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@quiet_alder_57 · Owner-reported
Owned 1–2 years · Still using it: yes, daily · Posted
Design Flaws: - headband connector socket in earcup is a failure point. Plastic socket housing + hinge will deform by time, will have symptoms like cannot connect only if u hard restart, replaced 2 times under AC+ and replaced the socket after warranty
Own it? Your review joins these
Three answers, four quick reads, one sentence nobody tells you before buying · Sign-in needed to publish · Photo optional
A perfect pair of headphones IF Apple would get out of its own way.
At 8.8, its noise cancelling beats 92% of over-ear headphones we've measured.
Measured on 64 of the 243 we've cataloged.
A 4.5 puts its audio quality in the top quarter of over-ear headphones we've measured.
Measured on 49 of the 243 we've cataloged.
Would buy it again and still uses it daily.
Owned 1–2 years.
What gave out: Bluetooth connection (1)
below average for over-ear headphones — based on 160 of 243 we've cataloged.
Lightning appears on 1% of the 139 over-ear headphones we've cataloged (of 243).
5.0 is the most common — on 27% of the 153 over-ear headphones we've cataloged (of 243).
Bluetooth is the most common — on 44% of the 252 over-ear headphones we've cataloged (of 243).
Objective measurements from the SoundGuys test lab — overlay other models to see how this one compares.
Apple AirPods Max (1st gen) Frequency Response (measured on a B&K 5128)
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Measured frequency response (dB relative) against the SoundGuys Headphone Preference Curve. When the measurement goes above the dashed line, that frequency is louder than our preference curve, and when it goes below: it's quieter. Use the curve for comparison purposes only, as your taste may vary.
| Frequency (Hz) | Response (dB) |
|---|---|
| 20 | 7.4 |
| 25 | 6.9 |
| 32 | 6.2 |
| 40 | 5.3 |
| 50 | 4.9 |
| 63 | 4.2 |
| 80 | 3.0 |
| 100 | 1.7 |
| 125 | 1.0 |
| 160 | 0.4 |
| 200 | 0.3 |
| 250 | 0.1 |
| 315 | -0.8 |
| 400 | -0.9 |
| 500 | -0.1 |
| 630 | 0.4 |
| 800 | 1.2 |
| 1000 | 1.4 |
| 1250 | 0.8 |
| 1600 | 0.9 |
| 2000 | 3.7 |
| 2500 | 5.6 |
| 3150 | 5.8 |
| 4000 | 2.7 |
| 5000 | -2.2 |
| 6300 | 8.0 |
| 8000 | 7.8 |
| 10000 | 6.5 |
| 12500 | 5.1 |
| 16000 | -2.7 |
| 20000 | -17.8 |
Apple AirPods Max (1st gen) Attenuation (measured on a B&K 5128)
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Solid lines: passive isolation (dB) with ANC off — how much ambient noise the fit blocks on its own. Dashed lines: total attenuation (dB) with ANC on — passive isolation plus active noise cancelling. Higher on the chart means more attenuation.
| 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 |
| 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) MDAQS
Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Scores, Scale 1 - 5
Virtual mean opinion scores (MOS) on a 1–5 scale, modeled from the measured response by HEAD acoustics’ MDAQS (Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Score) model. Higher is better across timbre, distortion, and immersiveness — add other models to see where this one lands.
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.
✓Liked: Nice design and solid build quality, Amazing active noise canceling and transparency mode, Comfortable ear pads and fabric headband, Decent battery life
✕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
What a reader who owns the Apple AirPods Max (1st gen) reports after living with it. Owner-reported, checked before publishing; ordered photo-verified first, then newest.
Owner reviews are not paid for, not solicited from specific owners, and not rewritten by us: at most we proofread typos, which is shown on the review’s own page and which the author can undo. The commission SoundGuys may earn on this page comes from retail links, never from owner reviews.
1 owner review
QAEvery author writes under a generated pseudonym; a member can choose to show their name and photo beside it. A signed-in author’s email is never shown. Read more · The reader says they own it. We have not seen proof, and we say so — no label here is proof of a purchase. Read more · Owned 1–2 years · Still using it: yes, daily · Posted
Would buy againDesign Flaws: - headband connector socket in earcup is a failure point. Plastic socket housing + hinge will deform by time, will have symptoms like cannot connect only if u hard restart, replaced 2 times under AC+ and replaced the socket after warranty
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What readers ask about the Apple AirPods Max (1st gen), answered by the people who own it.
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Ask the first question →See how the Apple AirPods Max (1st gen) stacks up against the competition.
Video reviews and comparisons for this product.
Commentary and deep dives from the SoundGuys editorial team.
Brady SnyderContributorAfter testing hundreds of headphones, here’s why I chose the AirPods Max in 2026The AirPods Max have aged like fine wine for the ears.
Harley MarananVideo LeadThe Sony WH-1000XM6 sounds better than the Apple AirPods Max, here's howWhile not a resounding victory, a victory nonetheless.
Christian ThomasEditor-at-largeDid a firmware update change the AirPods Max's sound?No post-hoc viewing of a rainbow squiggle on a chart should affect your listening.Christian ThomasEditor-at-largePlease stop wearing your AirPods Max at the gymApple won’t spot you when they inevitably break.
Adam BirneyManaging EditorIf the AirPods Max 2 have this feature, I will buy them immediatelyThe AirPods Max are one feature away from being my perfect headphones.
Chase BernathBrand & Partnerships ManagerApple's new HomePod mini 2 isn't very smart (yet)Easy to use and great-sounding for its size, but the "smart" part of this smart speaker hasn't shown up yet.Adam BirneyManaging EditorI’ve worn AirPods since 2017, and I’m skipping the AirPods 5I'm a longtime AirPods user, and I think you should skip the AirPods 5.Brady SnyderContributor3 earbuds you should buy instead of AirPods 5I wouldn't buy the AirPods 5, but I would pick these earbuds instead.Brady SnyderContributorDo we really need two AirPods 5? It all comes down to $20Apple made the AirPods 5 cheaper, so why am I still complaining about $20?
Dave CarrVideo Producer/WriterThe Beats 360 fix the one thing AirPods Max owners can't replaceThe Beats 360 leak is packed with specs, but one detail stands out to anyone whose AirPods Max headband has worn out.Adam BirneyManaging EditorI fixed my AirPods Max headband for pennies after Apple quoted me hundredsI can't believe Apple shipped over-ears with a flawed headband... twice. Brady SnyderContributor
3 of 5 would buy again
5 owners · owners report ~40 h per charge vs 40 h claimed
Comfort beat their expectations
Expected more from the fit and build
The battery beat their expectations
1 of 1 would buy again
1 owner
Nothing surprising about comfort
0 of 1 would buy again
1 owner
The noise cancelling beat their expectations
0 of 1 would buy again
1 owner · 1 photo-verified
Expected more from comfort
0 of 1 would buy again
1 owner
Comfort beat their expectations
1 of 1 would buy again
1 owner · owners report ~55 h per charge vs 53.77 h claimed
The battery beat their expectations
