I’m lovin’ these AirPods Max thingies. They’re basically Apple’s Headphones. And, well, Apple. They’re pretty close to perfection, imo.

The ANC (Active Noise Cancelling) is incredible. The only thing I can hear when these are on but nothing is playing is my heartbeat and breathing. Oh. And tinnitus. Yay, many rock concerts in my youth.

The Transparency setting is really, really transparent. But without losing what’s being played. It’s sorcery.

Actually, it’s a mind-fuck. I can hear the regular noises just as loud as the music. Not like listening to music on speakers cuz those might be louder or quieter. Nope, same volume, and not directional. Trippy.

I’m not down with this spatialized audio. It seems to automatically go into transparent mode and will not use the ANC. Maybe that’s why these are from the refurbished lot, though? That’s what I get for saving a couple hundred bucks.

They’re really, really, really light. And the cushions never hurt my ears. I’ve had them on for over eight hours and they’re still super comfy.

The only issue with the fit is that my head is kid-sized. I’m not kidding, I’m stuck with kiddie hats forever. I mean, they’re more fun and all, but sheesh. Anywayz, these don’t quite get small enough for my noggin. I’m thinkin’ the old rubber cement trick to make them grab the head better might help.

But … there’s always a but. That probably won’t work well with the snazzy little case.

You turn the ears sideways, slide them into the case, close the magnetic cover, and use the head part as the handle. The case is silicone which is very light and durable, and has the smooth, “ooooo, aaaahhhhh,” sensory feel some of us spectrum types love to pet.

Oh, and they’re sooooo pretty! I bought the “pink” variety. They’re more of an orangey-salmon color, which is much better, imo.

Now for the pairing. Like, I didn’t have to do that. At all. Each of my devices, iPad, iPhone, and Watch, works with these. I’m guessing the iMac will, too, but that hasn’t been tested, yet.

When I put the AirPods Max on, each of my devices tells me it’s ready to pair with them. Then I just gotta start playing sound kinda stuff on any of them, and the headphones automagically know which to use.

To sum up,

  • the sound is amazing
  • the ANC is incredible
  • I’ll probably never use the transparency mode, at least not on purpose
  • they’re so incredibly comfortable
  • the carrying case is adorable
  • pairing with Apple devices is seamless

These make me smile.