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Apple launches the AirPods Max, its first over-ear headphones

Here's everything we know (so far) about Apple's over-ear, active noise canceling headphones.
Apple AirPods Max headphones launch, price, availability, specs and more. Best active noise cancelling (ANC) headphones 2020.
Starting Dec. 8, you can preorder and engrave Apple's new headphones, the AirPods Max, its first ever pair of ANC over-ear headphones.Apple
By Nicole Saunders

Apple has launched its first ever over-ear headphones: the AirPods Max. The just-launched active noise canceling headphones join other recent newcomers from Apple in 2020, including a suite of iPhone 12 models, a new iPad Air, a new Smart Watch, a new iMac and more. If you’re on the market for a new pair of headphones or simply like to stay current with Apple’s latest, here’s what to know about the brand new Apple AirPods Max.

Apple AirPods Max price and availability

How much do the Apple AirPods Max cost? The freshly released Apple AirPods Max headphones will set you back $549 — a relatively hefty investment in the headphone space, in which the favored Sony WH-1000XM4 ANC headphones is $350 at full price. Apple's AirPods Max are available for preorder right now and will start shipping on Dec. 15. Currently, you can only order them directly through Apple, which we expect to change in the coming days, but the brand is throwing in a perk for pre-ordering right now: free engraving with up to 14 characters (including emojis) on the earphone. We anticipate that by Dec. 15, you‘ll be able to buy the Max at other retailers where Apple products are typically sold, including Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, Target, B&H and others. Apple’s AirPods Max release could also explain why the AirPods Pro dropped to their lowest price ever in the days leading up to Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Apple AirPods Max specs:

The new Apple headphones sport a few standout features, among them similar properties found in the iPhone and iPad to track head movements and subsequently “remap the sound field.”

  • Active noise cancellation reduces background noise, such as airplane engines or construction so you can stay better focused while working from home.
  • Adaptive EQ employs a microphone to automatically tune your music, depending on the shape of your ears.
  • Apple claims spatial audio creates a “theater-like experience for content recorded in 5.1, 7.1, and Dolby Atmos.”
  • With a push of a button, you can switch between ANC and Transparency Mode, which allows in some ambient sounds, such as someone ringing your doorbell or your roommate calling your name from another room.
  • The Apple H1 chip enables the AirPods Max headphones to pair with other Apple products seamlessly, improves sound quality, battery life and activates Siri, Apple’s smart assistant.

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Nicole Saunders

Nicole Saunders is a former associate commerce editor for Select on NBC News, covering wellness and lifestyle.

Gideon Grudo contributed.