Apple AirPods Max 2

Incredible noise cancellation and a luxurious build trapped in a too-heavy, poorly designed package. Buy them on sale if you live in the Apple ecosystem, otherwise get the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 and don't look back.

The ANC is the real star here. Apple claims 1.5x more noise canceling, and in our testing, it's not just marketing fluff. It sits in the 98th percentile, which means it's one of the absolute best right now, crushing the low hum of a plane or the chatter of a coffee shop. What surprised us, though, is that the sound quality, while excellent, lands in a solid but unspectacular 63rd percentile. It's a beautifully balanced, clear sound, but if you're a bass head, you'll find it polite rather than powerful. The new USB-C lossless audio is a nice touch for wired listening, but the 20-hour battery life is just average, and the 5-minute quick charge for 1.5 hours is handy, not groundbreaking.

The Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 are the smarter buy for most people. They sound better, with a more energetic and engaging tuning, and their 60-hour battery life makes the AirPods Max 2's 20 hours look embarrassing. They're also significantly lighter and more comfortable for long listening sessions. If you want a more premium, luxurious build and a sound signature closer to Apple's, the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 are a fantastic alternative with a more compact design and a proper case. The AirPods Max 2 win on ecosystem tricks and ANC, but lose on pure audio fidelity and practicality.

At a price spread from $350 to $800, you absolutely should not pay full retail. The $350 deal from Best Buy makes these a compelling, if still flawed, flagship. For $800, you're getting ripped off. The value proposition lives and dies by how deep you are in the Apple ecosystem. If you own an iPhone, Mac, and iPad, the seamless switching is a feature you can't get anywhere else, and that might justify the cost. For everyone else, the price-to-performance ratio just isn't there.

Apple finally fixed the charging port and called it a day. The AirPods Max 2 are still the best-sounding, most luxuriously built wireless headphones you can buy if you're locked into the Apple ecosystem, and the noise cancellation is now genuinely top of the charts. But they didn't fix the weight, they didn't add a power button, and that 'smart' case is still a glorified bra. If you can handle the heft and the price tag, the audio and ANC are a knockout.

If you're looking for all-day comfort or the best possible sound quality for the money, this isn't it. Go get the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 instead. They sound more exciting, last 60 hours on a single charge, and you'll forget you're wearing them. If you need a proper case and a power button, the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 are the more thoughtfully designed luxury pick.

The AirPods Max 2 are a frustrating masterpiece. The noise cancellation and build quality are elite, and the sound is clean and enjoyable. But the user sentiment score of 38th percentile tells the real story: owners are vocal about the weight, the battery drain, and the infuriating lack of a power button. Buy them only if you're an Apple devotee who values ANC and spatial audio above all else, and for the love of your wallet, find them on sale. For everyone else, the competition has simply moved past them in the ways that matter day-to-day.