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Apple
Apple AirPods Max (1st gen)
A perfect pair of headphones IF Apple would get out of its own way.
Noise Isolation / ANC & sound
6.8/ 10
6.8
0.010.0
A 6.8 puts its noise isolation / ANC in the top half of over-ear headphones we've measured.
Measured on 86 of the 240 we've cataloged.
4.5/ 5
SoundMDAQS Overall4.5
1.05.0
A 4.5 puts its audio quality in the top quarter of over-ear headphones we've measured.
Measured on 44 of the 240 we've cataloged.
Key specs
Battery Life Wireless
20 hBelow average20 h
11 h100 h
below average for over-ear headphones — based on 150 of 240 we've cataloged.
Charging Method
Usb-c87%Micro usb10%Lightning1%Others2%
Lightning appears on 1% of the 135 over-ear headphones we've cataloged (of 240).
Bluetooth Version
5.05.326%520%5.218%5.08%
5.0 appears on 8% of the 145 over-ear headphones we've cataloged (of 240).
Connection Type
BluetoothWired-3.5mm48%Bluetooth44%Wired-usb-c7%Others1%
Bluetooth appears on 44% of the 215 over-ear headphones we've cataloged (of 240).
Battery
- Battery Life Wireless
- 20 h
- Charging Method
- Lightning connector
- Full Charge Minutes
- 4.98 min
- Battery Life Anc On
- 20 h
- Battery
- Yes
- Fast Charging
- No
Connectivity
- Bluetooth Version
- 5.0
- Connection Type
- Bluetooth
- Bluetooth Codec
- AAC
- Multipoint Devices
- Yes - 2 devices
- Headphone Jack
- No
- USB Charging
- No
- Latency
- 177 ms
Design
- Weight
- 384.8 g
- Color Options
- Green, pink, silver, sky blue, space gray
- Ear Pad Type
- Memory foam and mesh textile
- Foldable
- No
- Headband Type
- Adjustable over-head with suspension design
- Wearing Time Max
- 4.5 h
Features
- Spatial Audio
- Head tracking
- Companion App
- No
- Control Type
- Physical controls (Digital Crown and Listening Mode button)
- Eq Customization
- No
- Auto Pause
- Yes
- Voice Assistant Support
- Siri
Build
- IP Rating
- None
- Material Chassis Primary
- Stainless steel and aluminum with memory foam and mesh
- Sweat Resistance
- No
- Water Resistance
- No
- Material Ear Cups
- Memory foam
- Material Headband
- Stainless steel with knitted mesh fabric padding
Microphone
- Count
- 9
- Microphone
- Yes
- Wind Noise Reduction
- No
- Noise Reduction Type
- Active noise cancellation for calls
- Type
- 4-mic array
Sound
- Acoustic Design
- Closed-back
- Ambient Mode
- Yes - adjustable level
- Anc Modes
- Off,anc,transparency
- Driver Count
- 1
- Driver Size
- 40 mm
- Driver Type
- Dynamic driver
- Frequency Response Signature
- Balanced, not bass-heavy
- Noise Cancellation Type
- Active
Release
- Date
- December 15, 2020
- Msrp Usd
- 549 USD
- Year
- 2020
SoundGuys review
Read the full review ›Noise cancelling8.8
Isolation6.8
Battery life8.5
Comfort & fit8.5
Connectivity6.0
Design7.0
The verdict
While the Apple AirPod Max is a great pair of headphones with best-in-class active noise canceling (ANC) and a good sound signature, it also has a few annoying quirks that make it very obviously an Apple product. If you live in the Apple ecosystem and already love your AirPods Pro, then the AirPods Max is more of the same just in a pair of over-ears.
✓What we like
✓Nice design and solid build quality
✓Amazing active noise canceling and transparency mode
✓Comfortable ear pads and fabric headband
✓Decent battery life
✓Button and digital crown are great to use
✓Good sound quality with no distortion
✕What could be better
✕No 3.5mm headphone jack becomes a pain
✕Uses a Lightning connector instead of USB-C
✕Proximity sensors and voice assistant activation do not work on Android or Windows
✕No aptX or LDAC high quality codec support
✕The smart case is absolutely terrible and provides no protection
✕Microphone quality is just okay
Lab data
How we test ›Objective measurements from the SoundGuys test lab — overlay other models to see how this one compares.
Apple AirPods Max (1st gen)SoundGuys Headphone Preference Curve
Measured frequency response (dB) against the SoundGuys house target — the dashed curve. The closer the measured line tracks the target, the more neutral the tuning; peaks ride above the target, dips fall below it.
Frequency response — measurement data
| Frequency (Hz) | Response (dB) |
|---|---|
| 20 | 6.0 |
| 25 | 5.5 |
| 32 | 4.8 |
| 40 | 3.8 |
| 50 | 3.4 |
| 63 | 2.7 |
| 80 | 1.6 |
| 100 | 0.3 |
| 125 | -0.4 |
| 160 | -1.1 |
| 200 | -1.1 |
| 250 | -1.4 |
| 315 | -2.3 |
| 400 | -2.3 |
| 500 | -1.5 |
| 630 | -1.0 |
| 800 | -0.2 |
| 1000 | -0.0 |
| 1250 | -0.7 |
| 1600 | -0.5 |
| 2000 | 2.2 |
| 2500 | 4.1 |
| 3150 | 4.3 |
| 4000 | 1.2 |
| 5000 | -3.7 |
| 6300 | 6.5 |
| 8000 | 6.4 |
| 10000 | 5.1 |
| 12500 | 3.6 |
| 16000 | -4.2 |
| 20000 | -19.2 |
Apple AirPods Max (1st gen)
Passive isolation (dB) with ANC off — how much ambient noise the fit blocks on its own. Higher on the chart means more attenuation.
Passive isolation — measurement data
| Frequency (Hz) | Attenuation (dB) |
|---|---|
| 21 | -2.5 |
| 26 | -0.5 |
| 33 | -0.0 |
| 41 | 0.5 |
| 52 | -0.5 |
| 65 | -3.8 |
| 82 | -3.6 |
| 103 | -2.1 |
| 130 | -2.5 |
| 163 | 4.4 |
| 205 | 7.9 |
| 259 | 11.1 |
| 325 | 14.2 |
| 410 | 15.2 |
| 516 | 16.8 |
| 613 | 17.0 |
| 772 | 17.5 |
| 972 | 20.7 |
| 1220 | 23.7 |
| 1540 | 23.9 |
| 1940 | 23.9 |
| 2440 | 30.3 |
| 3070 | 39.0 |
| 3870 | 35.7 |
| 4870 | 45.9 |
| 6130 | 40.7 |
| 7720 | 34.8 |
| 9720 | 24.5 |
| 12200 | 25.6 |
| 15400 | 27.1 |
| 19400 | 35.4 |
Apple AirPods Max (1st gen)
Total attenuation (dB) with ANC on — passive isolation plus active noise cancelling. Higher on the chart means more attenuation.
Noise cancelling — measurement data
| Frequency (Hz) | Total attenuation (dB) |
|---|---|
| 21 | 9.7 |
| 26 | 10.7 |
| 33 | 18.3 |
| 41 | 19.0 |
| 52 | 22.2 |
| 65 | 20.8 |
| 82 | 24.9 |
| 103 | 23.8 |
| 130 | 19.4 |
| 163 | 35.0 |
| 205 | 36.3 |
| 259 | 35.4 |
| 325 | 35.2 |
| 410 | 33.6 |
| 516 | 28.6 |
| 613 | 29.5 |
| 772 | 31.3 |
| 972 | 33.6 |
| 1220 | 34.3 |
| 1540 | 31.4 |
| 1940 | 25.7 |
| 2440 | 28.3 |
| 3070 | 38.1 |
| 3870 | 36.1 |
| 4870 | 47.6 |
| 6130 | 40.4 |
| 7720 | 35.0 |
| 9720 | 23.5 |
| 12200 | 26.6 |
| 15400 | 27.7 |
| 19400 | 36.7 |
Apple AirPods Max (1st gen)
4.6
4.3
4.1
4.5
Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Scores (1–5), modeled from the measured response. Higher is better across timbre, distortion, and immersiveness — add other models to see where this one lands.
Related comparisons
Browse all versus ›See how the Apple AirPods Max (1st gen) stacks up against the competition.
Video reviews and comparisons for this product.
Features & Opinions
More from the team ›Commentary and deep dives from the SoundGuys editorial team.
I built my own Dolby Atmos speaker system, but I still prefer headphones for musicInvesting in Dolby Atmos wasn't a waste, but listening through headphones is more than a gimmick.
Brady SnyderContributorI've reviewed headphones for over a decade: Here are 5 things I wish they did differentlyHeadphone companies: help me help you
Christian ThomasEditor-at-large5 ways headphones are going to change in 2027Here's where things are headed.Christian ThomasEditor-at-largeWired vs wireless headphones: Which should you buy?Wired headphones do not automatically sound better.
Tom TriggsContributor
Brady SnyderContributorI've reviewed headphones for over a decade: Here are 5 things I wish they did differentlyHeadphone companies: help me help youChristian ThomasEditor-at-large5 ways headphones are going to change in 2027Here's where things are headed.Christian ThomasEditor-at-largeWired vs wireless headphones: Which should you buy?Wired headphones do not automatically sound better.Tom TriggsContributorMore Over-Ear Headphones
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