I'll say it right from the top: the AirPods aren't the best pair of over-ear headphones you can buy today. But if you're a heavy Apple user, they're definitely one of the most convenient.
And while the price was always a sticking point, there's a current deal on at Best Buy that knocks these headphones down by $100 to a much more friendly $449. At that price, these big colorful cans from Apple are very much worth considering.
The reasons I don't count the AirPods Max as among the best headphones you can buy is for a few reasons: they're costly, they're heavy and the battery life isn't as good as you'll find elsewhere.
That may sound negative, but let me continue. This deal absolutely takes care of the first point, and the second point is negligible because they're also very comfortable. There's a springy, mesh headband that distributes the weight comfortably across your head. And part of the reason they're heavy is that (as you'd expect from Apple) they're premium. They're built from metal, not plastic — from the stainless steel sliders to aluminum earcups.
Battery life? Yeah, I can't really defend that too much. But at least Apple has updated these headphones with a USB-C port that'll charge them up quickly when they do run out of power. If you want something a bit more long-lasting, the Sonos Ace are down to their lowest price right now, and here's what happened when I pitched the AirPods Max against the Sonos Ace last year.
Those nitpicks aside, here's why the AirPods Max are very good: They've got excellent physical controls. Honestly, the idea of using an Apple Watch-style Digital Crown was inspired and the buttons give you a real satisfying click when you press them.
The ANC on the AirPods Max is good, and the sound is excellent with a spacious sound. The Spatial Audio feature is brilliant if you're an Apple Music subscriber. Finally, as mentioned, the fact that these headphones sync to your iCloud account means you can instantly transition between your iPhone, MacBook and iPad seamlessly. It's a synergy I've yet to experience in any other pair of headphones and makes these a must-pick if you're already using Apple's other tech.
This deal isn't quite the lowest we've ever seen. The AirPods Max USB-C were down to $399 during Black Friday. But this is only $50 above that and, as Best Buy notes, it's a "limited time" deal — so if you want to take advantage, you'll need to be quick!
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