The Apple AirPods Max ranks #291 out of 417 total Over-Ear Headphones for sound quality. See all Headphones rankings for every top pick.
Brand: Apple
Prices on this page were last checked October 13, 2026 at 3:17 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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#291 Apple AirPods Max: $496.49 Amazon $496.49 eBay
Pros: Bass sits close to target and holds down to 20 Hz, so low end sounds full without bloat. Lower mids sit within about 0.5 dB of target, keeping voices and guitars natural. It uses 1 x 40mm dynamic.
Cons: Presence sits about 4.5 dB low with an 8.9 dB dip near 7.3 kHz, so vocals and instruments lose some bite. A Harman score of 62 places it in the lower part of the over-ear rankings.
| Released | Dec 2020 (5 years ago) |
|---|---|
| Back | Closed |
| Connection | Bluetooth |
| Deviation From Target | 2.53 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 x 40mm dynamic |
| Form Factor | Over-ear |
| Harman Preference Score | 62 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+1.9 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | -1.35 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Weight | 0.8 lbs (384.8 g) |
EQ preset to match the Harman target
Set a preamp of -4.7 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -3.0 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 7,273 Hz | +3.6 dB | 2.41 |
| Peak | 218 Hz | -2.9 dB | 1.41 |
| Peak | 1,031 Hz | -3.2 dB | 0.99 |
| Peak | 3,185 Hz | +3.1 dB | 0.56 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -5.5 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 9,508 Hz | +2.7 dB | 2.20 |
| Peak | 66 Hz | +0.6 dB | 1.65 |
| Peak | 4,045 Hz | +2.1 dB | 5.82 |
| Peak | 4,834 Hz | -1.8 dB | 6.00 |
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