[SparkOnShore]

Not important, but convenient because it's a bit of a hassle to put them back in the case all the time.

I see, thanks!

 

[scrane]

I thought the only good thing about the Max case was it is super easy to take the phones in and out.

 

[David67]

Recently returned my Apple Watch 6 due to an allergic reaction and now it looks as though I may have to send back my APM for the same reason. Just a heads up for anyone whose headphones are out of the return window as was my watch which Apple still accepted for health reasons.

 

[justanut]

Ever since Disney+ Became available in my country I’ve been movie bingeing and believe me when I say the APM are the BEST headphones on i-devices for watching shows that support spatial audio. That theatre like sense, together with ANC really draws you into the show.. I find myself losing hours rapidly Oh and that sub-bass rumble.. so satisfying in the Marvel shows.. I could gush all day.. For personal entertainment, these are just unbeatable.

 

[tkddans]

Just found this uploaded today. Turns out to be more interesting than I expected it would’ve been.

Summary: These strings and wind instrument orchestra players feel that the AirPods Max give them the same feel as when they play on stage.

 

[yticolev]

Just found this uploaded today. Turns out to be more interesting that I expected it would’ve been.

Summary: These strings and wind instrument orchestra players feel that the AirPods Max give them the same feel as when they play on stage.

Ha! What do orchestra players know about sound?

Quick anecdote (think I shared a couple thousand posts before): My mother is a lifelong, sometimes professional, violin/viola player. Listened to several hours a day of practice when I was a kid. When I came home to go to college, I brought with me a very high end bi-amped system and played a chamber music CD that was fantastic (great soundstage and sound). She thought it was OK, and went back to listening to a clock radio. Turns out she listens to the performance, musicality, and orchestration or arrangement. Doesn't listen to the sound.

 

[tkddans]

Ha! What do orchestra players know about sound?

Quick anecdote (think I shared a couple thousand posts before): My mother is a lifelong, sometimes professional, violin/viola player. Listened to several hours a day of practice when I was a kid. When I came home to go to college, I brought with me a very high end bi-amped system and played a chamber music CD that was fantastic (great soundstage and sound). She thought it was OK, and went back to listening to a clock radio. Turns out she listens to the performance, musicality, and orchestration or arrangement. Doesn't listen to the sound.

Yea at musicians just listen to the performance and don’t mind the fidelity of playback.

Totally makes sense.

As we enjoy the sound reproduction fidelity, it’s nice to know that musicians say it feels like being there for real. Even if they personally won’t pay for that playback experience, their commentary is helpful to support our observations.

In particular, some of the commentary made note of the realism felt by AirPods Max. Or hey, maybe these performers would say the same about most audiophile headphones

 

[tailslol]

After 3.5 months with my APM, I'm extremely happy with my purchase. The clamping force has definitely weakened so I basically forget I'm wearing them. They are the most comfortable headphones I've ever owned. After I got used to the sound signature, I basically love the output of these things now. I take long hikes with them, I even go to wildlife photography using these and use transparency mode to better hear birds around me. This is my favorite toy at the moment.

 

[Heyyoudvd]

I had a friend of mine who doesn’t know hifi audio at all (but loves music) listen to my headphone collection to see her opinion of each headphone. Here’s what she thought, with a paraphrase of her comments and the rankings based on her impressions:


1. AirPods Max - “Really immerses you into the sound.”

2. Audio Technica A900 - “Most detailed, sounds really wide.”

3. Grado Hemp - “Sounds like being at a music festival. I’m right on stage.”

4. Audio Technica M50 - “Reminds me of those ones (*point at the A900*) but worse.”

5. Sennheiser HD 6XX - “Really pretty vocals but it’s too in-your-head.”

6. Grado SR60 - “These are comfortable.”

7. Koss PortaPro - “I don’t really like these.”

8. Koss KSC 75 - “Are these the cheapest?”

9. Koss KPH30i - “I think my headphones are better” (she has cheap Chinese AirPods knockoffs).

A few observations:

1. It’s worth noting that she listened to the Koss at the end, so I think she was biased by the fact that she had just listened to several pricey headphones and so when the Koss weren’t as good, she thought they were far worse than they actually are. Like how if you drive 120mph and then slow down to 40mph, you feel like you’re practically at a standstill and can open the door. I’ll bet her impressions of the KPH30i would have been a lot higher had she just compared those to her own headphones.

2. While my rankings would be different (particularly with the 6XX), I was impressed that a complete audio noob basically got most of the analysis right.

3. She was extremely surprised at how she could hear the difference between all the headphones. She thought I was pulling her leg when I would rave about my love for headphones, and she thought they’d be mostly the same. She was shocked at how noticeable the differences were.

4. The AirPods Max are legitimately great headphones. Some people like to write them off because they’re Apple, but they’re actually excellent. They’re not top spot for me like they are for her (that would be the 6XX for me), but they’re top 3 for me.

 

[justanut]

I'm sometimes amazed when switching to the APM and listening to my music.. surely they can't sound THIS good and THIS close to my properly driven HD800S?? In all seriousness, unless you're critically A/Bing and trying to find minute differences, the APM does the job in delivering the music and immersing you in it. And we should be doing that... rather than nitpicking and trying to disprove how a pair of BT headphones can NOT sound as good as true audiophile wired offerings.

 

[Got the Shakes]

I'm sometimes amazed when switching to the APM and listening to my music.. surely they can't sound THIS good and THIS close to my properly driven HD800S?? In all seriousness, unless you're critically A/Bing and trying to find minute differences, the APM does the job in delivering the music and immersing you in it. And we should be doing that... rather than nitpicking and trying to disprove how a pair of BT headphones can NOT sound as good as true audiophile wired offerings.

I agree with this. For me I’m shocked at how much I enjoy the APM listening experience compared to my SDR modded HD800 especially for music. Yes the soundstage is wider on the HD800. It’s good enough on the APM for my use though and the convenience of using them and having ANC when needed more than makes up for it. I have basically relegated my HD800 for use with surround content through my Smyth Realiser A16 and use the APM for all of my music.

 

[nariza7]

I just received my APM, and here are my first impressions after trying out the H95s (I've only owned for a week since theres a 30 day return period) and comparing them
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quick cost comparison how I would go about it:

Apple:
-Airpods max ($549 without tax at bhphoto with payboo card)
-applecare for 2 years ($59, though there are extra fees like $29 if you actually replace them with warranty or something during that period). I'd definitely get this in case condensation issue has long term problems or if the battery dies fast due to so much charging
-waterfield case (99+tax) -> You can go for cheaper options too
-silicon covers (around $10 on amazon)
-apple lightning to 3.5mm audio cable ($35 + tax)
Total: roughly $761

B&O:
-H95 ($800, and no tax needed) -> Currently comes with an extra soft case that can possibly be sold to recoup some $$.
-case ($20 on amazon) if I decide not to use the expensive case that came with the H95 since it might be prone to scratches and be heavy to carry.
-already comes with usbc and 3.5mm cable, along with 3 years warranty (not sure if just limited warranty or includes some accidental)
Total: roughly $820
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day 1 Impression from APM while connected to iMac for gaming/tidal/youtube/Vox player with flac songs:

Pros:
1) Definitely sounds more full compared to the H95s. I think it's because of the bass that it sounds more full, but at the same time, it doesn't really sound muddy. I think it is tuned to be more fun sounding in the sense that you do feel more immersed into the music (compared to the h95 which might sound thin at times in comparison).
2) I've only worn them for over an hour, but for that 1hr+ straight, it hasn't given me any discomfort (I have a small head and wear glasses), and there were no signs of condensation. I know I definitely need to wear for 2-3 hours+ to be more accurate with understanding the comfort level, but so far it's nice. I have worn it longer overall, but not straight since much of it was 10-30 min at a time.
3) I like the build quality, but the clacking of the ear cups can be a true issue. I may get silicon covers for them
4) The smart case(?) that comes with the headphones is horrible, but you can definitely get third party cases on amazon or the $99 waterfield case which ppl seem to like.
5) Transparency mode is amazing like others have said
6) Noise cancelling is much better than what I've experienced before, coming from QC15, 20, 25. It definitely exceeded my expectations.
7) Can allow for higher volume without distortion compared to the h95
8) BT distance is farther than the h95. I'm not sure by how much, but when I head to a room with the doors closed, I stay connected with APM, while the h95 have audio cut in and out which im assuming is near the threshold for them.

Cons:
1) No power off button (I like the secure feeling of knowing my device is not just draining power constantly and has juice for the next time I use it)
2) not compact, so probably going to be mainly used at home (airpods v1 and pro are way nicer for taking out of the house)
3) Placement of the digital crown and toggle for transparency/anc is not the best as the way I put on headphones usually has my fingers in those spots and accidentally pressing them
4) Possible condensation issue after some time (since my 1 hour+ did make it feel damp in the earcups)

Observation:
1) battery drains like 2-3% outside of case in like 8 hours (overnight) of no use which I don't think is that bad at the moment, but who knows.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Week 1 Impression from H95 while connected to iMac for gaming/tidal/youtube/Vox player with flac songs:

Pros:
1) good build quality minus dial wheels(feels hollow when turning)
2) can be compact/portable when you fold them
3) instruments sound more piercing, so it sounds brighter and more sparkly which is nice at times. Does sound a little bit more electric-y though. Like if someone dialed a little bit of a high pass filter with it. Haven't had sibilance issues despite that.
4) I can wear it for at least 3 hours straight without removing it, and I’m also wearing glasses the whole time. Does feel warm, but not too uncomfortable. I have a small head and ears
5) Audio sounds very clear (might have to do with the more piercing sound signature)

Cons:
1) I might prefer a button to toggle anc and transparency instead of a dial (since its annoying to keep scrolling back and forth to get the max of either end). The dials are fly by wire too, meaning you can turn them indefinitely since they just send electrical signal. You can only tell when you hit the max end of ANC or transparency mode when you hear the audio signal it plays to indicate that
2) volume in Bluetooth is not as loud as I wish it was ( I usually go about 90% to enjoy music while I'd prefer to stay around 60-70% on other headphones usually, but I know this is a BT headphone so it's kind of understandable)
3) faint scratching/whirring noise in maxed transparency mode with no music playing. Recently found out at least one other owner experience it too
4) transparency mode allows me to hear outside, but I wish it was more transparent as it’s still hard to hear things around me when music is playing.
5) noise cancelling is decent. Nothing special

Observation:
1) occasionally it stops playing music/sound without me doing anything (not sure why this happens). Turns out theres an auto turn off within 15 min that i had to untoggle in app that might have been what's causing it.
2) I think adaptive anc is only adjustable through app (separate setting from anc and transparency levels)? Not sure if there is on the fly way to toggle it with just headphone. Also not sure if adaptive anc is working as I don’t hear any difference in noise cancelling with it on or off.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Conclusion:

I'm still not sure which I prefer yet. I'm no audiophile, but overall I think I like the sound of the APMs more because of the fuller sound while maintaining clarity, while the H95s have great clarity, but less of the bass feeling at times. I really like the compactness of the h95, the battery life, the power button, and the dial for volume. On the other hand with the APMs, I really like the fun sound, simple look, digital crown, and transparency/anc modes.

When it comes to BT headphones, I don't think audio quality is going to be as important since wired headphones are probably much better for true audiophile experience. I just take BT headphones for convenience at home so I don't have to keep making sure I don't trip over cables or be able to walk to the kitchen or bathroom quickly without having to take off the headphones. There are definitely much cheaper options, but for the best audio experience while still being a BT headphone, these two are hard to decide between due to audio quality and functionality.

Songs on youtube that I used for testing besides for gaming, tidal songs, and the flac files played on VOX:
Piano and beats:
Before the Dawn (brian tong used it for his comparison, and the h95s had wider soundstage than the APM there)

Testing notes:
It's convenient to A/B test them since once you put the Airpods max on, my imac switches to them, and then when I take them off and put the H95s on, my imac plays from the h95s since the airpod max has that sensor that lets it know it's on the head. In that sense, I just have to take off one and put on the other headphone and hit the play button. Except for Vox which requires manually switching the input source.

UPDATE (DAY 2):

1) Wore the APM for 2-3 hours straight while playing AC:Odyssey, and even though my ears were warm after, there were no signs of condensation, and my head did not feel bad discomfort. I was surprised since I expected condensation to be there. It did start to feel warm over my ears to the point where I could prob only last one more hour, but I think that's expected for over ear headphones after wearing for so long without taking them off. I'll try this out for a few days to see if it's consistent. I was indoors at night with my house probably around 67 degrees F (not too warm), so maybe because of that, my body and the APMs didn't get as hot as other use cases that people have.
2) The weight of the APMs are still manageable over my small head with glasses on, but if I move my head too quickly or if I lie down to watch something in bed from my phone, the headphones can shift either backwards if lying down, or just with the movement of the head because of the weight. Not an issue for me since my head is usually stationary, and to shift the headphones require bigger and faster movements that I usually don't do.
3) [NEED TO TEST]: So this time I left my APMs in my focal elegia case overnight, and it drained from 62% to 56% within 7 hours. In comparison, the night before, I noticed a 2-3% drain in 8 hours or so when it was just hanging on my headphone stand. My guess for now is that maybe the sensor that checks if the headphone is on the head goes into different power states when in a case (not smart case) vs hanging on a stand. Maybe it goes to a lower power consumption mode when it's on the headphone stand since it can tell it's not on the ears? And then when it's in the case (closed), it thinks it's on the ears somehow, and stays in just a standby mode that still draws more power? Not sure, but I'll try things out for a few days
4) Cannot use APM in wired mode with just the lightning to USB A cable attached to a mac. You'll have to just be connected by bluetooth while charging only with lightning cable. H95 has dac internally I think, so you can use just the USB C cable attached to mac while bluetooth is off. When bluetooth is on, my output sources show two H95 devices (one with bluetooth icon)
5) [Stretch test] I tried Vmoda Speakeasy lightning to 3.5mm dac cable which didnt work (since they are prob meant to just go in the lightning to 3.5mm direction. I think the apple 3.5mm to lightning direction cable has adac on the 3.5mm to convert analog to digital which is why it works for APM). I guessed it wouldn't work because of the direction intended, but I was just hoping I could be wrong, and since I already had the vmoda cable, why not try it out.

 

[tinyman392]

I found another minimalistic case for the APM on Etsy; still not cheap as it’s a handmade leather case though; runs the same price as the Waterfield. For those worried about the headband, but still want to keep a very small footprint, this is a good compromise.

 

[rael67]

I just received my APM, and here are my first impressions after trying out the H95s (I've only owned for a week since theres a 30 day return period) and comparing them
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quick cost comparison how I would go about it:

Apple:
-Airpods max ($549 without tax at bhphoto with payboo card)
-applecare for 2 years ($59, though there are extra fees like $29 if you actually replace them with warranty or something during that period). I'd definitely get this in case condensation issue has long term problems or if the battery dies fast due to so much charging
-waterfield case (99+tax) -> You can go for cheaper options too
-silicon covers (around $10 on amazon)
-apple lightning to 3.5mm audio cable ($35 + tax)
Total: roughly $761

B&O:
-H95 ($800, and no tax needed) -> Currently comes with an extra soft case that can possibly be sold to recoup some $$.
-case ($20 on amazon) if I decide not to use the expensive case that came with the H95 since it might be prone to scratches and be heavy to carry.
-already comes with usbc and 3.5mm cable, along with 3 years warranty (not sure if just limited warranty or includes some accidental)
Total: roughly $820
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day 1 Impression from APM while connected to iMac for gaming/tidal/youtube/Vox player with flac songs:

Pros:
1) Definitely sounds more full compared to the H95s. I think it's because of the bass that it sounds more full, but at the same time, it doesn't really sound muddy. I think it is tuned to be more fun sounding in the sense that you do feel more immersed into the music (compared to the h95 which might sound thin at times in comparison).
2) I've only worn them for over an hour, but for that 1hr+ straight, it hasn't given me any discomfort (I have a small head and wear glasses), and there were no signs of condensation. I know I definitely need to wear for 2-3 hours+ to be more accurate with understanding the comfort level, but so far it's nice. I have worn it longer overall, but not straight since much of it was 10-30 min at a time.
3) I like the build quality, but the clacking of the ear cups can be a true issue. I may get silicon covers for them
4) The smart case(?) that comes with the headphones are horrible, but you can definitely get third party cases on amazon or the $99 waterfield case which ppl seem to like.
5) Transparency mode is amazing like others have said
6) Noise cancelling is much better than what I've experienced before, coming from QC15, 20, 25. It definitely exceeded my expectations.
7) Can allow for higher volume without distortion compared to the h95
8) BT distance is farther than the h95. I'm not sure by how much, but when I head to a room with the doors closed, I stay connected with APM, while the h95 have audio cut in and out which im assuming is near the threshold for them.

Cons:
1) No power off button (I like the secure feeling of knowing my device is not just draining power constantly and has juice for the next time I use it)
2) not compact, so probably going to be mainly used at home (airpods v1 and pro are way nicer for taking out of the house)
3) Placement of the digital crown and toggle for transparency/anc is not the best as the way I put on headphones usually has my fingers in those spots and accidentally pressing them
4) Possible condensation issue after some time (since my 1 hour+ did make it feel damp in the earcups)

Observation:
1) battery drains like 2-3% outside of case in like 8 hours (overnight) of no use which I don't think is that bad at the moment, but who knows.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Week 1 Impression from H95 while connected to iMac for gaming/tidal/youtube/Vox player with flac songs:

Pros:
1) good build quality minus dial wheels(feels hollow when turning)
2) can be compact/portable when you fold them
3) instruments sound more piercing, so it sounds brighter and more sparkly which is nice at times. Does sound a little bit more electric-y though. Like if someone dialed a little bit of a high pass filter with it. Haven't had sibilance issues despite that.
4) I can wear it for at least 3 hours straight without removing it, and I’m also wearing glasses the whole time. Does feel warm, but not too uncomfortable. I have a small head and ears
5) Audio sounds very clear (might have to do with the more piercing sound signature)

Cons:
1) I might prefer a button to toggle anc and transparent instead of a dial (since its annoying to keep scrolling back and forth to get the max of either end).
2) volume in Bluetooth is not as loud as I wish it was ( I usually go about 90% to enjoy music while I'd prefer to stay around 60-70% on other headphones usually, but I know this is a BT headphone so it's kind of understandable)
3) faint scratching/whirring noise in maxed transparency mode with no music playing. Recently found out at least one other owner experience it too
4) transparency mode allows me to hear outside, but I wish it was more transparent as it’s still hard to hear things around me when music is playing.
5) noise cancelling is decent. Nothing special

Observation:
1) occasionally it stops playing music/sound without me doing anything (not sure why this happens). Turns out theres an auto turn off within 15 min that i had to untoggle in app that might have been what's causing it.
2) I think adaptive anc is only adjustable through app (separate setting from anc and transparency levels)? Not sure if there is on the fly way to toggle it with just headphone. Also not sure if adaptive anc is working as I don’t hear any difference in noise cancelling with it on or off.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Conclusion:

I'm still not sure which I prefer yet. I'm no audiophile, but overall I think I like the sound of the APMs more because of the fuller sound while maintaining clarity, while the H95s have great clarity, but less of the bass feeling at times. I really like the compactness of the h95, the battery life, the power button, and the dial for volume. On the other hand with the APMs, I really like the fun sound, simple look, digital crown, and transparency/anc modes.

When it comes to BT headphones, I don't think audio quality is going to be as important since wired headphones are probably much better for true audiophile experience. I just take BT headphones for convenience at home so I don't have to keep making sure I don't trip over cables or be able to walk to the kitchen or bathroom quickly without having to take off the headphones. There are definitely much cheaper options, but for the best audio experience while still being a BT headphone, these two are hard to decide between due to audio quality and functionality.

Songs on youtube that I used for testing besides for gaming, tidal songs, and the flac files played on VOX:
Piano and beats:
Before the Dawn (brian tong used it for his comparison, and the h95s had wider soundstage than the APM there)

Testing notes:
It's convenient to A/B test them since once you put the Airpods max on, my imac switches to them, and then when I take them off and put the H95s on, my imac plays from the h95s since the airpod max has that sensor that lets it know it's on the head. In that sense, I just have to take off one and put on the other headphone and hit the play button. Except for Vox which requires manually switching the input source.

Very good comparison. I like both and keep both. For me one big issue of the APM - which I like very much - is, that you can use your Mimi hearing test audiogram only with the iPhone. Yesterday for example I heard music on my iPhone with the APM and then changed to my Apple TV to watch a concert movie using the APM for not disturbing my wife. But the difference in sound between iPhone with audiogram and Apple TV with factory setting let me change the headphone from APM to H95.

 

[rcoranje]

Yea at musicians just listen to the performance and don’t mind the fidelity of playback.

Totally makes sense.

As we enjoy the sound reproduction fidelity, it’s nice to know that musicians say it feels like being there for real. Even if they personally won’t pay for that playback experience, their commentary is helpful to support our observations.

In particular, some of the commentary made note of the realism felt by AirPods Max. Or hey, maybe these performers would say the same about most audiophile headphones

Ha! What do orchestra players know about sound?

Quick anecdote (think I shared a couple thousand posts before): My mother is a lifelong, sometimes professional, violin/viola player. Listened to several hours a day of practice when I was a kid. When I came home to go to college, I brought with me a very high end bi-amped system and played a chamber music CD that was fantastic (great soundstage and sound). She thought it was OK, and went back to listening to a clock radio. Turns out she listens to the performance, musicality, and orchestration or arrangement. Doesn't listen to the sound.

Ha! What do orchestra players know about sound?

Quick anecdote (think I shared a couple thousand posts before): My mother is a lifelong, sometimes professional, violin/viola player. Listened to several hours a day of practice when I was a kid. When I came home to go to college, I brought with me a very high end bi-amped system and played a chamber music CD that was fantastic (great soundstage and sound). She thought it was OK, and went back to listening to a clock radio. Turns out she listens to the performance, musicality, and orchestration or arrangement. Doesn't listen to the sound.

Mwah. Professional musicians will certainly be alert to the quality of the performance but in this case they also knew the score. So it is most relevant if all of them declare that they are delighted to have heard all facets of the score. And I agree. Most speakers and headphones, even very expensive ones, produce a muddy and/or imbalanced image of the music. By the way, buying a very high end bi-amped system might very well suggest that you are more interested in 'sound' than in music.