Apple has a reputation for taking existing products and improving on it, making it their own. Remember all those years ago when the Macbook Air, the iPod and the iPhone were released? They've shown no signs of stopping either. Their latest foray into somewhat uncharted territory for their company is the AirPods Max, their line of headphones set to improve on their earphones, the AirPods and AirPods Pro. The announcement of the AirPods Max last year took customers by surprise. Now that it's been out for nearly a month in Thailand, the question is whether it's worth the B19,900 price tag.
PROS
The AirPods Max brings with it all the strengths of its earphone predecessors. The active noise cancellation is excellent and the over-ear design ensures that sound truly is isolated. The AirPods Max also comes with Adaptive EQ that adjusts the low and mid-frequencies to the shape of your ear so you get high quality sound. In other words, you no longer have to worry about earbud sizes or the shape of your ears affecting the quality of your music. The sound quality is crisp and clearer than its predecessors, but it also comes with a returning feature from the AirPods Pro: spatial audio. It's a cool experience watching Apple TV and moving around with the feature on though it would be cooler if it could be available on other apps like YouTube. The design of the AirPods Max is stylish, as with all other Apple products, but it's also comfortable. While other headphones may be a bit irritating to wear for long periods of time, the adjustable telescopic arms and the soft mesh on top that runs across your head makes these headphones a comfortable wear. While others have criticised its "Smart Case", I didn't really mind much because I could put it in my backpack.
CONS
When the AirPods Max was announced, its hefty price didn't go unnoticed -- and for good reason. At B19,900, it's more than double the price of the AirPods Pro and the same price as an iPad Air. Despite being a slight improvement from the AirPods Pro in terms of sound quality, it's not a vast difference that it would compel you to pay double, unless of course you're really after headphones and not earphones. Because it's not water resistant, it's also not viable to wear to the gym meaning you would need another set of head/earphones for workouts. The AirPods Max also don't fully turn off. Instead, they go on an "ultra low power mode" when in the case. I would have preferred the option of actually having it off but it seems Apple just wanted to continue the trend it had set with its first AirPods. Thankfully, "ultra low power mode" is just that and the battery doesn't suffer. Finally, its lack of a provided audio jack so it can be used on other devices makes it an exclusive wireless device for listening. At its price, it would have been great if it could be used for DJ-ing or when recording music.
VERDICT
The AirPods Max is a product that Apple fans will definitely go after. There is no doubt that it delivers on sound quality and is possibly one of the most comfortable headphones out there. However, its luxury price may give you pause, and rightfully so. With all the pros and cons laid out, it's up to you to decide whether it's worth your buck.
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