AirPods Max Review
Over-ear · 2020
Specdex verdict Apple's AirPods Max is a solid premium pick — strongly recommended, even if it doesn't unseat the category leaders.
Apple's AirPods Max — 2020 over-ear flagship.
Specdex doesn't run benchmarks in-house. The verdict is an editorial assessment based on manufacturer specs and public reviewer consensus. See methodology.
AirPods Max versus its closest rivals
- +Flagship comfort + ANC on modern models
- +Premium build
- +Active noise cancellation (most models)
- −Battery varies by codec
- −Some are Bluetooth-only
- −Price creep vs previous gen
Who's the AirPods Max for?
Quick verdicts for the most common buyer profiles, derived from the sub-scores above.
Compute scores trail current top-tier — look at our step-up alternatives below if performance is the priority.
Battery sub-score of 82 is solid but not class-leading — fine for typical days, charging top-up likely on heavy days.
Mid-tier pricing at $549 — review whether the score-per-dollar lines up against the cheaper alternatives we recommend.
In the box
What you get when you unbox the AirPods Max.
- Headphones
- Hard travel case
- USB-C charging cable
- 3.5 mm audio cable
- Airline adapter (region-dependent)
Standard contents — region/SKU may vary; confirm at retailer.
Sources & benchmarks
Cited, not generatedSpecdex does not run benchmarks in-house. We're rolling out cited public benchmark data category by category — PassMark for CPUs and GPUs is wired today; DXOMark, RTINGS, Geekbench, and NotebookCheck will follow.
Sources we use when available: PassMark for CPU/GPU, Geekbench Browser for synthetic, DXOMark for camera scores, RTINGS for TVs, monitors, and headphones. See methodology.
Specifications
Editorial · awaiting verification| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Type | Over-ear |
| Release year | 2020 |
Cheaper alternatives to the AirPods Max
Same category, at least 20% cheaper, best-scoring picks from our catalog.
Step up from the AirPods Max
Higher-scoring headphones if you've got more to spend.
More from Apple
Also consider
Where the AirPods Max appears on Specdex
Curated lists, spec rankings, and buying guides where this product is mentioned or ranked.