AirPods Max – Apple’s first true-wireless headphones at P32,990

While you were sleeping a few hours ago, Apple pulled the curtains on their new Bluetooth true-wireless headphones – the AirPods Max. It has the same H1 chip, active noise-cancelling and transparency mode as the AirPods Pro, while also having new features like Adaptive EQ and spatial audio. Pricing comes distant from the other AirPods though with the Max coming in at P32,990. Whew. 

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Apple focused a lot on the ergonomics of the AirPods Max, implementing natural movement for the crucial joints of the headphones. The aluminum frame has non-locking telescopic arms with articulating joints for the earpieces to provide comfort in any head shape or size. 

Comfort is courtesy of knitted pieces.The headband doesn’t have any foam. Instead, it has a curved knit canopy that’s a lot lighter than a foam-padded one but theoretically, gives the same amount of cushion and won’t hurt your head over long hours of wearing. The ear cups are made of “acoustically engineered” memory foam and are also covered with the same knit as the headband, that magnetically attaches to the ear pieces. 

A pair of 40mm drivers blast out audio from the headphones, while active-noise cancellation is handled by 8 mics and can be activated with a separate button. A digital crown beside it, like the one used in Apple Watches, handles volume, playback, and Siri.

Adaptive EQ was thrown in the mix, adjusting audio depending on the detected fit and seal of the headphones on your head. This ensures you get the best audio experience no matter what. 

Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking puts surround sound at the next level. This basically lets you hear sound beyond left and right, but also detects the orientation of the headphones relative to the device, and will adjust sound accordingly. Meaning, if your head is turned slightly to the right, the audio will change, compared to if you have it facing straight on the device.

Battery is modest at most, able to last up to 20hrs on a single charge even with active noise-cancellation enabled. It comes with a slim ‘Smart Case’ that puts the AirPods Max in a low-power mode when put inside it. Charging is via Lightning cable, and it comes with a Lightning to USB-C adapter.

The AirPods Max will be available in Space Gray, Silver, Sky Blue, Green, and Pink and is priced at P32,990 from Apple Store PH.

We’ve first caught wind of this back in May with Jon Prosser providing renders of the ‘AirPods Studio’, the pseudonym for the product back then. It was said to come in at $349 but he changed this stance in October saying the ‘Studio’ is a premium device that will come in at $599, and that a lower variant would fill the earlier rumored price point. 

Before this, the AirPods line had been priced competitively against the competition. $549 or P32,990 for a pair of Bluetooth true-wireless headphones is already stepping in boutique territory. Consider that most manufacturers – Sony, Bose, Sennheiser, Shure, Audio-Technica – are all playing in the sub-$300 range or a local SRP of P20,000 below. The only advantage the AirPods Max has over them is Apple’s signature integration to their devices, Adaptive EQ, and Spatial Audio. Are they worth the premium? Only buyers can tell.

So, who’s spending their 13th month for this bad boy?