Apple AirPods Max 2 vs Audio-Technica ATH-ADX7000

Apple AirPods Max 2

The build is genuinely premium — aluminium cups, a steel frame and a breathable knit-mesh headband that outclasses rivals' plastic. But Apple changed nothing in six years: at 386g these are heavy, reviewers split on whether they are comfortable past 45-90 minutes, and the Smart Case is still widely disliked.

• The aluminium chassis, breathable mesh headband and magnetic ear cushions feel very Apple, very polished and very expensive — but at 386g you absolutely notice them on your head, especially during longer listening sessions.
• GSMArena argues Apple should have addressed weight in this generation — simply making the Max 2 30% lighter would have gone a long way toward making them more approachable.
• Apple didn't change probably the number-one concern of the AirPods Max — making them more comfortable — and after years the over-the-top band still gets weighed down and heavy over time.
• Stephen Robles doesn't notice the clamping strength in the first 20-30 minutes, but it becomes uncomfortable for him around the 45-minute-to-hour mark and beyond.
• After 30 days the clamping force loosens and the earpad foam softens — one long-term reviewer rated comfort as roughly on par with the much-lighter Sony XM6 once broken in.
• The all-metal build is genuinely premium, but the design causes metal-on-metal contact that scratches the $550 headphones over time.
• The Smart Case — widely nicknamed the bra or purse case — still leaves the headband exposed and offers little real protection, and there is still no power button.
• Reddit owners of the first Max echo the disappointment that the weight and the much-mocked case carry over unchanged into the Max 2.

Audio-Technica ATH-ADX7000

The ADX7000's headline is its remarkable ~270-275g weight, achieved with a magnesium-alloy frame and a fully open honeycomb chassis. Reviewers split on comfort: the light weight and plush velvet pads are praised, but the thinly-padded dual-rod headband draws consistent criticism for top-of-head hotspots.

• At 275g with velvet pads (270g with Alcantara), reviewers call it exceptionally lightweight for a flagship — it 'practically disappears' on the head.
• headphones.com praises Audio-Technica for resisting the industry habit of adding weight to feel 'premium' — the light chassis makes the ADX7000 less obtrusive and more immersive.
• The frame is magnesium alloy with an aluminum housing, hand-assembled in Japan, with a stripped-back utilitarian aesthetic reviewers find handsome rather than gaudy.
• The fully open honeycomb-punched grille exposes the 58mm driver, placing little between the diaphragm and the outside world for a true open-air presentation.
• Two sets of earpads ship in the box — high-density velvet for a warmer, balanced sound and Alcantara for a brighter, more analytical tuning — effectively two headphones in one.

Apple AirPods Max 2

At an unchanged $549 the Max 2 is a hard sell on pure value. Against the Sony XM6 and Bose QC Ultra 2 it trades battery and weight for build quality and ecosystem; against Apple's own $249 AirPods Pro 3 reviewers question why anyone outside the ecosystem would pay more than double.

• Z Reviews argues the premium build and Apple-ecosystem connectivity make the Max 2 look like decent value at $50 cheaper than the plasticky Sony XM6 and Bose QC Ultra 2 flagships.
• The Sony XM6 costs around $400 new and offers 30 hours of battery — 10 more than the Max 2 — making it the more practical daily driver despite a less premium build.
• 9to5Mac calls the AirPods Max 2 'more of a status symbol than an actual product worth $550', recommending the AirPods Pro 3 for most Apple users instead.
• The Bose QC Ultra 2 offers 30 hours of battery for about $100 less and is roughly 120g lighter, beating the Max 2 on the two specs that matter most for travel.
• Tom's Guide concludes you are paying for the Apple ecosystem, the design and a bit of status — the value case rests almost entirely on owning other Apple devices.
• Reddit owners repeatedly say $549 is hard to justify for headphones used only part-time, with several preferring Bose for comfort-plus-ANC at a lower price.

Audio-Technica ATH-ADX7000

At $3,499 the ADX7000 sits squarely in flagship territory against the Sennheiser HD 800S, Focal Utopia, and HIFIMAN/Meze planars. Reviewers are unusually positive on its value-for-money — several call it one of the few flagships whose sound genuinely justifies its price.

• The ADX7000 launched at $3,499, replacing the $2,000 ADX5000 as Audio-Technica's open-back flagship — a complete rethink rather than a modest upgrade.
• headphones.com calls it one of the very few headphones it has heard at this price 'that has a sound that actually makes sense for that price.'
• Versus the Sennheiser HD 800S, den-fi found the HD 800S sounds too distant with a more dipped upper-midrange — and that the ADX7000 exposed the Sennheiser's treble as 'unimpressive.'
• audio46 frames it as the HD 800S detail experience with the bass the Sennheiser lacks — and more frontal midrange clarity than the bassy Meze Elite or Audeze LCD-4z.
• Versus the Focal Utopia, den-fi found the ADX7000 noticeably more dynamic and resolving than the 2022 Utopia, and 'a triumph' next to the Utopia's one-note bass and wall-of-sound presentation.