AirPods Max in Space Gray: a graduation gift I'm still spoiled by

The try

In 2023, I graduated from my undergrad program, and my wife's family gave me a gift I'm still a little blown away by: Space Gray AirPods Max.

Before these, I had a pair of 2019 Beats Solos that I also really loved. But I've fully bought into the Apple ecosystem. (Yeah, I know, I practically give them all of my money.) So the jump felt natural, and it was a big one.

When I first got them, I swear I couldn't take them off. I love how clean they look, and the weight feels great for walking and possibly riding a bike casually. For studying or lounging around, they're fantastic.

Why I couldn't take them off

It starts with the noise cancellation. I'm still blown away, or really spoiled, by it.

Then there's the sound. It's like having your own personal producer in your head. How clearly you can hear words is baffling. I felt like I discovered I'd been singing nonsense, because I could hear the artists so clearly in their songs that I could finally put together what they'd been saying all along.

I'm not the only one who thinks so. iMore called the sound "superb" and the Active Noise Cancellation "incredible," and described the Transparency mode as "top-notch" for when you need to hear what's around you. Tom's Guide noted that the spatial audio recalibrates when you move your head, and called that impressive. Apple calls it computational audio: custom acoustic design working with the H1 chip.

Making them mine

I also love the customization. There are so many ear cover designs and dupes you can buy online that help personalize them. I'm all for individuality in the slightest ways, and this is definitely one of the ways to do it.

Then the catch

Don't get me wrong, I love these. But the price is no joke, and it's a huge commitment. And notice that I only mentioned activities that don't need much movement. That was on purpose.

The weight feels nice, so you know you have them on, but these are not a running headphone, a fast-biking headphone, or a gym headphone. The number of times they slid off my head during a bench press was so frustrating that I wanted to go back to my Beats. Unfortunately, by then I had gifted those to my sister, since she really liked them.

And don't even get me started on the sweat. It really soaks into the padding. I tried the silicone protectors, but they didn't fit quite right.

The specs

• Drivers: 40mm dynamic drivers
• Chip: Apple H1
• Listening modes: active noise cancellation, transparency mode, spatial audio with head tracking
• Battery: about 20 hours (reviewers say it's short for the price)
• Weight: 13.6 oz, with a stainless steel frame
• Launch price: $549

A note on the link below: mine is the original AirPods Max. Apple has released newer versions since, so the link goes to the current model, and its colors, features and price can differ from what I describe here. Space Gray was the dark color on the original; the newer ones call their dark color Midnight. I haven't tried the newer ones.

What I liked / what I didn't

Bottom line

A keep. These were a very thoughtful gift and I have no regrets. If you're not a fan of Apple products and prefer something else, skip them.

Overall, my cool guy rate is 7/10. And I've been curious to try the Sonys.