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AirPods Max 2

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Re: AirPods Max 2

#151

Post by steve1977 »

goblin89 wrote: post #20
smith7018 wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple added wired lossless audio last year when they moved to USB-C iirc

I see, I remember checking that they didn’t support high definition wireless codec but missed the part where they could do lossless over the wire last year. Why can’t they squeeze in that codec, considering Pros have it for years and are a lot smaller? Edit: apparently I was confusing AirPods Pros with Sony WH models, which have LDAC. I guess there is no chance Apple adopts LDAC, even in their large heavy cans.

LDAC is also not lossless btw.

Re: AirPods Max 2

#152

Post by steve1977 »

dewey wrote: post #63
vishnugupta wrote: post #42

Curious to know how popular they are in rest of the world, especially in the West. Anecdotally, I have seen literally zero people using them in India. So I'm really curious.

They are very popular, especially on any kind of international airport I feel like you either see AirPods Max, AirPods or Bose QC for the most part.

Pretty popular here in Western Europe. So much so that there's also look-a-like rip offs.

Re: AirPods Max 2

#153

Post by vinay_ys »

I'm not buying another expensive AirPods from Apple until they have their story straight w.r.t battery health and battery repair that is cost-effective. I'm done wasting money on these only to have battery issues, clicking noises etc in less than 2 years of continuous use.

Irritating thing is how Apple hides bluetooth headphones pairing 2-3 clicks deeper than AirPods pairing – on iPhones and Apple TV.

Re: AirPods Max 2

#154

Post by infocollector »

StefanKarpinski wrote: post #145

Wild. I have been eagerly awaiting this refresh, but this doesn't address either of the main issues with the original AirPods Max: 1. Still just as heavy. The AirPods Max sound quite good, but they are very heavy, to the point of being fairly uncomfortable after listening for any longer amount of time. This release as the exact same weight as the originals (13.6 oz). 2. Still no off button/position. They stay partial…

I’ve been using AirPods Max since they first launched, and over the years I’ve tried several times to switch to Bose.

However, the Bose headphones just haven’t worked as smoothly for me from a software and integration standpoint. I tend to run into more glitches and small issues compared to the AirPods Max. I’m not sure whether that’s primarily a Bose issue or something related to Apple’s ecosystem, but my guess is that other high-end headphones probably face similar integration challenges when paired with an iPhone.

On the bright side, Max is very reliable.

Re: AirPods Max 2

#155

Post by jandrewrogers »

BowBun wrote: post #109

Truly the Beats of our generation. Buy headphones from audio specialists, not Apple.

Apple headphones have better audio fidelity than you are giving them credit for. I have several different pairs of high-end studio headphones and expensive amps to drive them. The Apple Max, which I also own, frankly provides a cleaner reference than some of the classics. They are perfectly usable as reference headphones.

The built-in Apple audio DSP, amps, etc have surprisingly good fidelity. Much higher quality than you would expect from consumer hardware. They even provide high-impedance headphone jacks on their recent computers.

Re: AirPods Max 2

#156

Post by goblin89 »

embedding-shape wrote: post #101
paxys wrote: post #99

Crazy to think that they are now selling an entire Macbook for the price of these headphones.

Crazy to think Apple is now pricing their consumer headphones in the same segment as serious professional gear, they seems to cost more or less the same I paid for my "studio-grade" DT 1770 Pro.

Typical studio grade cans need studio grade equipment to drive them. No surprise if decently sounding headphones that already ship with tailored DAC, amplifier, ANC cost more than decent headphones for which you need to buy all that (and lug around if you travel).

Yet, with that taken into account, today the latest DT 1770 Pro still cost over 20% more than the latest AirPods Max.

Considering Apple markets Max for audio work, they compete on the same turf. This makes Apple’s offer unusually cost effective, not the other way around. I think this can be attributed to their fragility and inferior sound quality relative to DT 1770 Pro (at the end of a decent signal chain).

Re: AirPods Max 2

#157

Post by steve1977 »

stego-tech wrote: post #34

No wireless lossless audio means these are a hard pass for me. I really expected Apple of all folks to figure that out since they engineer their entire stack, hardware to software, but they’re still just pushing the same bluetooth audio that my Airpods Pro 2’s consume (which are half the price and incredibly excellent). Sony’s LDAC is niche, but sounds objectively better to my ears than the AAC used on Apple’s kit wh…

So you're one of the few people who actually can consistently tell MP3 and lossless apart?

https://abx.digitalfeed.net/

Re: AirPods Max 2

#159

Post by 46493168 »

StefanKarpinski wrote: post #145

Wild. I have been eagerly awaiting this refresh, but this doesn't address either of the main issues with the original AirPods Max: 1. Still just as heavy. The AirPods Max sound quite good, but they are very heavy, to the point of being fairly uncomfortable after listening for any longer amount of time. This release as the exact same weight as the originals (13.6 oz). 2. Still no off button/position. They stay partial…

Are you sure your AirPods Max have the latest firmware? This issue was addressed in an update right after the first version came out and people reported the issue you're describing:

If you set your AirPods Max down and leave them stationary for 5 minutes, they go into a low power mode to preserve battery charge. After 72 stationary hours out of the Smart Case, your AirPods Max go into a lower power mode that turns off Bluetooth and Find My to preserve battery charge further

[Archive link, as the latest Support doc doesn't have this wording any longer]

[0]https://web.archive.org/web/20210315052229/https://support.a...

Re: AirPods Max 2

#160

Post by steve1977 »

F7F7F7 wrote: post #59
stego-tech wrote: post #34

No wireless lossless audio means these are a hard pass for me. I really expected Apple of all folks to figure that out since they engineer their entire stack, hardware to software, but they’re still just pushing the same bluetooth audio that my Airpods Pro 2’s consume (which are half the price and incredibly excellent). Sony’s LDAC is niche, but sounds objectively better to my ears than the AAC used on Apple’s kit wh…

The H2 enables lossless audio over wireless. So this reads like a temporary limitation that software might solve down the road. But knowing Apple's track record for enabling features in partially dormant hardware ... I wouldn't buy these expecting that.

> The H2 enables lossless audio over wireless

But that's only with the Vision Pro, no?

I.e. very short and more or less consistent distance between transmitter and receiver.

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