Apple’s foray into the domain of premium over-the-ear headphones with the AirPods Max was fairly well-received. The company delivered a solid noise cancellation and transparency experience, paired with rich sound output and a standout design.
Half a decade into their shelf life, Apple rolled out an update that enabled lossless, ultra-low latency audio, alongside the ability to mix and create Personalised Spatial Audio with head tracking enabled. Simultaneously, Apple switched them away from the Lightning port to a USB-C inlet when it introduced a modest refresh earlier this year.
If you, however, have been waiting for a meaningful product update for Apple’s flagship headphones, be prepared for a long winter. Writing in the latest edition of his PowerOn newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman notes that Apple currently isn’t working on the next-gen AirPods Max, as the immediate focus is locked on the M5 Mac and iPad refresh, new iPhones, an updated HomePod, and an external display.
“It makes more sense for the company’s audio team to focus on cranking out new in-ear AirPods annually, as well as supporting speakers and microphones in other products. That means fans of the AirPods Max will probably have to keep waiting,” says the report.
It’s a bittersweet status quo
The AirPods Max continue to be one of the best-sounding premium headphones you can buy right now, especially if noise cancellation and transparency are top priorities. They look unique, and going by Apple’s philosophy, it’s not surprising to see the fundamental design persist even after five years.
But if you look at the competition, you will realize that rivals have since leapfrogged the AirPods Max in a few crucial areas. Take, for example, the Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones. At just 8.96 ounces, they are dramatically lighter than the AirPods Max at 13.6 oz, and offer a fantastic foldable design with a lovely build quality, as well.
The flagship Sony cans last 30 hours on a single charge with noise cancellation enabled, a healthy 50% more than the Apple headphones. The former also wins with custom EQ settings and plenty of customization options in the companion app, which works equally well on Android and iOS.
For audiophiles, one of the biggest perks of going with Sony’s headphones is support for the LDAC codec for streaming high-resolution audio, while the AirPods Max are limited to the lower-bandwidth SBC and AAC codecs. And let’s not forget the asking price.
Despite the generation-over-generation price jump, the Sony WH-1000XM6 are still $100 cheaper than the AirPods Max, which Apple continues to sell at a steep $549 in the US market. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra, Sonos Ace, and the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless also cost less but offer a well-rounded package.
It’s unclear what Apple has in the pipeline for its next over-the-ear headphones, but if the company has a long-term vision chalked out for it, a lighter build and deeper audiophile capabilities should be on the upgrade agenda. Will they latch on to the wearable AI trends, as well? Only time will tell.
