Enlarge (credit: Ars Technica)
It’s Wednesday, and that means it’s time for another Dealmaster. Our latest roundup of the best tech deals from around the web includes a notable discount on Apple’s AirPods Max, which are currently down to $ 429 in various colors at Amazon. That’s not the absolute lowest price we’ve ever seen for Apple’s noise-canceling headphones, but it’s still about $ 45 off its usual price in recent months and $ 120 off Apple’s MSRP.
This is still an expensive set of headphones even with the discount, but as we’ve noted in past guides, the Max still offer superb sound quality for a wireless headphone and exceptionally effective active noise cancellation. They’re on the heavy side compared to competing pairs like Sony’s WH-1000XM4 and WH-1000XM5, but their aluminum finish has a premium feel as a result. They also come with all the perks of any other set of AirPods, including easy pairing with iPhones, Macs, and Apple TVs and integration with services like Find My device tracking and Siri.
The Max still carry a few odd design quirks: They can’t fold up for easier storage, and they don’t have a dedicated power off button, instead relying on a flimsy holder that puts them into a low-power mode. They can’t connect to multiple devices simultaneously, either, and while their 20 hours of battery life is solid, we’ve seen better from other pairs. For most people, the WH-1000XM4 remain a better value that get close enough in performance at a much lower price. But the Max’s audio and noise-canceling quality is a step up, so if you own an iPhone and have a bit more to spend, this should be a more digestible price for a quality pair of travel or office headphones. Just note that the Max have been available since late 2020, and Apple has a new product event scheduled for next week; we haven’t seen many rumors that suggest a refreshed Max is imminent, but there’s still a chance that one arrives before the end of the year.
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