AirPods Max are amazing but I kind of hate them
I’ve had a pair of Apple’s AirPods Max for almost exactly one year. The headphones (please don’t call them “cans”. That’s unnecessary insider hoohah) look nice and sound very good, but I don’t enjoy using them. I’ve been thinking about why that is, and came up with the following list.
There’s no Off button. I hate this. I don’t use them every day, and if I don’t remember to either plug them in or put them in the case (for “low power mode” or whatever it is), the batteries are often dead when I go to use them.
They feel unstable on my head. I can’t figure out what it is about the way the AirPods Max fit, but I find that I’m always aware of them on my head and am constantly adjusting them. Maybe it’s because of my giant head, but they aren’t as comfortable as they should be.
They steal audio from the AppleTV. Occasionally, when my wife is doing a workout using the AppleTV in the next room, I’ll put on the AirPods, and they steal audio from the TV instead of connecting to my Mac, which is right in front of me. I haven’t been able to figure out why this happens, but it bugs both of us.
I can’t stand the clicking sound they make when moving them around. If the AirPods are folded flat, they bang together when I pick them up and move them around. The sound is like fingernails on a chalkboard to me. Why is nobody talking about this?
The “case” is stupid. Who approved that thing?
I wish I enjoyed them more. Spatial audio is nice, and the noise canceling works great. They sound really good, too. However, and as much as I hate wires, I find myself plugging in the Sennheiser HD 650s most of the time instead. The 650s fit perfectly, sound even better, don’t need charging, and never do anything wrong.