Apple's recent refresh of the AirPods Max may have left the door open to the competition. By only adding a USB-C port and some new colourways, it made some rival pairs look more tempting than ever. Where's the H2 processor? And no lossless audio? What was Apple thinking?
If you're in the Apple-botched-it camp, then one of the below might take your interest. All of these pairs have scored very well in our reviews, and offer plenty to temp you away from the Apple stable, like lower prices, better functionality with Android, more runtime per charge, better sound quality or more advanced features.
We've put each of the below through their paces in our reviews process. With over 150 years of experience between them, our reviewers are well-versed in what makes a good pair of headphones. We test each pair out in the real world, then in our dedicated test rooms to zero in on sound quality. So whether you're using them in your own listening room or on a packed commuter train, you can rest assured you're getting the best for your money.
We explain more about how we test AirPods Max alternatives below. Or you can read more about how we test headphones.
- Read all about the AirPods Max 2
- AirPods Max vs AirPods Max (2024): what's the difference?
I have 20 years' experience writing about headphones, and still remember my first Bose QC2s, complete with AAA battery. While Apple might dominate many categories, its headphones face fierce competition from more established industry rivals. That's truer than ever with the AirPods Max – unless you're an Apple diehard, chances are you'll be better served by one of the below.
The quick list
The XM5 are Award-winners two years running, and deservedly so. Great sound, excellent design and superior noise cancellation make these the best all-rounders on this list.
If you want to block background sound, the QC Ultra Headphones are the best you can buy. But they have plenty of other talents too...
With a staggering 60 hours of run time, these cans double or even triple rivals' battery lives. They make having to recharge a much less frequent inconvenience.
These certainly aren't cheap, but they bring hitherto unheard-of levels of sonic ability to the wireless headphones category. Close your eyes, and you could be listening to a wired pair.
This pair is a looker, no doubt, but it's much more than just that – it's solid and functional too, and as enjoyable to use as it is to look at.
The best AirPods Max alternatives we recommend in 2024
Why you can trust What Hi-Fi? Our expert team reviews products in dedicated test rooms, to help you make the best choice for your budget. Find out more about how we test.
Best overall
If you want superb sound quality and marginally better noise-cancelling than the AirPods Max for nearly half the price, you want the Award-winning Sony WH-1000XM5. They're still not that cheap (although they do go on sale from time to time), but in terms of value, they're the best AirPods Max alternatives you can buy.
The premium Sony cans boast a natty new look, which is a complete redesign from their predecessor, the WH-1000XM4, and while they won't blow you away with luxury, the build and quality of components used are of a reassuringly high standard.
The XM5 might feel a little less premium than the XM4 – thus a lot less premium than the super plush AirPods Max – but they sound much better than their predecessors. The audio is effortlessly musical without losing openness or clarity, and there's a newfound precision in the lower registers that prevents your music from becoming muddied or stodgy in the bass. Even the noise-cancelling is now more seamless, being optimised automatically as you move through different environments.
If you're looking for a pair of serious AirPods Max alternatives that don't cost nearly as much, we'd advise you to start right here.
Read the full Sony WH-1000XM5 review
Best noise cancelling
Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra Headphones were a long time coming, as the last time we saw a flagship pair of wireless cans from the US manufacturer was way back in 2019 with the Noise-Cancelling Headphones 700. Bose needed some flagship over-ear headphones, and it needed them to compete with the very best in the business.
It's a job well done then with the Ultra Headphones. We're not completely in love with the way they look and feel (they're just a tad boring, all things considered), and the cans' Immersive Audio feature hasn't exactly won us over, but everywhere else these premium performers are the real deal. Battery life is a respectable 24 hours, codec support is solid (aptX Adaptive is locked and loaded), and ANC continues to see Bose lead the way in this key area of performance.
We're also very impressed with how the Ultra Headphones sound. What strikes you from the off is they’re a hugely entertaining pair, with their enthusiasm crossing over to every genre of music as they thrill you with a precise, snappy listen. The rival Sony WH-1000XM5 offer a little more transparency and balance, but if you like expressive richness and body, we'd direct you towards the Bose Ultra Headphones. Easily some of the most entertaining wireless headphones you can find for the price, and worth considering if ANC is your priority.
Read the full Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones review
Best battery life
The Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless are massively superior to the AirPods Max in one regard, and quite inferior in another. It's the build quality that doesn't match up, which was a surprise, given that the Momentum 3 Wireless were pure luxury. But next to Apple's finest, they look positively cheap.
So how are they superior? Battery life. At a staggering 60 hours, it's twice what some rivals offer, and three times the AirPods Max's.
They launched at a cheaper price than their predecessors as well, making them substantially more affordable than the AirPods Max. With household budgets still feeling the pinch after years of runaway inflation, that's quite a selling point.
They also support aptX Adaptive – one of the highest-quality Bluetooth codecs around – cementing their position as a premium pair of cans. ANC, meanwhile, is of a decent standard, while wired listening doesn't require your cans to have any juice left, meaning you can simply plug them into the source and keep on listening if the battery runs flat and you can't get to a charger.
The Momentum 4 might not blow you away in terms of looks, but this is a sonic win for Sennheiser. The sound presentation is clear and direct in a way that commands your attention, with the Momentum 4 feeling sharp and sprightly, with an added leanness that doesn't come at the expense of substance across the frequencies. It may not lead the field here, but if you're after the cheapest of the premium rivals to the AirPods Max, the Sennheisers are a solid alternative.
Read the full Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless review
Best for audiophiles
True audiophiles will want to look beyond the AirPods Max and check out something a little more serious. That's exactly what the Mark Levinson No. 5909 wireless headphones offer – a serious performance and build quality.
As such, they are quite pricey (though their price has been almost halved of late). For this sort of money, we'd hope to be blown away sonically – so it's a good job the 5909 do just that. As we said in our review "no part of the frequency spectrum is given undue priority, and that, coupled with the headphones’ attention to detail and brisk nature, makes the No. 5909 utterly compelling to listen to". They're outstanding across the frequency range, with a soundscape that's like a blank canvas for whatever's playing.
In fact, they're some of the best wireless headphones we've ever had the pleasure of listening to. They really are pushing the envelope in terms of wireless sound quality.
Design-wise, they might be a bit divisive, but you can't deny the build quality. And they have plenty of features like the excellent Mark Levinson app, three modes of noise cancellation and support for the aptX Adaptive and LDAC codecs. The 34-hour battery life is longer than most rivals, too – very impressive, given their level of performance.
If you want high-end sound without the wires, this is the closest you can get to hi-fi performance with the convenience of wireless. Expensive, certainly, but they'll take some beating.
Read the full Mark Levinson No. 5909 review
We thought it would be a long time before any wireless headphones bettered the AirPods Max for sound quality, but we were wrong. The Mark Levinson No. 5909 sound so good they could be mistaken for a wired pair, and a mighty fine one at that. If you thought wireless headphones would always play second fiddle to their wired brethren, you need to give these a listen.
Best for luxury
You want eye-catching wireless cans that make a mighty impression before you've even clamped them over your noggin? Say hello to the Focal Bathys.
Focal’s entrance into the burgeoning premium Bluetooth noise-cancelling headphones market wasn't exactly a surprise considering its presence at the premium end of the wired space, but we're still pretty knocked out by the success of its first foray. The gorgeous-looking Bathys are highly recommendable for anyone after the convenience of portability in a premium pair of headphones at this price, earning a five-star recommendation and plenty of fans along the way.
The wireless headphone performance is among the most engaging we have heard at this level, offering space and breadth with plenty of aggression, spark and passion, too. If you want them to double up as home headphones for longer listening stints, which they are more than comfortable enough to wear for, know that going wired via the built-in DAC/USB-C port does add a degree of refinement and tightness to the delivery. They do need power to be listened to, even with wires, so just bear that in mind if you're taking them out and about.
Noise cancellation is fairly non-intrusive to the performance, too, and if you need it – as we did on two flights during testing – it does a decent job of diminishing distracting outside world noise from your music listening in ‘Silent’ mode.
Overall, a spectacular pair of premium wireless headphones that signal Focal's intentions pretty clearly in this market. Watch out, Apple!
Read the full Focal Bathys review
Also consider
The best (other) AirPods Max alternatives we've tested:
Bowers & Wilkins Px8: One of the few wireless pairs priced higher than the AirPods Max, the Px8 are worth every penny. They feel luxurious, have features galore and deliver serious musical insight and enjoyment.
Shure Aonic 50: Shure's first wireless headphones are very good, but do have room for improvement. They dig up an outstanding level of detail with a solid low end, but the carry case is as bad as the AirPods Max's, and the noise cancelling pales in comparison to the best around.
Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700: Before the Bose QC Ultra Headphones came the Noise Cancelling Headphones 700. They offer similarly excellent noise cancellation and a comfortable, stylish fit, but the sound quality doesn't live up to the price, sadly.
How to choose
Chief among the AirPods Max's skills are wireless connectivity and active noise cancelling (ANC). So any alternative you're looking at will have to offer both of those.
Wireless connectivity means the cans will need a battery, and ANC is a real battery drain. The AirPods Max manage 20 hours of run time before needing a recharge – look for – at least – a similar battery life from any alternative headphones on your shortlist.
While we're on noise cancelling, some pairs have gradients of noise cancelling (most notably the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700), and some just have two settings: on or off. What's best for you really depends on how much you'll use the noise cancelling, and in which situations.
As well as noise cancelling, Apple's on-ears offer a transparency mode, which allows in outside sound. It's handy if you'd like to hear a station announcement, or to have a quick chat with a friend or colleague, and don't want to take your headphones off. Lots of other headphones have the same feature, but it can come under different names (like talk through).
How we test
We test most products in our state-of-the-art testing rooms, but AirPods Max alternatives are a little different. One of their main selling points is noise cancellation, and you can't test that in a quiet room.
Instead we head out into the field, using them on packed trains, in crowded pubs, down busy streets and in chatty offices. Like all products we test, we use them as if we had bought them in order to see how they really perform.
We don't take manufacturers' claims at face value, but test every aspect of the headphones ourselves. Does the battery life match what the maker claims? How does call quality fare? We download any partnering mobile apps and control the headphones that way, and of course consider comfort and ease of use during our long listening sessions.
We always compare AirPods Max alternatives to rival headphones in their price bracket, as testing in isolation is like wearing blinkers. Our stock room is packed with the best headphones of all makes and styles from the last few years, so we're never short of comparison pairs. And with over 100 years of experience between us, our reviews team is one of the most seasoned in the business.
We pool that knowledge on every review, agreeing all verdicts as a team rather than allowing one member to have solely their say on a product. That way we avoid personal preference and make sure we haven't missed anything. We aren't guided by PR companies or sales people when it comes to how many stars we award, and we never have been. We're proud of the reputation we've built over nearly 50 years as the home of honest, accessible and unbiased reviews – our only goal is to help you buy the best kit possible for your budget.
For more, check out our how we review page.
MORE:
Read our original AirPods Max review
The best headphone deals right now
And the best wireless headphones you can buy
Looking for some seriously smart headphones? My success story of the year was also the biggest surprise
F.A.Q
Are any headphones better than the AirPods Max?
Yes they are. The AirPods Max may have widened the market for wireless headphones, creating a new level above the then industry leaders, but plenty of rivals have since stepped in to challenge them. All of the above pairs work better with Android devices than the AirPods Max, some have better noise cancellation and some sound better too.
What is the Android equivalent of AirPods Max?
There's not one Android equivalent, but all of the above offer the same features to Android users as to iOS. Which is not something that's matched by the AirPods Max.
Are AirPods Max even good?
It depends. For Apple users, they're pretty great. But if don't use an iOS device, you won't be able to use all their features. That's a lot of money to spend without reaping the full benefit. In that case, you might be better off with one of the AirPods Max alternatives suggested here.
When are AirPods Max 2 coming out?
They're out now! The 2024 model is more of a refresh than a proper sequel – the only changes are new colour schemes and a USB-C port in place of the Lightning one. Everything else remains the same.
Recent updates
- 12th December 2024: Updated intro. Added link to our 'how we test and review headphones' page. Mentioned the recent Mark Levinson No. 5909 price cut.
- 23rd September 2024: Updated intro to focus on new model of AirPods Max. Removed duplicate headings in The Quick List section. Edited Q&A to mention 2024 refresh of AirPods Max.
- 22nd July 2024: Updated intro to reflect new rival models and updated advice in How to Choose section.
- 10th May 2024: Updated the intro and edited one of the FAQs.
- 1st March 2024: Updated our advice and testing process, and removed B&W Px8 and B&W Px7 S2 entries from the main list.
- 18th September 2023: Added Focal Bathys and Mark Levinson No. 5909 to the main list.
