Max Value

I watched Robby Huang's recent Easily Digestible vlog episode and came away with undue secondhand concern for his AirPods Max purchase. I've owned AirPods Max myself for about two years, relying on them when I'm at my home office and when I go to the park. However, I've often found myself as frustrated as I am served by their unique design. While AirPods Max can find a natural place in anyone's life, it's easy to get disillusioned if you simply treat them like any other pair of headphones you've owned before. It's understandable: I mean why wouldn't you treaty headphones like headphones?

Long-Haul Audio

Airpods Max are expensive, they feature replaceable ear cushions, and they probably aren't getting any changes beyond the added USB-C port and fresh colors this Fall.

We’re probably stuck with the pros and cons of this design for the foreseeable future. For now, it’s important to set realistic expectations for how you use and maintain these headphones long-term. They'll help get as much value as you can out of such expensive headphones, and they'll be useful when conventional troubleshooting proves less-fruitful. Most importantly, they keep you from blaming yourself when something doesn't go to plan.

Think Wide and Thin, Not Chunky

Premium wireless headphones in AirPods Max's price range travel well, but they travel the same. They usually sport pronounced, bulky ear cups to provide a good listening experience. However, their headbands often fold inwards so they can to fit into a (usually) pill-shaped case. Most headphones in cases can accommodate Tetris-like stacking below tech pouches, battery packs, or books without issue.

AirPods Max achieve portability differently. Because of their sturdy, all-metal construction and 'thin' profile, they don't need a case to protect them. However, you do need to pack with all the exposed gaps and their ‘purse-bra’ shape in mind.

AirPods Max require a thin box-like space to itself in your bag, preferably with nothing obstructing it from above. This protects the headband mesh and makes it easy to pull AirPods Max out by its handle when needed. Try packing AirPods Max like you would pack a thick iPad or MacBook rather than a pouch or lunch box.

These considerations might feel odd at first. But Airpods Max's design is odd, so they shuld be accommodatyed as such.

The Connector Behind the Curtain

Removing the ear cushions on AirPods Max reveal a tiny pinhole within the plastic of each ear cup. Pushing the button inside with a paper clip or SIM tool undoes a lock, allowing you to detach the headband from each ear cup. While this may sound scary, you'll find that the headband is more of a glorified cable that plugs into each ear cup with a Lightning-esque connector.

This construction means that condensation from air and sweat will naturally make its way into the ear cup port over time, producing thin layers of copper oxide (at least that’s what a Reddit thread told me) that can interrupt the ear cups' ability to communicate with each other.

For me, this results in interruptions where I will suddenly hear a high-pitched click/snap before the headphones simply re-establish their connection. Sometimes, I'll hear constant tiny hiccups when watching a movie.

You can prevent this by regularly wiping the connector clean of any grey/blue residue after detaching. This solution only occurred to me two years into owning my pair. It's nice that I can fix a problem like this myself, but it's a shame that moisture needs to be at the back of your mind with this particular gadget.

Protect the Mesh

AirPods Max are built with wear and tear in mind. They have sturdy metal construction, the ear cushions are replaceable, the ear cups sport mesh to catch dust and ear wax, and the headband's connector pins can be periodically cleaned. For the most part, it's difficult to irreversibly damage these headphones without concerted effort.

AirPods Max's headband mesh is a different story. It's a fabric component that's important for comfort. As vital as it is, it will just will get stretched, worn, and dirtied with use. That said, it can't be replaced without an expensive trip to the Apple Store. If you don't replace a stretched mesh, the metal headband will have no choice but to press down on your head. Using AirPods Max can become actively painful to wear after 2-3 hours since the entire device tries to achieve a snug clamp on your head. Not fun!

To protect this important but fragile component, keep the headband unobstructed in a bag, or at least covered by something without hard edges or corners. This way, nothing can accidentally shuffle around and start poking the mesh. Keep the mesh dry since it's more likely to deform after being moistened by wet hair or sweat.

Buy a silicone cover for the headband. Because silicon is more rigid than the mesh, it will provide more firm support on your head, creating a more reliable cushion between you and the headband metal. It also keeps the mesh from making direct contact with your head, keeping it clean and tight for longer. My mesh has long been worn and useless, but the silicone cover gave the headband newfound support, resolving the headache-inducing pain of wearing them for ‘too long’.

Finally, try stretching the headphones out before putting them on. This will keep the headphones loose for a session: especially good if headphones tend to clamp your eye glass temples.

Give the $70 Earcups a Bath

I know those earcups are expensive, but they can get disgusting. They'll be subjected to all manner of sweat and oils, so it behooves you to know how to keep them clean. Apple recommends scrubbing out stains with a toothbrush, but drying them afterwards is impossible. They take days to dry, meaning bacteria have all the time they need to get the dense foam inside smelly.

I haven't had any issue with just throwing them in the washer and dryer tucked into a mesh laundry bag. The stains buff out, none of the components come undone, and they come our smelling dry and clean.

It’s risky on-paper, sure. But I can’t just let the earcups soak up my sweat and ear oils unanswered. Filth shant win!

Have Fun!

While these solutions are not individually complicated, they're incredibly unofficial. I was willing to do whatever it took to take leverage the automatic switching, but I figure that most people need a little more help to sweeten the deal. I’ve never had an Apple product that could be user-serviceable like this, let alone one that really needed your input to keep it running.

I just didn't want to leave people in a position where they thought their headphones were 'broken' or that they were using them ‘incorrectly’.

AirPods Max are an impressively nuanced piece of technology. However, this nuance is often lost when reviews and YouTube videos focus primarily on superficial stuff. Yes, they’re expensive. Yes, they’re heavy. Yes, the bra-case looks funny.

Take seriously what makes AirPods Max and their design unlike other headphones when you can, and you can eventually find inventive ways to fit them into your life.