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Langsdom AirWave Pro vs AirWave Max: Which open ear headphones should you buy?
Dec 4, 2025 — 6:31 PM ET
If you are looking for open ear headphones to stay aware of your surroundings, the Langsdom AirWave Pro and AirWave Max are both appealing options. With either headphones, you can listen on the go without blocking your ears. You can even download your MP3 tracks to both headphones so you can go running without needing to bring your phone with you. But which of these headphones is the right choice for you? We compared both side by side to go over all the details.
What’s it like to use the AirWave Pro compared to the AirWave Max?
The AirWave Pro and AirWave Max share a similar design and build. Both of these headphones wrap around the back of your head and hook over your ears. As open-style headphones, the speaker units sit in front of your ear canal, without actually blocking your ears, which means you can easily stay aware of your surroundings with each of these headphones. This design is more comfortable for those who don’t like the feeling of their ears being blocked, and it can also be a lot safer for those listening to music outdoors.
In terms of looks, the AirWave Max have a slightly more refined design, with polished metal accents. The AirWave Pro are available in Light Gray-Green, Red-Purple, and Black color options. On the other hand, the AirWave Max are available in Avocado Green, Light Cloud Pink, and Charcoal Gray.
Both sets of headphones are extremely lightweight; the AirWave Max weigh 27g while the AirWave Pro weigh 26g. The lightweight design creates a comfortable fit, so you should have no problem wearing either headphones for hours on end. Both headphones are wrapped in skin-friendly silicone, so you shouldn’t have to worry about any skin irritation.
When it comes to durability, the AirWave Max and AirWave Pro are both IP67 rated. This means that both headphones are sweat, dust, and water resistant. If you like going for runs in the rain, this is a big perk.
The AirWave Pro have physical button controls to adjust playback and switch between listening modes. For a detailed walkthrough of all the controls, check out the AirWave Pro operation video.
You can adjust playback and switch between listening modes with the AirWave Max using the onboard physical button controls. If you’d like to change the default controls of the AirWave Max, you can do that within the Langsdom app.
Do the AirWave Pro or AirWave Max have more features?
The AirWave Max extends the feature set of its predecessor with several notable upgrades:
- The storage chip has been upgraded to an embedded chip that’s directly soldered onto the PCB motherboard, resulting in a more stable connection and longer MP3 playback time.
- It supports a mobile app with battery status, AI assistant, EQ adjustments, and more.
- Six EQ presets (Default, Pop, Jazz, Classic Music, A Slow Song, Country).
- Bluetooth multipoint connectivity.
- Stable connection up to 10 meters.
The AirWave Pro offers:
- Storage using an IT card.
- Bluetooth multipoint connectivity.
The AirWave Pro does not offer a companion app.
How do the AirWave Pro and AirWave Max connect?
The AirWave Pro and AirWave Max both support two different connectivity and playback options. You can either connect the headphones to your device via Bluetooth or use the included cables to transfer audio files directly from your device to the headphones’ onboard storage.
When it comes to Bluetooth connectivity, the AirWave Max hold the edge, as they have the latest and greatest Bluetooth 6.0 technology with support for latency LE audio. That said, both the AirWave Pro and AirWave Max support Bluetooth Multipoint, so you can pair the headphones to your phone and smartwatch at the same time.
On the other hand, when it comes to onboard playback, the AirWave Pro have an advantage. With the AirWave Pro, you get 32GB of onboard storage, which can easily store over 1,000 songs. The AirWave Max only have 2GB of onboard storage. While 2GB is still enough for a few hundred MP3 files, the small storage size means you may find yourself having to update your library more often.
Is battery life better on the AirWave Pro or AirWave Max?
At 50% volume level, the AirWave Max are rated to last up to 17 hours in Bluetooth mode, and up to 12 hours in MP3 mode. On the other hand, the AirWave Pro are rated to last up to 17.5 hours of playback time on a single charge over Bluetooth, and 6.5 hours on a single charge in MP3 mode. The improvements to battery life on the Max model are due to the upgraded embedded memory system that provides more efficient playback of local files.
Both headphones use a magnetic charging cable to seamlessly power up on the go. With fast charging, it only takes about 1.5 hours to get the headphones back up to full charge.
Do the AirWave Max sound better than the AirWave Pro?
Thanks to the open design, the AirWave Pro and AirWave Max both deliver a wide and immersive listening experience. If you often listen to music in loud environments, you may want to look at more traditional headphones, but if you listen in quiet environments or like to stay aware of your surroundings while outdoors, the AirWave Pro and AirWave Max are good options.
Note that these headphones use air conduction technology, not the bone conduction technology seen on other headphones with a similar design. The Directional Sound 5.0 technology means that there is a traditional speaker pointed directly at your ear canal for maximum clarity.
The AirWave Pro and AirWave offer a similar listening experience, but thanks to the custom EQ support, the AirWave Max have a slight advantage when it comes to sound quality. In particular, the “slow song” equalizer preset in the app does a great job of bringing out more detail in the bass and treble.
Do the AirWave Pro or AirWave Max have a better microphone?
The AirWave Pro and AirWave Max both have suitable microphones for taking calls on the go. In quiet environments, both microphones are capable of reproducing the voice clearly, and we did not notice a significant difference in microphone quality between the two models.
AirWave Pro vs AirWave Max: Price and availability
The AirWave Pro have a starting price of $79, whereas the newer AirWave Max have a starting price of $99. This is competitive pricing for open-ear headphones, and more affordable than many other open-ear headphones and earbuds we’ve tested.
Should you get the AirWave Pro or AirWave Max?
If you are looking for the most bang-for-your-buck, the AirWave Pro are a good value at only $79. It’s rare to find open earbuds with onboard storage at that price point.
On the other hand, if you want customization options, especially when it comes to sound quality, you should go with the AirWave Max. The features provided by the companion app are worth the $20 upgrade.
You can use the promo code RUN-SG to get $10 off your order on the Langsdom website.
Bluetooth 5.4 (now upgraded to 6.0)
IP67 waterproof & dustproof rating
17.5 hours of battery life (at 50% volume, Bluetooth mode)
Supports MP3 mode
Bluetooth 6.0
Mobile app support
IP67 waterproof & dustproof rating
17 hours of battery life (at 50% volume, Bluetooth mode)
Supports MP3 mode
Let us know which of these headphones you’d buy in the poll below.
Which headphones would you buy?
Langsdom AirWave Max and AirWave Pro: Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, the AirWave Max and AirWave Pro headphones work with both iOS and Android devices. You can connect the headphones to any source device over Bluetooth, or load music directly onto the headphones' onboard storage.
Yes, thanks to the around-ear hook design, the AirWave Max and AirWave Pro headphones stay securely in place while working out. The open design is ideal for staying aware of surroundings while running outdoors, while the IP67 water and dust resistance ratings mean that you can workout with these headphones in any environment.
The AirWave Pro is the essential running model, while the AirWave Max delivers a more advanced experience with upgrades in soundstage, audio performance, app-based EQ tuning, and overall storage stability.
No. Both models are rated IP67 for water and dust resistance, which means they can handle rain and be rinsed under water, but they’re not designed for long-term underwater use.
If you need something for swimming or water-heavy activities, consider the AirSwim Neo (IP68).
Air-conduction headphones do have some degree of sound leakage. Since sound travels through the outer and middle ear, higher volumes may be audible to people nearby.
No. AirWave Pro and AirWave Max both use air-conduction technology. They feature an open-ear design that keeps the ears unblocked, offering a pressure-free fit and improved long-term comfort. Their sound is natural and realistic, closely matching how we normally hear audio.