AirPods Max In-Depth Review! Hear the difference vs Sony XM4, Bose 700, & Beoplay H9/H95 Headphones!

[@DSmilezB]

I have never seen this level of effort to immerse the audience to an audio experience. Great work Brian and YES I can hear the difference!

[@sony2k0]

DankPods!

[@simpleedrew]

I agree with you. I am MORE THAN APPRECIATIVE OF HIS TIME FOR THIS!!! This is a jewel that I feel no ones else WOULDVE offered us!!! An actual chance to Hear these while SOCIAL DISTANCING HAHHA.

[@xanira6367]

it was difficult to hear the differences between the airpods and the sonys, but the bose were much narrower and tinny sounding. the B&O headphones were far ahead of the airpods, much wider and separated sound, they almost sound like speakers in the way that they dont sound so claustrophobic like headphones typically do. the classical piece on the B&O headphones is spot on, as someone who has played Violin/Viola for 10+ years, and attended many concerts. i dont think the airpods are bad at all, and theye certainly better than both the bose and sony, but both of the B&O headphones just blow them out of the water. (listened on sennheiser hd660s)

[@raymondnafouti6451]

I totally agree with you! It feels like he is abit biased..

[@jimmygoodson]

@@raymondnafouti6451 It could just be a trained ear type of thing or maybe he didn't listen to them long enough or with the right kind of music. My hope is that the H95s really do outperform the AirPods Max. The H95s price tag sure does and I just purchased them today so I have high hopes. Based on what the majority of people say though, the H95s are in a class of their own. I have to say though, this comparison was interesting and funny/entertaining to watch.

[@MisterGonzilla]

⁠@@jimmygoodson 5 months later, how do you like the B&O?

[@jimmygoodson]

@@MisterGonzilla I ended up returning them. They sounded decent for the most part and I loved the controls but they were a little on the quiet side and had a hard time reproducing certain game sound effects to the point it sounded harsh to my ears. All of that combined with their price tag prompted me to return them. I instead went with the B&W Px8. Also picked up the Focal Bathys cause I couldn't help myself. Both are awesome pairs of headphones and are a couple hundred dollars cheaper. Oh and the H95s, while they have fantastic build quality, the clamping force is no joke. I could ignore it for some time but eventually I just wanted to take them off. The thought of putting them back on just reminded me of the pain I'd have to endure lol.

[@stephaniemoura9325]

Thank you! I don’t feel crazy now! I hear the same. The audio with the B&O almost feels like an audiospacial and feels like I’m hearing the instruments almost as if it was live! Because of being able to hear the separation of the instruments so clearly.

[@alexkhan2000]

I recently got the B&O Beoplay H95 even though I've had the the AirPods Max for several months now. I like the APM but I don't love it. Overall, it's a major improvement across the board over the Sony WH-1000XM3 that I've had for several years for business travel purposes. That being said, there is moisture condensation issue in the ear cups with the APM after about an hour or more of use, which is very annoying. It's also not as comfortable as I thought it'd be. The clamping press is tighter than I expected and more so than the Sony XM3 and the Bose QC35 I've owned in the past. Sound quality wise, the APM is really good as is the ANC and the transparent listening feature. It's a balanced sound and has good resolution from top to bottom without any emphasis on specific frequency range. This being said, I find the APM's sound a little "dense" and I'm used to the very spacious sound, soundstage and imaging of my TOTL wired audiophile headphones like the Abyss AB-1266 Phi TC, RAAL SR1a, Abyss Diana Phi, Audeze LCDi4, and the JH Audio Layla custom IEM. Already having spent a luxury car's worth of headphones, DACs, amps and cables, I decided to give the B&O H95 a try and received it a few days ago. Overall, I'm very happy I got the H95 and find it a noticeable improvement over the APM in almost every way except for transparent listening. Of course, it doesn't integrate quite seamlessly with my Apple gear like the APM but, for me, it's about the sound quality, ANC and comfort for this type of headphone and the H95 totally delivers on those fronts. Compared to the APM, the sound is much more spacious with substantially greater separation between the different instruments and improved imaging and slightly greater resolution across the entire sonic spectrum. I really don't think the binaural comparison does it justice. You really have to hear them side by side on your head with your own ears to come to a meaningful conclusion. These tests and comparisons provide some basic idea on the tonality of the headphones but not a good sense of the soundstage, imaging and other finer details. The H95 sounds noticeably more pristine and airy in the highs while deeper on the bass with a nice integration of the mids. The separation between the instruments is wider with pinpoint placements so you hear them in their own space and not on top of each other. The H95 reminded me a lot of the Abyss headphones I have. Of course, it's just not in the same league of those wired headphones being driven by expensive DACs and amps connected by high-end cables but, for ANC wireless, it's really, really nice. It gets in the audiophile territory although I wouldn't call it that. Is it worth $849? That is up to the beholder and just how much you value the sound quality. The ANC feature on the H95 is better than I expected. I read that it has improved with firmware updates recently and I find it on par with the APM and the XM3, which I still have around although it's basically my son's now. I have no interest in Sony and Bose anymore. Been there, done that. They're good and nothing to really complain about but, to me, the Bose sound is bland and the Sony just doesn't sound natural - especially for genres like classical, jazz, acoustic and vocal music that I listen to most of the time. The only time I listen to rock, pop, metal and EDM is when I work at the gym with earbuds. Anyway, very happy with the H95 and I'll still keep the APM but it just won't get used as much. What it comes down to is that I like the APM but I really love the H95.

[@alexsmith1207]

Without Bluetooth how do they compare with wire on Type C or jack. 🤔🤔

[@alexsmith1207]

Btw i have Dali io4 and Iow is recessed and with traveling like in a car is even lower. I do wonder because with wired the resolution is higher. A audiophile compare Dali io6 favorite with the H95's which are now the favorites. Im just wondering if with wired or connected via type c changes the sound??

[@alexkhan2000]

@@alexsmith1207 I tried the H95 with my Chord Electronics Hugo M-Scaler up-sampler and TT2 DAC/headphone amp yesterday and it does definitely sound better than Bluetooth but that's to be expected. Wired will always sound better with a good setup than BT. I have not yet tried connecting the APM to my setup with the Apple 3.5mm audio jack to Lightning but I plan to try soon. I hear more of everything with wired - better resolution, detail and clarity, slightly expanded soundstage, improved imaging, etc. But going back to BT wireless is not as big of a degradation as I thought. The wired H95 can hang with my TOTL audiophile headphones through the Chord setup. I'm very impressed.

[@alexsmith1207]

@@alexkhan2000 Thanks!!! Helped a lot

[@uo9zzzyxwvutsrqp0nmkjihgfe43]

Damn Thats crazy but im not reading all that

[@erikasantoes]

YOOOO THIS LEVEL OF EFFORT THOUGH. You deserve some sort of award for this

[@ricothevampire]

Man, I was NOT looking forward to spending almost an hour on one video, and I almost never do. But this was the BEST review I’ve watched out of the 20+ reviews on the APM. 100% worth my time.

[@jameswalsh2427]

Very true

[@urbanlifedancestudio]

what is apm

[@ChazLangley]

Indeed!

[@ricothevampire]

@@urbanlifedancestudio Airpods Max

[@urbanlifedancestudio]

@@ricothevampire oh

[@weiw7451]

I almost never comment on a youtube video, but I felt like I need to give this video the appreciation it deserves! This is the exact kind of review I was looking for. Thank you so much for the effort putting into the video, it helps me tremendously.

[@Salar-ef9ei]

You deserve more for the effort you are putting into this

[@hliasunknown]

Well even if he put more effort in this than others doesn't mean he proven something, if he wanted to do this right he would pick the Sony XM4 and Air Pod Max first test them with Bluetooth to see which one perform best then use a Soundcard to see how they perform in ideal setup and lastly with a laptop. AND if airpod max is better on all 3 of them then that would show that it is superior on sound quality than XM4s but they are not in the same price bracket, that means that even if the air pod max is better its on different price point so they both are best for their price/category NCWH(Noise-Cancelling Wireless Headphones)kinda. So yea he had the tools but he didn't make a justice for all uses, the primary is Bluetooth and the secondary is Cable and lastly the ideal cable with soundcard. he covered only the cable on a laptops sound chip. There is possibility that this laptops chip was not perfectly balanced on the sound lets say so this review is not perfect cause he didn't tried the other 2 methods i said. Plus he didn't tried to test the Mic quality, if he compared XM4 vs AIRPODMAX with Bluetooth and then only Mic quality test that would be perfect review cause that's how those headphones are meant to be used, so the cable and the soundcard are extras and he could use with and without noise canceling to see how it affects the soundquality etc. So the effort doesn't matter if it is kinda useless. :P

[@Salar-ef9ei]

@@hliasunknown I was looking for headphones a while back. Watched review after review. Only helped a little. This is the kind of review that actually helps while trying to make a decision about which one to buy. I ain't buying the airpods. I don't even have the xm4. But watching this review was a really good experience. Everyone can give an opinion on how to make this review even better but only few can actually do it. If this review seems useless I don't even know what the rest of the reviews on KZbin should be called.

[@swipekonnect]

maybe here's how apple works: first it decides the sell rate say x units per month, then it calculates the price that can achieve that rate, then it decides where to splurge / cut corners etc (and this is done for the entire roadmap)

[@marlonmesias75]

@@hliasunknown bro, I understand they are not on the same price. But you have to consider the built quality and the materials the Max are using. And the way it looks..

[@hliasunknown]

​@@marlonmesias75 The materials apple used are heavier than XM4s, and everyone is talking about how it's uncomfortable when you walk around. As for the durability we don't know yet, already everyone is worried about the soft aluminum that it can be scratched, the earcup adjuster plus spring and head band. It doesn't look better than XM4s for me, plus all i care about is Sound quality and durability on the long run. For some people metal materials are premium for others is durability overall, and even how it looks is subjective i prefer black and not standing out headphones, especially if its for outdoor use. As for the ON/OFF problem with the case lets hope that apple will fix it from 2hour+ for ultra battery save to 5-20min when you remove the headphones, they could just make a button for it but anyways... That's extra bucks to buy a case for the headphones if you want something to put them in, because the one apple provides is useless for the headband and the earcup adjuster protection, no idea how its called. For Example: Anker Life Q30 Hybrid 80-100 € Sony WH-1000XM3 250+ € Sony WH-1000XM4 300 € Apple AirPodMax 650-700 € as you can see they do not compete on the same price point the difference is not big in sound quality to justify the price, as for comfort they are heavier and not as comfortable when you walk plus we don't know their endurance on the long run yet, so are they worth their price? is up to you to decide. You can't really compare Anker Life Q30 with XM4 cause they are x3 the price, same with AirPodMax they are double the price of XM4s without a nice case and audio jack cable and they take more space than the XM4s in their case. So if you buy a case + the cable you will go even higher in price and it will take even bigger space. If apple wanted to make a better product they had to compete in the same price as the XM4s or atleast close to it. The products are rated based on their prices, usually there is no bad product when their price is right. And yes i think that AirPodMax doesn't worth their price but they do not have a competitor on that price bracket as a Wireless Noise canceling headphones so if they are the best they might aswell get as much money as they can from their costumers that's their speciality anyways. And because of that, sony might aswell charge more money for their next XM5s cause as old people say, if you give a free potato to someone they will not appreciate it without a price tag on it, so if you put a high price people will give that potato even more value the higher the price the more they will want it. so as long as you have the best you can put whatever price you want and people will still pay for it the only reason for someone to drop the price is to compete usually, something apple doesn't want cause all they do is increase the prices cause they can and in the end we will pay more for the next XM5s lets say cause sony will realize that even the casual buyers are now willing to pay more. So as long as you have something others don't you can increase the price of a product and if people agree to pay for that then everyone will follow because in the end all of them want more money, and apple ofc will increase the price as much as they can.

[@martinschneider5256]

And this, boys and girls, is how you do the headphones review Thank you for this review

[@mikecaton7550]

No one has mentioned how hard they are o connect to your Samsung TV. Bad baby bad. I returned mine. Life is too short.

[@freediverx]

@@mikecaton7550 AirPods (every version) are designed for people who live in the Apple ecosystem. For those folks, they are groundbreaking and worth the money, assuming you can afford them. They can also be used with non-Apple devices, but there's not much point since you're paying for a bunch of features and qualities you won't appreciate.

[@Celisar1]

@@freediverx You still get the most important features: sound and anc.

[@ckdav1]

For me on my corded headphones the B&O’s both have better description in the percussion instruments. The H95’s were on another level. I have decided to start putting my pennies aside for them, they are definitely on my wish list now. Thank you for this review I never thought I’d ever come to this conclusion. Liked and subscribed- This video was a credit to you. You hit what I was looking for in other reviews. Top marks.

[@karolykrausz5534]

Beoplay reduced their prices for black Friday. Hope your pennies were ready yesterday 😀😀.

[@romainehayden70]

Top notch review Brian. The Brinaural experience was out of this world. Amazing work man.

[@RoeLuv1]

Totally Agree 👍🏽

[@mr.c.3150]

FINALLY. A legit review of these that include the B&Os.

[@harinpv]

Take a bow Brian. This is one of the best review’s I have seen in a very long time. BTW, I did not even forward 10 Seconds and listened to the complete review. The tool is very good and your attention to detail is just amazing. This is how a review should be done. All the headset’s was easy, but as you mentioned the B&O H95 was difficult, but listening to the song carefully will show the difference. Keep the good work coming.

[@soberanisfam1323]

The soundstage on the higher priced b&o is incredible

[@dontedupree]

Definitely

[@pixelwash9707]

I think the B&Os sounded smoother, less ‘tiring’, the airpods max sound has an ‘edge’ to it, it makes them sound brighter, and maybe clearer to some listeners, not for me though. Thanks for doing this test!

[@pinkypoohable]

The AirPods Max and B&O H95 comes very close in sound quality. The only difference is that the vocal clarity in H95 is a lot more prestine, open and well defined compared to the AirPods max. They are both good either way if the price difference is not an issue. But with. battery life and design, I will go to the Bang & Olufsen. It is the brand that I am familiar with at home when it comes to audio. Very good review i have to say. Well done.

[@TheEtbetween]

Excellent point! Definitely agree

[@ToooFastTim]

I agree. I listened on Astro A40's which is by no means ideal but could definitely tell how much better the H95 sounded next to the AirPod Max. The detail in the highs and separation are on another level. It stood out most to me from 36:30 - 36:40. I even felt the bass had more presence on the H95 but that was less noticable. Overall H95 comparison made the AirPods sound muddy imo, but almost twice the price so.

[@Eleventhearlofmars]

@@ToooFastTim I love the sound on both the H95 and the APM. I found the APM more comfortable for longer listening periods but the H95 are just so stylish looking as well. I own other B&O headphones and all have the signature B&O sound but the H95 have been tweaked to sound better than the H9 3rd gen . Money wise they are a nightmare to keep buying though but I’m a headphone geek and I don’t care lol.

[@spamhater86]

wow, those H95 sound great.

[@briantong]

Thanks so much for the overwhelming positive responses to this BEAST of a review. Here's additional Infor for the AirPods Max: These are the audio format supported by the AirPods Max. They are the same formats supported on the iPhone or iPad: AAC‑LC HE‑AAC HE‑AAC v2 Protected AAC MP3 Linear PCM Apple Lossless FLAC Dolby Digital (AC‑3) Dolby Digital Plus (E‑AC‑3) Dolby Atmos and Audible formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+ AirPods Max also supports all formats from the BlueTooth specification: SBC mSBC CVSD AAC-LC For Spatial Audio AirPods Max only use AAC-ELD

[@Wishwader]

I read that Sony doesn’t handle high res audio well over Bluetooth - it makes the connection unreliable especially with Sony’s own format. Does this hold true for Apple too with higher quality formats?

[@entertainment72]

You killed it Brian! Way to go! Max sound better than the Bose and M4’s.

[@RM-lj8bv]

Yo Tha Best Brian.

[@jasonyang6411]

That binoral test is amazing. Definitely gets a feel for how headphones sound differently.

[@koistam]

This was a very unique review that you deserve much credit. It was the first time that a audio review actually provided a audible difference. I can see this being copied all over the internet. I hope they give you credit.

[@webinatic216]

iPhonedo has done this for a year or so.

[@koistam]

@@webinatic216 Didn’t say the technology was new. The audio engineers in our prototype center have done this type of testing for decades. The packaging and presentation of the technology and information deserves credit.

[@webinatic216]

@@koistam Yes. I recommend iPhondo videos if you like presentation. He's one of the best on youtube when it comes to that.

[@JamesDKingJr]

Yo, that demo was dope! This helps a whole lot with deciding on which headphones to buy.

[@HpNoTiZd]

Almost a year later and this is definitely the best review - so informative!

[@ds_7]

Another thing: (1) The earphones all need to be placed on the microphone the same way, since it affects which speakers you hear more, which was clearly not the case in the Beoplay H9 demo, and (2) putting different parts of the song makes it harder to hear the difference since you can’t compare the same sounds.

[@tjmehta]

wow best headphone review I've ever seen. everyone should review using this mic

[@svengi6789]

Jim’s Review Room used to do this, unfortunately he stopped reviewing. I definitely subbed because of this style of review! Thanks Brian :)

[@RumourHasitYT]

Iphonedo used this review technique already

[@urbanlifedancestudio]

@@svengi6789y did he stop tho

[@svengi6789]

@@urbanlifedancestudio I think he wanted to focus on his twitch

[@gaekae]

Love the setup. This is the right way to make a review and actually let people judge for themselves. I love music. I have a pretty good ear but never gave myself the opportunity to compare sound quality this way. Awesome!

[@Salar-ef9ei]

Best headphone review can't say that enough

[@shuaybahmed175]

This guy is a legend, I’ve not seen someone put this kind of effort into a video in ages. Thanks for the experience man :) Subbed!

[@2004cyrus]

He is too young to be a legend. But he is good and one of my favorites

[@Celisar1]

Yes, this video made me subscribe just well. THE best review of the Airpod Max by far (and I have searched YT up and down for reviews).

[@joesher6507]

I almost didn’t watch this gem of a video. Almost. Seriously, every part is well done. Thanks man.

[@kuztomized]

Props for the seamless transitions during the sound comparison

[@swipekonnect]

and the matching backgrounds: brilliant

[@AtomAnt1]

Would've been better if he didn't transition just when the music changed within the song.

[@teddypierce6871]

I was hearing pops or static when you switched between headphones as though you were plugging and unplugging the AUX audio cables into your CD player.

[@Kinobambino]

@@AtomAnt1 indeed. Should've played the same parts

[@CDFortsonIII]

Brian Tong! You’re a beast for this comparison video. I haven’t seen anyone else do this extensive of a review. Keep up the good work.

[@filipse7067]

The soundstage and the detail on the bang and olufson is sooo impressive and by far better than all the others...

[@ericouicestmoimeme]

How can you judge? You have only listened to your headphones, absolutely not those presented here. This process is interesting but it just allows you to hear differences in the processing of the audio signal. But that is not at all faithful to reality and cannot transcribe the soundstage, the separation of the instruments... If your headphones already have too much bass, headphones that are sorely lacking in it will seem balanced to you. If your headphones have too much treble, a well-balanced headphone will sound bad to you too. I had fun testing with two wired headsets. The sound heard on AirPods Max in the video has nothing to do with what I hear in my own AirPods Max. Too much bass, cramped soundstage, weird sound. It would have been smart to play the original tracks in the video. It would have given us less of an idea of the fidelity of the headphones compared to the original music.

[@benjaminw5274]

Listening through my XM3 and the binaural audio definitely makes a difference. I literally laughed out loud when you did the spatial audio demo because I could hear the difference so well lol. Been watching so long you're a part of my childhood, I'm always impressed with your content, great job!

[@lifealigned]

This was comprehensive. Brilliant review. I’ve been looking for a review between the H95 and The Max. 🙏🏾

[@wakeride74]

Listened to this on my H9’s and the Max clearly superior, surprisingly so until the H95. Those are on another level. Huge difference in soundstage and PRaT, they just had a sharper attack with each note lending to a cleaner overall presentation. Well done review man 👏🏼👍🏼

[@MrQuestful]

I’m listening over my iPhone speaker and even I can hear some differences. Well done!

[@irinabolgova3177]

This review deserves so much more views cause it’s incredible! Thanks for this amazing experiment, I did hear the difference in sound and it was just mind blowing! Also everything is beautifully shot and the set up is really pleasant to look at. Thanks again and keep up the good work!!

[@vanessacheung7781]

I listen to this whole demo by Brian. Sony and Bose are out.. Between APM and H95, it really depends on what kind of songs genre a person listens to mostly.. As for me , if I listen to a lot of pop songs with a lot of dance beat eg Madonna, I would choose Air Pods Max over H95.. it won’t have much difference between the 2... also partly due to the price . But if I’m a person who listens to a lot of live performance music, I would go for H95 for sure. Just my opinion anyway

[@IbadGrammarX]

me: damn Beoplay H95 sound great *see price* me: O_O

[@DuongNguyen-gv8qr]

Oh okay thats why i feel h95 is really beast Lmao. H95 just too good.

[@JeraldJamesCapao]

Ya 1000$ hehehehe

[@bepopxxx]

I got my own saliva after see the price, price as same as secondhand car.

[@amossutandi]

considering the h95 gets a proper aluminum hard case, cables and an airplane adapter, you'd probably spend as much with the apm to get the same stuff that's standard with the h95. except with the h95 you get titanium drivers and real leather.

[@tyrionliu1673]

This is absolute different level of reviewing headphones 😂🤙

[@CrisGarcia6]

the apstial audio one, I am glad that you brought that up. you did a good job on moving it around for dynamic head tracking on what was all about.

[@thebige4000]

Awesome work, Brian! I heard the difference. Thank you for bringing the general public as close as we’re going to get to a side by side comparison of all these top models.

[@jayguerrero5003]

hey brian, on the airpod max vs H95, on the 3rd song, I keep hearing a tambourine on the H95 but not on the airpod max, is that part ofthe song at all?

[@elvinassiam4464]

This should be a benchmark for reviews going forward. Super incredible review Brian. Great job.

[@historical_lisa315]

The B&O felt live--like the music was “present” almost like the instruments and voice was coming from immediately in my head. The AirPods held their own, though, for the most part.

[@YourMajestyTheKing]

The way that you described it fits more with In-Ear monitoring headsets. Which i did compare between H95 with. With In-Ear, you hear much more accurate re-production of the instruments' sound. But the one that i have Shure 846 loses the soundstage.

[@claudiabailey5302]

I felt they were live hissed a lot and lacked a bit of clarity

[@kinocchio]

Agree.

[@Anon1370]

yeh i've got a b&o soundbar the soundstage is awesome and i recommend that to anyone if they looking for a new soundbar /hifi i bet the headphones are awesome but abit pricey for me considering the soundbar wasnt much more lol

[@YourMajestyTheKing]

@@Anon1370 yeah i looked into it. but i think that my future set up would be a short throw projector and hopefully an Airpods Max Surround sound compatible Apple TV

[@Bigheaddonut]

While I cannot say if the methodology is sound here, but this is probably the most useful review of the AirPod Max I have seen thus far. Kudos.

[@kmacaskill]

"I cannot say if the methodology is SOUND" well played sir

[@ImInYourBrains]

Fyi, for those who arent familiar with binaural microphones, you have to be careful how you view these results. Without accurately simulating the ear canal shape and the material of the ear (skin, tissue, etc), you wont be able to accurately simulate what the human will hear. This is why this device isnt actually used as a scientific headphone audio measurement tool. Such tools cost $10,000+ . So dont expect what you hear in this video coming from the headphones to be what you will actually hear when you get a pair of your own. But, you can get a general idea about differences between the outputs of the headphones. You can determine which has more base, mid, treble and you can hear which has better clarity and seperation. So if you are like, "I like the sound of the AirPod Max better," then you are fooling yourself. If on the other hand, you are like, "I can hear more details and better seperation in the AirPod Max and I value that a lot," then you are indeed using this video to better inform your purchase decision.

[@anerdwillhackit]

This video is AWESOME! I could clearly hear the differences. Thank you so much for all the hard work that went into this!

[@DjadamGee]

I thought i wanted apples, but now i want h95s

[@DiggssTV]

This interview is so biased!!

[@joemorales643]

@@DiggssTV What interview? This was a review, son

[@beyondartists7641]

🤔 Interview, 😆

[@aldojacobi6007]

@@DiggssTV Sure is - they're trying to find problems (issues) with the other brands to justify the crAPPLE phones, listen to them side-by-side to the B & O 7 it's NO contest!

[@davidlane9609]

B&Os are very good.

[@mckalewiley2753]

This is, hands down, the best headphone review I have ever seen. Well done! You’re on another level.

[@MariaShodunke]

Thanks

[@angelicaazn]

I can definitely hear the differences. Incredible review, just the sheer amount of information, the demos, the edit!!!! Wow!

[@miguelgallardo4504]

This was a great review! I love the fact that you compared them to really high end ear phones. I personally think the H9 were on par with the AirPods max and the H95 were the only ones that beat the AirPods.

[@historical_lisa315]

I agree. The H95 felt like I was at live performances...

[@MasterKey2004]

Same

[@theearthisbread]

H95 sounds weird as if it came out of a soda can.

[@oilybrakes]

@@theearthisbread I'd assume that your headphones could not reproduce the highs that the 95s reproduced. They did feel a bit lighter and crispier, and if you couldn't hear it, it would simply feel hollower then.

[@theearthisbread]

Anton N. Lol my headphones are more accurate than either of these. I just dont like a more energetic sound, i prefer more neutral thats all.

[@vbuendiatube]

And this, ladies and gentleman is how you make a review. Brian, although a young guy, has been doing this for years, and his experience in this work of art shows in a categoric and commanding way. This is the standard. All the other guys, please pay attention, and step up your game. Brian, thanks for spending your time, and resources to give us this information. You are the man.

[@wdamonkey]

You took this to the next level. Best APM review, bar none. I was having buyer’s remorse for ordering but not now. Thanks Brian.

[@tsukasahirragi1957]

Do you still have and use yours? I just bought some and idk if I’m feeling buyers remorse 😂

[@FireoftheRedSun55]

That was extremely effective, Brian. Do it again!

[@TheBlindBarista]

I’m legally blind so I pay more attention to sound and audio than most. I own the Apple AirPods Max and have had them for just a few weeks. I totally agree with you on the difference in all the audio tests. I love how much more open and clear the AirPods Max sound compared to the ones they were tested against. My favorite feature is the special audio combine with noise cancellation. I am so glad I waited 4 years to buy my first pair of over-ear headphones. I knew Apple was going to release them. I just didn’t know when. But I can now say, it was well worth the wait. Thank you for this audio review.

[@RRJnarayanan]

Brian, you should put out a Spotify playlist of what you are listening to. Some nice music there!

[@colinhoward2200]

Ah Spotify - if you are wanting to listen to music on expensive headphones, you need to go to a lossless streaming surface such as TIDAL or Qobuz. I have use them on my AirPod Pros, and that is the best present you can give them, and also enhance the value from them. For the record, the sound difference is amazing even over Bluetooth. Spotify does give you a high bit rate option, but that is not the same as the options the other two services give you - no where near.

[@CoFGillesdeRais]

@@colinhoward2200 tidal has only that going for them since they can’t seem to get their app in working order. No gap less album playback and CarPlay integration is abysmal

[@colinhoward2200]

@@CoFGillesdeRais I am not sure about TIDAL - I use Qobuz. And even if it did suffer the same issues I would take audio quality over things like gapless playback everytime. just depends on your priorities - convenience or quality - that is one's choice. I come from an era where cassette tapes got chewed up and had to be physically to re-splice them, and worry about whether you used AD90, SX90 or MX90 tapes (the good old days!). My point here was, this was this was an item about audio quality - which why I left my comment. But your comment is is valid too :)

[@colinhoward2200]

@@CoFGillesdeRais The old addage from analogue days still olds true even now. If your source is rubbish, you can spend as much as you want on amlpifiers and speakers; if your source is rubbish all you are doing is amplifying rubbish - and your end system will never be able to compensate for that. All Spotify does is state they give you a high bit rate - they call it "premium". But that is to miss the point - even at premium they can not get a CD over to you at original quality. Lossless providers do this and more, as they go back to the master tapes and re-sample them at up to 192KHz at 24 bits. Spotify does not tell you this and can not get close. But if you prioritise gapless playback over all of that I can understand. Just want to give you a bit of info.

[@redrum6316]

I wish Jim's Review Room did a review, too.

[@K.D.51]

I swear. He needs to come back

[@Emansky84]

i miss him too specially when he's recording in a coffee shop hahah

[@NjeleMolStudios]

@JimsReviewRoom please do this once off review for us as well.

[@sooperman12]

It's too bad. He's no longer doing reviews.

[@urbanlifedancestudio]

@@sooperman12 y tho

[@wespress0]

Amazing effort dude! Do you have a Spotify playlist of all the test tracks?

[@freedom9041]

H95 clearly wins the race in sound quality between all these.

[@joellenlin1212]

totally agree!

[@donhat432]

duh it's $800 ...

[@ihussain1011]

@@donhat432 Yeah as those were the special anniversary edition thing, they will be coming down in price very soon. I got them like new for under £440 here in UK.

[@midnightsparkles3772]

AirPod max vs H95: The last song I can hear a tambourine on the H95 but not the Max.

[@distantpresence60]

You're wrong, I heard it at 37:10 for example, the way he cuts the audio sometimes skips the tambourine, but it is there on the AirPods Max.

[@morgantraynor2444]

Midnight Sparkles, what you may be hearing is that the the Air Pod max is missing some of the overtones on the high frequencies from the tambourine. I could hear it was there, but it really blended into the sound profile of the snare drum on the Air Pods, vs the H95, in which it was a more distinguishably different instrument.

[@TheSkyrimps3]

It’s there but it’s not as pronounced

[@alexsmith1207]

@@morgantraynor2444 i agree it's like blended on the Max, and H95 you can hear the instruments separate with more image showing on the tambourine.

[@C4TVDJ]

OMG. Just left the same comment about that tambourine. H95 really sounded better

[@whateverinbetween9444]

i know that im just a customer/final consumer, but i can tell the differences so that’s mean this kind of experiment is actually work especially for me and I think a lot of customers out there can tell that too. and pls y’all, this is a creative environment so dont be tough on him and every new kind of review/experiment. i think we deserve this. I’m not a sound professional or some specialist in music industry so it’s really hard for me to describe the differences but hear me out. - airpods max, i think because of H1 chip it recreates the sound better than others. the sound from airpods max always gives me the feeling of crystal, the sound is sharp and its separate from each other. The base is always in the background and vocal is always on top feel like when you put the headphones on it creates a whole new space in your head and the base is all around you and the vocal is in front of you. - bose/sony always feel like the base is eating the vocal, makes vocal to lose its shape. but also the base is so dynamic and push harder i think its good for rock and classic, i guess. - H95 once again, deserve the tag of high end headphones, for short h95 is the diamond and airpods max is a Sapphire. h95 gives me a vibe like some sort of mexican’s music festival, its vibration, vivid and still keep amazing balance between base, mid and vocal. even so much better than airpods max.

[@sxmolin]

I bought a pair in silver. Great sound, features, materials/construction. My last pair were Sony, that kept on braking along the plastic ear hanger hinge. Other sets felt cheap/plastics. I already have other Apple ecosystem products. Seamless integration works well right out of the box. Spatial audio sounds cool too.

[@DanonOP]

That’s one of the best consumer-centric review I saw and heard recently. Great job!

[@desmo8755]

Great, innovative way to review headphones. Was skeptical that the qualities of my own headphones would obscure the details but differences were clear. I did think the H95s had superior soundstage, and the difference relative to the Airpods was as substantial as the difference between the Sony or Bose and the Airpods.

[@TheOtherOtherJoey]

You will be able to hear the differences, but the differences will not be accurate to the actual sound. For instance, say your headphones are naturally bass heavy, if you listen to a sound profile of treble heavy headphones, you will think “woah! These headphones are super clear!” When in reality, they are only compensating for the profile of your existing headphones. On the other side of things, if you are listening to neutral headphones that don’t reproduce lows very well and lack bass, if the headphones you are listening to suck, a lower quality headphone may squish the audio spectrum to a more limited range, and sound (falsely) better, because they highlight the negative aspects of your headphones better than a wider response headphone, which will be putting out frequencies that your crap headphones may not be able to even reproduce.

[@ericouicestmoimeme]

I'm so agree with TheOtherOtherJoey... This process does not represent the real sound of the headphones at all. It just brings up a few differences. But in no case do you have a true representation of the sound. You only listen to the sound from your headphones! I have AirPods Max and believe me the difference between what is recorded and listened to here through other headphones and the original track listened to with the AirPods Max is huge! Nothing but the rendering of low frequencies has nothing to do with it, far too exaggerated in the video. On top of that you can't judge the soundstage etc. With each change of helmet I again have a different rendering. It's normal. This video won't change a $50 headset into a $550 headset ;) It would have been nice if we could listen to the original track in the video. It would have at least allowed to have a small overview of the fidelity of the rendering of each headset. But here we can just say that one has more treble or midrange than the other.

[@Tinostre]

Every headset review needs this binaural device from this moment forward. 👍🏿

[@Xmen171]

You went above and beyond for this one, BT. I could definitely hear the difference between headphones. The Bose and Sony XMs were surprisingly muffled to me. And yes, the Air Pod Maxs were super crisp and clear while at the same time blending in satisfying bass when applicable. Good job, sir. I also appreciate the girlfriend eye-candy. Bless you both and Merry Christmas.

[@navdeepkhalsa8332]

Thanks!

[@thomaswendler2164]

Thank you for going the extra mile. And I definitely agree that the Max Sounded clearer when compared to the Sonys. For the Bose it was more of a mixed bag. They are on par with the beo 9 for me. But the h95 are something else 😇

[@angeljasmel]

Best headphone review ever. The demo alone blew my mind, and i was using AirPods pro to hear it!! 👍👍

[@roopadtig]

thanks Brian. That was an awesome video. Superb presentation style, brilliant analysis. I watched it having bought the H95 and AirPods Max on a 30 day and 16 day (respectively) home trial. I learned a lot about the strengths and weakness of both sets of headphones and it has really helped. I am going to spend the next few days comparing the two, to see which turn out to be my go-to headphones. When Apple told the sub-team responsible for designing the case, they wanted a fresh approach from the bottom up, I think they must have taken the instructions literally! The H95s are an evolution representing 95 years of stylish and great sounding hi-fi. On my, fairly large head, they are also more comfortable to wear. I'm looking forward to continuing my comparison over the next week!

[@ValkyrieIA]

Which ended up the winner?

[@A.N.Z.]

Yeah.. which pair ended up the winner?

[@sakadeji753]

@philip Barclay .. which is the best btw B&O H95 and Apple airpod Max

[@edwardhodge_usa]

💥Best review with real world comparisons! 💥

[@matts_ego]

This was the most comprehensive review of the AirPods Max I've seen yet. The Brinaural Experience (Trademark Pending) really was the step above and beyond what most other reviews have done. Thank you, Brian! I was actually able to hear the differences, and I was watching this review on my TV with my 5.1 surround sound system, so I can imagine it would have been even better with over-the-ear headphones. I've been fairly put off by the price of the AirPods Max, and while I'm glad to hear that they are worth the price from your perspective, I think I'll still wait for either a refurb or a sale in the future. And if the AirPods Max v2 come out before that with some adjustments and a bit of a lower price, well then that's just a win-win for me.

[@gabrielmartin2678]

Fact: “After many times we listened to it, without looking at video, and played it in our $10k sound system in my house, the H95 won, period.” Have a great day to y’all!

[@truthseeker6804]

even the h9 won, then the h95 came to solidify the win. lol. but still apple defeated the others, the bose was the worst. imo.

[@alexsmith1207]

My next headphones h95 😍

[@randyhutajulu5391]

yea... i was surprised for H95 sounds way way better than airpod. i really want to try it myself, since i have tried airpod before and for my standard, it is really good.

[@johncarlisle7839]

H95 was the winner yes but they are more money so I would get the APM. Those H95's are amazing though.

[@Xiel89]

amazing review. the differences were quite clearly to hear.

[@papaasare5266]

Please compare the Airpods max to the Drop Panda THX. That would be the perfect battle.

[@paulglover5649]

I would have loved to have known how they all perform for phone calls and NC as I use my N700s all the time and my call quality is excellent for the listeners. Really handy in the world of MS Teams, Zoom and Skype. I think I’ll wait for the Gen2 before changing.

[@TheKshrines]

Best headphone review I’ve ever watched. Talk about in-depth. Love it!

[@Archchill]

This is the best AirPods max review I’ve seen on KZbin so far, just ordered a pair!

[@timbaltutan]

I would have waited for their 2nd or 3rd version, because these ones have a moisture issue that may cause you problems, but if you have a guarantee etc, it will be just the time wasted sending it back. I am not saying you will, you might! :)

[@Celisar1]

@@timbaltutan Every closed ear cuff will without exception collect some humidity. That is unavoidable. In other headphones you just don’t see it because you don’t take the cuffs off.

[@rumchaser1able]

Well thats a waste of money

[@endoanimations]

I definitely agree with the AirPods Max having that more defined and clear sound compared to the XM4’s - the XM4’s sounded more ‘retro’ and muddy, almost as if a sheet of cardboard was blocking the ear to the speaker. The term you used, in this case “muddy” and “muddier” I definitely agree on; they didn’t reach the lower deeper and more ‘boomy’ bases of that second song. The AirPods really nicely defined the lower bases and kept the music afloat, whereas the XM4’s just felt like the ear cup was physically raised up on my ear slightly, but thats a stab at the design and probably a small touch of the sound quality of the mids.

[@bigpun4780]

This is quality content! Just wait.... you will be over a million subs soon

[@jsonharle]

I just wrote "I like long..." at the first part of the video but when I saw the effort that Brian put into the video I felt guilty. This guy is very talented and deserves more subs and likes.

[@kd9k4h8d]

those H95 make me want to buy a $6,000 Eames lounge chair just to listen to them

[@chessedwards]

H95's revealed more details in the individual instruments in the final song. Definitely more superior than the Airpod Max.

[@RealTalk532]

I thought so to listening with my PX7.

[@cesaethoc6461]

@@RealTalk532 absolutamente

[@MelJones7]

I listened with a pair of Audeze Headphones with high quality DAQ and the H95's were far superior! The H9 was slightly better than the Apple headphones and the Sony headphones sounded almost the same as the Apple headphones. I thought the test wasn't working until I heard the comparison between Apple vs Bose and the Bose sucked.

[@xoxosun]

SOUND Okay Airpods max and the xm4 the xms 4 are muddier but the soundstag is wider the airpods max a bit flat in comparison. Both sound good a draw. The Bose the highs are bad and the Airpods better in everything . Wow dident expect the H9 to destroy the airpod max just better clearly better ,the airpods max are so flat in comparison. H9 much fuller sound. H95 anothrr level those highs the thing i hear on the airpods is that the seperation is almost to good this ruins the listing experience to me the music gets a bit unfluent. In conclusion the H9 wins. This is what i got listening to this Great comparison.

[@deeezceee]

Between this and the iphonedo review, I wish more reviews are done like this. Great work and review!

[@veskoveskov1073]

Question: Can apple air max be connected simultaneously to 2 devices like Sony and Bose?

[@ThunderPantaloons]

Listened with my AirPods Pro in noise cancellation mode connected to the AppleTV 4th generation. I kept my eyes closed except to peak at the headphones when I noticed a change. I could easily hear differences and every time I preferred the AirPods Max. I ordered mine yesterday and this video got me super excited. Thanks for putting in all of this effort. Great video!

[@mracer8]

that's a $500 mistake

[@EvanLovell]

@@mracer8 I used to own one, they were Mt favorite sounding headphones but I returned them since they were just too heavy for me and I'm very sensitive to weight

[@mr.c.3150]

This is legitimately hard. Noise canceling headphones by default don’t target audiophiles. You can get compatible quality from a line-in, non-noise canceling headphone for around 150 bucks. Those of us spending 500-1k on noise canceling headphones are a different customer, and this review was helpful, but some of ’s choices make the H95 vs Max really hard. Noise canceling appeals to travelers where cutting the noise is a large part of what we are paying for. The cheaper Sony and Bose variants also don’t have the quality of sound, so we pay more to get the “best of the worst” from a pure sound quality perspective. From that standpoint, the Max clearly competes with the B&O (and the Bowers and Wilkins PX7). BUT, when it comes to travel, weight and size matters, too. As does A DAMN CASE. I already bought the Max, largely bc I’m deep in the  ecosystem. BUT, the weight and lack of case that’ll protect my headphones in my bag is probably worth the extra $300 bucks for the B&O. It’s not the sound quality, but on a long flight, comfort matters. And when I’m throwing my bag in an Uber, I’d like to know my headphones won’t break. I really wanted to love the Max. And your review shows that it’s a great value when comparing audio quality to the B&O, but when they break, or when they are uncomfortable, that W1 chip and the $300 savings just isn’t worth it. H95s are the winner for me, only because Apple fumbled some really easy, easy wins. I’m the freaking target audience and wouldn’t bat an eye at the price, every device I travel with is made by , but I just can’t give up the comfort or that freaking case.

[@rubeng0246]

hey chris, once you get your airpods max, would you mind posting your opinion on them here, in this same comment? it would be helpful to hear it, to see how good they are. From this video, i think its clear that they are really competitive for semi-high end audio but Id like to see lots of opinions before choosing.

[@mr.c.3150]

@@rubeng0246 yeah I’ll reply in the am.

[@mr.c.3150]

@@rubeng0246 the comfort between H95s and APM don’t compare. It’s easily a win fir H95. The ANC of the H95s is also better. Pressure from the APM is pretty intense. I’d never be able to comfortably wear these on a plane without music, which is a common use case if I’m resting my eyes on a flight and want some quiet. H95s and APM audio quality are a marked step above the Bose or Sony offerings, which makes sense because APM isn’t competing with those devices. That’s what Beats is for. These are clearly aimed at the higher end of the ANC market, and they squarely belong there. I think the slightly more neutral sound of the H95 edge out the APM. If I’m being honest, the ONLY reason the APM are even a consideration compared to the H95 would be how seamlessly they fit on the  ecosystem. If the H95 had a W1 chip, it wouldn’t even be close...H95 all the way. But I frequently switch between my iPhone, iPad, and MBP, so that W1 is a huge benefit. I’ll continue to play, but the H95 beat these on sound quality for me, and EASILY beat these for comfort and travelability, which are HUGE for an ANC user. ANC was created for the frequent travelers, so they have to check many boxes, not just the audio quality box. Overall, H95s win for the traveler. If you aren’t traveling, then there’s really no reason for an ANC headphone. At that point, you can find significantly better headphones at this price, but that’s not the point. Ultimately, ANC headphones have to travel well and be comfortable for a long period of use, too. APM fall short there.

[@JustXavier]

Bryan - this sounded soo smooth. Please do all of your audio tests like this. It literally sounded like you were behind me!!

[@destell_dunk8032]

Could really tell with the new setup that there’s a great difference in the audio of AirPods max and Bose 700 But the xm4 sounded fairly the same to AirPods Brinural experience really works H9 got more bass than AirPods from how it’s heard

[@FastEddie86]

I got the Bose. Think I’m going to have to take the plunge and get the max

[@saihoum4671]

Definitely heard a clear difference between the Max/700 but the Max/XM4 sounded like the same. I have the XM4 and not even worth the premium price tag currently. Maybe down the road when their R&D comes out with something that truly separate themselves from Don't. Maybe

[@ilkeradli]

I agree, xm4s sound quiet similar to AirPods max.

[@josephdubbss23]

I was definitely able to hear the difference I’ve already ordered mine

[@dennishensema5382]

I can hear a SBC compression signature on the Sony, Bose and B&O. If that’s the case, than it’s not a fair comparison vs Apple with AAC?

[@eUploads]

This is the best AirPods Max review I've seen. And heard!

[@toothzombie]

I own the Max and still watched this vid. I guess I’m justifying my purchase. I do love them.

[@maxsablosky]

Same man you made the decision!

[@teresamason1983]

I have Bose On Ear headphones but didn’t care for the sound of the 700’s at all. For my budget, I’ll get the XM4’s. Do you have any advice on a stand? I don’t want to leave an indent mark on the headband or the ear pads. Thanks in advance

[@whippet0]

Sound quality is the most important aspect of headphones for me. The other features are just extra icing on the cake. I really appreciate how you compared them to higher end head phones and not just the lower priced Sony and Bose headphones.

[@kinocchio]

Oh heck yes. Been waiting for this.

[@briantong]

See you in the live chat!

[@crownroley]

@@briantong max is just a little louder then xm 1000 and the bose put me at the concert.

[@litabelaqua]

Great review, the best thank you and for the record I listened with my beloved Bose QC 35ii’s. I note some responses have said how great the H95 sounded but for me the difference was minimal and limited to vocals which did have a very slight edge on the H95 but not enough to matter.Was shocked and dissapointed at how bad the Bose 700 were as ive been a Bose fan for the longest time

[@mannydelossantosproduction1306]

I listened to this test with my H95's and there was a huge difference between them and the Airpods Max. The clarity and wider soundstage and crisper sounding instruments was very noticeable compared to the Airpods Max. I was shocked how much of a difference there was to be honest🙀

[@esteban602]

Oh yeah.... I do hear the difference and I’m here listening 👂 from the speaker from my iPhone 📱 12 Pro Max. Clean separations and clean base on the AirPod Max!

[@yoyostring1254]

Got the same bro, love it!

[@tommyulbaek]

Great great review Brian👍🏻 I think AirPods Max is worth the money after watching your review

[@phook734]

The BRINAURAL EXPERIENCE was 5 stars!!! Even 2 years later this review is a banger! Thank you Mr. Tong

[@moksh8]

Sounds like the apples lack the upper mids detail found in the B&O