once upon a time a pair of high-quality wireless headphones cost about ₨30,000. There were lots of models to choose from and everybody in hi-fi land was very pleased with this state of affairs. Then along came a company called Apple and changed everything. It set about designing a pair of over-ear headphones made from higher-quality materials, with improved sound and better build quality than the market had hitherto known. And, in 2020, it released the AirPods Max, brazenly charging the good people of hi-fi land nearly twice the going rate for them. You might say that Apple’s cart upset all the other carts. The plan worked well for Apple – largely because the AirPods Max were great.
All this set rival manufacturers buzzing, and before long the headphone market was awash with similarly priced, superior noise-cancelling wireless over-ears; and a new breed was born. So, to help you choose the premium headphones that suit you best, we have pitched those AirPods Max against a trio of other high-end ear huggers, each with an ample stash of impressive tech and a unique USP. All have active noise-cancelling, all are Bluetooth equipped, all can be used with a cable as well as without.
There are no also-rans in this test – the quality of the field is such that the AirPods have their work cut out to dominate here. And for we music fans, it all adds up to a recipe for listening happily ever after.
APPLE AIRPODS MAX ₨59,900
Apple’s first over-ear wireless headphones justify their premium price
Denne historien er fra February 2023-utgaven av What Hi-Fi Sound and Vision India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Denne historien er fra February 2023-utgaven av What Hi-Fi Sound and Vision India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
The missing Link
\"Battery life on the Sony LinkBuds Open is excellent\"
Old school charmer...
\"It is sonically regimented, particularly through the low end where we expected issues\"
Home-theatre hero
\"Impressive is the way in which it manages to sound clean and o decongested, even during the most complex of passages.\"
Audiovector Trapeze Reimagined
\"The Trapeze Ri may resemble their famed ancestors, but in every other respect they are thoroughly modem\"
Linn Majik LP12 MC
\"We are having fun and encouraged to take a holistic view of the music rather than focus on the details\"
The playlist
Here are our carefully curated recommendations of the best music streaming service for those who value sound quality above all. Form an orderly queue...
MATCH FIT
Our ten recommended hi-fi systems are guaranteed to play together beautifully
THE TRUE PRO
Audio Pro's Director of EMEA Sales talks sustainability, Indian markets and the future of Audio Pro in India
Q Acoustics M40
A pair of powered baby floorstanders that have big shoes to fill
YG Acoustics Carmel 3
On paper, the Carmel 3 from Colorado-based speaker specialist YG Acoustics has a credibility problem. They cost a huge amount of money but are small, rather plain-looking two-way floorstanders.
