Both the AirPods Pro and AirPods Max offer a premium Apple experience for people who want a great-sounding pair of headphones with active noise cancellation and transparency modes. Both have Apple’s H1 chip, which makes it easy to pair, switch devices, and use “Hey Siri.” The AirPods Pro are earbuds that fit in your ear, while the AirPods Max are over-ear headphones.
The choice between the AirPods Pro and the AirPods Max comes down to how much money you have and what you want. Do you want headphones that fit in your ears and are small, or do you want headphones that go over your ears and have a longer battery life but aren’t as easy to carry around? Let’s look at the main differences between them so you can decide which one is best for you.
The AirPods Pro are small headphones that fit in your ear and can be taken anywhere. With the charging case, they can fit in a pocket, a purse, or any bag. They are made of plastic and have an IPX4 rating, which means that sweat and splashes of water won’t hurt them. There are also three sizes of silicone ear tips for the AirPods Pro, so you can find the right size for your ears.
Price and availability
The AirPods Max have a suggested retail price of $549/£549/€629/CA$699/AU$899, but you can find them online for less. They cost about £469 on Amazon UK. The list price for the AirPods Pro 2 is $249, £249, €299, CA$329, and AUS$399. Since they didn’t go on sale until September 2022, they haven’t been marked down yet.
If you can call it a win for the AirPods Pro 2, it’s an easy one. Both are expensive in their own ways, so no matter how you look at it, you’ll pay more for Apple’s products.
Apple AirPods Pro 2 vs AirPods Max Comparison Table
| AirPods Max | AirPods Pro 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Height | 7.37 inches | 1.22 inches |
| Width | 6.64 inches | 0.86 inch |
| Depth | 3.28 inches | 0.94 inch |
| Battery | Up to 20 hours | Up to 6 hours |
| Weight | 13.6 ounces | 0.19 ounce |
Apple AirPods Pro 2 vs AirPods Max Design
The second generation of Apple AirPods Pro are very similar to the first generation. They still have glossy white stems and a rounded, rectangular case. Find My AirPods can help you find it if you lose it because the case has a speaker. Both the AirPods and the charging case have an IPX4 rating, which means that splashes of water won’t hurt them. The AirPods Pro (2nd generation) come with an extra-small pair of ear tips in addition to the usual small, medium, and large sizes.
The Apple AirPods Max, on the other hand, are a pair of over-ear headphones that are very different from the AirPods Pro. The weight of the headset, which is 386g, is spread evenly across your head by a mesh canopy headband. The metal headphones are shaped like the AirPods Pro charging case, which is a square with rounded corners. The headphones come in four colours, unlike Apple’s in-ear headphones, which only come in silver, space grey, sky blue, pink, and green.
You get a Smart Case for the headset, but it doesn’t really protect it. Instead, the Smart Case puts the AirPods Max into a mode that uses less power. If you don’t use your AirPods Max for 72 hours without the Smart Case, they will go into low power mode. The AirPods Max are not waterproof, so you shouldn’t wear them in the rain or spill anything on them.
Apple AirPods Pro 2 vs AirPods Max Features
In terms of features, there is not much difference between the two headphones. As is the case with Apple’s most recent headphones, most of the features of the high-end options are the same.
Both can cancel out noise, and both say that their ANC modes are adaptable. This means that they use microphones to pick up on outside noise and automatically change the performance based on what they hear. The transparency mode is the only small difference.
The mode on the AirPods Pro 2 adapts to the sounds around you so that loud noises don’t get in the way. On the Max, you can’t change the transparency by hand, and it doesn’t update itself. No matter where you go, the level of openness is the same. The true wireless headphones have a battery life of six hours per bud and 30 hours overall with the charging case. The AirPods Max only last about 20 hours, so in this case, the AirPods Pro 2 are better.
The wireless earbuds can also be charged wirelessly and quickly, while the full-sized headphones don’t seem to be able to do either of those things. Instead, Apple says that putting the headphones in the Smart Case will keep the power in the headphones. The MagSafe charging case for the AirPods Pro 2 is cool because it has a speaker that lets the user know where it is if they lose it.
Apple AirPods Pro 2 vs AirPods Max Sound quality
It’s no surprise that the AirPods Max sound better than the AirPods Pro. I’ve used different apps to listen to different kinds of music, but I always end up going back to the AirPods Max. They have better definition at all frequencies and a better response in the bass range. I’ve found that “clean” is the best way to describe the sound. Even when I turned up the volume, I never heard any muddying or distortion.
The AirPods Pro also sound good, but they don’t have as much movement and excitement as the AirPods Max. This is helpful if you are doing different things at the same time, like listening to music, taking calls, or listening to a podcast. Both AirPods have an equaliser that adapts to the sound and changes it on the fly. However, you can change the equaliser separately in different music apps, like Apple Music and Spotify.
Apple AirPods Pro 2 vs AirPods Max Noise-cancelling
Apple’s latest version of the AirPods Pro has a mode that cancels out noise and lets you see through them. This is one of the best new features. The first one looks and sounds better than the second.
If you compare the second generation AirPods Pro to the first generation, you’ll notice that the first generation feels much tighter; you can hear a background rumble that isn’t there on the new pair. When noise cancellation is turned on on the second generation, too, the world gets noticeably quieter.
When it comes to noise cancellation, there’s not much difference between the second-generation AirPods Pro and the AirPods Max when you’re at home or in a coffee shop. But when you go outside, it’s clear that the AirPods Max can deal more effectively with wind noise and other loud environments. This isn’t a problem with the AirPods Pro, but it’s the best example of how the extra weight and size of over-ear headphones make them much better at blocking out noise than earbuds.
Apple AirPods Pro 2 vs AirPods Max Battery life
In our battery tests, the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) lasted 5 hours, 43 minutes with ANC on while playing music at 75dB(SPL). This is just a little bit less than the 6 hours that Apple says the battery will last. The charging case adds 24 hours of listening time or 19 hours and 30 minutes of talk time to the earbuds.
With ANC on, the Apple AirPods Max last much longer, almost 21 hours. As was already said, the AirPods Max don’t have a “off” button, so the battery is always being used up even when they aren’t being used. If you put it in its case, it goes into low power mode, but it still uses a little bit of power.
The AirPods Max’s problem with running out of battery and the AirPods Pro’s short battery life don’t make them the most eco-friendly choices. The more times a battery is charged and discharged, the less time it lasts. If you don’t want to make battery e-waste with your headphones, choose ones with a longer battery life or ones that are wired. People who care the most about the environment might not want either of these.
Apple AirPods Pro 2 Pros and Cons
Pros
- Excellent noise cancellation
- Very good sound quality
- Case has speaker and pinpoint location finding
Cons
- Audio performance needs finessing
- Lackluster call quality
- Lanyard costs extra
AirPods Max Pros and Cons
Pros
- Super comfortable
- Excellent build quality
- Terrific, balanced sound quality
- Very effective noise cancellation
Cons
- Just 20-hours battery life
- Very expensive
- Lacks 3.5mm audio jack
- Big and bulky
Which one should you consider?
First of all, you should only think about getting either of these AirPods if you mostly use Apple products. Either the AirPods Pro or the AirPods Max won’t be the best choice for people with Android phones. If you have an iPhone, your choice will depend on how you use it and what you like.
The AirPods Pro (2nd generation) are cheaper, smaller, and more portable, and they can also be used in the rain. This is likely to appeal to most people. It has great sound and great ANC, making it one of the best pairs of wireless earbuds for iPhone owners.
But the AirPods Max might be better for people who like over-ear headphones and want a longer battery life. This set of headphones is great for anyone who doesn’t like how in-ear headphones feel or who doesn’t want to wear headphones in the rain. It’s good for people who work from home or at desk jobs because it’s easy to tune out the world and the over-ear fit is more comfortable for longer periods of time. All of these benefits cost money, and the AirPods Max cost more than twice as much as the new AirPods Pro.
FAQs
Are the AirPods Pro 2 better than the AirPods Max?
Both have great ANC, but the AirPods Max is just a little bit better. Both the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) and the Apple AirPods Max do a great job of blocking out noise, but the AirPods Max is slightly better.
Are AirPods Pro as good as AirPods Max?
The AirPods Pro are in-ear headphones that are truly wireless and are more comfortable, portable, and stable. Their carrying case also holds about five charges, giving you a total battery life of over 30 hours. But the AirPods Max are headphones that go over the ears.
