Apple’s first over-the-ear headphones have long been rumored, and today we saw what the company has been working on. AirPods Max certainly look the part,
Apple’s first over-the-ear headphones have long been rumored, and today we saw what the company has been working on. AirPods Max certainly look the part, sleekly built from stainless steel and breathable knit mesh, and they pack a hefty price tag to go with the big claims of “the ultimate personal listening experience” thanks to Adaptive EQ, spatial audio, and active noise cancellation. Don’t get any ideas about working out while wearing your AirPods Max, though, at least not unless it’s a very, very low-intensity workout. Unlike AirPods Pro, the new over-the-ear headphones aren’t sweat and water resistant: the earbuds have IPX4 compliance, but the headphones do not. It means that they’re not going to stand up to large amounts of sweat, and you should definitely avoid getting them wet in the rain or exposing them to other inclement weather. Now, that’s not entirely unusual for headphones. Sony’s well-reviewed WH-1000XM4 aren’t splash-proof or water-resistant either. Nonetheless it’s a disappointing omission on the spec sheet, given Apple’s pricing here. For the best, most comprehensive AirPods Max experience, Apple is expecting you to use them with its other products. That’s a long list, mind. Everything back to the iPhone 6s and first-generation iPhone SE for phones; multiple generations of iPad mini, Air, and Pro; the Apple Watch all the way back to Series 1; Apple TV 4K; iPod touch (7th generation); and Mac models s early as 2012. That’s not to say that, if you’re not thoroughly enmeshed in the Apple ecosystem – or if you have the occasional non-Apple product you want to use – AirPods Max won’t play ball. They’re Bluetooth 5.0 headphones at their core, after all. Still, there are some considerations to bear in mind. “AirPods Max can be used as Bluetooth headphones with Apple devices using earlier software and with non-Apple devices, but functionality is limited,” the company warns.
