Apple announces $549 AirPods Max wireless headphones — Apple World Today

They combine a custom acoustic design, H1 chips, and software to power computational audio for a listening experience with Adaptive EQ, Active Noise Cancellation, Transparency mode, and spatial audio. AirPods Max come in five colors, including space gray, silver, sky blue, green, and pink, and are available to order starting today, with availability beginning Tuesday, Dec. 15.

“AirPods are the most popular headphones in the world, beloved for their effortless setup, incredible sound quality, and iconic design. With AirPods Max, we are bringing that magical AirPods experience to a stunning over-ear design with high-fidelity audio,” Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing, says in a press release. “The custom acoustic design, combined with powerful H1 chips, and advanced software enable AirPods Max to use computational audio to wirelessly deliver the ultimate personal listening experience.”

The breathable knit mesh canopy, spanning the headband, is made to distribute weight and reduce on-head pressure. The stainless steel headband frame provides strength, flexibility, and comfort for a wide variety of head shapes and sizes. Telescoping headband arms extend and stay in place to maintain the desired fit.

Each ear cup attaches to the headband through a mechanism that balances and distributes ear cup pressure, and allows it to independently pivot and rotate to fit the unique contours of a user’s head. Joswiak says that each ear cushion uses acoustically engineered memory foam to create an effective seal — a critical factor in delivering immersive sound. The Digital Crown, inspired by Apple Watch, offers volume control and the ability to play or pause audio, skip tracks, answer or end phone calls, and activate Siri.

Joswiak says that AirPods Max feature a 40-mm Apple-designed dynamic driver that provides rich, deep bass, accurate mid-ranges, and crisp, clean high-frequency extension so every note can be heard. A dual neodymium ring magnet motor purportedly allows AirPods Max to maintain harmonic distortion of less than 1% across the entire audible range, even at maximum volume. 

Equipped with an Apple-designed H1 chip in each ear cup, a custom acoustic design, and advanced software, AirPods Max use computational audio to deliver the highest quality listening experience possible. Utilizing each of the chips’ 10 audio cores — capable of 9 billion operations per second — computational audio powers a breakthrough listening experience that includes Adaptive EQ, Active Noise Cancellation, Transparency mode, and spatial audio, according to Joswiak.

AirPods Max automatically detect when they are on a user’s head using the optical and position sensors. Once in place, AirPods Max play audio and can pause once removed or when the user simply lifts one ear cup. With AirPods Max, voice calls and Siri commands are crisp and clear due to beam-forming microphones that block out ambient noise and focus on the user’s voice.

AirPods Max feature up to 20 hours of battery life for high-fidelity audio, talk time, or movie playback with Active Noise Cancellation and spatial audio enabled. They come with a soft, slim Smart Case that puts AirPods Max in an “ultralow” power state that helps to preserve battery charge when not in use.