AirPods Max Vs. Bose 700 vs. Sony WH-1000XM4? There is no shortage of active headphones that eliminate active noise with over-ears. But while the AirPods Max are the newest and brightest, they also come with a high price tag of $ 549.
Along with the $ 339 Bose 700 and the $ 278 Sony WH-1000XM4, the AirPods Max has a lot of work to do to justify the investment. To find out if I can, we put all three pairs of headphones together in a battle of price, design and features, to see which pair is the best wireless headset for you.
AirPods Max Vs. Bose 700 vs. Sony WH-1000XM4: Compared specifications
| Apple AirPods Max | Bose 700 | Sony WH-1000XM4 | |
| Price | $ 549 | $ 339 | $ 278 |
| size | 7.4 x 6.6 x 3.3 inches | 8 x 6.5 x 2 inches | 9.94 x 3.03 x 7.27 inches |
| Weight | 13.6 ounces | 8.95 ounces | 9.7 ounces |
| Battery life | 20 hours (ANC activated) | 20 hours (ANC activated) | 30 hours (ANC on), 38 hours (ANC off) |
| Accompanying application | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Special features | Active noise cancellation, transparency mode, automatic EQ adjustment, 3D audio, smart controls, Siri support | Active noise cancellation, transparency mode, adjustable ANC and EQ, smart controls, tri-digital support, multi-point technology | Active noise cancellation, transparency mode, adjustable ANC and EQ, smart controls, tri-digital support, multi-point technology |
AirPods Max Vs. Bose 700 vs. Sony WH-1000XM4: Price
This is an easy victory for the WH-1000XM4. Not only are they cheaper than the Bose 700, but they’re almost half – yes, half – the price of AirPods Max.
You’re also unlikely to see many AirPods Max discounts in the foreseeable future unless you consider a potential offer when you buy the future iPhone 13. Both the Bose and Sony headphones, on the other hand, have come out long enough it was dropping quite a bit in price. regularly.
AirPods Max Vs. Bose 700 vs. Sony WH-1000XM4: Design
AirPods Max earns back a few points for their design, which lends itself to a pleasing aluminum construction and pleasing mesh with headphone lining. Recycling the digital crown on the Apple Watch was a smart move, providing a touch control and nice granular than touch control or small, flat buttons.
Of course, the Bose 700 and Sony WH-1000XM4 models are hardly ugly, and the former, in particular, has a very modern figure, with a construction mostly made of metal. All three are also comfortable enough to wear for hours on end, although it’s worth noting that the AirPods Max are the heaviest in the group. You may want to consider this if you want to wear a pair of headphones with noise cancellation during exercise.
Also, make sure there is no 3.5mm jack on the AirPods Max, unlike the other two. This means that if you want to switch to a cable connection, you’ll have to pay another $ 35 for the Apple Lightning-to-3.5mm cable, bringing the total cost to $ 584.
AirPods Max Vs. Bose 700 vs. Sony WH-1000XM4: Sound quality
We will give a full evaluation of the audio quality of AirPods Max in our next review, although the initial word is that it sounds great. It may not be great for $ 549, but they have the Apple Space Audio feature (last seen on the AirPods Pro) that can create a stronger surround sound effect.
The Bose and Sony headphones don’t have an equivalent party trick, but they still sound rich and detailed in both respects. The Bose 700 pursues a balanced and neutral sound signature, while the Sony WH-1000XM4 is lower and crazier, although you can change this in the accompanying application.
There are no manual EQ controls for the AirPods Max, but Apple is dancing around with its EQ adjustment feature: in essence, the AirPods Max can analyze the fit and seal of the headphones and dynamically adjust the middle and height for better acoustic performance on the go. using audio calculation.
AirPods Max Vs. Bose 700 vs. Sony WH-1000XM4: Noise cancellation
In our tests, active Bose 700 noise cancellation is slightly more efficient than the Sony WH-1000XM4 when it comes to stopping ambient noise. Both work great, although it will be interesting to see if AirPods Pro can exceed this benchmark.
All three pairs of headphones also have “transparency” modes, which reuse the on-board microphones normally used to create the muting effect to help you hear the world around you without having to take off your headphones. This is useful when navigating busy streets or you need to talk to someone briefly, so it’s a good idea to see it included on the AirPods Max, Bose 700 and Sony WH-1000XM4.
AirPods Max Vs. Bose 700 vs. Sony WH-1000XM4: Battery life
AirPods Max and Bose 700 are in dead heat for battery life, both rated for 20 hours of playback. Not bad, but far from the longevity of the Sony WH-1000XM4, which can last 30 hours with noise cancellation on and up to 38 hours with it off.
Sony headphones recharge faster too. 10 minutes of charging an empty pair will give 5 hours of listening; Meanwhile, Apple cites 1.5 hours of playback from a 5-minute charge, and the Bose 700 offers 3.5 hours of playback from 15 minutes. Even though we assume that the AirPods Max can maintain its fast charging speed for longer periods of time, which is unlikely, the WH-1000XM4 still wins.
AirPods Max Vs. Bose 700 vs. Sony WH-1000XM4: Outlook
The AirPods Max may sound so good and have such noise-canceling and audio-space features that you can feasibly spend $ 549 on them and still be happy. They are already competitive in terms of design and specifications, even if there are some strange omissions, such as the 3.5 mm plug.
However, you should not overlook the Sony WH-1000XM4. They can go from foot to foot with the Bose 700 in terms of sound quality, design and comfort, while easily beating them in terms of accessibility and battery life. Given how good the Bose 700 is, it leaves the AirPods Max with a huge hill to climb.