Picking some fabulous headphones that are over $300 is always going to be a personal experience. And as you can imagine, it’s not easy; if anything, it can be rather challenging to make the right pick. But the truth is that you always want to fully take your time and commit to bringing in the best results and a rewarding process. With that being said, which option between the AirPods Max vs Sony WH-1000XM4 is better?
Build and design
Upon seeing the AirPods Max vs Sony WH-1000XM4, you will notice that Apple takes the win here. The design is awe-inspiring; they went out there with the overall visual appeal. And yes, it’s more innovative and unique. The telescopic arms are great; breathability is excellent, so you have a premium experience. Sony does the same, but it’s not as visually engaging and enticing as this option. They both have a case, but people like Sony’s more because it’s practical. Once again, Apple tried to innovate, and some like the case a lot, others less so.
Photo by Vladimir Kondriianenko on Unsplash Photo by Ravi Palwe on Unsplash
No waterproofing
Yes, both the AirPods Max and Sony WH-1000XM4 don’t have any waterproofing. It’s not ok because you would expect something like this from a premium product.
Capacitive controls
Sony has these on the headphones, and you are indeed getting an excellent value with them. The playback control is perfect, and you feel that premium quality from the start. Apple doesn’t have that, and at their price point, it honestly seems inadmissible.
Playback and performance
The 40mm dynamic driver is great for the AirPods Max, you feel an excellent value for the money here, and you have nine mics in total. Sony only has two mics per cut, so way less. Both of them have spatial audio, albeit in their copyrighted way. Sony does provide excellent noise cancellation, whereas Apple doesn’t excel at that. The companion app from Sony is impressive, and it does make everything seamless and straightforward, as it should be.
Battery life
No wireless charging is provided in any of the options. That being said, Apple’s option goes for 20 hours on a charge. Sony will give you up to 38 hours if you disable ANC. Otherwise, it will be less than 30. So yes, Sony takes the victory here, and it just provides a more comprehensive and robust experience than you would imagine.
AirPods Max vs Sony WH-1000XM4: Conclusion
Overall, we found the AirPods Max and Sony WH-1000XM4 to be very good. Based on the price, it’s easy to see that the AirPods try to be the most impressive premium solution. But with Sony offering similar features at half the price, it’s hard to argue with them giving the better deal. If you’re in the Apple ecosystem, then the AirPods Max is a good option. Yet if you are on a budget and want to pay less for almost the same features, then the Sony WH-1000XM4 is the better option, in our opinion.
You can also find out about Beats Studio3 Wireless vs Sony WH-1000XM4
