AirPods Max and the suspicious price of 629 euros

Apple's purchase of the audio company Beats Electronics in 2014 has resulted in the new AirPods Max. The first headphones signed by the apple cover the entire ear. The controversy has come because of their high price compared to their other AirPod models. Even the compulsive Apple buyer might doubt that the 629 euros really offers the characteristics of a model in that range.

We will never know. Or at least we'll find out when audio professionals open up the AirPods Max and examine their parts. Alberto Espinosa is a sound technician and partner of the Yes We Cast podcast platform. A professional in the field to whom we should consult to find out the minimum about the AirPods Max or what we should demand of them. "There are not many technical specifications provided by Apple", the first thought is lapidary. An outlay of 629 euros on something we don't know much about. For a start, they are usually used as wireless, which could limit the high quality audio that is assumed with the price. They have the option of connecting with a cable, thanks to their USB-C port, by means of a 10 euro adapter. More doubts. "As Bluetooth 5.0, the bandwidth provides all possible frequencies without cuts", explains Alberto.

The Cupertino team's new bet enters through their eyes thanks to their staging. Like everything they do. An impressive website with moving images that tell the story of those who think they invented sound. Apple is back to business as usual: taking care of even the smallest detail, providing high quality products and painting them with colours. This has allowed them to become a technological powerhouse with their laptops, mobiles and watches, but now they are reaching a territory where the products already had a good pedigree and opulent materials.

The world of the headset has three zones of influence. The low range, the cheap ones, almost similar to the ear blades offered for free on the AVE train; the intermediate range, which is around 300-500 euros, and anything above that amount, which is the repertoire for sound professionals with models that can reach 5,000 euros.

We are not familiar with the materials offered by Apple on its AirPods Max, but if we go over what counts in their advertising, we find some curiosities. 

The mesh of the headband is made of a mysterious breathable braided material. They are headphones made of the usual anodised aluminium that Apple uses for everything. Something important for Alberto, that the visco-elastic foam pads are changeable, "because over time they deteriorate and if you can't change them or they cost a fortune, it's a chore". The pads cost 70 euros a pair if Apple allows time for them to wear out before designing a new model. And they can be colourful. 

It also has microphones with beamforming technology to suppress interference, the dynamic transducer to reproduce a wide range of frequencies, neodymium magnetic rings to reduce distortion and the Apple H1 chip to provide computer audio. Our music guide says, "As a professional I'm looking for transparent sound, I don't want my sound to be coloured. I'm not looking for a bass boost and if I want it I'll equalize it and get it. In this case, they come with an internal processor that theoretically adjusts to the music". So much for the professional approach to hi-fi with the AirPods Max. 

In addition to these details, there are features specific to the average user, such as active noise cancellation and the possibility of returning to the ambient sound, i.e. "they have a microphone that picks up the surrounding frequencies and cancels them out," explains Alberto. In addition, they offer adaptive equalisation and audio with dynamic head tracking. And the properties that are inherent to the Apple world and that we always take for granted, such as the connection with Siri, shared audio or the battery-saving case, could not be missing. 

And the design? "Comfort in design is something we look for in a large headset that fits well in the ear and does not put pressure on it," says Espinosa about an oval model that seems to meet this requirement. 

You have to demand more out of them. Alberto Espinosa's ears have many hours of sound flight, "we have to evaluate the response in frequencies. The human ear listens to 20 Hz to 20 Khz and all expensive headphones respond to these frequencies. I understand that Apple's will comply with this", and furthermore, "there is the impedance, that is, the electrical resistance they have. The higher it is, the better the sound quality and the better the amplifier has to be. In the case of the AirPods Max, they are wireless, so it doesn't count as much when they are not connected. Bluetooth already amplifies the sound". And finally, "the sensitivity, the amount of sound pressure. The pain threshold in humans is 120 db, if they provide 90 db it would be more than enough". They may have all this, but they don't detail it and the expert buyer needs data.

Apple goes from 179 euros for its AirPods to 629 euros for its new model without offering anything in between. For that it has Beats. It overtakes the Sony WH1000XM3 (£300), Bose QuietComfort (£200), Harman Kardon Fly over ear ANC (£200), Beats Studio3 Wireless (£350) or the Sennheiser HD 600 (£500). 

For those who want some real range stops, check out the properties and materials of the Audio Technica ATH-L5000, valued at £4,200. They say their diaphragms have a diamond-like DLC coating and the casing is made of sycamore wood, famous for its great strength and durability.

They can also find out what MrSpeakers VOCE have to pay for themselves at 3,700 euros. Perhaps that they have been designed and built in San Diego (California). Or that it is an electrostatic headset, that it has Italian nappa leather pads or that its leather headband has been bathtub-dyed in the USA.

Grades GS3000e (1,749) are valued three times higher than AirPods Max. Made from a unique piece of cocobolo wood, found in Central America, which provides a very richly nuanced sound. 

Closer to the new Apple product are the Audeze LCD-2 Closed-Back (999 €). They have a lightweight steel suspension headband with special crystallized nylon rings. In addition, they have leather-free memory pads.

There are other models in the 629 range that are not as modern as the AirPods Max at first glance, but they have high-quality conditions and materials.

The Grade GH4 L.E. are sold for 649.00 Euro. They are made of Norwegian pine wood, which has tonal capacities that provide warm and full-bodied sounds.

Another top model. The Denon AH-D7200 headphones (799 euros) manufactured in Japan, which provide a precise pistonic movement to guarantee a maximum precision sound. They also have a high-purity, removable copper cable, manufactured in Japan. This cable is fitted with a solid machined metal pin with a decorative copper ring made of walnut wood. 

The Audio Technica ATH-AD1000X are slightly cheaper, at 549 Euros, and are designed with lightweight aluminium honeycomb housings, which ensure comfort during long listening periods. They also have pure OFC7N copper coils (99.99% deoxygenated), as well as incorporating a two-part magnetic circuit, whose function is to increase the efficiency and richness of the sound. 

Apple does not go into the properties of its headphones and that raises doubts in an industry where everything is very transparent and extremely precise. Comparing them with models of the same price in the world of hi-fi leaves one conclusion. The California-based company wants the AirPods Max to compete with pro products but with advanced properties, such as being able to be used wirelessly or to have its own technology. And, of course, with sustainable materials that do not include select woods. 

Use and time will dictate. Meanwhile, there is still the saber rattling of the usual ignoramuses who criticise that something costs a lot of money without analysing whether it is worth every euro invested. Not knowing that there are much more expensive models which, because they criticise, are a direct attack on the pocket and the environment. Apple puts into circulation a product that should not be renewed for two years so that its value is really amortised. If it has one.