An endless wait
Almost four years later, an eternity in the world of tech, Apple has finally decided to update this headset mid-range
that I loved so much, and during this somewhat sad keynote, the disappointment was total. No, in reality, this much-loved headset is absolutely not updated, or at least, with a USB-C charging port and some new colors, while remaining at a price well above its direct competitors. at Sony, Bose, and other industry giants.
A total disappointment, tears flow down my rosy cheeks (I’m exaggerating a little but not that much), a betrayal like Apple sometimes knows how to orchestratesometimes for the sake of savings, out of laziness, out of conservatism, who knows. Almost four years to wait for that… I even wrote this article to recommend other headsets.
Yet there was substance!
However, there were things to do in addition to this USB-C port! Better ergonomics (what space takes up in the bag…), lighter weight, it weighs a dead donkey for no good reason, a new H2 chip to support adaptive transparency or voice isolation. And above all, better autonomy! We cannot release headphones in 2024 with such low battery lifethis is not possible. But nothing is impossible for Apple. Even persist in the error.
And this housing
so much criticized that mockers compare it to a bra? So of course, I like it, I even find it quite practical… But what idea anyway? And above all, it does not protect anything from the most fragile part of this helmetthis small net present above the arch, which will relax to the point of completely disintegrating, depending on the acidity of your own skull. A shame.
Not even a little effort on the price?
And then this price, 579 euros for an unchanged product, but what hell. What idea? Why such a punishment? We know that Apple is bursting at the seams on AirPodsto the point that the only division AirPods
Apple is more powerful than some companies like Adobe or Uber. But wasn’t there a way to make a gesture, even a symbolic one? I don’t know, me, 549 euros for example? It would also be too expensive, but why not?
As for this story of a USB-C cable which literally removes a function from the headset, which we simply can no longer use wired at all. Why on earth wait so long to adopt a standard, and restrain her so violently? Until the day Apple offers its proprietary USB-C cable so you can use it wired, at 29 or 49 euros, every time… I’m crying (again) in advance.
All the other AirPods have been pampered…
All this is all the more infuriating because during this keynote from hell, Apple announced incredible new features for its AirPods! The AirPods 4 are excellent products, and even the aging AirPods Pro 2 gain features that no one asked forand the worst part is that they are really cool! Whether it’s about sound, health, user experience. Everything is good! As if the teams in charge of the AirPods had simply not had the time to take care of the big brother, abandoned in a corner, while the teams were busy around the screaming little ones.
And yet
You understood, I was angry, and I stayed that way for a while. Because there are actually few products I’m looking forward to from Apple. I already have everything, everything is up to date, everything is beautiful, everything harmonizes well in an ecosystem as closed as it is goldenbut this helmet, damn, I was waiting for it. I was waiting for him so much that to update myself, I was unfaithful to him. Because yes, when you are waiting for the return of your loved one, and it is slow in arriving, it can be tempting to look elsewhere. So I acquired and used, since its release, a Sonos Ace. Sonos is another brand that I love deeply, despite its mistakes, despite its failures, despite its trials and errors. The Sonos Ace is a really great headset, very pleasant to wear, with impeccable sound, light, with good battery life, it checks all the boxes that AirPods Max don’t, except one… It’s not an AirPods Max.
I broke down
And yet so? I broke down, despite the anger, despite the betrayal, despite the deception. I resisted for a few days, telling myself that Tim Cook had literally slapped me during this keynote… And then, upon entering this Apple Store in Covent Garden last weekend, I took out my iPhone and made the little Apple Pay ding ring.to leave with a pair Orange
of these new AirPods Max that I have been slandering for days. And I was relieved.
A week that they no longer leave my head, as if I found an old friend that I loved so much, with our little habits, those that no other friend could offer me. Exceptional comfort despite the heaviness, a design that I find incredible, with magnificent colors, and above all a fluidity in the user experience that surpasses everything. Listen to music on your Mac while working, then on your iPhone when going out to do some shopping, and why not on your AppleTV, you can change devices every 5 minutes, your AirPods will always follow you and always connect wherever you wantalmost automatically, whereas with any other headset, you will probably waste time, having to reconnect the Bluetooth, search for devices again, and redo the manipulations, sometimes between each change.
The best headset for an Apple lover
The user experience is close to perfect for an average music lover, a fan of Apple products who is looking for decent, easy-to-use headphones. It’s actually simple, we quickly notice that, when we use iPhones, Macs, or AppleTVs, we more often have the reflex to take the headphones and start music or a film with AirPods Max, than with any other headset. The observation is the same with all AirPods. Apple knows how to make its products extensions of yourselfwhich you take naturally, without having to worry about configuring, connecting, getting started. You take it, it works, you don’t even think about taking it, it’s often already there.
So yeah, this update is an absolute disgrace, but this helmet remains an incredible helmetfor its ergonomics, for the user experience which is perfect, for its now iconic design (when we see the quantity of fakes which are sold under the hood…). And even though it’s sometimes a little behind or dated technologically, it’s just perfect for most users.
Apple likes to make us suffer
Don’t you have the impression that this is often the case for Apple products? When the Apple brand releases a new Mac in 2024 with 8 GB of RAM, or an iPhone 16 with a screen still not 120 Hz, it’s painful, it’s shameful, it’s even prohibitive, and yet, many of us definitely won’t trade them against any PC with 32 GB of RAM, or an Android with a 120 Hz screen for half the price of an iPhone.
Coming back to these AirPods Max 2
which are not. It’s a product that I love to hate for its lack of noveltybut I still love it. And even if I always enjoy testing all the new headsets from all the other talented brands, I’ll probably always come back to them, and for that, the little guys from Apple are really the strongest, and I’m still the same a victim of their marketing (but damn this orange is MAGNIFICENT).
And you, what do you think of this headset and the AirPods? in general ?
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