Reviewer consensus

Apple AirPods Max

Apple AirPods Max review by UrAvgConsumer
Apple AirPods Max review by SoundGuysApple AirPods Max review by Karenna BoychukApple AirPods Max review by ThisIsEApple AirPods Max review by MGT - Max Games Tech

From 135 videos by 105 reviewers

Reviewers rate the Apple AirPods Max highest on spatial audio and lowest on battery life.

Counted from 105 reviewers across 135 videos. One reviewer counts once per topic, so these measure how many people agreed — not how loudly.

We have not tested this product. Every number is a count of independent reviewers, and links to the second they said it. No affiliate links and no payment from any brand mentioned.

Looking for the downsides? Every problem 105 reviewers raised with the Apple AirPods Max, in their words.

All 12 topics at a glance

Every topic at least 8 reviewers discussed. Percentages are the share who rated it positively. Pick one to jump to the evidence.

TopicLiked itComplaints
Spatial audio100% 12 of 12no complaints
Transparency mode93% 26 of 282 objected
Noise cancellation87% 33 of 384 objected
Sound quality77% 36 of 4710 objected
Microphone quality on calls73% 8 of 113 objected
Design and build quality68% 28 of 4111 objected
Bluetooth and connectivity64% 16 of 258 objected
The on-ear controls58% 7 of 123 objected
Comfort and fit29% 14 of 4829 objected
The carrying case17% 5 of 2924 objected
Price and value11% 2 of 1813 objected
Battery life11% 2 of 1917 objected

Topic by topic

Every topic at least 8 reviewers discussed, grouped by how it landed. Each one opens to the quotes behind it.

What reviewers praised

Topics at least 70% of them rated positively.

Spatial audio

12 of 12 reviewers who discussed it liked it

Apple AirPods Max review by Dave2D
“AirPods Max and AirPods Pro have something called spatial audio. It seems a little gimmicky until you actually experience it, it's actually pretty cool... just gives you this very immersive experience when it comes to watching shows or…”
Dave2D · Dec 2020
AirPods Max Review - Perfectly Apple
Watch this moment at 8:04 →

“Spatial audio is often being regarded as a gimmick and something to put on a shelf, but to me, this is a next level content experience...”

ThisIsE · Jan 2021 · 5:14 →

“it gives you an impressive surround sound experience based on the real-time orientation of your head”

Andrew Ethan Zeng · Apr 2023 · 3:37 →

and 5 more with something to say here

Transparency mode

26 of 28 reviewers who discussed it liked it

Apple AirPods Max review by GregsGadgets
“I would give the edge to the transparency mode on the AirPods Max. It felt more natural to me, whereas on the beats headphones, it felt a little bit more noticeably artificial.”
GregsGadgets · Jul 2023
Beats Studio Pro VS AirPods Max - DON'T BE FOOLED!
Watch this moment at 7:22 →

“These have the best transparency mode that I have ever heard in an audio product, bar none.”

ShortCircuit · Apr 2026 · 14:44 →

“Apple's transparency mode is the best I've ever heard.”

MrMobile [Michael Fisher] · Dec 2020 · 2:22 →

and 15 more with something to say here

Noise cancellation

33 of 38 reviewers who discussed it liked it

Apple AirPods Max review by Tech Fowler
“These do a really good job of blocking out consistent noise like fans, or planes, or street noise, but what really impressed me is how well they handle voices and more irregular sounds, like dog barks.”
Tech Fowler · Apr 2026
Are Apple's Newest AirPods Max 2 Actually Worth It?
Watch this moment at 4:13 →

“It'll totally cancel out the heat noise, but I can still hear people talking. So it like cuts out all this weird background noises, but still allows actual people voices and talking to come through.”

Chrissyx Jonez · Jan 2023 · 14:41 →

“Views and the Mark IV's amazing job. You're not going to hear anything else... You can't even compare them. They both work perfectly.”

UrAvgConsumer · Dec 2020 · 10:36 →

and 26 more with something to say here

Sound quality

36 of 47 reviewers who discussed it liked it

Apple AirPods Max review by Darko Audio
“if you listen to a lot of drum and bass, techno, hip-hop, modern pop, you might lean towards the Apple AirPods Max.”
Darko Audio · Oct 2022
FOCAL Bathys review -- BETTER than Apple AirPods Max? (& more)
Watch this moment at 17:51 →

“Overall, it is the more satisfying sound quality for more people than what actually Heavys narrow approach offers.”

LeechTM · Jun 2024 · 13:40 →

“there you have a punchy base basically a bigger base, but nothing like this, this is extremely clear the sound”

MGT - Max Games Tech · Apr 2021 · 20:00 →

and 26 more with something to say here

Microphone quality on calls

8 of 11 reviewers who discussed it liked it

Apple AirPods Max review by Matthew Moniz
“the AirPods Max have the best. These have eight microphones that are assessing the environment compared to six on the Studio Pros.”
Matthew Moniz · Jul 2023
Beats Studio Pro vs the Rest!
Watch this moment at 4:44 →

“For phone calls, the AirPods Max are the clear winner. Your voice sounds much clearer on them compared to the Sonos Ace, which can make your voice muffled, especially outdoors.”

Tech Pendulum · Jun 2024 · 3:14 →

“I think it's an area that everyone cares about and the AirPods Max 2 in this area does perform very well versus the Sony and the Bose.”

Aaron X Loud and Wireless · Apr 2026 · 0:33 →

and 1 more with something to say here

Where they were split

Opinion divided — worth reading both sides before buying.

Design and build quality

28 of 41 reviewers who discussed it liked it

Apple AirPods Max review by OASTHAR
“That means you still get that premium metal build, breathable mesh headband, and large cushioned earcups that helped define the first model's identity.”
OASTHAR · Mar 2026
Apple AirPods Max 2 vs Apple AirPods Max – Is the Upgrade Worth It in 2026?
Watch this moment at 1:27 →

“I think they're built really well actually. They're all metal. They feel very sturdy, they feel very premium.”

Colt Capperrune 2.0 · Nov 2022 · 1:02 →

“When you add up the features like the ability to pair two sets of AirPods to an Apple TV at once, auto switching between Apple devices, better breathability, transparency mode, and the ability to listen at lower volumes, no annoying…”

6 Months Later · Dec 2024 · 7:17 →

and 18 more with something to say here

Bluetooth and connectivity

16 of 25 reviewers who discussed it liked it

Apple AirPods Max review by ShaieJenny
“The reason why I would still recommend the AirPods Max to you is because of the ecosystem itself. It's just really easy especially if you're device switching”
ShaieJenny · Aug 2025
NOTHING HEADPHONES 1 | UNBOXING BLACK & WHITE
Watch this moment at 9:21 →

“the Airpod Maxes are kind of the easiest to integrate into all of your technology because they'll just seamlessly work with everything else”

Karenna Boychuk · Jan 2025 · 2:30 →

“using these for story games on your PlayStation 5 or whatever you game on is definitely a viable option and the connection, there's less latency obviously with the new Bluetooth format of the Sonys versus the AirPods Max, but personally in…”

Seif Buys · Jun 2025 · 25:47 →

and 10 more with something to say here

The on-ear controls

7 of 12 reviewers who discussed it liked it

Apple AirPods Max review by SoundGuys
“Both headphones pause playback automatically when removed, but Apple's controls with the digital crown feel a little bit more intuitive than Bose's touch sensitive strip and multi-function buttons, which can take some time to learn.”
SoundGuys · Oct 2025
Bose QC Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) vs. Apple AirPods Max: The Battle for the…
Watch this moment at 1:21 →

“I got to say the AirPods Max has one of the best controls on any headphones. I love the digital crown when increasing and decreasing the volume so you have accurate controls”

SimplyPops · May 2025 · 4:07 →

“I've always liked this digital crown that Apple has it's just so intuitive”

G Sotelo · May 2026 · 4:57 →

and 4 more with something to say here

What they complained about

Fewer than half rated these positively.

Comfort and fit

29 of 48 reviewers who discussed it had a problem with it

Apple AirPods Max review by Brian Tong
“I would say though this headband is still to me overtime uncomfortable it starts really digging into your head because of the weight of these”
Brian Tong · Mar 2026
Apple AirPods Max 2 w/ H2 Chip Is Official! What's New?
Watch this moment at 6:36 →

“I just recently tried the AirPods Max again, and all the things that frustrated me about the AirPods Max remain true. They're too heavy... They just really aren't all that great in the comfort area.”

Jason T Lewis · Oct 2024 · 2:51 →

and 23 more with something to say here

The carrying case

24 of 29 reviewers who discussed it had a problem with it

Apple AirPods Max review by ThisIsE
“The banging of the cups is another annoyance to me. Every time I take them out of the beautiful case, I can hear them banging, hitting each other, which leads me to believe that over time those sides of the cups will scuff and start to…”
ThisIsE · Jan 2021
Apple AirPods Max Review & Impressions after 2 weeks (Space Grey)
Watch this moment at 9:17 →

“Now the smart case isn't bad in and of itself, as much as it is an amplifier for the AirPods' other annoyances. Namely, they're huge and they don't fold, so they're not very portable compared to most of the competition.”

MrMobile [Michael Fisher] · Dec 2020 · 7:55 →

“This case might be the worst case I've ever seen for any product I've ever boughten ever and certainly the worst headphone case I've ever seen.”

Colt Capperrune 2.0 · Nov 2022 · 1:21 →

and 13 more with something to say here

Price and value

13 of 18 reviewers who discussed it had a problem with it

Apple AirPods Max review by Stephen Robles
“These are $550, $100 more than the Sonos Ace. They still have the lightning connector, the H1 chip which doesn't offer the newest conversational awareness features that AirPods Pro 2 does... AirPods Max are on sale on Amazon $50 off…”
Stephen Robles · Jun 2024
Sonos Ace Review: The Vibes Are Off
Watch this moment at 10:49 →

“Pricing-wise, the AirPods Max are, yes, expensive still, particularly for a pair of headphones that still charge via Lightning and run out of battery if you don't remember to bring the, you know, purse carrying case thing with you at all…”

Pete Matheson · Jun 2024 · 11:11 →

and 11 more with something to say here

Battery life

17 of 19 reviewers who discussed it had a problem with it

Apple AirPods Max review by RecordingNOW
“the AirPods Max due to not having a true off mode basically when you're not wearing them and they're inactive for some time or you put them into the smart case that they're supposed to go into this low power state so they're technically…”
RecordingNOW · May 2025
Sennheiser Momentum 4 vs Apple AirPods Max: Honest Comparison in 2025
Watch this moment at 3:51 →

“the AirPods Max 2 is the most expensive, the heaviest, has the shortest battery, and lacks wireless high-res audio.”

Headphones Pro Review · Apr 2026 · 8:35 →

“Battery life on the AirPods Max is rated for 20 hours where it is rated for 30 hours on the Sony XM6.”

Marc Taraz Steiner · Jun 2025 · 3:45 →

and 7 more with something to say here

All 12 topics at a glance

Who this is counted from

Thumbnails open each reviewer's video on YouTube.

How this is counted. One reviewer, one vote per topic — a reviewer who makes six points about sound counts once, so the numbers measure reception rather than talkativeness. Specifications and stated personal preferences are excluded; only assessments and direct comparisons count. A topic appears only where at least eight reviewers discussed it.

No affiliate links, no sponsorship, and no payment from any brand mentioned. Updated September 2026.

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