These sound impressions are initial/immediate ones and can change. It would have been an amazing value for $400 USD. I ordered a pair of APMs and that brought me back into the audiophile mindset, which I had been out of for years. I hate macOS, love iOS, hate the AirPods, and am lukewarm towards the AirPods Pro.If a brand makes something good (or bad), I’ll give credit where credit is due. 354. The sub-bass really doesn’t shine through for me, it’s there and present, but leaves much to be desired. Before getting the AirPods Max, I owned a pair of original AirPods. Although most portables I have tend to be in the 10-12 oz range in terms of weight, I do have some that are especially heavy. In my mind the bar far largest use case for NC over ear headphones is traveling...and these are not built to travel. For $550, should you spend your money on a different pair of headphones? 100 votes, 71 comments. The AirPods Max are not rated to withstand water. I owned the Sony XM3’s before and I would take the AirPods Max any day. Cookies help us deliver our Services. Overall the device has a nice heft to it which makes it feel more luxurious. AirPods Max: An Audiophile Review : https://mariusmasalar.me/airpods-max Comments: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26000698 It targets the majority of the weight of the headphone on one spot on the top of my head creating discomfort within an hour. Audeze is known in the audiophile world to have very relaxed midrange sound and I feel that both the Drop and Apple offerings here follow suit. Are the ear pads/ear cups easier to breathe than the other headphones that use pleather materials? Ended up getting a pair for my partner for Christmas because of all the glowing reviews they were getting in the same breath as the review for the Airpods Max. Those expressing their thoughts on Apple’s AirPods Max feel the need to set the record straight, about being an audiophile … Great review. The lower midrange offers quite a bit of smoothness to it, almost to a fault. Just thought I’d post a missive to those considering purchasing the Airpods Max, with a point of view from a non-audiophile. As such it is beat out when it comes to features. A wonderfully detailed audiophile AirPods Max review Posted on Wednesday, December 23rd, 2020 at 8:22 am. The AirPods Pro offer fewer plastic components opting instead of aluminum and stainless steel. Maybe a regular ear cup or just some buds. I’m still using a pair of AirPods Pro and a pair of Bose QC25. Clarity and detail tend to take a back seat with this sort of presentation, but it’s not lacking in either headphone. Which is crazy because that is still pretty expensive too. Use of plastics are scarce as their typically replaced with aluminum, steel and rubber (to cover the steel). They’re also quite heavy. In the latest ‘faux outrage’, Apple has produced an over the ear headphone, the AirPods Max, utilizing its array of computational audio and assembled with premium parts for $549 (the trolls hate the name, and wait ‘till we get to … AirPods. The smearing of the AirPods seems to have been improved slightly as well. If I could describe the sound signature in one word, it would be smooth, or at least that’s what it seems like Apple is going for here. I was looking for your perspective. Imaging is actually alright. The second to last point is so confusing. Another thing to note is that the AirPods Max respond with better source material, so an older recording that isn’t as loud (reference to the loudness wars) or something that is mastered better will sound far better than something that is mastered more poorly (which is becoming more and more common); these may have a bit of an unforgiving nature to them. Press J to jump to the feed. The mid bass is actually controlled and offers a nice distinct impact that is strong, but decays quickly. Starting down at the bass, both are actually very well balanced. Written by Dave Mark. The weight really isn’t an issue for me, coming from the audiophile community, heavy headphones aren’t really a surprise. The headband does what Apple advertises for me. Lmfaoo. The whole point of having ANC, for me at least, is to block outside noise when on the move. Finally. Other than that, I’m amused that apple was able to make it worth 550 quite. If a brand makes something good (or bad), I’ll give credit where credit is due. The aim is so it sounds the same regardless of how the headphone rests on your ear and regardless of who’s ears they’re on. AirPods Max Review: An Audiophile's Perspective. An unofficial community to discuss Apple devices and software, including news, rumors, opinions and analysis … The Drop Panda were setup as a portable Bluetooth setup that would please audiphiles, and I have to be honest, it does meet that niche. A 550 dollar earphones has such issues in connectivity? I didn't have much need for them, but they seem like such a good deal compared to the Max. Planar magnetic drivers power the Drop Panda while the AirPods Max are powered by a 40mm dynamic driver. 6 days ago. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. The midrange seems more musical than it does clinical. The AirPods Max weigh in at 13.7 oz, so just 0.2 oz (1.5%) heavier than the Drop Panda though with the headband cover on the Panda, these weigh 0.7 oz (5%) less than the Drop. AirPods and bluetooth headphones in particular do this occasionally. The good news is that I haven't had any issues or hiccups with the feature. The site may not work properly if you don't, If you do not update your browser, we suggest you visit, Press J to jump to the feed. I purchased these mainly for listening to music and ANC. I don’t get it. Although this is pure unproven (and maybe unprovable) speculation, I think that people buying such products have already decided to do so at some deep emotional level, and any half-decent review just provides the necessary rationalization for an otherwise excessive purchase. When I have my airpods max on my head if I raise my eyebrows, or do that thing where you slide your scalp back and forth (weird thing to describe, I know) I hear a sort of metallic creaking in my left airpod. I’m not an audiophile, if you care to know. Wow! With COVID a thing, I'm avoiding social distancing. 486k members in the headphones community. In striking opposition to every other review I’ve seen so far, I get to begin mine by stating that I am an audiophile. An unofficial community to discuss Apple devices and software, including news, rumors, opinions and analysis pertaining to the company located at One Apple Park Way. Great slam, impact, texture and extension. I’ll start off in the bass. The AirPods Max case is very minimalistic and exposes the headband and parts of the housing. Looks like you're using new Reddit on an old browser. The ear pads are very deep so they’ll give your ears lots of room to sit; there’s about 1.25” of depth. I’ve since used a headband cover on it that does the job despite not fitting perfectly (only the edge snaps snap closed). Sometimes it’ll just cut out all audio and I have to remove the AirPods Max from my head and put them back on. It's kind of just a one note boom. The AirPod Pros do come in at a pretty heavy weight, though they aren’t absurd or as crazy as a lot of reviewers made them out to be. The Apple AirPods Max have been released to much fanfare. Worse comfort than QC35s due to weight from all metal construction, Bad portability since they don’t fold and the case. The midrange is strikingly similar in presentation, it’s kind of eerie. I feel it’s better designed if you plan on putting it in a bag while on the go. I also already have the AirPod Pros so I plan on using those on the go. I’m guessing those will check off all the boxes for 75% of people interested in the APM, especially with the price gap. At a colossal $550, it puts itself way above the competition like the very popular Sony WH-1000XM4, Bowers & Wilkins PX7, and the Bose 700; however, it’s still a bit shy of what the hi-fi market would expect in terms of pricing. Not saying I’m in the majority, but I was actually about to buy XM4’s especially with the sales that have been happening. It's so fun yet there's zero bass-bloat, and bass performance is amazing. I’ve noticed that if my phone is trying to process multiple sources of audio at once the headphones would start to skip and get a little staticky. Across Twitter, Reddit (1,2,3,4) and Apple site forums, owners of Apple’s $550 AirPods Max are reporting problems with condensation building up inside their ear cups after just a … I feel like the mesh does help with temps, it’s probably not huge, but does help. I'm so glad I didn't listen to so-called audiophile reviewers and cancelled my order. Any thoughts about the sound quality of the AirPod Max vs. the Pandas? iFixit has finished its AirPods Max teardown, and it gives an exhaustive look at Apple’s debut over-ear headphones. I’m no expert but love a good sound from earbuds or headphones. The weight is distributed evenly on my head which allows me long listening sessions with no issue (2+ hours easily). Apple does this with their HomePod, AirPods Pro, and Apple dual-driver IEMs too. The headband padding is a rubber material while the rest of the skeleton is mainly plastic. When the headphones are on your head, the overall profile of them is small and thin. The AirPods have a little heat and sparkle in the way the treble is presented. I hate macOS, love iOS, hate the AirPods, and am lukewarm towards the AirPods Pro. I’m conflicted about Apple’s latest foray into audio products, the AirPods Max over-ear headphones. In striking opposition to every other review I’ve seen so far, I get to begin mine by stating that I am an audiophile. I’ll continue listening to them and let the drivers break in. This was full of interesting nuggets, beginning to end. For the most part, the Panda takes the Max’ sound signature and refine it further. They go into low power mode after 5 minutes without the case, and drained 3% or 36 minutes after 8 hours. It definitely is very noticeable if you are looking for differences. The sub-bass really doesn’t shine through. The bass seems very one-note without much texture to it. A place for discussion, news, reviews and DIY projects related to portable audio … The case that Drop provides is riggid with a rough fabric exterior. For a brief overview and non-audio opinions, refer to my first impressions on the AirPods Max.. Let’s get it straight first, I’m neither an Apple fanboy nor a hater. So getting this out of the way immediately, the case is thin, and small. I also already have the AirPod Pros so I plan on using those on the go. With HomePod it adjusted sound to the room it was in. Actually, serious critical reviewers of audiophile headphones view the Airpods Max to headphones in the $100-$300 bracket. I’m still using a pair of AirPods Pro and a pair of Bose QC25. AirPods Max Unboxing Videos: ... Reddit audiophiles test HomePod, say it sounds better than $1,000 speaker In-depth test says $350 speaker has a "near-perfectly flat frequency response." Snazzy Labs makes the best reviews. This was full of interesting nuggets, beginning to end. At a colossal $550, it puts itself way above the competition like the very popular Sony WH-1000XM4, Bowers & Wilkins PX7, and the Bose 700; however, it’s still a bit shy of what the hi-fi market would expect in terms of pricing. 1.3m members in the audiophile community. AirPods Max combine high-fidelity audio with industry-leading Active Noise Cancellation to deliver an unparalleled listening experience. PT. Love em. I am a Panda owner myself and interested if there is a noticeable difference. Glass can shatter when dropped, but Apple is investigating the use of it for future AirPods Max because it looks great — and can have better acoustic properties that aluminum. Presence in sub-bass is fine, texturing is absolutely non-existent. These are inherent to bluetooth headphones because there is a DAC/AMP stage in the AirPods Max themselves, but are the reason they cannot be easily compared. A wonderfully detailed audiophile AirPods Max review Posted on Wednesday, December 23rd, 2020 at 8:22 am. Got the XM4s about 2 weeks ago for $280 and absolutely enjoy them. I think the connectivity issue might be software. I bought the XM4, I was waiting for what Apple had but I can’t afford them at this price point. The Drop provides a very warm presentation in similar fashion to the AirPods Max. r/audiophile is a subreddit for the pursuit of quality audio reproduction of all forms, budgets, and sizes … Press J to jump to the feed. Glad I saved a few hundred bucks and went a different route this time around. Apple. Before getting the AirPods Max, I owned a pair of original AirPods. I’ve said it quite a few times now, but the headband mesh seems to be the Achille’s heal of the build of the AirPods Max. I can raise my hand to this one. The AirPods Max come in five colors to match the iPad Air. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts It’s disappointing, but likely fixable. Transparency works very well, but not as well as the AirPod Pros (that weirdness in the upper midrange that is causing the sibilance messes with it). The sub bass is the loudest part of these, in measurements and in practice... its almost overpowering from about 150... Its the one thing I dislike about these headsets lol. this lines up exactly with my thoughts, it's better than Bose and Sony and not worth it unless you consider all the AirPods features, which I think might make up the difference if you switch OSX to iOS a fair bit. It has made the Sony and Bose options at around $300 now seem reasonable. Those expressing their thoughts on Apple’s AirPods Max feel the need to set the record straight, about being an audiophile … But they’re sibilant; this can get really annoying unfortunately making them a lot harder to listen to. Despite what we audiophile snobs would like to believe, Apple is no amateur in the audio Granted the housings are still huge rounded rectangles. This allows me to wear the headphones for long listening sessions, they don’t completely disappear like the AirPods Max do for me though. AirPods Max review: Opulent audio that shouldn't cost so much Apple’s high-end headphones look, sound, and feel great, but the price isn’t right. He got 24 hours out of them. ... help Reddit App Reddit coins Reddit premium Reddit gifts. The issue may be due to the aluminium construction of the cups, with the metal likely promoting condensation, vs less heat-conductive plastic. They aren’t nearly as deep as the Pads that Apple provides, but sit very comfortably. Thank you. I’ve run into a little bit of skipping and connection issues while listening to music. Yet, rarely do the two universes intersect. I won’t go into detail about features. The headphones are extremely comfortable for me to wear and distribute their weight across my head pretty evenly; it makes the headphones feel a lot lighter than they are when they’re actually on my head. While the AirPods mainly focus on the lower octaves of vocals providing a very warm and emotive presentation the Panda offer just a touch of energy which the Max do need. So far Apple has not acknowledged the issue, and it appears if your drivers do get damaged it will be a paid repair. I was "this" close to getting some XM4s because of the price of the Maxs. It’s like people are in a state of denial that these are actually the best NC headphones on the marker, because they hate Apple or something. It really doesn’t excel at anything, but does have a few flaws here and there. Lol do you want to bet that the AirPods max will outsell all the other ANC ones combined? Wasn’t really looking for a new pair but the AirPods got me interested. Regardless of existing reputation. They don’t run cold, but my ears definitely don’t heat up while wearing them. Impacts are nice and tight and both have relatively similar speeds. As much as I appreciate these in-depth reviews of the AirPods Max, they always feel like reviews of, say, a Burberry coat. I didn’t notice this ever happen with the OG AirPods or AirPods Pro. The ANC works well, but my house really isn’t a good testing ground for it. Apple’s new AirPods Max wireless headset is prohibitively expensive, but when it comes to sound quality there has never really been an upper limit to the price people are willing to pay. Hope I’m not duplicating any previous posts. Before buying the AirPods, I saw a bunch of videos on YouTube and the comments were all extremely negative and toxic. The ear pads, as stated before breath very easily and are quite comfortable. Clarity is decent and ample; they avoid being overbearing. The plastics chosen seem like they’re thick and rigid. Although dynamic drivers have been around forever, planars are just now starting to see the light of day when it comes to portable setups. I don’t think you meant you’re avoiding social distancing mate. Overall they’re good, but nothing special but far from bad. For a brief overview and non-audio opinions, refer to my first impressions on the AirPods Max.. Let’s get it straight first, I’m neither an Apple fanboy nor a hater. It doesn’t happen, and isn’t designed to do that. The housings utilize aluminum which is cold to the touch while the headband utilizes rubber coated stainless steel with a thin mesh used to support the weight of the head. 2.2m members in the apple community. They do still look pods though. AirPods Pro look better in connectivity now haha. The majority of the construction of the Drop Panda is composed of plastics for the earcups while the arms and headband core are made of metal. AirPods Max: An Audiophile Review Surprising sound let down by serious comfort problems. This makes them easier to listen to actually. Adaptive EQ is not an EQ that adapts to the music you’re listening to. I’ve read this in many comments and even many reviews. The materials make it feel quite premium in the hand. Vocals on the other hand do have a slightly different presentation. I wouldn’t call the headphones brassy by any means, but they also don’t lack in bass either. Moreover, these simply shine even more when watching movies or netflix even without spatial audio being engaged! The AirPods Max come in five colors to match the iPad Air. In short, the Drop kind of outdo the AirPods Max in all three categories. They’re also quite heavy. Ironically I was considering them until the announcement of the APM (and all of the reviews comparing them favorably to the XM4s). I'm with you, given my own preferences, I doubt I would find the AirPods Max $550 worth of sonic goodness, and I'm not in a rush to buy those, for sure (not a fan of the look, either! Seems like Apple could have really taken over this segment if they were at the $450 price point but WTF do I know, Apple keeps making plenty of money and there’s a part of me that would try and justify buying these if I still traveled for work. The Panda is a lot more composed in the highs than the AirPods are. ... You believed people on Reddit that a HomePod was better than a speaker costing a thousand dollars. Alongside the more typical wireless Bluetooth connectivity and active noise-cancellation, the AirPods Max feature the latest Apple audio technologies, as introduced in iOS 14 and for the AirPods Pro true wireless earbuds. Around the house...I mean I don’t need headphones! So now I … Although the midrange offers just a small improvement, the bass improvement is decently sized while the treble offers a pretty huge improvement overall. In the AirPods Pro it was only to the shape of your ear canal. I was expecting them to look comical on my head, but they look somewhat reasonable still. On the inside it can hold the headphones along with the charging and auxiliary cables. It comes in priced at about 400 dollars USD in contrast to the 550 dollar AirPods Pro. I won’t come in and say they blow me away, and to be honest, I wasn’t expecting them to. As such, it offers no other amenities like ANC, transparency, 3D audio… It’s built solely as an audio-focused product. The fabric and foam pads also breathe a little easier as well which helps keep the ears cooler during use. AirPods Max: An Audiophile Review Surprising sound let down by serious comfort problems. Airpods Max Creaking? The AirPods Max have more than just their price as a differentiator. The sound stage isn’t huge, on the contrary it seems somewhat small actually. Leathers and pleathers are replaced with very breathable fabrics. Apple brings a set of features that simply no other brand can offer. ... help Reddit App Reddit coins Reddit premium Reddit gifts. I wouldn’t call the headphones brassybassy by any means, but they also don’t lack in bass either. Like if I’m at work I probably don’t want total isolating sound yeah? The Apple promotional stuff makes them look a lot larger than they are. Apple brags about two things with their headphones, the headband and the ear pads. There’s probably a few out there that do but not most. Also, an audiophile. Bought xm4 a few months ago but what I really REALLY miss from my beats studio is 1) physical controls and even more so 2) w1 chip seamless source switches. I’m conflicted about Apple’s latest foray into audio products, the AirPods Max over-ear headphones. I also pointed to the countless memes, gifs and Reddit threads which were relentlessly taking the piss out of it. It typically only occurs when the keyboard or other system sound is going on or the iPhone is utilizing the WiFi radio heavily (I haven’t tested it with cellular). I’m curious, can anyone do a comparison of the AirPods Max vs the HD6XX/650? The pads have a rough texture on them which doesn’t feel as plush against my skin, but I … Maybe once in a while but not daily. That said, there are a lot of similarities between the AirPods Pro and Drop Panda in terms of how they reproduce music. I also found the Airpods Max work better when connected to my iDevices when compared to Android through AAC. Nothing special for the Max. I get the feeling that the release of the AirPods Max just boosted the sales of Sonys XM4s. It’s so annoying having reconnect with pairing every time going from a phone call on my iPhone to listening to a video on my computer. The Drop Panda that I adore is about 14.4 oz (with the headband padding I added to improve comfort) which is 0.7 oz heavier than the 13.7 oz AirPod Max. However, the instrumental separation and placement is actually good. The HiFiMan HE-560 that I enjoy to listen to at my desk come in at 13.4 oz and are uber comfortable. And for that, they’ll probably do very well. One other thing to note, as vocals are concerned, is that the Panda has no sibilance while the sibilance in the AirPods can become annoying if you’re sensitive to it. I’ve seen a lot of misconceptions about what Adaptive EQ is. Going up to the treble, it seems like Apple wanted them to be very detailed and offer lots of energy and splash; the treble is very hot. The Drop Panda weighs in at a 13.5 oz with soft pleather earpads that conform well to the head of the wearer. The Panda is more laid back, but provides better detailing, separation without any sort of harshness. The Apple AirPods Max have been released to much fanfare. I’m not an audiophile, if you care to know. A subreddit dedicated to Apple's new AirPods and other future wireless headphones. Even the fit and finish bits, of which I thought I’d heard all … They do have a texture to them that you can feel when they’re on your ears. Maybe the unavoidable conference call every once in a while. Close. Wondering if anyone else is experiencing this. Yeah most of them are basically a free bonus review for the XM4’s. PT. Then we hit vocals, they’re warm, emotional, but not super energetic. There does however remain the question of whether they are actually better than the alternatives, with Sony’s WH-1000XM3 range being the main competitor. They sound better than the $300 market and offer features that are _nowhere_ to be seen in the mid-range audiophile market, namely ANC and active DSP. AirPods made me delay the purchase in case APM go on sale in the next few months. I’m going to go over and compare the build, comfort, and sound quality (AB’d just now) quickly as well as make a small remark on the features. I have the Bose QC35II and my ears to heat up a bit over time....also sweat a little (even though I'm just sitting down and working.). This case actually is nearly perfectly sized for the AirPods Max (when they aren't in their bra). I hate macOS, love iOS, hate the AirPods, and am lukewarm towards the AirPods Pro.If a brand makes something … It’s a system that adjusts the lows and mids of the headphone to the shape of your head, ear, and ear canal. for me, the transparency is the big non-audiophile reason I wanted these cans and they're pretty damn good for that. AirPods Max is the best headphone purchase I made in recent years. The bass essentially lacks detail. The combination of which should create for a very comfortable listening experience that should generate as much heat. I usually tend to buy Apple products if I need to use them in tandem with my iPhone, but the price of the AirPods Max is ridiculous. Everything is very well controlled though the Panda provides a bit more body to the bass and good bass texturing in contrast to the complete lack of texturing Apple provides. The build quality of the headphones is very sturdy and very strong overall. Are the Airpods Max worth the money? The auto on-off and connection stuff is all great and very good to have; after having it in my B&W, I got kind of spoiled, even if it didn't work perfectly in the B&W. The AirPods Max weigh in at 13.7 oz, so just 0.2 oz (1.5%) heavier than the Drop Panda though with the headband cover on the Panda, these weigh 0.7 oz (5%) less than the Drop. I even made a video in which I berated and laughed at Apple’s plastic (or is … By using our Services or clicking I agree, you agree to our use of cookies. For me, they're excellent but the Apple logo has its tax. They’re surprisingly repairable compared to previous AirPods… It protects the housings of the headphone, but not the headband. There are no exposed wires or anything of that sort.

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