bedlamite
100+ Head-Fier
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From $10 in-ears to a pair of APMs...that is quite the jump!
AirPods Max
- Thread starter haroldlloyd
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- apple apple airpods max
MayaTlab
1000+ Head-Fier
Conversely one could argue that a lot of the really expensive headphones that are talked about on this forum are handicapped by their wonky FR curve so...
Personally I’d take an hypothetical pair of headphones that’s smart enough to be able modulate the FR curve they output according to my personal HRTF profile but plays Apple’s implementation of AAC over Bluetooth any day of the week over a pair of wired passive headphones playing lossless files.
Ideally we’d get both
Why not both?
plakat
Headphoneus Supremus
Going forward I'm more and more getting the impression that you did not actually read my posts here (especially regarding the case, which, to summarize, I'm quite critical about) or don't understand what I'm trying to say. The latter may of course lie in how I'm saying it, so I'll try to rephrase. But some points up front:
My impression is that you're much more touting the perfection of the H95 than me that of the APM (which, to note, is not my standpoint anyway).
I never denied that some people may like hard cases, but that does not change the fact that *I do not*. At the time I used headphones on the go, I rarely if ever took their hardcase with me. More likely a pouch of some kind, or even nothing at all. Travel all the same. As you said, *many* may like a hardcase, but that also means *not all*. If *you* like to have one that's fine and I understand you preference for a model that comes with one.
Now trying to get to a shared understanding of my previous posts. Please don't take this personal (it never is, even if I mention you directly), I'm merely trying to formulate my opinion clearer (which still does not mean you have to share it, but I think so far I was not able to transport what I wanted to say in a way that enables you to understand my point of view).
To me the APM case is ugly. Reading the designers thought behind it makes me feel somewhat sorry for saying this, but still... there's no mincing words in this case. I would not intend to use it and would simply have left it in the box, were it not for that deep sleep function that's currently only available with that case. I would have much preferred a shutoff e.g. by folding them flat (like some Sennheiser model did in the past, and others as well), no question about that. Since I rarely use cases anyway, leaving this aside would not have given me any troubles otherwise.
The interview I linked to earlier states how the designers of the APM and its case reason about that. So this is just another point of view (one intimately related to the product itself, which makes it interesting I'd say), and these statements included one important point: that the headband is robust enough to not need protection. I think this *is* important since it comes from the source so to say -- and may make people feel better about the case being limited to the cups. I neither tested the robustness of the headband, not do I intend to do so. Still it gives me a better feeling of keeping the headphone in my rucksack more or less without a case of any kind (no pouch for example). So this is not me defending the case (which, to repeat, I consider far from perfect) but me referencing the designer of said case on the reasons why it is as it is. Said designer may well claim everything to be perfect (otherwise he might have done it differently) -- I do not have to share this opinion to share a link to his statements. My link is not automatically an endorsement.
The cut out not being correctly aligned seems correct at first look, but I think it simply leaves room to the right of the Lightning port to see the charging LED:
You mention in a later post that you're using the original AP -- that's interesting, since they are my preferred headset for all things phone/conferencing etc, which is a lot currently. Their sound quality is quite decent given the limitations of their form factor, yet I never listen to music with them. Thats where I prefer the APP, yet I prefer even more my custom 64audio with an ES100. I think I'll use the APM more than the APP... but the original AP will always be the one for calls, which it is simply perfect for. I mostly use only one earpiece (which is fine for calls for me) to maximize runtime by switching back and forth, putting the other one back in the case (which, btw. I do use
I don't expect to use the APM for calls at all.I'm not saying this demographic routinely searches out and buys 10 dollar in ears and continue to do so... it's just their history of what they have experienced (maybe when they were a teen). But yeah this non audio centric demographic may have spent 200-300 on a beats in their time, finds out about apple making some very popular and sold out headphones APM, it's totally conceivable some will pay for it.
How can anyone here know that?
gazzington
Headphoneus Supremus
Mine arrrive early next week. I own rad 0, dt1990, wp900, audeze sine, hd650 etc and I'm not expecting these to sound better than those. They have a different use and as I own an iphone I expect these to be great with it
nihalsharma
500+ Head-Fier
I have a theory here. We all agree that Apple iPhones are a lot costlier than the best of android phones, still people buy iPhones and they’re very happy about it. And we all know what the market shares are. Before Apple released wireless earphones we had Bose and other companies doing the same. But Apple created a different hype about the wireless earphone with Airpods and AirPods Pro. I believe Apple has released APM because it wants its users to go for them. People were not looking for a mainstream headphone but Apple developed these headphones and now people will use/look for them. It’s more of creating an artificial demand and then making people crazy about it. And then in subsequent years Apple will make them better and everyone will be seen with an APM.
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indeed we know - 13,5% in Q2/2020 (talking about market share, not profitability here
)That goes without saying. Apple is very good at that
One thing I really like with the AirPods Max that the Bose NC 700 and Sony WH-1000XM3 and WH-1000XM4 seems to lack entirely is the capability of using transparency mode while also using the headphones.
If I remember this correctly (I don't have any of the Sony's myself anymore so correct me if I'm remembering this incorrectly) it will automatically pause/mute your playback when entering transparency mode. On the Bose and Sony's transparency mode has been implemented in such a way that you are supposed to only toggle it when you are in a situation where you would normally just take the headphones off your head. So instead of having to remove the headphones, you enable transparency mode in an attempt to save you the effort of removing the headphones. When you are done you exsit transparency mode and your playback will resume.
Apple lets you fully utilise all three modes (Noise Cancellation, Transparency and Off) as you please. You can have transparency mode enabled for hours while listening to music, podcasts and whatnot. You can have them in noise cancellation while talking on the phone. You can combine it all in whatever way to feel like. I don't use transparency because I want to temporarily pause and being able to listening to my surroundings without having to take the headphones off my head. I use transparency in scenarios where I need to be aware of whats going on around me while still using the headphones at the same time.
When my wife is sitting in the couch and I'm in the kitchen preparing dinner I prefer to have transparency mode on while listening to music and podcasts so I'm able to hear when she is trying to get my attention. The transparency mode on Bose and Sony is pretty much usless for these scenarios. So I really enjoy how the AirPods Max lets me fully utilise transparency in other ways that I could not with the Bose and Sony headphones.
And transparency mode on the AirPods Max is vastly superior to begin with. It sounds quite decent while transparency on the Bose and Sony's sounds really harsh. So even if they made it possible for me to play music in transparency mode I would most likely never use it because of how harsh they sound when in transparency mode.
If I remember this correctly (I don't have any of the Sony's myself anymore so correct me if I'm remembering this incorrectly) it will automatically pause/mute your playback when entering transparency mode. On the Bose and Sony's transparency mode has been implemented in such a way that you are supposed to only toggle it when you are in a situation where you would normally just take the headphones off your head. So instead of having to remove the headphones, you enable transparency mode in an attempt to save you the effort of removing the headphones. When you are done you exsit transparency mode and your playback will resume.
Apple lets you fully utilise all three modes (Noise Cancellation, Transparency and Off) as you please. You can have transparency mode enabled for hours while listening to music, podcasts and whatnot. You can have them in noise cancellation while talking on the phone. You can combine it all in whatever way to feel like. I don't use transparency because I want to temporarily pause and being able to listening to my surroundings without having to take the headphones off my head. I use transparency in scenarios where I need to be aware of whats going on around me while still using the headphones at the same time.
When my wife is sitting in the couch and I'm in the kitchen preparing dinner I prefer to have transparency mode on while listening to music and podcasts so I'm able to hear when she is trying to get my attention. The transparency mode on Bose and Sony is pretty much usless for these scenarios. So I really enjoy how the AirPods Max lets me fully utilise transparency in other ways that I could not with the Bose and Sony headphones.
And transparency mode on the AirPods Max is vastly superior to begin with. It sounds quite decent while transparency on the Bose and Sony's sounds really harsh. So even if they made it possible for me to play music in transparency mode I would most likely never use it because of how harsh they sound when in transparency mode.
gazzington
Headphoneus Supremus
The transparancy mode is exactly what ive bought them for. I need to be able my wife when she call or she hets pretty annoyed
I can't say anything when it comes to the B&O BeoPlay H95's. I did, however, own the B&O BeoPlay H7 Gen.1, H8 Gen.1, H9. Gen1 and H9i. Out of all of these I enjoyed the H7 the most as the had a wider soundstage compared to the rest. I didn't enjoy the H8 at all because of the on-ear design but I got them for free.. H9 added ANC which was nice but it wasn't very good and I find the audio to be worse when compared to H7. So I mostly ended up using my H7 over the H9 as I prefer the added soundstage compared to the lacklustre ANC.
H9i felt like pretty much the same as the H9 but finally, we had some half-decent ANC. The problem was the new and narrow earpads which made them hurt my ears after about 15 min of listening. I hoped the would become better with time when the got a tad bit looser. Clamping force etc tends to loosen up after some use. But they never got comfortable so I barely used them.
All of them lacked the simplicity of my AirPods Pro. No easy switching between devices, multipoint limited to only two devices at once etc. Multipoint wasn't included until the H9i. So when the newer generation of H9's arrived and the H95 arrived I had pretty much given up on B&O entirely.
The H95 might be the end-all-be-all, but with so many expensive offerings in the past with all it's various shortcomings I just lost interest in trying any of the newer ones.
H9i felt like pretty much the same as the H9 but finally, we had some half-decent ANC. The problem was the new and narrow earpads which made them hurt my ears after about 15 min of listening. I hoped the would become better with time when the got a tad bit looser. Clamping force etc tends to loosen up after some use. But they never got comfortable so I barely used them.
All of them lacked the simplicity of my AirPods Pro. No easy switching between devices, multipoint limited to only two devices at once etc. Multipoint wasn't included until the H9i. So when the newer generation of H9's arrived and the H95 arrived I had pretty much given up on B&O entirely.
The H95 might be the end-all-be-all, but with so many expensive offerings in the past with all it's various shortcomings I just lost interest in trying any of the newer ones.
I returned mine last night. Shame. I was happy with them sound wise. Just wasn't doing it for me comfort wise. I needed them to just disappear but after some time with them, I was really feeling that pressure above the ear. I'm sure 90-95% of people will be happy with these as I seem to be one of the few with comfort issues.
MayaTlab
1000+ Head-Fier
Some more additional measurements from Headphones.com on this page :
https://forum.headphones.com/t/apple-airpods-max-new-over-ear-headphones-from-apple/9536/59
To be noted : these measurements are a work in progress according to Resolve.
Some tendencies seem to correlate pretty well with Crinacle's :
- a more or less slightly elevated sub bass region (below 50hz or so).
- a very smooth response up to 1000-2000hz or so, particularly in comparison to most other closed backs with only a few exceptions (K371 for example). Quite Harman-ish in that region.
- a very, very conservative tuning of the 3000hz or so peak, quite a bit lower than what the Harman target would call for.
And iFixit has begun their teardown :
https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/AirPods+Max+Teardown/139369
Construction is just on a completely different level from other ANC BT over-ears.
Drivers seem to utilise a different material for the inner dome vs. the surround.
https://forum.headphones.com/t/apple-airpods-max-new-over-ear-headphones-from-apple/9536/59
To be noted : these measurements are a work in progress according to Resolve.
Some tendencies seem to correlate pretty well with Crinacle's :
- a more or less slightly elevated sub bass region (below 50hz or so).
- a very smooth response up to 1000-2000hz or so, particularly in comparison to most other closed backs with only a few exceptions (K371 for example). Quite Harman-ish in that region.
- a very, very conservative tuning of the 3000hz or so peak, quite a bit lower than what the Harman target would call for.
And iFixit has begun their teardown :
https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/AirPods+Max+Teardown/139369
Construction is just on a completely different level from other ANC BT over-ears.
Drivers seem to utilise a different material for the inner dome vs. the surround.
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I have just used transparency mode for the first time, as others have said - positioning of the external sounds is fantastic - not like that in the Sony XM3 that I have! The mic quality is fantastic too - liking these more by the day (good job, I’ve managed to mark the case, so cannot send them back!)
anyway, my only criticism is that I wish you could dial the transparency in or out, but - just something to get used to
anyway, my only criticism is that I wish you could dial the transparency in or out, but - just something to get used to
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