Apple AirPods (3rd generation) vs Apple AirPods Max (USB-C)

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AirPods (3rd generation) compared with AirPods Max (USB-C)

	AppleAirPods (3rd generation)	AppleAirPods Max (USB-C)
Overview
Released
Released	October 2021	September 2024
Sound
Type
Type	Open-ear	Over-ear
Noise cancelling
Noise cancelling	No	Yes
Transparency mode
Transparency mode	No	Yes
Spatial audio with head tracking
Spatial audio with head tracking	Yes	Yes
Bluetooth codecs
Bluetooth codecs	SBC and AAC	SBC and AAC
Lossless over USB-C
Lossless over USB-C	No	Yes
Chip
Chip	H1	H1
Drivers
Drivers	Custom high-excursion Apple driver and high dynamic range amplifier	Apple-designed dynamic driver
Chip
Chip	–	H1 in each ear cup
Noise cancelling detail
Noise cancelling detail	–	Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode
Audio features
Audio features	Personalised Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking; Adaptive EQ; Audio Sharing; AAC and SBC Bluetooth codecs (SoundGuys)	Personalised Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking; Adaptive EQ; Lossless Audio and ultra-low latency audio via USB-C; analogue sources need Apple's USB-C to 3.5 mm Audio Cable, sold separately
Battery
Listening time (maker's claim)
Listening time (maker's claim)	Up to 6 hours	Up to 20 hours
With the case
With the case	Up to 30 hours	–
Wireless charging
Wireless charging	Yes	–
Battery life detail
Battery life detail	Up to 5 hours with Personalised Spatial Audio enabled	Up to 20 hours of movie playback with ANC and Spatial Audio on; storing them in the Smart Case puts them in an ultra-low-power state
Charging case
Charging case	MagSafe case supports MagSafe and Qi wireless charging or Lightning; Lightning-only case introduced in 2022 has no wireless charging	–
Fast charging
Fast charging	Around 1 hour of listening after 5 minutes in the case	5 minutes of charging gives around 1.5 hours of listening
Design
Weight (each earbud)
Weight (each earbud)	4.28 g (better)	386.2 g
Water and sweat resistance
Water and sweat resistance	IPX4	–
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	5.0	5.0
Headphone cable
Headphone cable	–	Yes
Controls
Controls	Force sensor for playback, calls and Siri; “Hey Siri”; no stem volume control	Digital Crown (turn for volume; press once to play, pause or answer a call; twice to end a call or skip forward; three times to skip back; press and hold for Siri); noise control button to switch between ANC and Transparency; “Hey Siri”
Microphones
Microphones	Dual beamforming and inward-facing microphones; skin-detecting sensor, motion- and speech-detecting accelerometers	Nine microphones in total, eight for Active Noise Cancellation and three for voice pickup (two shared with ANC)
Fit and ear tips
Fit and ear tips	Open-ear design without silicone tips	–
Case weight
Case weight	37.91 g	134.5 g (Smart Case)
Dimensions
Dimensions	Each earbud 30.79 × 18.26 × 19.21 mm; case 46.40 × 54.40 × 21.38 mm (height × width × depth)	–
Water resistance detail
Water resistance detail	IPX4 for earbuds and case; resistance can diminish over time	–
Works with
Works with	Apple devices with current iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, macOS or tvOS; Bluetooth audio with older Apple software and non-Apple devices, with limited features	Full features with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV and Apple Vision Pro on the latest software; works as Bluetooth headphones with other devices, with limited features
Colours
Colours	White	Midnight, Starlight, Blue, Purple, Orange
In the box
In the box	AirPods, Lightning or MagSafe charging case, Lightning to USB-C cable, documentation	AirPods Max, Smart Case, USB-C Charge Cable, documentation