Apple AirPods Max 2 Wireless Over-Ear Headphones, Active Noise Cancellation, Adaptive Audio, Personalized Spatial Audio, Live Translation, Bluetooth Headphones for iPhone – Midnight

VERY happy w/sound signature, coming from Audio Technica ATH-M50x & ATH-M50xBT2, & AirPods Pro 3
I bought these hoping the sound signature would be similar to the AirPods Pro 3, and to replace my fantastic Audio Technica ATH-M50x and wireless ATH-M50xBT2 as my main over-ear closed-back headphones.TL;DR:The AirPods Max 2 have met or exceeded all my hopes and will likely be my go-to headphones of any kind. They might be the new GOAT for over-ear closed-back headphones for me.They are the first over-ear pair that could unseat the ATH-M50x (my GOAT for over-ear closed-back), rival my beloved Koss Porta Pro (GOAT for on-ear), and compete with the AirPods Pro 3 (GOAT for in-ear)*.*Judged purely by sound signature and my very picky tastes. Your mileage may vary. But if you love any of those as GOATs, you’ll probably love the Max 2.I cover:1 Why I chose these three (four, counting M50x vs BT2 for the parametric EQ) for comparison.2 Noise cancelling (the main reason I risked buying them).3 Sound signature (most important to me).4 Spatial Audio and what it’s actually for.5 Dolby Atmos in movies/TV and music.6 Battery.7 Other features (they’re all great as expected from Apple, I won’t dive deep).8 Conclusion.Full Review:I compare everything to the ATH-M50x (best sound signature I’ve ever found for closed-back over-ear) and Koss Porta Pro (perfect sound signature but on-ear and zero isolation).For in-ear, the AirPods Pro 3 are the first I’ve tried that compete favorably with the M50x series. I’ve tested many others over the years; most lacked good noise cancelling. The Pro 2 were decent but nowhere near the Pro 3.The Pro 3’s noise cancelling spoiled me, so I waited for the Max 2 to see if they could deliver a sound signature as good or better than the Pro 3 while getting close to the M50x in a proper over-ear closed-back design.Noise CancellingThe Max 2 completely satisfied me here. They’re so good they might take the overall GOAT crown for me (still letting them “cook” a bit longer to confirm).Excellent noise cancelling, though the Pro 3 is slightly better overall, the Max 2 let in a bit more high-frequency noise (noticeable with loud fans or portable AC). The difference is minor and not worth quibbling over. They’re outstanding.Even with ANC off, the Max 2 isolate external noise better than the M50x. This was the key reason I tried them, otherwise I had no reason to move on from the M50x. The Pro 3 spoiled me, and I’ve been neglecting my ATH-M50xBT2 as daily drivers.I never prefer in-ear over over-ear long-term, so I wanted over-ear closed-backs with strong ANC and a signature close to the Pro 3 / M50x. The original Max lacked the H2 chip and predated the Pro 2, so I waited for the Max 2.Sound SignatureDifferences between my three personal GOATs are noticeable but all stay in the same excellent ballpark. They’re all great out of the box, unlike most headphones that stray far from my tastes.After extensive A/B comparing, the Max 2 is close to the sound from the M50x! This is a VERY good thing!! Except the Max 2 actually sounds much better to me! The Max 2 are louder at the same volume levels, so I had to match the volumes. Luckily the Apple Music app remembers the separate sound volumes when switching, so once I dialed that in, it was super easy to A/B.Bass is the biggest difference. Bass is wonderful, clean, controlled, and perfectly present. It sounds fuller to me. Deeper. More visceral. I actually physically feel it more in my ears too, even at moderate volumes, which I don’t with the M50x. All without being overpowering or boomy. It is amazing to hear, honestly.Mids and highs are actually very similar.Soundstage, instrument separation, and imaging are superb, better than the M50x! One of the best I’ve ever heard.The Max 2 have more of a dynamic sound. I can hear that the amp is definitely the high dynamic amp they claim. Honestly this is the biggest difference compared to the M50x, which lacks that dynamic sound! It is really noticeable in the bass, but it is apparent everywhere. I am honestly amazed, as I didn’t expect this difference.I tried Headphone Accommodations, Balanced Tone (“Slight” setting) and liked it a lot for most music, but the default out-of-the-box sound is already fantastic and really doesn’t need it, though.Overall, the Max 2 sound better than the M50x. I’m honestly surprised, and thrilled! My dream of modern noise-cancelling wireless over-ear closed-backs with a great signature has arrived!That said, the ATH-M50xBT2 still edges it out for me because of the excellent parametric EQ in the Audio Technica app. I can dial in any tweaks I might want. But out of the box, there is no comparison. Max 2 are phenomenal sounding!Apple really needs a proper parametric EQ at the iOS level (10+ bands, etc.) plus lossless wireless to make the platform unbeatable. The lack of EQ isn’t a deal-breaker though, the default tuning is so good for my tastes.If you love the Koss Porta Pro, ATH-M50x series, or AirPods Pro 3 sound signatures, you’ll very likely love the Max 2.They also go painfully loud, louder than any of the others I’m comparing.No wireless lossless is disappointing at this price, but not a deal-breaker for me (most headphones with it don’t sound as good anyway). Apple should have included it.Spatial AudioIt’s fantastic on the Max 2, even better than on the Pro 2/3.Understand what it does: Spatial Audio simulates true stereo (as producers intend for speakers) on headphones. Headphones can’t replicate real speaker stereo because you never hear the left channel in the right ear and vice versa.Spatial Audio fixes that, giving a more punchy, defined, front-centered sound with a faithful stereo soundstage.If you want the sound closest to what the producers intended for most music, use Spatial Audio (95% of the time that’s the case). With it on (especially head tracking), the Max 2 get closer than anything else I’ve heard to my Klipsch Chorus II speakers, you feel like you’re in front of a proper hi-fi system.I usually keep it on “Fixed” for music (I often listen with eyes closed), but switch to head tracking when I want the illusion of my actual speakers. Some prefer plain “headphone stereo” for the ultra-wide all-around stage; I love both and switch depending on mood.Dolby AtmosEven better on the Max 2 than on the Pro 2/3.For movies on Apple TV, nothing else at the headphone level compares. Apple has nailed it. With Spatial Audio and head tracking on, it feels like you’re in the theater as the mixers intended, sounds sync to the screen location. The deeper sub bass and wider soundstage on the Max 2 make it noticeably better than the Pro 3 (you feel it a bit in your ears). Only missing the chest rumble of a real sub.For music, Dolby Atmos shines on concert/live recordings where you want to feel “there.” For studio tracks, it often lacks the punch and flair of good stereo mixes, so I prefer regular stereo or Spatial Audio for most music. Producers should keep the energy/hype when doing Atmos versions.ComfortPleasantly surprised! Despite being heavier than the M50x (by ~100g), I don’t notice it much and actually find the Max 2 more comfortable overall, less pressure on top of my head.I can extend them further while keeping a perfect seal thanks to the spring-loaded cups. The M50x cups aren’t spring-loaded, so extending them loses the seal easily. The mesh headband and overall build also help stability.I’m glad Apple didn’t change the design much, folding or other common requests would likely hurt the comfort and consistent seal. These feel built like tanks for longevity: replaceable headband (pop off the cups, no crossing wires), magnetic ear pads (easiest to swap ever). They should last forever.Only real long-term concern from teardowns is potential moisture buildup inside the cans if heavily sweated in (not my use case, I’d use Pro 3 for gym). I’ve worn them continuously for 5+ hours with no comfort issues.BatteryMy biggest disappointment: only 20 hours. At this weight I expected much better (ideally 50 hours with ANC). The ATH-M50xBT2 gets 50 hours without ANC. Under 30 hours feels weak these days.Other featuresEverything else is excellent as expected from Apple, seamless integration, H2 chip features, premium build. They’re all talked about plenty elsewhere.ConclusionWhen considering the whole package — superb ANC, sound signature I love, excellent Spatial Audio/Dolby Atmos (especially for movies), comfort, build quality, and Apple ecosystem integration — the AirPods Max 2 are my new overall GOAT headphones (over-ear closed-back, on-ear, or in-ear).I rate them 9.0/10.Main deductions (in no particular order):No proper parametric EQ at the OS level (Apple could crush this).No wireless lossless (24-bit/96kHz would’ve been great).20-hour battery life.Weight (non-issue for me personally, but could be lighter with titanium headband).Still an outstanding pair. Highly recommended if you like the sound signatures I mentioned.

Good
These are basically what the 2024 refresh should have been. Sounds about the same as the gen 1, but ANC is noticeably better, worth the upgrade for my use case. Otherwise basically the same headset, slightly heavy, same bad case but overall comfortable with good sound and automatic switching from device to device in the Apple ecosystem.

Very Expensive But Sturdy Quality
First off I want to emphasize how crazy it is that we are purchasing $500 dollar headphones in our world today while there are children who can’t even afford rice in other countries. The midnight color is nice and goes with outfits that have blue tones (blue, light blue, teal, and turquoise, and also sometimes black). The outside shells of the headphones are metal and are very easy to scratch. The headphones have a little matte shine finish when they come in and the box for them is huge. The base is pretty good and way better than the base for the beats and AirPods Pro 3 in my opinion. The earcups are magnetic and comfortable. I wore them on a 5 hour car trip and did not have any problems with tightness or heaviness on my head. The battery actually does last about 20 hours but honestly I do expect better battery life when the price is $500. The sound quality is premium and the noise cancellation is really good, seriously this is the best noise cancellation I have seen in any over ear headphones. Unfortunately, when the volume is turned above 60% there is a noticeable leak of sound no matter what. Also the earcups are very light foam; I would not suggest sweating hard in these. The condensation will build up in them because the earmuffs are not dense enough to soak up water to keep the actual speakers safe. The earmuffs are really airy and puffy with tiny holes that water and condensation can pass through. The telescoping arms are really smooth and extend enough to fit on my big head. They also connect to your phone the same way AirPods do…when you put it on your head it immediately connects. The case for these is really bad and does not protect very well. If I were you guys I wouldn’t definitely buy the apple care with these because they are too expensive to even take the chance. Also you don’t have to purchase the apple care up front you can get it later after purchasing them. I would not recommend these for anyone going to a gym or going outside a lot, they are really sensitive to water. They are very nice and I get compliments whenever I wear them but the price is still so astonishing.

Love them! Own the majority of headphones in this price range from other companies and to me, these definitely hold their own comparatively. I’m happy to have these as part of my collection.