[ValarMorghulis]

Apple has announced the launch of the new Apple over-the-ear headphones named "AirPods Max" (in 5 different colours) at a mere Rs. 59,900 (add Rs. 7050 for AppleCare+)


Apple describes it as:

...a perfect balance of exhilarating high-fidelity audio and the effortless magic of AirPods. The ultimate personal listening experience...

Link here

[gusfring]

Apple has always been expensive, but this is on another level (also I think this everytime they come up with anything new lol)

60k when there's established ones at half the price (like the Sony one)? I hope this atleast sounds good, for that premium they're making people pay. AirPods are known for just good sound, not 'excellent'.

And, I find the name weird too, like AirPods Max? Then they will release one without ANC and name it AirPods Max Lite? Weird nomenclature, but this has been going on for some time

But no denying, looks dope. I was half expecting MagSafe, but apparently it ain't there

[GrammarNazi]

AirPods launched just in 2016 and went on to make more money in 2019 than Twitter, Snapchat and Shopify...COMBINED.

Sad that Indians haven't owned such brands and the world's wealthiest countries get wealthier by innovating tech.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by ValarMorghulis

Rs. 59,900

Fantastic pricing! Basically myself and wife can get ourselves a 1000XM3 and Openplus Bullets-2 each and still have spare change for a few music subscriptions for a year. Thank you Apple.

[ninjatalli]

This seems to be a brilliant product. The pricing is insane but it will sell. Maybe not as much as the airpods for sure, but I see a lot of features that will satisfy a lot of folks who have the moolah to spend on such products.

Waiting for reviews from audiophiles (certified reviewers), but knowing Apple, I expect them to get full stars on reviews, especially on the headphone sound and acoustics capabilities for sure. And for such a specific audience (audiophiles) , paying $549 or equivalent Indian prices would not be a constraint - I know a few folks who have spent upwards of 30k on good headphones.

The fact that this will serve as a smart-Bluetooth headset - by smart I mean there will be software integration with the hardware, there is definitely value for a larger audience.

Damn - the 2014 Beats acquisition by Apple is finally going to pay out after half a decade!

[GTO]

Grossly overpriced!

Having recently joined the Apple club, I realise I'm also now a part of the rip-off club. The pricing of everything is insane - including the extended warranty, accessories etc. The full size keyboard costs a whopping 15 grand in the space grey colour!! But then, I guess in some ways Apple is the 'Mercedes' of the electronics world? Regardless, they are pushing it a bit too much. Case in point = shipping iPhones without chargers.

[Cessna182]

The Apple premium may be justified for computing products, but not in the audio devices category. Even the airpods are not as good as the comparable devices from Bose and Sony. Also, I am surprised that Apple didn't provide a full cover for this device.

Sony WH1000 and Bose 700/QC35 series headphones are cheaper and will most likely sound better.

[extreme_torque]

Originally Posted by gusfring

60k when there's established ones at half the price (like the Sony one)? I hope this atleast sounds good, for that premium they're making people pay. AirPods are known for just good sound, not 'excellent'.

Established players? People seemingly forget the audio chops of Apple because it does not take the centerstage but their audio engineering is world class. Almost all Apple products have good audio quality from Apple Watch to iPhones to MacBooks to desktop iMac, to homepod and homepod mini with most being best in class or at worst near best in class. Airpods were the first true wireless earphones, everyone else copied and came up with their own versions but many still dont have the rock solid connectivity or the same microphone performance and ease of use of the originals launched 4 years back. There is still no competition for the Airpods Pro with its combination of comfort, noise cancelling, size, sound and battery life.

I am speaking from experience because I went from Bose QC35 II which were very comfortable but practically useless for audio calls to Bose 700 because they were better at calls (still nowhere near as good as Airpods) but Bose screwed the comfort since they clamped too hard and therefore gave me chronic headaches every time i wore them for more than an hour in a day.

I bought the Airpods Pro the day they were announced and havent looked back ever since. Infact they are one of my favorite tech purchases ever and I cannot work without them. You barely feel them in yours ears, pressure-equalising vent ensure that even though they are in-ear they dont feel like putting pressure, they sound good enough, last me more than 4 hours when calling and the microphone which makes it sound like i am speaking on the phone (its that good) , have very effective active noise cancelling (pretty close to the Bose's if not similar), best implementation of transparency which can give you vulkan hearing if you so need (increase the gain under accessibility features) and I can keep them in the smallest pocket of my jeans and have almost 24 hours worth of charge! And since the silicone tips have mesh in them, i dont have to worry about ear wax either something the original Airpods could not do. Also their Spatial Audio feature, the extent of its usefulness though could be argued, is almost borderline magic.

Apple is a world class audio equipment company and dont forget they also own Beats which have only improved since they were bought over by Apple. The other so called established players are catching up.

Originally Posted by Cessna182

The Apple premium may be justified for computing products, but not in the audio devices category. Even the airpods are not as good as the comparable devices from Bose and Sony. Also, I am surprised that Apple didn't provide a full cover for this device.

Sony WH1000 and Bose 700/QC35 series headphones are cheaper and will most likely sound better.

I am not sure if Airpods Pro are any more expensive than their Sony counterparts so the premium argument does not stand ground and they beat them hollow when it comes to overall usability and even sound quality. Their quality of life improvement is way beyond Sony though which do not even have the same feature set.

Also I wonder where is your inference that Sony or Bose will sound better coming from without actually hearing them? I would place my bet that they will beat the Sony's or the Bose. Whether they are worth their price is a different discussion. I was waiting for them ever since they leaked but they are an eye watering $899 here in Australia. I can get the Sony XM4 at approx $350 and XM3 for $220! I am excited about them though and eagerly awaiting reviews and trying them in person at Apple Store.

https://www.rtings.com/headphones/re...truly-wireless

https://www.rtings.com/headphones/re...truly-wireless

[Sebring]

From being a Bose lifer, I moved to Sony 1000 XM4 (at launch), and find them better in comfort and quality. I'm using Beats Solo3 occasionally, and have reason to believe Apple has done a great job on these headphones. Waiting to audition these, but may not pick it up anytime soon. Regarding pricing, when was Apple selling anything on the cheap? Initially we crib, then we experience, later we buy!

Originally Posted by extreme_torque

I am speaking from experience because I went from Bose QC35 II which were very comfortable but practically useless for audio calls to Bose 700 because they were better at calls (still nowhere near as good as Airpods) but Bose screwed the comfort since they clamped too hard and therefore gave me chronic headaches every time i wore them for more than an hour in a day.

[extreme_torque]

Just to add, i use an iPhone XS Max, Airpods Pro, Apple Watch Series 5 Cellular, iMac 27inch late 2015 model, 2019 MacBook Pro 15, Apple TV, two HomePods, 2017 iPad Pro 10.5 inch and the speakers on each one of them, barring Apple TV which does not have speakers, are absolutely stellar.

I have used Bose QC35 II's, Bose 700 in the past. I also currently use Bose Frames.

[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by extreme_torque

Just to add, i use an iPhone XS Max, Airpods Pro, Apple Watch Series 5 Cellular, iMac 27inch late 2015 model, 2019 MacBook Pro 15, Apple TV, two HomePods, 2017 iPad Pro 10.5 inch and the speakers on each one of them, barring Apple TV which does not have speakers, are absolutely stellar.

Sir, on a side note, your home setup screams out aloud the urgent need to upgrade to the latest series 6 watch and the latest Mac Pro.... And this headset is just so perfectly aligned to add "4 chaand" to that exquisite setup!

[AMG Power]

Only 60,000?? I’ll take two. Thank you.

You’ll probably say that when you look at Focal Utopia by Tournaire that costs 1 Crore before import duties and taxes.

Take a look at what 1 crore gets you:



As for me, I’ll settle for an M2 Competition instead.

[SideView]

No memes yet?
Ridiculous pricing, but fanboys will buy.

Let me leave this here:

[extreme_torque]

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

Sir, on a side note, your home setup screams out aloud the urgent need to upgrade to the latest series 6 watch and the latest Mac Pro.... And this headset is just so perfectly aligned to add "4 chaand" to that exquisite setup!

Thanks. I dont change my phone and watch every year now. If I like this one I would surely get it, price not withstanding. I have been looking for a headphone for quite sometime now.

[Hayek]

Am a big fan of Apple Products. While I personally don’t use a Mac (since I have some Windows specific software - and don’t like the idea of a dual OS install), everything else at home is Apple - with an iPhone 11 Pro, MacBook Air and AirPods Pro for my wife, an iPhone 11, iPhone XR, iPhone 7 and iPad Pro for me, iPhone SEs for my in-laws and iPhone 6S and AirPods for my son. However, at least at this point, ₹60,000 for the AirPods Max seems much too costly.

I currently use the Bose QC35 ii as my headset - ever since the lock downs started in March, I have had them on for about 8 hours every weekday, and several hours on weekends as well. Have found no issues whatsoever on sound quality, comfort, battery life, or connectivity during calls - and the quality of sound for watching Netflix shows while traveling before that was also impeccable. So what does this have to make me pay more than double the price of the QC35ii? Even for someone with a fully Apple eco system, that is a big bridge to cross. Let’s see how this does.