AirPods Max

Are Apple’s over–ear headphones worth the big price?

- By Olivia Tambini

$549 From Apple, apple.com

Features Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), 2x optical sensors, 2x position sensors, 2x case–detect sensors, 2x accelerometers, 1x gyroscope, 9x microphones (8x for ANC, 3x for voice pickup), H1 chip, Digital Crown, up to 20 hours’ listening time, Smart Case, Bluetooth 5.0, USB–C charging port, 6.64x3.28x7.37in, 13.6oz

The AirPods Max were the most hotly anticipated headphones of 2020. Costing $549, they’re more expensive than many of the best over–ear headphones today.Olivia Tambini

There’s an unmistakable Apple quality to them. The ear cup outers are made from aluminium and the headband frame is stainless steel, so the headphones are sturdy but quite heavy, coming in at a weighty 13.6oz.

The headband frame features telescopic arms that you adjust to find a good fit and, to offset the weight, it’s covered with a knitted mesh canopy that’s designed to reduce the pressure on your head. The memory foam cups feel comfortable and pivot independently.

Apple has reprised the Digital Crown dial of the Apple Watch, which enables precise volume control, and lets you play or pause audio, skip tracks, answer or end phone calls, and activate Siri. We liked its tactility, and it feels like a more precise way of adjusting the volume, instead of a button or swipe.