Apple has created a large variety of elevated ways to listen to music and sound. They have created the AirPods Max, AirPods Pro 2nd generation, AirPods 2nd generation, and AirPods 3rd generation. Despite these many options, I am mainly interested in comparing the AirPod Maxes to the AirPod Pros 2nd generation, as they are the most expensive. The AirPod Maxes are over-the-ear headphones, while the AirPod Pros are wireless earbuds. Even though they are both very pricey, they still have a 300-dollar difference. The AirPod Maxes are 549 dollars, and the AirPod Pros are 249 dollars. Despite this immense difference in price, they still have many similarities. They both have noise cancellation, transparency modes, personalized spatial audio with dynamic head tracking, and hey Siri. In addition, they both have their own cases specialized for each product. The AirPod Maxes have a smart case that preserves charge, whereas, the AirPod Pros have a charging case, which allows the AirPod to recharge.

The AirPod Maxes and the AirPod Pros also have very different benefits. The AirPod Maxes have up to 20 hours of listening time on one charge, up to 20 hours of talk time on a single charge, and come in 5 colors. The AirPod Pros have up to 6 hours of listening time on one charge, up to 4.5 hours of talk time with a single charge, and only come in one color, white. Furthermore, the AirPod Maxes have a digital crown that allows you to precisely control the volume, skip between tracks, answer phone calls, and activate Siri. Whereas, the AirPod Pros have touch control.

Overall, I think the AirPod Maxes are only better than the AirPod Pros if you are looking to use them for long periods of time, in which you don’t have access to a charger because the battery lasts longer, and if you are looking for the look and style of the over the ear headphone rather than the wireless earbuds. However, I think the charging case for the AirPod Pros is more helpful because it allows your charge to increase rather than stay the same as the smart case. Additionally, because the AirPod Pros are much smaller than the AirPod Maxes, they are more practical and easier to carry. In conclusion, because many of the benefits are the same, the price is way cheaper, and they are the better choice from a practical and financial standpoint, I think the AirPod Pros are better than the AirPod Maxes.