Worst Apple device in 10 years. AirPods Max (2024) received important features, not worth buying

Well, that’s the fate of the big Apple headphones. Many people didn’t like them right away: the price Space against a backdrop of unusual obstacles.

Shutdown button? Absent. Cable connection? Only a branded unique “lace”. Is it possible to listen to a new product losslessly on Apple Music at this moment? Not provided. And so on.

It seems to me that I was the only one in RuNet who liked these headphones, at least for the way they reproduced music. And it was great to watch movies with a good audio track.

But in the end, everyone was waiting for their update; I liked the idea of ​​full-size Apple headphones, including me.

AirPods Max updated on September 9, 2024.

It would be better if they weren’t updated. Headphones accordingly have become significantly worse than the previous generation. But Apple modestly kept silent about this.

Why AirPods Max 2 (2024) are worse than AirPods Max 1 (2021)

Let me confirm right away that there is no such thing as a “second generation of AirPods Max.” Apple just released an updated version of the first generation.

The very fact of updating something must mean an improvement in the fact. And there is it on top, although there is only one thing: instead of a Lightning port, the headphones now have USB-C. There are no more changes. No upgrade in sound quality, no ability to listen to Lossless, no up-to-date chip, nothing.

Well, at least USB-C healthy… Right?

Not sure. Me and the newly created AirPods Max holders with USB-C are unexpected and defy logical facts:

AirPods Max 2024 does not require a wired connection.

own. It is impossible to listen to them over the wire absolutely and completely. Stop, is this even How?

Beats Studio Pro (2023) with full USB-C audio support.

The ability to transmit sound via a USB-C cable is available in the vast majority of wireless headphones connected to the corresponding port. I’m not talking about models in the AirPods Max price category: this feature is found in budget models from other manufacturers up to 10 thousand rubles.

Moreover, the function of direct connection to an audio source via a USB-C to USB-C cable is available as cheaper Beats Solo 4 or Beats Studio Pro – between other de facto Apple products. Beats and Apple even included the ability for Studio Pro to change the EQ mode when connected via USB-C.

That is, for Beats, the companies went crazy and did everything like people do. Apple’s flagship headphones, which have been awaiting updates for 4 years, only received a different charging port in exchange for the absence of a whole layer of device functionality.

This photo from a review on CNN is very suitable. I will not comment on the review itself.

If you buy AirPods Max with USB-C instead of older models with Lightning, you’re depriving yourself of the ability to listen to audio sources that don’t have a Bluetooth transmitter. Old functional new.

I could be wrong, but in my memory this is generally a unique case in the entire world of wireless headphones. No one else dared to release “mugs” that can only work via Bluetooth – and at the same time put a price tag of $550 on them.

Huge on-ear headphones with very controversial solutions have managed to become the real worst. For so many years, other models have caught up and surpassed them in key parameters, including for less money. Apple looked at all this and said: “Fine, we’ll install the simplest USB-C and release it again.” After such courage, devote a few minutes to them in the presentation, and not timidly post them as a press release.

To be honest, I am delighted (with the impudence) and shocked at the same time. The way the AirPods Max were sold has no analogues in the modern history of Apple. I agree with the attention that the company does not owe anything to anyone, and no one is forcing them to buy “updated” headphones. That’s it.

Therefore, I hope that you too will take a closer look at this point of view and never buy AirPods Max (2024). Let it sit in the company’s warehouses for years to gather dust. Instead, buy yourself normal over-ear headphones from another manufacturer. Fortunately, now the choice of good models is huge.

By the way, what do you use, if it’s not a secret? We haven’t written headphone reviews for a long time – Looks like it’s time to get back to it.

PS When the text of the article was already completed and typed, I decided to search the Internet for real photographs of AirPods Max 2 from Western journalists in order to visually supplement the material. Several weeks have already passed, there must be at least three dozen reviews, opinions and pictures from everyone in the world.

But it worked out total 3(three) review to the entire Russian-language Internet. Don’t believe me? check it yourself.

I don’t remember a single cited situation of such total ignoring of an Apple product in the media for at least 10 years.

If someone in Cupertino considers such a launch a success, then I don’t even know what to say.