Apple's AirPods are still being sold for $549/£549 over at Apple's website – their original retial price. But there's no reason you need to be paying that today, and so I'm putting together all the best prices that can currently be found, especially with Black Friday finally here. For context, the absolute best prices I've seen in the AirPods Max is $350 in the US and £370 in the UK.
I have a pair of these cans, and there are by far the best quality headphones in my collection, also with the best active noise cancellation. They have a luxurious metallic design and wear comfortably for hours of use. However, the headset's 'case' is a bit of a joke, as is the lack of an on and off switch. Perhaps elements that will be rectified when the rumoured AirPods Max 2s come out (mid-2024?)
If you're also considering inner earphones, see our roundup of the best AirPods Pro 2 prices.
Apple's best headphones for fantastic sound.
Weight: 350g | Drivers: 40mm dynamic | Battery: 20 hours
Stunning sound
Amazing noise-cancelling
Comfortable to wear
Extra features for iOS
No off switch
Competing brands offer lighter options
When Apple released the AirPods Max in 2020, we were immediately impressed with their design, comfort, sound quality and active noise cancellation. But at $549/£549, the price was hard to swallow, especially when they are other headphones with ANC for a couple hundred bucks less.
However, since then we've started to see much better AirPods Max deals. Today, we quite regularly see prices of around $449/£449 at retailers such as Amazon. That's a saving of $100/£100 on Apple's price. We have occasionally seen AirPods Max prices fall even cheaper, but those deals don't tend to last long, so if you do see anything cheaper than the price above, we recommend snapping it up quickly.
As we explain in our in-depth AirPods Max review, these remain the best Apple headphones to date for sound quality. When we reviewed them, we were extremely impressed with the sound quality and the noise-cancelling, which easily rivals the industry-leading Sony WH-1000XM4s.
Are the Apple AirPods Max worth it?
If you're an Apple die-hard fan, you won't need much persuading. The AirPod Max are Apple's best headphones to date, and they fit effortlessly in the Apple ecosystem. They also look the part. But if you're not an Apple fan and need convincing, here's what we think...
Compared to other industry-leading noise-cancelling headphones that we have hands-on tested and reviewed, the AirPods Max rank right at the top on many criteria, and very high in others. We think they're among the best for sound quality, design and noise-cancelling. They're deep and rich in their sound balance, with dynamic, expansive and natural sound. They look beautiful and are made with top quality materials and fit comfortably with long use. The noise-cancelling is arguably better than the other leading option, the Sony WH-1000XM4s – that is to say, exceptional.
Where it's not all gravy is that the AirPods come with a fairly, well, weird case. It does little to protect the actual headphones and it doesn't actually turn the headphones 100% off. That means that if you leave your AirPods Max lying around for a while, don't expect them to be battery full when you pick them up. However, the battery is good, and charging to full is quick, so this may not be a deal-breaker.
How much are the AirPods Max?
The Apple AirPods Max went on sale in December 2020 for $549/£549. That makes them considerably more expensive than many other noise-cancelling, over-ear headphones. That's if you buy them directly from Apple. However, we see quite regular AirPods Max deals from third-party retailers. The record lowest AirPods Max prices we've seen to date are $350 in the US and £370 in the UK, but these were one-off deals that didn't last long. Most often, they can be found for around $500 and £449.
