Apple Airpods max decibel. Airpods Max: An Audiophile Review

How to make your Airpods louder or fix other volume-related issues

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• You can make your Airpods louder by using your iPhone or the built-in Siri feature on your Airpods.
• If your Airpods aren’t loud enough, try cleaning them or calibrating them with your iPhone.
• The new over-ear Airpods Max have a Digital Crown to turn the volume up or down.

Apple’s Airpods helped launch a thousand imitators — there are now countless wireless earbuds available for both iPhone and Android devices.

It’s not hard to see why; there’s something incredibly liberating about earbuds that have no wires, buttons or other controls. But how do you control the volume?

Quick tip: Check out our complete guide for how to use your Airpods.

How to change the volume on your Airpods

You can make your Airpods volume louder using the volume slider or with Siri.

Using the volume slider

The easiest way to change the volume of your Airpods is by dragging the volume slider in the app you’re using, on your Lock Screen, or in the Control Center. You can also use the Digital Crown on your Apple Watch to change the volume on the Now Playing screen. As always, the volume buttons on the side of your iPhone will also work.

Quick tip: If you have the 2nd generation Airpods Pro, you can adjust the volume using the actual Airpods. To change the volume, place your thumb on the stem of one of the Airpods and use your index finger to swipe up or down the Touch control — a flat surface along the stem.

Using Siri

If you have first generation Airpods, double tap either earbud to wake Siri and ask Siri to adjust the volume.

If you have second generation Airpods or later (this includes the Airpods Pro), and you’ve set up the Hey Siri function on your iPhone, say Hey Siri and ask Siri to adjust the volume.

On the Airpods Pro, you can set one AirPod to activate Siri, and then ask to adjust the volume.

You can tell Siri to increase volume, which increases the volume in approximately 12% increments. You can also tell Siri to increase the volume by a specific percentage, or to a specific percentage like, Hey Siri, raise volume by 20%, or Hey Siri, raise the volume to 80%.

Quick tip: Be careful when telling Siri to raise the volume to a specific percentage, as the volume can get uncomfortably loud all at once.

What to do if your Airpods aren’t loud enough

If your Airpods aren’t as loud as you think they should be, there are some tricks you can try to coax additional volume out of them — this is especially true if they were once louder, but more recently, it seems like they have gotten quieter.

Clean your Airpods

Human ears are waxy, and anything you tend to frequently put in your ears, like earbuds, inevitably accumulate earwax. It doesn’t take much wax to noticeably reduce the maximum volume of your Airpods.

When you clean your Airpods, it’s important to refrain from using anything wet or damp — never get the mesh speakers wet. Keep sharp objects out of the speaker, toothpicks have been known to damage the mesh.

Instead, use a dry cotton swab or a soft-bristled toothbrush to remove any wax or debris from the speaker mesh.

Calibrate your Airpods with your iPhone

It’s possible that your Airpods and iPhone need calibrating — the two devices might have different understandings of what full volume means and the Airpods stop using the full range of audio available. That may sound complicated, but it’s actually quite easy to fix.

Put your Airpods in your ears and start playing music.

Using the volume buttons on your iPhone, turn the iPhone’s volume all the way down. You shouldn’t hear anything from your Airpods now.

Swipe down from the top-right of your iPhone to display the Control Center and tap the Bluetooth icon to disable Bluetooth. This will disconnect your Airpods from your iPhone. Leave your Airpods in your ears.

Start playing music again, this time through your iPhone’s own speakers. Using your iPhone’s volume buttons, turn the volume all the way down.

Reconnect your Airpods by opening the Control Center and taping the Bluetooth icon. You might also need to open the Settings app, tap Bluetooth, then tap Airpods to reconnect them.

Play music and adjust the volume as needed.

Check the Music app’s sound settings

If your Airpods are too quiet when listening to music using the Music app, its settings might be misconfigured. You can fix that with just a couple of taps.

Open the Settings app and select Music.

Make sure that EQ is set to Off. If it’s turned on, tap EQ and then tap Off.

Make sure the both ears are the same volume

If one ear consistently sounds louder than the other, an accessibility setting on the iPhone might be suppressing the volume in one ear. Here’s how to check it on your iPhone with iOS 13 or later:

Open the Settings app, then select Accessibility.

In the Hearing section, tap Audio/Visual.

Make sure that the left/right slider in the Balance section has the button in the middle. If it’s leaning more to the right or left, slide it back to the center.

Disable Low Power Mode

Disabling low power mode can make your Airpods louder. Here’s how to do it:

Open the Settings app, then select Battery.

Tap the toggle next to Low Power Mode to turn it off.

Quick tip: If you’re having issues with your Airpods, it’s also worth checking to make sure they’re updated.

Make sure your Airpods fit correctly

A proper fit will help ensure you get the best sound quality and noise cancellation, so it’s worth making sure you’re using the best-sized ear tips for your ears. The Airpods Pro come with small, medium, and large ear tips — plus extra small for 2nd generation Airpods Pro.

Airpods Pro come with the medium earbuds by default. Put them in your ears, and if you can’t get a good seal try switching to a larger tip. If it feels too large or uncomfortable, try a smaller tip. If you’re still unsure, try the Ear Tip Fit Test:

Put your Airpods in your ears.

Ensure your Airpods are connected to your device via Bluetooth.

Open the Settings app, then select Bluetooth.

Tap the Info button next to your Airpods.

Tap Ear Tip Fit Test.

Tap Continue, then the play button.

Quick tip: To get the best fit, you might need to use different sizes in each ear.

Airpods Max volume control

While the original Airpods and Airpods Pro don’t have volume control built-in, the Airpods Max — Apple‘s over-ear headphones — do. A Digital Crown (like the one on an Apple Watch) lets you control the volume, skip between tracks, answer phone calls, and activate Siri.

Read our Airpods Max review for more information.

Abigail Abesamis Demarest is a contributing writer for Insider based in New York. She loves a good glazed donut and nerdy deep dives into the science of food and how it’s made.

Airpods Max: An Audiophile Review

I’m conflicted about Apple’s latest foray into audio products, the Airpods Max over-ear headphones.

In striking opposition to every other review I’ve seen so far, I get to begin mine by stating that I am an audiophile. A friendly, reasonable one, but still—audio is my jam. I’ve been writing music for games and film for over 10 years, so one would hope that I’ve learned a thing or two about audio production in that time. It is, therefore, my sworn duty to be skeptical of consumer technology companies encroaching on the territory of high-end audio equipment built by companies with decades of experience.

Apple has had a long and fruitful relationship with music, but their track record with audio hardware is inconsistent. Somehow, the company that makes the HomePod—a marvel of mono speaker engineering—is also the company that continues to make and sell Beats products. Beats are a common entry point into the world of audio, but they’re priced the way they are because of their brand power, not because their quality justifies it. You can get much better sound, comfort, features, and build for less money.

Today, I find myself wondering to what extent that is also true for the Airpods Max.

Having forked over just under 900 CAD for the privilege of owning a pair, I wanted to see whether Apple is aiming to establish itself as a purveyor of quality audio gear—deserving of a high price tag—or whether we’ll once again be paying for style over substance.

Built Like a Tank (…Because They’re Made Of Metal)

I laughed when I pulled the Airpods Max out of their box. I knew they would be heavy, but the experience of that weight is really something else.

For context, the Sennheiser PXC 550—my current headphone choice for travel—weigh 227g. The famously comfortable Bose 700 weigh 254g, a weight that’s matched by the popular Sony WH-1000XM4. Premium pairs like the Bang Olufsen H9 (third generation) weigh 295g, and the Bowers Wilkins PX7 just barely crest the 300g mark.

The Airpods Max weigh 385g.

In the same way that the iPhone 12’s aluminum build looks less fancy but feels nicer in use than its Pro counterparts and their stainless steel, the mostly-metal build of the Airpods Max is a choice that favours fashion over comfort.

The reason that other high-end headphone manufacturers lean heavily on plastic and even wood in their builds isn’t that they can’t afford metal. It’s because they’re interested in having human beings wear these products on their heads for hours at a time.

As one such human being with a head, I wish Apple had taken some cues from the competition on this front. Even after adjusting the way I wear them, I can’t escape the fact that these are just plain uncomfortable for long listening sessions. The mesh headband and foam ear cups do their best to mitigate this, but they can’t compensate for the sheer weight.

The headband is terrific. It may be my favourite approach to one that I’ve seen on a headphone. I have to wear the Band further back on my head than I do with other headphones, but once I figured that out I was able to wear them for longer before needing a break. The ear cups are less impressive. They’re spacious and fairly well padded, but the material that’s used feels somewhat cheap and scratchy in texture. I suspect it’s more breathable than typical leather or vinyl ear cups, but the physical impression isn’t as good and I don’t particularly like how they feel on my face.

Then there’s the clamping force, which is very strong; Airpods Max squeeze your head like a musical bear hug. This is a common problem with heavy headphones, so I wasn’t surprised to see it here, but it accounts for the majority of the comfort problems I have.

The pressure points will differ depending on your fit, but I offered these to two other people in my vicinity for some extended listening and both reported discomfort; one on the top of their head, the other around their ears where the clamp force put pressure on the jaw. Personally, I experience it mainly as a headache after about the half hour to one hour mark.

Let’s disregard weight for a moment, though. These are fine for shorter listening sessions and everyone’s head is different, so I’m sure there are folks out there who will find them to be perfectly comfortable. The problems with metal go beyond weight: by prioritizing fashion value over practical value, Apple has committed a series of unforced errors.

Anodized aluminum feels nice and soft, but that softness means they scuff easily…like, say, when you fold them flat and notice that the ear cups bump and scratch against each other. This happens all the time and it makes me cringe every time; it’s like the horrible scraping that iMac users will be familiar with from trying to plug something into the rear ports. Also, parts of the world experience a season called winter, where the temperature drops and metal surfaces become dangerous things your skin will stick to.

Now, about that “ protective case”.

I want to save myself some typing and point you to the part of MKBHD ’ s review video where he talks about the storage solution that these 900 headphones ship with. Go ahead and give that a watch. Back? Great. What he said. Before getting these, I thought the hate for the case was hyperbolic, but the truth is it really does feel cheap and pointless, particularly after Apple clarified that it isn’t necessary for putting the headphones into standby mode.

Before we leave the topic of their physical design, I want to e last complaint about the Airpods Max: the buttons. I don’t mind the feel of them myself (though a friend felt they were cheap and unpleasant), but I do mind the way they work. The Digital Crown, which controls volume, is also the button that controls playback and Siri. The other, larger button is used to switch between the listening modes: Active Noise Cancellation ( ANC ), Transparency mode, and none.

I appreciate having physical controls for these things, but I intuitively expected that all the audio-related functions would be accessed from one button and that the playback and feature controls would be accessed from the other. Tying playback controls to the volume knob feels strange to me, and increases the chances of unintentional volume changes when you’re trying to execute a double or triple press—something made even trickier if you’re wearing gloves.

There is, naturally, no way to configure these button assignments. At best, you’re able to change the scrolling direction of the volume knob and restrict which listening modes the other button switches between, but that’s about it. That latter feature also seems to be buggy in the current firmware ( 3C16 ) because despite enabling all three, I find that it defaults back to just Noise Cancellation or Transparency whenever I reconnect.

Deal-breaker? No. But another strange design choice to wrap up this section.

Wait, one more complaint: the battery life is the shortest of any headphone in this category. This isn’t an issue in and of itself considering they’ll still last through a full day of listening. Still, I hoped that some of that excess size and weight would translate into battery capacity.

On the topic of power, Apple has indicated that the Airpods Max have two low-power states and you don’t need the case to access them—great news since I refuse to use that stupid thing. Here’s what they say:

If you set your Airpods Max down and leave them stationary for 5 minutes, they go into a low power mode to preserve battery charge. After 72 stationary hours out of the Smart Case, your Airpods Max go into a lower power mode that turns off Bluetooth and Find My to preserve battery charge further. If you put your Airpods Max in the Smart Case when you’re not using them, they go into a low power mode immediately to preserve battery charge. After 18 hours in the Smart Case, your Airpods Max go into an ultralow power mode that turns off Bluetooth and Find My and maximizes battery life.

Okay, now I’m done talking about the physical characteristics.

Sonic Boom

So there I was, shaking my head at the weight and the design while I got them connected. I was already looking up Apple’s holiday return policy when I hit play on my usual suite of test material and…oh.

I was reminded of the first time a pair of wireless headphones impressed me. I put them on and somehow found myself lying on the floor of my room, two hours later, having become completely lost in the music. Since then, other headphones have achieved this magical time-dilation effect, but I didn’t expect to feel it coming from an Apple product.

Don’t get me wrong, Apple has amazing audio engineers. I adore my Airpods Pro. They’re not the best value for money in terms of sound, but they have a pleasant, relatively neutral profile and have become my daily listening companions. Similarly, the HomePod is my favourite Smart speaker for sound because it manages to provide a remarkably full and dynamic listening experience for a compact mono sound source.

In a word, the Airpods Max sound sublime.

They have a beautiful way of making you feel immersed and enveloped by the music, with a tremendously wide soundstage, solid instrument placement, and some of the most articulate dynamics I’ve heard from consumer equipment. They remind me of my open-back studio headphone and amp setup (the geeky audiophile equipment) more than other wireless headphones.

Several hours of listening later, I wanted to make sure I wasn’t just experiencing some sort of hallucination caused by the extreme clamping force of these metallic behemoths, so I called up my friend and had him bring over his pair of Bang Olufsen H9i—my previous benchmark for best wireless ANC headphones—to do some critical listening.

We cruised through our respective music libraries, selecting favourite tracks and listening, each of us with one of the pairs on. Then we’d swap (as others have pointed out, this is the only reliable way to compare headphones because we have terrible memory for audio). We went back and forth like this for a few hours and I found myself increasingly bewildered by the experience of hearing the Airpods make the H9i sound a bit congested, closed in, and lacklustre by comparison.

I threw my most demanding tracks at them, including some of my own music. After all, judging headphones by the way other people’s music sounds is inherently subjective; I might prefer one rendition over another, but I have no insight into which best represents the artist’s intent. When I am the artist though, I can make objective assessments. And my assessment is simple: given the choice, I’d rather have someone listen to my work on the Airpods Max than the H9i.

This was not supposed to happen.

I didn’t even get to hook them up to my amp and listen to my lossless music collection yet (mainly because they sell the required cable separately and haven’t I already spent enough on this?!) The audiophile association is so going to kick me out for this! I’ll have to return my adamantium cables!

Smoke And Mirrors

Ah, but wait. Now I put my audiophile hat back on and pull back the curtain to reveal: it’s fake!

Yes, much of that magical soundstage is in fact manufactured by the headphones’ Digital Signal Processing ( DSP ). The same technology that enables Spatial Audio to work also allows Apple to artificially enhance the sense of space and re-balance the sound to remain steady and clean even at very high and very low volumes. Those dual H1 chips are working hard.

This is also where my review became very tricky.

When you’re dealing with DSP-based sonic enhancements—especially ones like this that are actively tuned based on the shape of your head, your environment, etc.—different people will very literally hear different things. Already, I’m seeing commentary from audiophile reviewers saying that the DSP is horrible, ruining the balance of music. And those people may well be correct for their listening environment. I can’t judge their experience because it’s so dependent on factors that can’t be controlled.

The question is: does it matter?

If the end result is that the Airpods Max sound better than any other headphone in their category that I’ve tried, does it matter that they achieve that partially through software? I’ll further threaten my audiophile credentials here and say: nope. I don’t think it matters! In the same way that a good photo is a good photo whether I shot it on my camera or had my iPhone cobble it together from multiple frames and computational trickery, the end result is still a photo I’m happy with.

At least the hardware aspects that can be judged objectively are…objectively good: the dynamic drivers are clearly well-designed, with incredibly low distortion and plenty of power. They aren’t using any fancy planar magnetic technology, but that makes sense for this kind of headphone. Score one for the hardware team.

I guess I can say this: if you’re lucky, have the right shaped head, or are otherwise blessed by the DSP experience gods, the Airpods Max have the potential to outshine every other pair of headphones in this category.

Some Much-Needed Context

See, the trouble is that I spent almost 900 on these. And if you’re willing to drop that kind of cash on audio equipment, you already have access to an entirely different tier of experience than what you can get in this wireless ANC headphone category.

Consider: my audiophile listening setup, which is very modest, consists of a pair of acclaimed but contextually low-end studio headphones—the MassDrop/Sennheiser HD 6XX)—connected to a JDS Labs Atom amplifier that’s boosting a signal prepared by the Topping D30 Digital-to-Analog Converter ( DAC ). Total cost of equipment? A little under 600 CAD. If I were to strip out the latter two elements and keep just the headphones, I’d still have better sound than the Airpods Max and only be out about 300 CAD.

But wait, you say, what’s the downside? Why would I ever bother to buy other headphones? Well, the above setup wins on sound and comfort, but it’s wired, it doesn’t fold or pack down in any way, and it has no noise-cancelling, spatial audio, or other fancy features. It’s a setup for dedicated listening that you enjoy at home. It’s been well-used during the pandemic, that’s for sure, but under normal circumstances I want to bring some of that sonic beauty with me when I travel, commute, go on walks, etc.

That’s why the wireless ANC headphone category exists, and it’s those extra features and portability affordances that you tend to pay for. The challenge, then, is to see how much of the sonic prowess of a studio setup you can bring with you while prioritizing comfort and carry, all while suddenly having to contend with connectivity and battery life.

My problem with this category is that it seems inherently limited. If you’re taking these out into the world and listening while trying to cancel the sound of traffic, coffee shops, etc. then how focused are you really on the nuances of the music? Most people rarely take the opportunity to do any focused listening, and when we do it probably isn’t during our noisy commute or while at work.

In my mind, that imposes a sort of ceiling on how much it’s worth spending here. Not because you can’t find good sound, but because that sound can’t be appreciated in the situations where you’re most likely to be using the headphones. You’ll probably notice easier packing, longer battery life, or better noise cancellation before you notice the subtleties of how one pair plays music compared to another. They’re just different use cases.

Then again, most people are only going to own a single pair of headphones, so if those headphones can offer both the conveniences of the portable category and some of the sound of their sedentary counterparts, then it may be worth the extra cash.

The question becomes which set of compromises you prefer to make.

Noise Cancellation, Transparency, and Spatial Audio

We’re 2,000 words in here—how’re you holding up? I’ve had the Airpods Max on my head listening to stuff as I’ve been writing this and I have to take them off…my head needs a break. The discomfort is real, folks.

I want to wind down this review with a discussion of the special features that the Airpods Max bring to the table. Some, like ANC and transparency mode, are available on basically all of their competitors and I can be brief about them: they’re best-in-class.

Yes, the noise-cancelling is just as good as Sony’s. It’s not necessarily tuned the same, as every manufacturer has a different approach, but the efficacy is absolutely comparable.

And yes, the transparency mode is the best I’ve heard on over-ear headphones. It almost feels like you’re wearing open-back headphones, that’s how good it is. That being said, if Transparency mode is a primary factor in your decision-making, keep in mind that the Airpods Pro are better at it—it makes sense since they don’t have to work around having your entire ear covered.

That brings us back to the H1-specific features like proprietary pairing and auto-switching capabilities with Apple devices, Spatial Audio, and the ability to split a connection to one device with another pair of H1 devices (Airpods, some Beats models) so two people can listen at once, each with independent volume control.

These are all appealing features, but the truth is that none of them would sway my decision individually. The quick pairing is a one-time advantage, so that’s basically negligible. The auto-switching is great but in my usage it’s only been reliable when switching between iOS devices, not macOS ones. And if you aren’t constantly switching devices then it’s going to be entirely lost on you.

As for Spatial Audio, it’s a very cool effect but it’s currently too limited to be of much interest. It only works for surround sources and only if the app supports it (which major ones like Netflix and Prime still don’t). It also requires your playback device to be equipped with positioning sensors, which only iOS devices are. If you want to try it out on a Mac or, more likely, your Apple TV then you’re out of luck.

This is baffling because it means that your only way of experiencing the purported “ cinematic” experience of Spatial Audio is by staring at a tiny screen while doing it. This is clearly just a matter of time—I’m convinced the next Apple TV will be compatible—but meanwhile it feels hamstrung.

Value

I don’t like talking about cost in my reviews because it’s not my place to weigh in on how others spend their money. Plus, even if these were truly awful headphones, people would still buy them in droves because they’re made by Apple and are probably going to become fashion icons (see: Beats). I have no issue with that.

But I want to discuss value for the folks who aren’t as immersed in the audio world, who don’t really know the brands and options, and who simply want to get themselves a nice pair of headphones. Perhaps they want to step up from their Beats, or they want to go from earbuds to over-ear headphones.

Whatever the case, those people should be aware that the Airpods Max represent terrible value if your main goal is to get an intelligent balance between comfort, sound, longevity, ANC. and style. They’re too heavy to be comfortable, they don’t fold or have a reasonable case to protect them when you’re travelling, and a lot of their sonic advantages are going to be lost on you if you’re mostly using them on the go.

Is there an audience for Airpods Max? Well…yes.

If you’re the kind of person who actually makes time for focused listening, who knows you’ll be using them mostly at home, who needs the convenience of wireless, who will eventually make use of Spatial Audio a lot, who tends to take listening breaks every hour or so to avoid fatigue, and who’s willing to pay a lot of money to own a single pair of headphones that can cover almost any ground, the Airpods Max may well be the best choice on the market right now.

But if comfort, portability, and practicality are your priorities, then the competing headphones from Sony, Sennheiser, and Bose are a much wiser purchase at a much lower price point.

Similarly, if sound quality eclipses all other criteria for you and you don’t care about wireless use, then you’re looking at the wrong category of product altogether; you’ll want to head over to the headphones subreddit or one of the many friendly audiophile forums out there and ask for some advice on how to get started. Ironically, you’ll end up paying less money than either of the two groups above—at least at first.

Wrapping Up

So there you have it. I hate these stupid headphones because so much of their physical design is flawed…but they sound so wonderful that I can’t help but smile whenever I listen to things through them. At least until my head starts hurting.

I’ll spare you, but there are many other aspects that I could spend another thousand words on: the microphone quality, Headphone Accommodations, headband fragility, battery replacement, third party accessory potential, etc…I have a lot to say about the Airpods Max because they inspire passion.

They frustrate me because you can tell that these could have been disruptively perfect. If Apple had made them lighter, chosen better materials, made them fold properly, given them a useable case, included the damn 3.5mm audio cable—even if they’d kept the price—the Airpods Max would be an easy recommendation.

As it is though, I have no idea who I would recommend these to. I think anyone—even audiophiles—should find a way to audition them just for fun. But actually dropping this much money to own a pair? I don’t know.

As for me, I bought them because I had to know what the company’s first true foray into this category would look like. Now I know. And the intelligent, wise, and financially savvy side of me should hastily pack them up and give them back…before the other side of me gets lost in the music again.

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Airpods Max review: Two years later the headphones hold up

Two years later, Apple’s Airpods Max headphones are still a great premium audio product.

It’s still not easy to stomach the product’s 549 retail price. Unsurprisingly, Apple hasn’t blinked or changed that eye-popping figure.- but fortunately, they’re on sale often.

But, despite the cost, we were impressed with the sound quality, controls, and fit of the Airpods Max on their debut. Those things continue to hold true today.

Read from AppleInsider

Based on anecdotal evidence like pregame footage of sports stars across all leagues, Airpods Max have never been more popular. Even two years after their debut.

Looking back on initial Airpods Max concerns

When the Airpods Max were first released most reviews largely agreed that performance was excellent. The product’s design was less agreed upon, but still few critics had many objections at the time.

The biggest concerns over Airpods Max were more about how the product would hold up over time. People wondered whether the unique mesh headband would stretch out or easily get damaged while traveling.

We haven’t seen widespread reports about the mesh canopy or soft-touch silicone-like material deteriorating. And in our own experience, all parts of the Apple headphones have held up exceptionally well.

After two years of spinning and clicking, our digital crown and ANC button both remain fully intact and as responsive as ever.

Even in 2020, the Lightning port felt controversial on these expensive headphones. Two years later and it feels like the biggest liability of the product. It might be for Apple, too.

The EU is mandating that all new products that ship in the 2024 Christmas season.- but after the expected debut of the iPhone 16.- have USB-C as a device connector. The rule doesn’t apply to older products, but we’re not sure that we see a future where the only hold-out is the Airpods Max.

Apple has started moving its accessories to USB-C like the Siri Remote. We don’t think it will be too long before a significant portion of your Apple gear, including iPhone 15, could sport the connector.

If Airpods Max go into 2024 without an update it could be a headache device forcing you to still carry a Lightning cable.

Controversy

The Airpods Max have avoided major controversy since 2020. We’re not sure what to make of the hard-to-pin-down and scattered reports of condensation, but we haven’t experienced it.

The one thing that has emerged is the strength of the active noise-canceling performance. Even after people confirmed it has changed over time it hasn’t caused a significant uproar. We haven’t noticed any difference over time.

Mostly, it seems to really frustrate people that it’s mysteriously changing ever-so-slightly without any direct communication from Apple about it.

Airpods Max versus other headphones

Since the introduction of Airpods Max, several companies have released new premium headphones.

Sony released its WH-1000XM5 headphones which are impressive because of their light weight, soft and plush ear cups, excellent audio quality, ANC performance, and other advanced features.

Bose has leaned on its 700 headphones and punted on its revised QuietComfort 45 headphones by mostly leaving them alone and only adding a USB-C port.

Bowers Wilkins released Px7 S2 and Px8 headphone options which both sound stellar and are each extremely comfortable, but neither have the strongest ANC performance.

Despite the strong competition from well-regarded brands, Apple’s headphones remain a viable consideration for consumers. The Apple ecosystem integration is probably the most compelling part.

Being able to instantly move Airpods Max around between an Apple TV box, iPad, iPhone, or Mac is certainly a leg up over needing to pair them to each device. Plus, they sound fantastic and the controls are easy to use.

That said, we would be hesitant about purchasing first-generation Airpods Max at the full, retail price in 2023. Consider waiting until a store puts them on sale or you can find an open-box option.

The competition will provide better value options and there’s a chance Airpods Max 2 could be on the horizon.

Airpods Max 2 wishlist

Even if the Airpods Max still hold up well after two years, there are still plenty of tweaks we’re hoping for in a second version.

Lightning connector on Airpods Max

The most obvious upgrade is switching the Lightning port for a USB-C one. We fully expect Airpods Max 2 to include this more universal port for charging. We find it hard to believe Apple would move the Siri Remote to USB-C without also moving all its other accessories to the port over time.

We also fully expect technical improvements like an H2 chip and Adaptive Transparency. We wouldn’t mind some minimal amount of water resistance or a U1 chip for the Find My network like the Airpods Pro 2 have.

We hope the Airpods Max Smart Case gets a substantial update. The case is too flimsy and doesn’t protect half of the product. It could use a serious rethinking.

Looking back at Apple’s track record of stubbornly sticking with compromised designs.- hello Magic Mouse charging port and Apple Pencil cap.- it’s not a guarantee that we see a new Smart Case.

Airpods Max in their Smart Case

We would love Apple to sell other options for padded ear cups. It could produce leather ones at an additional cost for people who prefer a different material to the current woven mesh ones.

The ear cups are held on with magnets and are easy enough to pop off and put back on. It seems like an easy way to expand revenue and, surprisingly, we haven’t seen many third parties dip into this market.

We do like the metal frame of the Airpods Max, but if Apple could find a way to lighten the weight, even slightly, it could make a big difference for a lot of people who find the headphones too heavy.

Apple Music offers lossless audio streaming for no additional cost and yet, none of the company’s wireless audio products supports listening to songs at that fidelity. We think headphones costing over 500 should be able to stream songs in lossless quality.

It’s nice that Apple debuted the headphones with colors, but we wouldn’t mind seeing those color options refreshed too.

Overall, there’s nothing major Apple needs to do for Airpods Max 2.- some premium additions to keep it competitive.

Frankly, Airpods Pro 2 are the biggest threat to the Max. For less than half the price, the Pro earbuds are packed with features and performance. They’re a solid value.

Airpods Max Cons

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

While the 4-star rating was appropriate in 2020, the Airpods Max don’t hold quite as much shine as they once did in comparison to other headphones options.- even the newest Airpods Pro 2 give them a run for their money.

Apple’s product is still valid at the high end, but until a new model is released, the competition keeps becoming more tempting over time.

Where to buy Airpods Max

Airpods Max can be purchased at full price from Apple, but as of this publication, they are on sale for 449 on Amazon, that’s 100 off. There are also numerous discounts available in AppleInsider’s Price Guide.

Are Airpods Pro Actually Noise Cancelling? All Modes Explained

Apple took their Airpods game to the next level when they launched their Airpods Pro.

These headphones boast a number of critical features that are absent in their predecessor. Features like noise cancellation, sweat and water resistance, ear tips that come in different sizes, a slightly bigger carrying case that opens on the longer side, Lightning to USB-C cable, and much more.

But among all of these new functionalities, their noise-cancelling feature makes working and enjoying life with no background chattering accessible anywhere, whether you’re at home, work, or on the go.

Next, we’re having a look at how the Airpods Pro work and where they fail to meet all noise-cancelling needs.

Apple Airpods Pro features that make them ideal for work

The Pros fit more ears

I’m no stranger to having earbuds fall out of my ears all the time. And this could be your reality too. Whenever you do any strenuous activity, you begin to feel your Airpods coming loose and starting to fall out.

While building the new Apple noise cancelling Airpods Pro, they took the struggles of people like us into consideration. The Pros come with small, medium, and large ear tips which can be switched depending on the user. Each of these is designed to provide a snug fit and a tight seal.

Do you need to wear them while working out? No problem. The Pros are sweat and water resistant. Apple threw in “vents” in the new mix, so that when noise cancelling is on, you won’t get the feeling that your head is under pressure (the feeling you get when your head is submerged in water.) The vents help to reduce wind noise significantly when you’re on a voice call.

Their sound quality trumps that of standard Apple Airpods

As far as sound quality is concerned the Airpods Pros beats the standard version. Listen to audio with the Pros and the first thing you’ll notice is an improvement in the bass performance. This is because the Pros come with ear tips that make better seals with the ears.

If for any reason, you decide to switch off noise cancellation you’ll still get top-notch sound quality without having to turn up the volume really high to drown out the surrounding noise.

The second reason the Pros have better sound quality is that Apple added a feature called Adaptive EQ [equalizer].

Remember Apple’s HomePod and its spatial awareness that analyzes a room and adjusts its sound output to suit the structure of the room?

Adaptive EQ works the same way.

It uses one of the microphones inside the Pros to adjust low and mid frequencies of any audio based on the anatomy of your ear. This provides a unique listening experience since it’s customized for you. This feature stays on as long as the noise cancellation is working. So once you switch to the transparency mode you can tell the difference almost immediately.

If you’ve been using the standard Airpods before and you loved the way it sounded then get ready to be wowed by the Pro. If you’re looking for something heavy-duty with sound bleeding out to the surrounding then you might want to keep looking, Apple isn’t there just yet.

The speed and ease with which the Airpods Pro connect to an iPhone is unmatched

All you need to do is flip open the Airpods’ lid and bring it close to your iPhone. Your phone detects the noise-cancelling Airpods and a setup dialog box will appear on your screen. Hit connect and the phone will walk you through the setup process. After an initial setup, your iPhone will be able to connect automatically whenever you open the lid.

Apple puts a new spin on noise cancellation

Before the Pros were released, one of the most annoying things about the standard Airpods is that in a noisy environment you’d have to turn up the volume to “hopefully” drown out the background chatter.

With the new feature release, users found the noise cancelling to work well enough to filter out surrounding noises. And they don’t have to crank up the volume anymore.

How did Apple redefine noise cancellation? – How the Airpods Pro noise-cancelling feature works

Apple uses their custom active noise cancelling technology for the Airpods Pro. The system is equipped with two microphones, an inward-facing mic and an outward-facing one. The outward-facing mic analyzes and detects noise coming from the outside so that the system can generate an anti-noise waveform to cancel it. The inward-facing mic listens for and cancels any noise that escapes from the external mic before it gets through to your ears.

Apple claims that its software allows noise reduction to be continuously adjusted at 200 times/second. This is made possible by their new H1 chip technology. Still, there’s no headphone set that can entirely remove surrounding noises as all technologies FOCUS on lowering background sounds instead.

This noise cancellation is an upgrade from Apple’s Powerbeats Pro as the latter features noise isolation rather than cancellation.

The transparency mode offers the best of both worlds

There will be times when despite wearing your noise-cancelling Airpods and listening to audio entertainment you’ll also need to listen to what’s going on in your immediate surrounding: announcements at an airport, car horns if you’re taking a walk on a slightly busy road with cars coming behind you every now and then…

The noise-cancelling Airpods allow you to quickly switch to transparency mode if you want to be aware of what’s going on around you.

There are two ways to switch between the active noise reduction mode and the transparency one.

• Long press (squeeze and hold) the touch button on the stem of either earbud until it switches on.
• Make the switch directly from the control center of your iPhone or iPad.

Why you need a pair of headphones to block out the noise

Current users seem to be pleased with the level of noise cancelling these Apple Airpods offer. This makes them an ideal choice for any professional who’s working either from home or from the office and looking to get some quiet time to FOCUS on their work. Simply put, you’ll be able to work from anywhere whether it’s a crowded coffee shop, a busy office, or a bustling home.

On one hand, background disruptors can harm productivity leading to unmotivated employees who will struggle to rack their brains just to finish a task.

But noise can have more serious long-term consequences, taking a toll on workers’ health. Studies show that thousands of people suffer from work-related hearing issues every single year. These problems are common in industries such as energy extraction, manufacturing, or construction. Keep in mind the Apple Airpods Pro aren’t suited for work in a similar environment so you’ll need to look for heavy-duty earphones instead.

If you will, the Pros work best for professionals who are looking to use them both for an office job and for personal purposes like unwinding or traveling. Their water-resistance makes them ideal for working out and some even use them while running. Be aware though: their fitted ear tips still don’t guarantee you won’t lose them. Plus, despite their transparency mode, they’re not safe to use with any kind of traffic nearby.

What about surrounding noises that can disturb a meeting?

But the Apple Airpods Pro doesn’t cancel out noise for others as well. That’s where Krisp comes in to automatically remove background chattering, dog barking, and other noises on both ends of the conversation — all in real-time.

This means you can hold team meetings, host a webinar, or live stream with clear sounds and no interruptions. Your team won’t hear your dogs bark and they’ll be able to fully understand what you’re saying so no further misunderstandings will affect your collaboration. Similarly, you can remove unwanted noise from other speakers so you don’t get distracted by them and miss out on information.

The HD voice and Echo cancellation functionalities make it a perfect fit for podcasters.

You won’t need a studio-like setting to record your podcasts or video interviews and you’re saving on loads of time you’d otherwise need to spend editing your audio quality. Everything works in a low-power mode too so you can spare your CPU and save your battery’s power, regardless of how many apps you have on.

You can connect the noise-cancelling app to any third-party tool that accepts Krisp as the audio input [like Adobe Audition or Audacity] or use it with your favorite video call tool.

Are the Apple Airpods Pro worth your 249?

With features such as noise cancellation; transparency; sweat and water resistance; ear tips of various sizes for increased comfort and better seal; and improved features like superior sound quality and seamless pairing with iOS devices; the Pros seems to be the best option for most professionals.

In simple terms, as an iPhone user nothing beats the Airpods and the best of them at the moment is the Airpods Pro with active noise cancellation.

But do the Apple noise cancelling Airpods Pro live up to the hype?

They certainly do, but keep in mind they’re limited to blocking out noise for you. Use Krisp with your recording or video conferencing tools instead if you want to completely remove background sounds in real-time.

How to make Airpods sound louder and fix low volume issue

I used almost a dozen wired Apple EarPods and have been using Airpods (since the first generation). I can assure you that with time (after around two years), almost all Apple earphones lower their sound output. However, if your new Airpods are facing a volume problem, it could be that their grills are blocked, or you have limited sound output. To help, I have rounded up a list of 12 solutions that will help make your Airpods sound louder and fix volume issues. Don’t be discouraged from trying them on your old Airpods too!

Note: The following solutions apply to all models: Airpods 1st and 2nd Gen, Airpods Pro, and Airpods Max. Additionally, you must check these two things before moving to solutions:

• Make sure the volume is turned up. When media is playing, press the volume up button several times from the device’s left side. You may also bring up the Control Center and drag the volume slider up, or summon Siri and ask her to set the volume at 75 percent or 100 percent.
• Make sure Airpods are charged. You can learn how to check the charge status here.

• Turn off iPhone’s Volume Limit and Sound Check
• Turn off the equalizer
• Disable Headphone Safety on your iPhone
• Turn off Low Power Mode
• Calibrate the Airpods
• Adjust audio volume balance between the left and right pods
• Turn off Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode on Airpods Pro
• Unpair and re-pair the Airpods
• Is the music or movie track to blame?
• Clean your Airpods
• Update the firmware on Airpods
• Factory reset your Airpods

Turn off iPhone’s Volume Limit and Sound Check

• Open the Settings app in iPhone, scroll down, and tap Music.
• Scroll to the bottom and turn off Sound Check.
• If you see an additional toggle for Volume Limit, make sure to turn this off as well.

Turn off the equalizer

• Launch the Settings app and tap Music.
• Tap EQ.
• Select Off.

Disable Headphone Safety on your iPhone

• Open the Settings app and tap Sounds Haptics.
• Tap Headphone Safety.
• Turn off the toggle for Headphone Notifications.
• Next, turn off the switch for Reduce Loud Sounds.

Caution: I would urge you to take caution before tweaking the above setting. We must listen to music at a decent level. Prolonged use of any headphones at a high volume is risky. Thus, use the slider to adjust the decibels level instead (step 4).

Turn off Low Power Mode

Low Power Mode may be reducing the maximum volume output. And for a few users, disabling it has helped restore loud sound output. To turn off Low Power Mode, open the Settings app and tap Battery.

Calibrate the Airpods

One of the reasons why your Airpods volume is low is that your Airpods and iPhone may not be on the same page. For example, they may have a different meaning for ‘full volume,’ which could lead to Airpods not using the full volume. Here’s how you can calibrate the Airpods.

• Make sure Airpods are connected to the iPhone and in ears. Now, turn the volume to zero. Use Control Center for this.
• Next, disconnect the Airpods. For this, open the Settings app → Bluetooth → tap (i) next to the connected Airpods → Disconnect. Even after disconnecting, keep the Airpods in your ears. Also, go back to the main Settings screen and turn off Bluetooth.
• Now, play music via the iPhone speakers. Again, use the Control Center to turn the volume to zero.
• Finally, turn onBluetooth and reconnect your Airpods. You may now adjust the Airpods volume as desired.

Adjust audio volume balance between the left and right pods

• Open the Settings app and tap Accessibility.
• Tap Audio/Visual.
• Make sure the Balance slider is in the middle.

Observation: For some local tracks on my iPhone, when I enabled Mono Audio, it seemed to increase the volume, though the experience may not be delightful.

Turn off Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode on Airpods Pro

If you are using Airpods Pro or Airpods Max, turning off Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode might help. For this, open the Control Center and long-press the volume slider. You will see these options. Disable them.

Unpair and re-pair the Airpods

• Open the Settings app and tap Bluetooth.
• Tap (i) next to the connected Airpods.
• Tap Forget This Device and confirm.
• Now, keep the Airpods in their charging case. Restart your iPhone.
• Finally, take out the Airpods from the case and pair them again with your iPhone.

Is the music or movie track to blame?

Do you own music that is downloaded from random places or converted from a video file and such? If yes, these tracks will most likely have inferior sound. In these situations, the culprit is the music file and not your iPhone or the Airpods.

Similarly, several YouTube videos might have lower sound. The same is the case with movies, and TV shows files. Try using the VLC app for.mp4.mkv, and other video files.

Clean your Airpods

If the Airpods grills are full of ear wax or dirt, they will hinder adequate sound output. In this case, please use a soft cloth and a soft brush (or a toothpick) to clean the grills.

Update the firmware on Airpods

Did you know that your Airpods also receive updates (though they are not as frequent as iPhone)? To update it, put Airpods in the case → attach the case to a power source → pair the Airpods with your iOS device and keep them closer. Once set up, the Airpods firmware will be automatically downloaded and installed on your iOS device.

Note: Your iOS device must be connected to the internet.

Factory reset your Airpods

Finally, if nothing helps, it is time to reset your Airpods. This will bring them to an out-of-the-box state. You can learn how to reset Airpods (1st, 2nd gen, Pro) here. For Airpods Max, please see this.

Did you successfully make your Airpods sound louder and fix volume issues?

If your Airpods are around old, and you do not find any sound improvement even after following all the above solutions, that means it is time to keep listening at a reduced volume or invest in a new pair. Additionally, if you use Airpods with a non-Apple device, it is probable to notice some degraded sound levels.

I hope this guide helped to solve your problem.

Have additional questions? I am all ears. Please share them in the Комментарии и мнения владельцев box below.

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