This sound engineer is a big Apple fan. But he thinks you shouldn’t buy the AirPods Max.

• Sound engineer Theo Browne recently criticized Apple’s AirPods Max for their sound quality and price.

• Browne, an AirPods Pro fan, finds the mid-range sounds of the AirPods Max disappointing.

• Browne and another audio expert explained why they suggest alternative over-ear headphones.

You don’t have to look far to see Apple’s AirPods Max headphones in the wild, whether on your morning commute or worn by someone on TikTok.

But if you’re considering buying headphones, a sound engineer and self-proclaimed “Apple fanboy” says you should think twice.

Theo Browne, tech YouTuber and founder of online audio and video platform Ping Labs, told Business Insider that despite being an avid fan of the AirPods Pro – which he says sound as good as in-ear headphones -earbuds that cost hundreds of dollars – Apple is too successful. their over-ear counterpart, the AirPods Max, is a disappointment.

In a tweet that has now received over 800,000 views, Browne even warned people: “DO NOT buy AirPods Max.”

The AirPods Max, first released in December 2020 before Apple refreshed them in September, sell for $549 – a higher price than other popular competitors from companies like Sony and Bose.

Browne explained to BI why he believes the cost of the AirPod Max makes it “insulting” to customers who expect a premium audio experience worthy of its price.

Sound and fit issues

Browne said bass and treble, or the low and high frequencies of sounds, are generally adequate on the Max, but mid-range sounds are where the headphones fall flat.

“The big thing is these midrange sounds where people’s voices are, where a guitar would be, where most of the interesting parts of a song are,” he said.

For example, Browne said he found that the listening experience of British band Metronomy, which uses real instruments, was distorted by AirPods Max.

“And it was just for me how little of the instruments you could hear and how strangely placed his voice was,” he said.

Another audio science enthusiast, Douglas Stephens, who goes by “DMS” online and reviews audio gear for Headphones.com, agreed that the sound quality when listening to music on the AirPods Max was lacking.

Stephens, who previously owned a recording studio, told Business Insider that the resulting sound was “unnatural” and “muffled” in some parts of the treble response while “bright and piercing” in other parts.

Some people have also complained online about the earbuds not fitting for long durations. Stephens said this could be due to the way the headband connects to the ear cushions, suggesting that the design, which “looks nice”, may “apply uneven pressure”.

While Apple launched new colors and added a USB-C charging port in its AirPods Max update in September, there’s still no way to turn off the earbuds. Instead, users can only put them into low power mode by putting them down for 5 minutes or placing them in the accompanying Smart Case.

“I could put them on my desk and they would be dead when I came to pick them up,” Browne said, referring to longer periods without using the earbuds, which offer up to 20 hours of battery life, according to the company. .

After 72 hours out of the case, the AirPods Max will be set to an even lower power mode that turns off Bluetooth and Find Me. But the Smart Case – a unique design that some compare to a purse or support -throat – doesn’t actually charge the headset itself, which still requires a cord to charge it.

Apple did not respond to Business Insider’s request for comment.

Headphones have their advantages

Browne and Stephens said there are areas where the AirPods Max shine. Like other AirPods, they said the AirPods Max offer a great experience with Active Noise Cancellation, Spatial Audio, and Transparency modes.

“Personally, I think their mode of transparency is the best I’ve ever heard in a product period,” Stephens said. “I would definitely describe them as best in class for that.”

He said one aspect of transparency mode that is “particularly well designed” is its ability to pick up the direction of outside noise very well.

“It’s actually particularly easy, compared to others, to be able to tell in transparency mode if someone is talking behind you,” he said. “The sound is coming from behind you, which is really cool.”

Apple’s top-notch active noise cancellation (ANC) also shines with the AirPods Max, they said.

“Its ability to silence outside noise is the highest ever,” Browne said.

But overall, Browne said there are “so many better options for so much less.”

Try these alternatives

Browne recommends the Philips Audio SHP9500 as a very budget-friendly option that costs less than $100.

For a wireless option, he cites any of Sony’s noise-cancelling headphones, including the popular Sony WH-1000XM5, which costs $399.99. (Business Insider earphone reviewer Antonio Villas-Boas called the cans “the best wireless over-ear headphones you can buy” in his 2022 review.)

Stephens personally recommended the AKG N700NC (which are listed for $99 on the AKG website but sold out) or the Focal Bathys, a much more premium option that will set you back $699.

Although much more expensive, he considers the Focal Bathys to be “probably the best Bluetooth headphones on the entire market right now.”

Read the original article on Business Insider