Simplicity is an obsession with Apple. Not just uncluttered looks form the hallmark of simplicity; it’s about caring for each component going inside a product so that consumers, who pay a premium, wouldn’t be left scratching their head over functions. Apple’s 1977 marketing brochure for the Apple II featured a line that remains true in 2021 — “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” And it holds true for Apple AirPods Max.

The intention is obviously not to sell the over-ear headphone to someone who’s looking for wireless earbuds, like the simple AirPods. This is a pair of headphones that do certain things very well and those, in turn, have helped create a category on its own. On the one end of the spectrum are studio-grade headphones that are extremely costly and are geared for production while on the other is luxury listening, which is AirPods Max.

It’s for those who like iPhones for a reason — point, shoot and be amazed by the photograph or video. The lens on the iPhone obviously is not as big as that on a pro-grade option from Nikon or Canon but they make up for it with the company’s proprietary chip that takes computational photography to an extreme level, creating photos that are worthy of a place on walls and billboards. Similarly, AirPods Max channels all the audio data through H1 chips and advanced software for a breakthrough listening experience.

Value of sound

Like we said, a few things get done like no other over-ear headphone. For example, how it tackles noises. Turning on active noise cancellation simply cuts the user from the world beyond the headphone. Be it a gust of wind, people shouting, cars passing by or the whirl of the fan, everything gets cancelled. There is a slight vacuum-y feel when you turn on ANC the first few times but after a day, your ears adjust to it.

What is surprisingly good is transparency mode that lets ambient noises in. Look, this mode is present on every other good headphone but however much brands promise, only a handful of devices make this mode interesting. With most headphones, if one is required to talk to a person for 30-40 seconds, it’s best to remove the device. Not on this one. It’s almost like you are not wearing headphones at all. The microphone inside the earcups helps to hear your own voice clearly, which is missing on most options in the market.

More interesting (and complicated) is the topic of sound. Generally speaking, Bluetooth audio is not the way to listen to music. There is a lot of codec talk when you buy headphones — SBC, aptX and LDAC, which deliver compressed audio data over Bluetooth. Apple uses AAC. Audio CD bitrate is 1,411 kbps while LDAC reaches up to 990kbps and AAC has a bitrate of 256kbps. These are great figures to look at but we should also realise that AAC works differently. It eliminates data that human ears can’t pick up, making it an efficient codec without compromising the range or reliability of Bluetooth, which is not the case with LDAC. Frankly, you should look at drivers, amplification and the digital-analogue convertor inside the headphones, which are more important.

You have heard that Apple Music now supports lossless audio, which can be up to 24bit/48kHz or 24bit/192kHz. For the former, you can use a lightning to 3.5mm audio cable (needs to be bought separately). It is also bi-directional, which eliminates latency. This is important while editing professional-grade videos to ensure that picture and sound are in sync.

Of course, you want to know whether it sounds good. The bass on this set of cans is extremely well controlled and upper mids sound great. String instruments standout and there is excellent vocal clarity. The soundstage is remarkable for a pair of closed headphones.

We are not done. There is also spatial sound, which is immersive. While streaming on Apple Music, spatial sound does wonders to how all the instruments are placed and while playing videos, the technology sparkles. Using the gyroscope and accelerometer in AirPods Max and iPhone or iPad, spatial audio tracks the motion of a user’s head as well as the device, compares the motion data, then remaps the sound field so it stays anchored to the device, even as the user’s head moves.

And consistency is the name of the game. No matter how you place the headphones on your ears, even if it’s at an angle, the frequency response stays pretty much the same. If you wear glasses or have ear piercings, the headphone takes everything into account. The Adaptive EQ can measure the sound signal delivered to the ears and adjusts the low and mid-frequencies in real time, ensuring every detail is captured.

To listen to lossless music via Apple Music, a lightning to 3.5mm audio cable is required or explore a DAC option. The Telegraph

Comfort and feel

So everything is fine with the headphone? There is a strange design quibble. The headphone gets full marks in terms of comfort — the mesh canopy on the headband reduces the weight of the device while the earcups can be taken off and replaced (magnets hold them in place), ensuring a long life. Even the Digital Crown-inspired volume knob offers good control over volume.

But it’s the slim Smart Case into which the AirPods Max needs to be placed in (so that it can go into ultra-low power mode) that could have been slightly different. While carrying the headphone on a plane, a different type of case would have offered more protection. If kept out of the case, battery life doesn’t deteriorate rapidly. In case you put the headphone down and leave it stationary for five minutes, it will go into a low power mode (not ultra-low) to preserve battery charge.

Apple has said that a full charge can offer 20 hours of listening time with active noise cancellation and spatial audio turned on. In fact, we got slightly more than that. And water resistance? None; it’s not for exercising or swimming.

Should you buy it?

When iPhone dropped the headphone jack in 2016, the path to a wireless world was paved and AirPods Max is a step forward in that direction. After AirPods and AirPods Pro, it was but natural for Max to arrive to cater to a different target group. What is more interesting is that Apple is living up to its philosophy of simplicity. Once the AirPods Max is on your ears, you can just sync it to any Apple device and play anything off the Internet.

Whether you should look at AirPods Max is about what value you are looking for in it. These are the best computational headphones on the market, especially for those who are invested in the Apple ecosystem, delivering sound that’s rounded, full and with lots of range. AirPods Max offers enough reasons to get lost in music.

More about it

The earcups on AirPods Max can be replaced and to make it go into ultra-low power mode, slip it into the Smart Case. The Telegraph

Device: Apple AirPods Max

Price: Rs 59,900

Colours: Space grey, silver, green, sky blue and pink

High notes

• Well-balanced soundstage

• Ease of use

• Excellent active noise cancellation and transparency mode

• Best spatial audio experience

• Future-proofed for Apple users

• Earcups can easily be replaced

• Luxury design

Muffled notes

• The design of the Smart Case could have been different

• A 3.5mm jack would have helped