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Apple’s AirPods Max headphones aren’t the newest pair of cans on the market — they’ve been around since 2020 and haven’t received a ton of design iterations since then — but they’re still a competitive pair of headphones in 2025.
When compared to some of the other models we’ve tested, like the Nothing Headphone 1 and the Sonos Ace, the AirPods Max stand out with Apple’s sleek, minimal design and solid audio quality.
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Right now, they’re over 20% off during Amazon Prime Day, down to $429 for all five colorways — a significant price drop on a pair of headphones regularly $549.
Not cheap for a pair of headphones, but if you’re in the market for a premium pair, we recommend considering them for a few reasons. Here’s the breakdown.
First: the design. The AirPods Max have a sleek form with no branding or logos, featuring stainless steel accents and Apple’s digital crown that replaces an array of physical buttons seen on other headphones, and charge via USB-C.
For Apple users, the AirPods Max are the definitive over-ear headphones option, thanks to their automatic pairing with your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple TV.
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As far as noise cancellation goes, they’re some of the best, in the same league as high-end rivals from Sony, Bose, and Sennheiser. The headphones utilize a total of eight microphones for the ANC, while leveraging Apple’s personalized spatial audio to create a natural soundstage that’s distinctly not overproduced.
The AirPod Max’s mesh ear pads have also held up well. They’re firm without being hard, with a tight, comfortable seal around your ears for immersive audio. The lack of polyurethane leather on the ear pads simultaneously adds to their expense and user experience.
ZDNET’s Kerry Wan says the Max’s mesh ear pads are one of the best things about them: “I’ve found the AirPods Max’s mesh-style ear cushions to relieve pressure and sweat build-up better than the waxy, silicone-based covers found on competing headphones.”
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So how do they sound? They utilize Apple’s H1 audio processor, which is less advanced than the H2 chip in Apple’s AirPods Pro 2, but the sound produced by the AirPods Max is carried by the fantastic ANC, as well as its rich, natural soundstage.
Ultimately, however, I wouldn’t recommend the AirPods Max if you don’t have at least one Apple product, and I often attribute that to paying for features you can’t use, like Find My and Personalized Spatial Audio. Additionally, software updates are wrapped into iOS updates, making it impossible to update your AirPods without an iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
Looking for the next best product? Get expert reviews and editor favorites with ZDNET Recommends.
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How I rated this deal
I gave this deal a 3/5 since it’s a significant enough discount to be noteworthy, but it’s still a relatively pricey pair of headphones. For Apple users, however, they’re the final word in over-ear headphones — especially if you want superior ANC and are not interested in earbuds.
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