Apple AirPods Max 2 Review: The Best Over-Ears for iOS

On a recent trip, I accidentally booked my family to fly on a de Havilland propeller plane. If there’s anything I hate more than flying, it’s flying on a tiny plane sitting next to giant propeller blades that are, improbably, the only things that keep you from crashing into the ground. I immediately pulled out the AirPods Max 2 ($549) and put them on to block out the overwhelming buzzing whirr. When I looked up, three other people had pulled out their own pairs.

Yes, the updated version of the 2020 AirPods Max is iterative. Yes, the only reason I knew the woman two rows ahead of me had the old version instead of the new one was that the new one doesn’t come in green anymore. But the AirPods Max design is instantly recognizable. Even the Sony WH-1000XM6, the best headphones, look more or less like every other pair. It takes a second—or third—look to see if someone really is wearing a pair of premium headphones or a pair of gorgeous cheap ones.

Photograph: Adrienne So