Apple AirPods Max (USB-C) vs Apple AirPods Pro (1st generation)

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Only show differences

Better figure, where one is clearly better

Share comparison

AirPods Max (USB-C) compared with AirPods Pro (1st generation)

	AppleAirPods Max (USB-C)	AppleAirPods Pro (1st generation)
Overview
Released
Released	September 2024	October 2019
Sound
Type
Type	Over-ear	In-ear
Noise cancelling
Noise cancelling	Yes	Yes
Transparency mode
Transparency mode	Yes	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	Yes	No
Chip
Chip	H1	H1
Drivers
Drivers	Apple-designed dynamic driver	Custom high-excursion Apple driver and high dynamic range amplifier
Chip
Chip	H1 in each ear cup	–
Noise cancelling detail
Noise cancelling detail	Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode	Outward- and inward-facing microphones; noise cancellation adjusts 200 times per second; pressure-equalising vents
Audio features
Audio features	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	Adaptive EQ; Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking added after launch; Audio Sharing; AAC and SBC Bluetooth codecs (What Hi-Fi?)
Hearing health
Hearing health	–	Conversation Boost, Live Listen, headphone levels and Headphone Accommodations
Battery
Listening time (maker's claim)
Listening time (maker's claim)	Up to 20 hours	Up to 4.5 hours
Wireless charging
Wireless charging	–	Yes
Battery life detail
Battery life detail	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	Up to 5 hours with ANC and Transparency off; more than 24 hours of listening with case recharges (Apple's claim)
Charging case
Charging case	–	Original Wireless Charging Case supports Qi and Lightning; MagSafe Charging Case added in 2021 also supports MagSafe
Fast charging
Fast charging	5 minutes of charging gives around 1.5 hours of listening	Around 1 hour of listening after 5 minutes in the case
Design
Weight
Weight	386.2 g	5.4 g (better)
Water and sweat resistance
Water and sweat resistance	–	IPX4
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	5.0	5.0
Headphone cable
Headphone cable	Yes	–
Controls
Controls	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”	Force sensor for playback, calls and switching ANC/Transparency; “Hey Siri”; no stem volume adjustment
Microphones
Microphones	Nine microphones in total, eight for Active Noise Cancellation and three for voice pickup (two shared with ANC)	Dual beamforming and inward-facing microphones; dual optical sensors, motion- and speech-detecting accelerometers
Fit and ear tips
Fit and ear tips	–	Silicone tips in S, M and L; Ear Tip Fit Test
Case weight
Case weight	134.5 g (Smart Case)	45.6 g
Dimensions
Dimensions	–	Each earbud 30.9 × 21.8 × 24.0 mm; original case 45.2 × 60.6 × 21.7 mm (height × width × depth)
Water resistance detail
Water resistance detail	–	IPX4 earbuds; Wireless Charging Case and MagSafe Charging Case are not sweat or water resistant
Works with
Works with	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	Apple devices with current iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, macOS or tvOS; Bluetooth audio with older Apple software and non-Apple devices, with limited features
Colours
Colours	Midnight, Starlight, Blue, Purple, Orange	White
In the box
In the box	AirPods Max, Smart Case, USB-C Charge Cable, documentation	AirPods Pro, charging case, three sizes of silicone tips, Lightning to USB-C cable, documentation