AirPods Max

[Not so fat head]

Besides the ear pads, are any of the other parts available for purchase? I'd love a blue headband and matching ear pads for my space grey.

Hi tinyman,

Mine are still going strong and I haven’t had to cross the parts road yet..
There are some really good tear down vids on YouTube. I don’t know if Apple has a parts list out yet, but seems to be many proprietary Apple mechanical pieces.. Chip is the Apple H1, which I think is a system on chip (SoC). Bluetooth might be Qualcomm.

 

[NewCoke]

Besides the ear pads, are any of the other parts available for purchase? I'd love a blue headband and matching ear pads for my space grey.

Not that I know of. Too bad they didn't go the modular route on the consumer side. The cups, pads, and headband can all be swapped.

Maybe attempt a trade.

 

[Maxxis]

What’s the difference between cups & pads?

Just buy these > https://www.amazon.com/Fintie-Headp...jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

 

[fonefan]

A few questions:

Is it just me or does Spatial Audio not work with Apple Music on Apple TV 4K? The option is greyed out. It works fine on YouTube etc. Seems odd that it works with Apple Music on my phone, but not the TV!

Has anyone else got a stiff one? A stiff to rotate cup that is. My left cup has become stiff over 13 months use, whereas the right one still turns smoothly. I tried a drop of oil in the swivel joint but it didn't work. I think it's corrosion related due to the temperature differential condensation these things suffer from.

Do any sleep mode APM cradles exist yet? I think the magnet in my case has gone as 'docking' them doesn't always put them into sleep mode. My phone can still see them and I lose 10% battery over night. I've seen a couple on kick starter, but I'd rather a legitimate product that's actually available to buy.

 

[Phonektor]

Looks like I pulled the short straw with these headphones. Last summer because of the prolonged hot weather and a lot of sweating I started to get skin problems when using the Airpods Max and eventually I had to stop using the headphones completely. So in December I ordered alcantara ear cushions from Vesper Audio. But I am yet to receive the earpads because apparently they operate in Russia or Belarus and as we know, the whole thing is a complete cluster**** in Ukraine. I don’t know if there is some embargo that makes the mailing impossible anyways.

Of course it’s a first world problem especially when compared to what the Ukrainians are going through. Still feeling a bit gutted to have paid a hefty sum for the headphones and after that over 100 USD for the pads. I can’t use the headphones longer than about 30 minutes before dermal reactions

 

[tinyman392]

Looks like I pulled the short straw with these headphones. Last summer because of the prolonged hot weather and a lot of sweating I started to get skin problems when using the Airpods Max and eventually I had to stop using the headphones completely. So in December I ordered alcantara ear cushions from Vesper Audio. But I am yet to receive the earpads because apparently they operate in Russia or Belarus and as we know, the whole thing is a complete cluster**** in Ukraine. I don’t know if there is some embargo that makes the mailing impossible anyways.

Of course it’s a first world problem especially when compared to what the Ukrainians are going through. Still feeling a bit gutted to have paid a hefty sum for the headphones and after that over 100 USD for the pads. I can’t use the headphones longer than about 30 minutes before dermal reactions

Oof, sorry to hear about this. It probably won't be great, but you can try some silicone coverings for the pads until Vesper can send something out, they tend to be really cheap and cropping up everywhere (drop-shipped from China). Here's an example of what I'm talking about: https://www.amazon.com/Seltureone-Compatible-Protective-Accessories-Headphones/dp/B08TWHSCD8?th=1

I'm not sure if these will help or hinder the issue. Some reviews said it helped with itching caused by the APM's pads. Though a different material can alter the sound of the headphones (but only above 1kHz since AdaptiveEQ is a thing).

 

[thpo]

Did you try to wash your earpads?

 

[Phonektor]

Oof, sorry to hear about this. It probably won't be great, but you can try some silicone coverings for the pads until Vesper can send something out, they tend to be really cheap and cropping up everywhere (drop-shipped from China). Here's an example of what I'm talking about: https://www.amazon.com/Seltureone-Compatible-Protective-Accessories-Headphones/dp/B08TWHSCD8?th=1

I'm not sure if these will help or hinder the issue. Some reviews said it helped with itching caused by the APM's pads. Though a different material can alter the sound of the headphones (but only above 1kHz since AdaptiveEQ is a thing).

Thank you for the tip, I will look into these. It also looks like there are more PU leather options available than what I could find a few months ago, eg. some in this blog post: https://www.igeeksblog.com/best-airpods-max-ear-cushions/

Did you try to wash your earpads?

Yes, several times. I think my skin has become somewhat allergic to the material of the original ear cushions (of course the cushions might have also become a tad contaminated). To be honest, I never found them very comfortable to begin with. So buying a new pair of original cushions would only make sense if I were to sell them and thus making them more appealing for the buyer.

 

[fonefan]

I have the same skin reaction problem with the apple earpads. If I wear them for an hour or more, I get breakouts. That never happened with the leather pads on my B&O H9s. I’m surprised Apple don’t offer any alternative materials.

 

[tinyman392]

Thank you for the tip, I will look into these. It also looks like there are more PU leather options available than what I could find a few months ago, eg. some in this blog post: https://www.igeeksblog.com/best-airpods-max-ear-cushions/


Yes, several times. I think my skin has become somewhat allergic to the material of the original ear cushions (of course the cushions might have also become a tad contaminated). To be honest, I never found them very comfortable to begin with. So buying a new pair of original cushions would only make sense if I were to sell them and thus making them more appealing for the buyer.

It may not specifically be the material, it can also be the texture of the material as it rubs up against the skin. But either way, alternative pads may be an idea to try.

 

[micah323]

I am looking to pick up a pair but worried about fakes. I don’t want to spend $550 new. Has anyone ran into any fakes? I have seen that the fakes click when turning and the real don’t. But not too sure if there are any dead giveaways if buying used

 

[fonefan]

Gotta pay to play I'm afraid.

The fakes are easy to spot. Plenty of YouTube videos covering the differences. If in doubt, just buy from a legitimate source. Amazon sell them for $479. Any cheaper than that, they are likely refurbished or fake.

Personally speaking, at $400 I'd say they're a solid buy. $550 is a stretch but that's just how it is with Apple unfortunately.

 

[justanut]

$550 is a stretch but that's just how it is with Apple unfortunately.

Not when you compare with other prosumer headphones like the B&O H95... Personally I think it's fair game and Apple didn't mark it up as much as I thought they would have.

I've had mine since release and they still look brand new, which surprised me because I expected the silicon headbands to start falling apart... Only problem is with the smell with the ear cups that had accumulated all my sweat over the year, and can be resolved with $$$~

 

[MayaTlab]

Not when you compare with other prosumer headphones like the B&O H95... Personally I think it's fair game and Apple didn't mark it up as much as I thought they would have.

Given the electronics and the manufacturing techniques involved (cf teardown), I actually think that the APM is, in a certain way, rather cheap. It's filled with custom / bespoke components and interesting manufacturing techniques.
I still think that a lot of the cost goes to pointless design aspects that provide little value to the end user, but I commend the effort.

The H95 (and probably the Mark Levinson 5909, we'll see when the FCC releases the photos), in comparion, uses a very standard internal design with a lot of off the shelf electronics, of the sort you'll find in plenty of cheaper ANC headphones.

I've had mine since release and they still look brand new, which surprised me because I expected the silicon headbands to start falling apart... Only problem is with the smell with the ear cups that had accumulated all my sweat over the year, and can be resolved with $$$~

Mines also look new with the exception of the pads. They're a little bit more crumpled than what they looked like new (not unexpected, the foam is breaking in I guess), but more interestingly the fabric is showing some signs of use :

No idea why. I have a "designer stubble", but I'm not certain it's causing that phenomenon.

The silicone and mesh have held up fairly well it seems.

 

[heathman]

Are those of you who are having trouble with smelly ear cups noticing the smell when you're simply wearing them, or do you have to actually sniff them to detect it?

Because I've worn mine every day for a year, and in a very sweaty climate, but haven't noticed any unusual smell, nor deterioration of the fabric.