Disassembling the AirPods Max makes Sony and Bose headphones look like “toys”

Disassembling the AirPods Max makes Sony and Bose headphones look like “toys”

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IFixit has been demolishing the AirPods Max for a long time finally complete, giving an exhaustive look inside the first Apple headphones and an idea of ​​how easy they are to fix. IFixit even disassembled the WH-1000XM4 headphones from Sony and NC 700 from Bose for comparison. So far, iFixit has refused to give Apple a single point of repair for any of its AirPods, but AirPods Max counters the trend with a surprisingly high score of six out of ten.

Why so loud? Well, for starters, your ear cushions are attached using magnets, making them easy to change and replace when they inevitably wear out. There are also many internal components held together with screws instead of messy glue, which should make it easier for aspiring repairmen to change if they break.

The interior of what iFixit calls “perhaps the most elaborate part” of the headphones.
Image: iFixit

Unfortunately, there is some adhesive in the way of repairs.
Image: iFixit

IFixit particularly likes the headband hinge mechanism found between the headband and the ear protectors, which he says can be detached “with just a SIM card removal tool or paper clip, without even opening the protector headset ”. He calls it “perhaps the most elaborate part of AirPods Max” and notes that it is “both intricate and over-built, and can make the price of AirPods Max a little easier to swallow”.

The headphones are not perfectly repairable at all. Opening AirPods Max involves dealing with some messy adhesive and, although Apple has done a good job using screws to secure its internal components, iFixit points out that it uses an entirely different array for the job, which means you will have to be well equipped with screwdriver heads to attempt a repair.

The AirPods Max (center) versus headphones from Sony (left) and Bose (right).
Image: iFixit

Compared to other popular headphones, however, the AirPods Max is pretty good. As part of its deep dive into Apple’s headphones, iFixit also took down the cheaper Sony WH-1000XM4 and Bose NC 700, which are among our favorite noise-canceling headphones. But he notes that, compared to the “obsessive ability” of Apple headphones, they end up looking like “toys in comparison.”

Considering its $ 550 price tag, it is comforting to see that the AirPods Max will not be a complete nightmare to fix when its batteries and other components start to fail within a few years. Now, Apple just needs to find a way to bring that same repair capability to its real ridiculously popular wireless AirPods.

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