Apple’s AirPods Max are undoubtedly near the top of any list when it comes to wireless noise cancelling headphones. They offer phenomenal sound quality, a stunning design, and top-notch active noise cancelling that helps drown out distractions. Unfortunately, AirPods Max also have an astronomical price tag that’s far more expensive than comparable ANC headphones.
If you’ve been drooling over AirPods Max, but the $549 price tag has kept you at bay, now is your chance to pick up a pair. Amazon has AirPods Max on sale ahead of Prime Day 2023 in every colorway for $449.99. That’s a $100 discount, and it matches the lowest price of the year.
I have tested all the top wireless noise cancelling headphones out there, so there isn’t much that impresses me at this point. The best mass-market models come from Sony and Bose, and it’s been that way for years. That’s why I wasn’t expecting too much the first time I tried Apple’s AirPods Max.
Suffice it to say I was pleasantly surprised.
If you read our in-depth AirPods Max review, you’ll learn all about what makes Apple’s first over-ear AirPods so impressive.
Sound quality is definitely the star of the show with AirPods Max, which is a stark departure from other AirPods models, to be frank. AirPods Pro and regular AirPods have okay sound quality, but they don’t hold a candle to other premium options such as Sony WF-1000XM4 or Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2 earphones.
If you want the best of the best, take advantage of this rare Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2 deal on Amazon.
With AirPods Max, the opposite is true. I personally find that Sony and Bose’s latest ANC headphones have superior noise cancelling tech compared to AirPods Max. But Apple’s headphones make up for it with what might be the best overall sound quality of any premium ANC headphones I’ve tried.
The biggest problem with AirPods Max is definitely the price tag. At $549, they’re $151 more than Sony WH-1000XM5 ANC headphones and $170 more than Bose 700.
To be frank, I cannot in good conscience recommend that anyone out there spend $549 on AirPods Max. Even if you agree with me and think that they offer better sound quality than the Bose and Sony models, the difference is far too small to spend that much money.
At $449.99 with Amazon’s discount, however, Apple’s AirPods Max are more than worth it. That matches the best price of 2023, and it’s just $20 more than the all-time lowest price.
Of note, other AirPods models are also discounted right now. Check our guide on the best AirPods deals for more info.
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