Apple just announced the AirPods Max, its first pair of over-ear headphones. They're designed to deliver all the best features of AirPods Pro — including high-fidelity audio, active noise cancellation, Adaptive EQ, transparency mode, audio sharing and spatial audio (and Dolby Atmos support) — with an over-ear design. Oh, and they cost $549.
The design of the AirPods Max borrows a bunch of details from its other product lines. Most notably, there's a Digital Crown, inspired by Apple Watch, on top of one of the earcups, which is allows you to adjust volume, playback controls like play/pause control, answer calls and activate Siri.
Apple
Apple
The headband of the AirPods Max is made of stainless steel and a "canopy" of breathable knit mesh fabric, which is designed to evenly distribute weight and reduce on-head pressure. The earcups are made of memory foam and the same breathable mesh fabric that's on the headband.
The AirPods Max will charge via a Lightning port just like all of Apple's current line of AirPods. This is a little surprising because Apple has made moves towards USB-C in the past year, integrated the port into more iPads, and it'd be nice for these to also get that "pro" treatment. Apple says that the AirPods Max will have a battery life of 20 hours. They do not support wireless charging.
Apple
Apple
Like the AirPods and AirPods Pro before it, the AirPods Max will have some distinct advantages for people with multiple Apple devices. The integrated H1 chip will allow the the AirPods Max to automatically switch between the audio on your Mac/iPad or iPhone, depending on which you're listening to. It'll fast pair to your iPhone, obviously, and allow you to share audio with a friend.
The price of the AirPods Max might be its most interesting detail — because $549 is significantly more expensive that most flagship noise-canceling headphones. The Bose Headphones 700 ($399 $339) and Sony WH-1000XM4 ($349 $279), which will be the main competition for the AirPods Max, can be about $300 cheaper.
Aside from their price, the other potential caveat is the weight of the AirPods Max — they're made mostly of metal and weigh 13.6 ounces, which is substantially heavier than most other wireless headphones. For comparison, the Bose Headphones 700 are 8.78 ounces; the Bose Quiet Comfort 35 II are 8.3 ounces; and the Sony WH-1000XM4 are 8.96 ounces.
The truth is that Apple's over-ear cans will have to be seriously high quality (or a significantly big status symbol) to prove their worth against the competition. But judging by Apple's past forays in the headphones and speaker categories, with the AirPod and HomePod lines, we're not too worried about it. And we can't wait to actually test them.
They are available in five different colors, including space gray, silver, sky blue, green and pink. You can preorder the AirPods Max today and they're expected to arrive on your doorstep next week, on December 15, just in time for Christmas.
The V10 used to be Dyson's top-tier stick vacuum, but it was eventually replaced by the slightly more powerful (and much more expensive) V11. This makes the V10 a great value, as it's usually $150 less than the V11. Thanks to this sale, it's even a better value than the V11 right now.
The CPO jacket is a classic silhouette that never goes out of style. Todd Snyder upgraded this one with premium a cotton-linen Herringbone that will break in and only get better over time.
All-Clad's big factory seconds sale is on, which means there's no better time to buy factory seconds from the superior cookware brand. Like this Copper Core 10-inch Fry Pan, which is a big-time upgrade for your kitchen that you can score for just a Benjamin.
Is anything left to be said about the Eames chair? This is one of the most iconic pieces of furniture to come out of the 20th century and is a must-have for any furniture aficionados (if you can afford it).
These are loaded with some of Nike's best features, including React outsoles for ultimate efficiency on the road and Flyknit uppers for a lightweight, sock-like feel.
Colorblocking is in and we love the color combo on this half-zip fleece. Plus you get pockets to keep your hands warm, which isn't a common feature on a fleece like this.
Using half bison fiber and half wool, the Bison Ultralight weighs less than a pound and offers extremely well insulation. It also sports a recycled ripstop shell with a PFC-free DWR coating and compactly folds into its own pocket. At half off, this is a steal. READ OUR DOWN JACKETS GUIDE
Four-way stretch, seamless construction, and extreme breathability make this our pick for the best premium workout shirt. It is simple, and simply good.
This collab between Outdoor Voices and Hoka One One pairs an award-winning running shoe with OV's sharp eye for design to make a shoe that looks as good as it feels.
Not only is this one of the most versatile packs around, it eschews some of the "ugly" features on a standard outdoor pack for a look that is actually super stylish. We welcome an outdoor pack that values both style and function.
Perfect for winter, these boots are made with fully waterproof leather and vulcanized rubber, keeping you dry whether you're sloshing through snow on the way to work, doing work in the yard, or going out for a hunt.
Everlane does basics extremely well — it's kind of Everlane's thing. The brand's 18-wale corduroy fabric shirt is a great option for the winter months and at half off you truly cannot beat it. READ OUR GUIDE TO CORDUROY SHIRTS
Hydro Flask really needs no introduction at this point, so when you can get a 32-ounce wide mouth with its Temp-Shield insulation at 25 percent off, you do it.
The complete package, this sound bar connects via Bluetooth, has its own subwoofer and passive radiators, is wall-mountable, and can connect via HDMI, optical or AUX connections.
Carhartt is everywhere right now, with good reason. The brand's hardy garments are the epitome of workwear, this shirt jacket included. Flannel speaks for itself, but additional hand pockets and fleece lining round out this wardrobe staple.
This chronograph re-issue of Timex's original military-style watch has an aluminum 40mm case that provides strength without the weight. If you're looking for a daily knock around with chronograph features, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better deal.
If you're a student, there's never been a better time to get a Hulu subscription. The discount also doesn't expire — it lasts as long as you're enrolled as a student.
If you are working out a lot, you're going to need more than one mask. Under Armour has created one of the best sports-specific masks and right now if you buy two you get a great deal.
Todd Snyder's collaborations with Timex always hit. Paired with a vintage military-inspired band, this bullseye design is straight from the Timex archives.
Whether you want to move some of your most frequently used herbs indoors or don't have space outside for a garden, the AeroGarden Harvest is a perfect solution, with clearance for up to a foot of growth and room for 6 plants that grow five times faster than soil.
Adidas used sustainable Parley Primeblue material to make its Primeknit upper even better, then combined it with Boost midsoles to make the ultimate earth-conscious workout shoe.
The Jabra Elite Active 65t are sports-focused headphones (IP56) with great sound quality for listening to music and taking calls. Also compatible with Siri, Alexa or Google Assistant, this is one of our top picks for sports-focused earbuds.
This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io
