(Image credit: Sony) AirPods Max vs Sony WH-1000XM4 vs Bose NCH 700: Sound qualityīose's ANC is very good. Whether it's too much of an edge will come down to personal taste. And Apple? Well, Apple's design team has done the work here, with a split headband supported by mesh, earpieces almost reminiscent of an AirPods case, and a look that won't let you forget this is an Apple product.Īll come in a variety of colours, but if you're looking for something distinctive, the AirPods Max certainly take the edge. Sony's more traditional hinged design isn't flashy, but there's no mistaking that it's built well, and made to last. The smooth hinge-free lines of Bose's cans hides all the important positional hardware inside those contoured ear cups, giving the swooping stainless steel headband a look all its own. The others include cases too: in the case of the AirPods Max, this is a pouch which covers the ear cups, sending them into a low-power state for the NCH 700s, it's a sturdier all-over case, with a charging case available if you're happy to shell out extra.Įach has its own artistic appeal. Sony's wireless cans are notable here for being the only pair to actually fold up neatly into a compact protective case. (Image credit: Apple) AirPods Max vs Sony WH-1000XM4 vs Bose NCH 700: DesignĪll three have earpieces which turn to allow them to go flat, helping them sit comfortably against your collarbones rather than cutting off the blood supply when they're resting around your neck. The question is just whether the extra weight can be felt even through a comfortable fit. They seem like they'll be comfy, particularly with the pivoting action of their ear cups, which Apple promises uniquely distributes pressure evenly on the sides of the head. The AirPods are a little more complex, with a breathable mesh knit that sits below their stainless steel headband, which should help to distribute the weight and reduce on-head pressure, and memory foam ear cushions with a slightly different mesh textile. Both sets are super-comfortable, feeling lightweight on the head, and not crushing your cranium even slightly. In fact, there's a lot that's similar between those two. The Sony WH-1000XM4 weighs in at 254g (8.95 oz), and the Bose NCH 700 matches that precisely on weight. We do, though, know the weight: 384.8 grams (13.6 ounces) puts these on the heavier end of the spectrum, and not by a small amount. It's fair to say they're unlikely to squeeze your head like a strongman crushing a coconut, but we can't rate them on that metric until we've had them on for some time. We don't know the tension of Apple's AirPods Max as yet. Put too much weight on your neck, add too much tension to the band, and headphone fatigue rears its ugly head. Whatever the reason, they need to be comfortable. Maybe you'll use them to block out commuter noise, maybe they'll put you in your own world on a long flight, perhaps you just want 10 minutes' blissful peace from your noisy family or housemates. Ideally, ANC headphones will be wearable for long periods. (Image credit: Bose) AirPods Max vs Sony WH-1000XM4 vs Bose NCH 700: Comfort
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