Apple - AirPods Max

I use Apple AirPods Max combined with a hyper x standalone microphone. The sound quality is incredible as well as the microphone quality according to my friends. It’s seamless as well as it’s Bluetooth so you can walk around and also easily mute your mic. It’s my ideal setup personally.

Bose Quiet Comfort ULTRA. Ultra. Ultra. With the extra spend. I also love my AirPod Max's. They're a bit heavier but also nice. The Bose QCU are light and loud. Or put on the ANC and a 432Hz flow and you won't hear a kitten mewing beside you.

I bought a pair of Sony XM5s on my flight to US. I kept using them for a month at work, the headband dug into my skull. Even though I knew the AirPods Max would be way too expensive, I ordered them to just try and see if that price was justified. Only when I compared the same songs on the same music service I realized how good the APM sounded. To me their sound signature is high-end. They somehow manage to keep vocals bright and bass punchy at the same time. The Sony XM5s despite being top-of-the-line at the time sounded muddy. Through a strange series of events, I don't have those with me anymore. I now have Bose 700 NC. I got these for calls. They sound like butt for music. I can't afford APMs anymore. APMs may be expensive, but there is nothing in that price range that sounds this good, and has such elegant design.

At the time XM5s were the #1 NC headphones in the world. APM's lack of cross-compatibility with Windows and Android bothered me so I went on a quest to find great sounding over-ears other than APMs. In the end, it came down to the fact that for me, nothing beats the default sound signature of APMs. Right now I have XM5 earbuds. Even though they are much more expensive than Beats Fit Pro, I prefer how the latter sound. And they have the added advantage of being compatible with some Android features. I am yet to see a single over-ear headphone that looks good being worn, except APMs. Does that even matter for a headphone? It does to me.

I actually went with apple ones. The build quality seems better and the warranty is better and easier to do claims form. Having so many of the sony ones break in two years is too much. One of them only lasted a couple months before it broke. It sounds like my issue is not uncommon and they just are not designed to hold up to a lot of use.

Im sure headphones like the apple max's can survive for a very long time if handled with respect, its just about figuring out how to change the battery since it wont last for more than a couple years

To be clear no "wired" headphone has ANC capabilities but almost all bluetooth headphones have wired abilities. Your pick for best in show ANC should come down to XM6 (stay away from the hinge issue with the XM5 unless you get the three year warranty), or the Bose QC Ultra. Step in price would be the Airpod MAX. And I think that studies have shown that for blocking out upper range noise (like crying) the XM6 is the best headphone although the differences are quite modest between it the Bose and the Apple.

On a college campus and I can state that it is: (1) AirPods of all different varieties and it isn't even close. Guessing they have > 80% of the earbud market on college campuses. Now for over the ear headphones I'd say it is a split between the Sony CH720N/XM4 vs the Bose QC35 or QC45 vs the Beats Solo 4. Behind these would be the AirPods Max and the JBL Tune 770.

I use the AirPods Max now but honestly my favorites were the Sony XM4. Very comfortable and good sound quality.

The AirPods Pro are fantastic earphones and i love mine. The consensus on the Max’s (over ear) is they do not have as good noise cancellation, and have no water resistance whatsoever (including even moisture in the air) and the mesh at the too will (when not if) sagg over time. The charging “bra” is not a hit with many user either! They are very comfortable though!

I’m partial to my Sony XM6. If not that then my AirPods Max. I like being able to turn on the noise cancellation so every little noise doesn’t distract me. ADHD is an amazing curse lol

AirPods Max the best I’ve ever had. Much better than Bose.