As in the vast majority of products that Apple launches on the market, its Bluetooth headphones do not go unnoticed. Rivers of ink flowed when the company introduced the AirPods Max and also ran when it announced the 2nd generation AirPods Pro. They are the two most complete options of its catalog and share certain characteristics, but also have many differences. We put them face to face.
Features AirPods Pro (2022) VS AirPods Max
specifications |
AirPods Pro (2nd generation) |
AirPods Max |
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Dimensions and weight |
Ear cups: 1.25″ high x 0.75″ wide, 0.95″ thick, 0.2 ounce | Case: 4.52 cm high x 6.06 cm wide x 2.17 cm d thickness and 50.8 grams of weight |
Helmet: 18.73 cm high x 16.86 cm wide, 8.34 cm deep, 384.8 grams | Case: 134.5 grams |
sound technology |
Apple custom high excursion driver, custom high dynamic range amplifier, active noise cancellation, adaptive ambient mode, slotted pressure compensation, spatial audio with dynamic head tracking and adaptive EQ |
Apple-designed dynamic driver, active noise cancellation, ambient sound mode, custom spatial audio with dynamic head tracking and adaptive equalizer |
Sensors |
Two beamforming microphones, an inward-facing microphone, skin sensor, motion-detecting accelerometer, voice-detecting accelerometer, and touch control |
Optical sensor (in each earcup), position sensor (in each earcup), case (in each earcup), accelerometer (in each earcup), gyroscope (left earcup) and nine microphones |
Chip |
Apple H2 chip for headphones and U1 chip in MagSafe charging case |
H1 chip (in each earphone) |
controls |
Press once to play audio, pause it or answer a call; double tap to skip to next song; triple tap to return to the previous song; press and hold to switch between active noise cancellation and adaptive ambient sound mode; swipe up or down to adjust volume, and say “Hey Siri” to play a song, make a call, get directions, and more. |
Digital Crown to control volume, playback, skip/rewind and summon Siri; noise control button and “Hey Siri” |
Sweat and water resistance |
IPX4 (helmet and case) |
– |
Autonomy |
Up to 6 hours of audio playback on a single charge (up to 5.5 hours if spatial audio is enabled), or up to 4.5 hours of talk time | With the case, you get up to 30 hours of audio playback or up to 24 hours of talk time. Five minutes of charging equals one hour of reading or talking |
Up to 20 hours of audio playback per charge with ANC or ambient sound enabled, and a five-minute charge yields approximately 1.5 hours of audio playback |
connectivity |
Bluetooth 5.3 |
Bluetooth 5.0 |
Compatibility |
iPhone and iPod touch models with the latest version of iOS, iPad models with the latest version of iPadOS, Apple Watch models with the latest version of watchOS, Mac models with the latest version of macOS and models of Apple TV with the latest version of the latest version of tvOS |
iPhone and iPod touch models with the latest version of iOS, iPad models with the latest version of iPadOS, Apple Watch models with the latest version of watchOS, Mac models with the latest version of macOS and models of Apple TV with the latest version of the latest version of tvOS |
Price |
299 dollars |
629 dollars |
AirPods Pro (2nd generation)
New Apple AirPods MAX – Space Gray
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Design: The first obvious difference between headphones is their design. The AirPods Max are over-the-head, and the 2nd-gen AirPods Pro are much smaller and completely wireless. This makes the Pro are more versatile and easy to take anywhere, while the AirPods Max are more comfortable to use at home for its size; once they’re out of use, it’s not as easy as slipping a few AirPods Pro into their case and slipping them into your pocket.
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sound technology: in both helmets we find active noise cancellationambient sound mode, spatial audio with dynamic head tracking and adaptive equalization.
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Sensors: as in the previous section, both proposals have practically the same sensors, but in AirPods Max they are duplicated; With the exception of the gyroscope, which is only on the left ear cup, there are two of each on each ear cup.
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Chip: Apple has released its new H2 chip in the 2nd generation AirPods ProAnd that means improvements: twice the noise cancellation of the original Pros, an adaptive transparency mode and improved acoustics. That the AirPods Max have H1s (two, one in each earbud) is not a problem: they were launched in 2020, two years before the Pro 2. They continue to offer fast connections with Apple devices, ” Hey Siri”, etc.
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Sweat and water resistance: Apple has not shared information on the sweat and water resistance level of the AirPods Max. These aren’t earbuds designed for working out and taking them to the gym. 2nd generation AirPods Pro are IPX4 certifiedwhich allows them to be used, for example, in races without fear of being damaged by perspiration.
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controls: Not all headphones let you turn up the volume with a swipe or tap, but the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Max do.. In the case of the Pro 2, Apple provided them with a small touchpad through which we can increase or decrease the volume by sliding our finger. In the Max, it’s thanks to the digital crown. Of course, it is possible to pause/resume playback or skip/rewind, or even change the sound mode.
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Case: although the design of the AirPods Pro has not changed compared to the first, the case has some interesting additions: a speaker and an H1 chip to be able to locate it more easily in the event of loss. That of the AirPods Max does not recharge its battery, it is rather a case, but the headphones must go into sleep mode because they do not have an off button. Its design was not appreciated by many because it is not very practical.
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Autonomy: The number of hours that the 2nd generation AirPods Pro can play content without going through the charging case has been increased compared to the first model, which now lasts up to six hours. AirPods Max, as usual in over-the-head headphones, has longer battery life, and they can last up to 20 hours of audio playback with active noise cancellation. The problem with the AirPods Max is that they don’t have a dedicated button to turn them off, but rather go to sleep when put in their case, one of their strongest points. criticized.
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Price: These are not cheap Bluetooth headphones. The 2nd generation AirPods Pro cost 299 dollars and the AirPods Max… 629 dollars.
AirPods Pro (2022) VS AirPods Max, which should you buy?
The 2nd Gen AirPods Pro and AirPods Max don’t quite compete with each other, but you could even say that are complementary. The former are more versatile due to their size, comfortable to wear and go unnoticed, better for taking them to the streets or exercising, while the AirPods Max encourage you to use them more at home.
The sound quality of the AirPods Max places them among the best in their range and they are ideal for taking full advantage of the subscription to Apple Music and Apple TV+, but their autonomy, although it is sufficient for a good session of cinema or music, it’s not the best in its class, and the price can also be a reason to throw them away. It is better to wait for an offer that lowers them a lotbecause they cost around 400 dollars.
The 2nd Gen AirPods Pro aren’t cheap headphones either, but their capabilities make them a safer purchase: improvements in noise cancellation, the possibility of finding them more easily in the event of loss and their ease of transport are a few points to consider.
AirPods Pro (2nd generation)
New Apple AirPods MAX – Space Gray
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