Apple AirPods Max

Apple's over-ears more than justify their premium price tag... for Apple users

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₹59,900

The AirPods Max arrived in 2020 as the most expensive pair of wireless headphones we had had the pleasure of wearing on our heads. The original model cost ₹60K - a good third more than the flagship pairs from Sony, Bose, and Sennheiser at the time.

But it's almost as if their release gave the green light for other brands to enter this pricier, premium fray. The Mark Levinson No.5909, Focal Bathys and Bowers & Wilkins Px8 all launched in the aftermath of the AirPods Max's release with even higher price tags - and justified them too.

In September 2024, Apple updated the AirPods Max - but only lightly. The current AirPods Max now sport a USB-C port rather than Lightning and come with a USB-C charging cable (which can also transmit lossless audio), and are available in five new colourways. Nothing else has changed about the design or performance.

With excellent new rivals such as the Sony WH-1000XM6, Dali iO-8, B&W Px7 S3 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones all demanding a slice of that uber-premium pie, do the AirPods Max still sit at the top of the pile?

There is absolutely no denying the Max's quality and build. The Sony and Bose pairs look and feel almost cheap compared with the Apple pair, which boast pristinely machined, single-piece anodised aluminium ear cups connected by a stainless-steel headband.

Between the rather large cups and your head are memory foam cushions that easily surround even the largest ears, creating a seal that is both gentle and surprisingly effective at blocking out sound. They are significantly heavier than many rivals: at 385g, they weigh 131g more than the Sony XM6, for example, while the B&W Px7 S3 are lighter at 300g.