hours of playback on a single charge with ANC. Unlike other Apple products that understate battery life, the AirPods Max seems to overstate. I’ve never been able to go more than 10-12 hours on a single charge.
Considering other ANC headphones similar to the AirPods Max can go for up to 40 hours of playback on a single charge, that’s a huge drawback. Improved battery life is just one of the manyways that Apple could improve the AirPods Max.
3You Can’t Listen to the AirPods Max While Charging
Along with poor battery, there’s yet another issue that leaves me scratching my head. Unlike a lot of other wireless headphones, you can’t use the headphones while charging them. I can’t imagine what Apple designers were thinking when making this choice. The battery life would be less of an issue if I could still listen to music and audio while charging.
Sure, I get that you can charge the headphones for 5 minutes and get around an hour and a half of battery life. But it would have worked much better to be able to plug in and keep rocking when the battery is almost drained.
4There’s No Way to Turn the Headphones Completely Off
When you’re done using them, the first thing you likely want to do is turn the headphones off. But you’re out of luck with the AirPods Max. There’s no way to completely turn the headphones off. Instead, the headphones will go into a low-power state when placed down and not moved for five minutes or put into the travel case. After 72 hours in the travel case or if not moved, the headphones enter an even lower power mode.
I realize that this odd choice is mostly due to the Find My functionality, which is nice. However, it would still be nice to turn the headphones completely off, especially to preserve as much battery life as possible.
5The Included Travel Case is Horrible
You’d automatically expect a high-end pair of headphones to offer a premium case for travel and when not in use. However, the AirPods Max don’t deliver.
The case is something I’d expect to find with a cheap, no-name brand. It only protects the ear cups and not the rest of the headphones. I tried using it for a few months, but I was worried about the band getting scratched or damaged in my backpack. I shouldn’t have to spend extra on a full case to protect my expensive headphones.
6Lighter Colors Show Wear Quickly
Even though the rest of the AirPods lineup is only available in the classic white color, the AirPods Max are available in fun colors like purple, blue, orange, and starlight. But you need to beware of lighter colors, as they will quickly show wear and accumulate dust, dirt, and sweat. I purchased one of the original colors, silver, and was excited to have headphones that weren’t all black.
But in just a few months, the headphones started showing wear. The mesh headband turned a light yellow with a shade of brown, while the bright ear cups turned dull with what I can only describe as a mix of sweat and dust. Buying new ear cushions and cleaning the band has helped, but it still looks far from perfect.
If you’re planning to purchase the AirPods Max, go for a darker color.
7Heavier Build Isn’t Comfortable to Wear for Long Periods of Time
The AirPods Max feature a premium build, but that comes at a cost. The headphones weigh 13.6 ounces, almost a pound. That might not sound like a lot, but it can make the AirPods Max uncomfortable after wearing them for a long period of time, like on an airplane trip.
While I was originally excited about using the AirPods Max on an airplane, the weight caused me enough discomfort that I now only take my AirPods Pro 2. Other similar headphones weigh 25 to 30 percent less. So the AirPods Max are literally a heavy weight to bear.
8Digital Crown is Confusing to Use
I love the Digital Crown on the Apple Watch. Its simple design makes the wearable device easier to use because of its small touchscreen. On the AirPods Max, the Digital Crown is a weird input choice.
The main use of the Digital Crown is to adjust the volume. But it’s so sensitive that I often press it down, which pauses the audio. Unlike the Digital Crown on the Apple Watch, there’s no tactical feedback, so when I want to turn the volume up or down just a bit, I end up doing much more.
Instead of dedicated buttons, you need to double-click the crown to play the next track and triple-click for the previous track. And that’s not even to mention the specific number of clicks required to control a phone or FaceTime call.
9AirPods Pro 2 Have More Features
Not counting the “update” in 2024 that onlyswitched the charging connector from Lighting to USB-C, the AirPods Max have never been updated with the H2 chip found in the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4. Those much less expensive models feature several additional features missing from the AirPods Max. You can find features like Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness, Voice Isolation, and Personalized on the AirPods Pro 2, but not the Max.
The AirPods Pro 2 can evenprotect your hearing and act as OTC hearing aids. There’s no reason the AirPods Max shouldn’t have those same features.
While it’s not the worst purchase I’ve ever made, the AirPods Max ranks high on my list of buyer’s regrets. Don’t make the same mistake I did, and look elsewhere.
