AirPods Max: A Showcase of Apple’s Extravagance
By: Omar Zahran
Tags: Apple, Technology, Headphones, Innovation, Audio

Image Credit: Apple

Diversification is something that should be applauded. We have all met that person that is incredibly one-dimensional. No one enjoys talking to a person that has a limited range of conversation. But we all know a few people like that, and their existence should make us appreciate the friends that we can talk to about almost anything. When it comes to companies that make products that we buy, we sometimes glorify the one-dimensional company. The company that only makes one kind of product can sometimes be glorified as being “laser-focused” and “true to its core audience”. Some PC gaming computer manufacturers come to mind here. A company like MSI is beloved by gamers because all they produce is hardware catered to the gaming community. It is when a company makes various products for various types of people that there seems to be a disdain that emerges. This was the first thing that I thought about when Apple unveiled the AirPods Max this week. That this is a further indication of the varied nature of Apple, a company that appeals to all sorts of people.

So, What Are They?

Image Credit: Apple

To put it plainly, the AirPods Max are high-end overhead wireless headphones. They offer exciting features such as active noise cancellation, a comfortable design, a digital crown for precise controls, and spatial audio for Apple devices. They are objectively a great pair of headphones. What has many people up in arms is how much they cost. The AirPods Max cost $550. They are expensive and positioned as a premium product because they are a premium product.

The instant comparison by many was to two headphones that tech reviewers have mentioned a lot this year: Sony’s 1000-MX4 and Bose’s NC 700, which cost $350 and $400 respectively. The reason for the comparison is appropriate on the surface. The offerings from Sony and Bose are excellent wireless listening solutions with active noise cancellation and a comfortable fit. As a result, the opinions formed have been that these headphones are $200 more than they should cost.

My counter to that point is that Apple has always positioned itself a notch above its comparable competition in terms of price. When AirPods were first introduced, there were other wireless earbud solutions available at a lower price, there have always been Windows laptops that are equally specced to the MacBook Pro and Air that are often hundreds of dollars cheaper, and the iPhone is frequently higher priced than many of its Android competitors. Apple has never been afraid to charge more than everyone else in the room. In some ways, this is what makes the company so polarizing. To some, this is an indication of craftsmanship and quality while to others it is a manifestation of corporate greed.

What the AirPods Max truly represents is the high-end wireless audio solution for the Apple user. As these headphones feature the vaunted H1 chip that allows for additional features with Apple hardware, these are designed to be utilized by someone that is fully invested in Apple products and wants a premium listening experience for their music. This can be seen through the fine details that the company is choosing to highlight with this product. A focus on the aesthetic design and comfort level that is provided by the mesh head strap is indicative of this. Apple views its current wireless headphone strategy like this: the standard AirPods for $159 are the communication headphones, the $250 AirPods Pro are the hybrid communication and decent music listening experience, while the AirPods Max at $550 represents the full audio-focused experience for its users. When looked at in this regard, what they are trying to accomplish makes a little more sense. The elephant in the room, however, continues to be the fact that Apple manages another audio brand: Beats.

The Beats Conundrum

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I remember when the first Beats by Dre headphones were released in 2006. As a long time fan of hip-hop music, there was a certain excitement about a producer that was a household name having their signature headphones. Over the years I’ve used various Beats products and enjoyed the experience since they typically complement the type of music that I listen to that features heavy bass and drum patterns. In 2012, when the partnership between Beats and Monster was evaporating there seemed to be a feeling that the Beats brand was dead.

That was until 2014 when Apple bought the rights to the Beats brand and infused it into its product portfolio. The move at the time made a lot of sense to me since Apple has always had an interest in audio with its iPod and iTunes brand so having a headphone company in-house was a natural progression. The concern was if they would be able to make the Beats brand have an Apple flair to it or if it would languish as the proverbial red-headed stepchild in the Apple product line.

In many ways, this is precisely what has happened. The Beats brand continued to be one that didn’t exactly conform to the clean minimalist feel of other Apple products. The Beats image still felt like something very different than the products that defined Apple like the iPhone and iPad. Beats were loud and colorful, a product designed for a younger generation. Whereas the rest of Apple’s product line took a more mass appeal approach, appealing to all age ranges with understated minimalism. When the first AirPods launched, the writing was on the wall that the Beats brand might soon be a thing of the past or at the very least much less of a focus in Cupertino.

And sure enough, as there have been multiple generations of AirPods released the focus from Apple on the Beats brand has faded into the background. The company has quietly updated the entire lineup with more accurate sound profiles, taking away the previous reputation of the headphones only being good for bass-heavy music. For years, Beats has attempted to remain relevant in the high-end consumer headphone space by competing directly with Sony and Bose. The AirPods Max could not interfere with this, so they aim to be a notch above. A more approachable entry into high fidelity wireless audio competing with niche solutions from companies like Sennheiser and Bang & Olufson. In the context of the entire Apple audio lineup, these make sense in that regard.

Segmentation Outrage

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As was mentioned earlier, a lot of people instantly scoffed at the price tag of the AirPods Max. These are the same people that have scoffed at the price of Mac Pro, the wheels for the Mac Pro, and the Pro Display XDR. Apple is capable of making some very expensive hardware. But it is also capable of making reasonably priced hardware that is objectively very good. A prime example of this would be the 2020 iPhone SE and the 8th generation iPad, both of which can be had for under $400 (or $300 less than the cost of wheels for the Mac Pro). There is a diversity to Apple where it can release a smartwatch that undercuts the price of Samsung watches (Apple Watch SE) while still crafting a pair of $550 wireless headphones.

While people are angry at Apple for having the audacity to release a pair of headphones this expensive, the reality is that they offer other wireless audio solutions at a variety of price points. From the $50 Beats Flex all the way to the AirPods Max. Apple more than most other companies that it competes with, is able to create solutions at all ends of the pricing spectrum, and as a result is noticed more for these efforts. The company is not afraid to make a niche product that will be criticized for price despite how small of an audience it may have.

The genius of the AirPods Max that differentiate it from other solutions in the $300–400 range are the replaceable ear cups. They are attached by magnets, making them easy to remove for cleaning or replacement. This ensures a longer life of the headphones. Granted, $550 is still a lot to spend for almost everyone on headphones. But Apple is not attempting to make this a mass market set of headphones. They are the best wireless audio that the company has to offer, and quite often the best is not the one that people buy. In the car industry, the bulk of people end up buying the midsize sedan and not the vaunted luxury car. This is the same dynamic at play here.

What AirPods Max do for Apple is to reinforce its commitment to music while showing that it can be extravagant when it needs to be extravagant. While some may see this product release as tone deaf to the realities of the economics of the “average consumer”, I see it differently. Apple has made something that is for someone wanting the best possible audio quality on their Apple devices. And if the asking price is too high, the company will gladly sell you a pair of Beats Solo for half the price.