Why I chose to buy the AirPods Max

I know what you must be thinking, that the reason I bought the AirPods Max was because I simply always choose Apple Products. You might be right to think that superficially, but I can explain why I arrived at this decision.

To be honest, I didn’t decide on the AirPods Max simply because they were made by Apple. I basically wanted a high end bluetooth headphones that have ANC. When I examined the options at that time, I shortlisted 3–4 models. The Sony XM4s, Bose 700s and the QC35s were the other options apart from AirPods Max. Among the other three, I had finalised the Sony XM4 and that's what I was supposed to buy.

The Sony XM4s were the most popular headphones on the market, and everyone suggested buying the same. But I, personally, was not a big fan of how the headphones were designed. They are made of plastic and didn’t look premium to look or touch for the price. The touch control system was also a weird design choice by Sony.

But, I was not completely happy with the idea of XM4 because of one other main reason. These headphones can connect only to two devices at a time. This was a big dealbreaker for me. I had so many devices in my house – Mac Mini, MacBook (Personal), MacBook Pro (Work), iPad Pro, iPhone, Apple TV and finally, my Apple Watch. Seven Devices. If I had to buy the Sony, I would have to always connect and disconnect from my devices when I switch, which would be extremely annoying and painful. That was the biggest reason I didn’t bite the bullet and buy the Sony. I was basically waiting for Apple to release a cheaper model of the AirPods Max instead.

On the other hand, the AirPods Max automatically and seamlessly connects to all my devices, which is a very, very under rated and under appreciated feature. This feature alone was worth buying the AirPods Max for. But the AirPods Max were extremely expensive compared to the Sony XM4, and hence I had decided not to buy them.

But during the Diwali season in 2021, there as on offer on the AirPods Max, and they were selling for a 15k discount and that's when I decided to buy them. If not for this discount, I would have never bought the AirPods Max and I would have probably bought the Sony. Even after the discount, I feel the price I paid for the AirPods Max was far too much to justify the purchase.

I will definitely agree that these headphones are not worth in value for the money. But if you take away the money aspect, I think these headphones are really good. They are not perfect, the premium metal build makes the headphones heavy and slightly uncomfortable because of that. The case that is given with the headphones is an abomination and probably the worst accessory made by Apple, ever. And lastly, the lack of an on/off switch is frustrating at times. Other than these small gripes and the price, I am pleased with the purchase.

I love how the AirPods Max automatically connects to whatever device I am using at that moment. This is the best feature of the headphones and the only reason I bought it. I feel this feature alone is worth a lot of money because it makes your life so easy and simple. Pick up these headphones, regardless of what device you are using, and it's ready to go. Not only that, the noise cancellation and transparency mode are stellar. The sound quality is really good and the button + crown for controls is the best control system I have seen on any headphones.

The AirPods Max is not without its faults and is an expensive under taking. If you are like me, and you solve your mundane problems by throwing money at them, then this is a perfect purchase and that's why I bought the AirPods Max.