I've been using the AirPods Pro pretty much since they came out, and they are probably my favorite pair of headphones ever. I've tried higher quality headphones, including some nice open-back ones, which I can appreciate for short listening sessions of an hour or less. If headphone jacks and wired headphones were still a realistic option, I would consider investing in a high-quality set to maximize audio quality. However, the AirPods Pro offer a great mix of features: fast wireless pairing, decent battery life, durability, portability, wireless charging, excellent noise cancellation, and perfect ergonomics around the touch controls. As I said, they are my favorite pair of headphones, even though there's a bit to be desired in audio quality. When compared to over-ear headphones, you can notice the difference.

I tested the AirPods Max a few times in short, 10-minute sessions. Unfortunately, I wasn't as impressed as I hoped to be. They do deliver a better range than the Pros, especially over time, with lows and highs that are pretty much nonexistent on the Pros. However, after using them for a day, the ergonomics are just not up to par. The overall experience of using the Pros is a 10 out of 10, but the Max offers about 30% higher quality audio at the cost of losing a lot in other areas.

The buttons on the AirPods Max are in a weird place, and the headphones don't fit well. They tend to move around, especially when I'm wearing glasses. I often have to remove the headphones to adjust my glasses, which is quite annoying. My ears also get hot and sweaty after an hour, so I have to take them off. Additionally, noise cancellation turns back on every time I start a listening session, and I can't find an option to fix that. It's a minor issue, but still inconvenient.

I feel like a dinosaur with the lightning cable. When I lay the headphones flat, the metal bits bang against each other unless I position them askew, which feels odd. Perhaps a stand could solve this issue. The sound quality is significantly better, akin to a nice set of wired open-backs, maybe 20% better. However, I'd still rather sacrifice that 20% for the convenience of wireless headphones.

The entire experience of owning and using the AirPods Max doesn't feel as polished as the AirPods Pro. I'm going to give it a few more days, but I don't think this is going to work out.