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Key Takeaways
- Sony WH-1000XM5 is a top-notch alternative to AirPods Max for Android users, with sleek design and excellent noise-cancelling capabilities.
- Bose 700 Noise Cancelling Headphones have adjustable noise-cancellation and a modern design, although noise-cancelling is not as great as AirPods Max.
- Beats Studio Pro is a budget-friendly alternative for iOS users, with compactness and compatibility with Apple devices, but has a slightly outdated appearance.
Since their 2020 release, Apple’s AirPods Max continue to be the trendiest headphones on the market. While I admit, I do love my AirPods Max and, in my review, highlighted that they are worth it in 2024, the nearly $600 price tag makes buying a pair feel out of touch for most people, especially for folks on a budget. Trying to find a pair of over-ear headphones that are both high quality, aesthetically pleasing and affordable can be hard to do.
Luckily for you, I took the time to investigate the over-ear headphones on the market and found top-notch over-ear headphones that perform just as well and are just as trendy on social media as AirPods Max, but a couple of hundred dollars less.
Best alternative overall
Sony WH-1000XM5
Editor’s choice
The perfect ANC over-ears for Android users
Sony’s WH-1000XM5 headphones give Apple a run for its money, especially if you’re an Android user. Once you turn the WH-1000XM5 on, a pop-up automatically allows you to pair with your Android device. If you’re an Apple user, you can connect how you typically connect to Bluetooth devices in Settings.
- Great noise cancellation
- Comfortable
- High quality audio
Sony’s renowned WH-1000XM5 headphones, most recently upgraded in 2022, are all around excellent. Starting with the sleek and simple design, Sony gave the WH-1000XM5 a major upgrade in its fifth iteration. Compared to Apple’s AirPods Max, the earcups of Sony’s headphones are more dome shaped and offer more cushioning.
Sony WH-1000XM5 review: Still an ANC masterclass
Sony updated its flagship WH-1000X headphones in 2022, now in its fifth iteration. This time there’s a change in design, on top of other improvements.
Plus, the headband of the headphones is rounded and can be adjusted to fit your head and skips out on the mesh accents. The biggest downside to the design, however, is that the case adds some extra bulkiness.
Aside from the aesthetic aspect, the headphones have exceptional noise-cancelling capabilities and sound quality. The active noise-cancelling on the headphones blocks out virtually every noise surrounding you. You don’t need to listen to your music at high volumes to block out any loud noises nearby, users can control the noise settings on the Sony Headphones Connect App.
These 5 Sony WH-1000XM5 features may convince me to ditch wired headphones
As awesome as wired life is, the Sony WH-1000XM5 are tempting me to dip my toes in the Bluetooth audio world once again.
Overall, the Sony WH-1000XM5 are great value headphones and a solid competitor to Apple’s AirPods Max.
Best Bose alternative
Bose 700 Noise Cancelling Headphones
An older model, but a solid thin-band alternative
Although the Bose Noise Cancelling 700 over-ear headphones were released in 2019, I still prefer them over Bose’s other noise-cancelling headphones, the Bose QuietComfort 45. The Bose 700 easily connects to the Bose Music app, which allows you to adjust the noise-cancellation level on a scale of 1-10. The adjustable noise cancellation is my favorite aspect of the Bose 700. When walking around cities, I don’t enjoy having the noise-cancelling all the way up, so the adjustable noise-cancelling allows me to find a happy medium.
- Charging case
- All-around good listening experience
- Adjustable noise cancellation
- Noise-cancelling not as great as AirPods Max
Aesthetically, the Bose 700 adds a modern twist to the traditional headphone style. The headphones, made of stainless steel, come in either silver or black and are designed to adjust to every head. The headphone band, which has a gel-like padding, is tall and narrow with the headphone cups being more circular than both Sony and Apple’s over-ear headphones.
The case the headphones come in does take up a lot of space, however the fact that you can charge the headphones directly on the case makes the bulkiness worth it.
Aesthetically, the Bose 700 adds a modern twist to the traditional headphone style.
The Bose 700 has a few controls for adjusting the volume, skipping or rewinding songs and a button to play/pause the music. Additionally, the headphones have around 20 hours of battery life and can be used with Amazon’s Alexa.
5 reasons to buy AirPods Max over Bose NCH 700
Both over-ears offer great sound, but Apple’s AirPods Max are trendy, comfortable, and deliver unparalleled Spatial Audio.
Best Apple ecosystem alternative
Beats Studio Pro
iOS compatible headphones that beat competition
Beats Studio Pro builds on Beats’ older model, the Beats Studio 3, by adding active noise-cancelling with transparency mode. The Studio Pro has six microphones, allowing for an upgraded active noise-cancelling. On top of the improved noise cancellation, the Studio Pro also includes spatial audio with dynamic head tracking when connected to an iOS device.
- 40 hours battery life
- Transparency mode
- Collapsible
- Easily compatible with iOS.
We reviewed the successor to the Beats Studio 3, the Beats Studio Pro, and think they’re just as cool and more budget-friendly than Apple’s AirPods Max. Beats Studio Pro will appeal to over-ear headphone traditionalists who prefer the more classic headphone style.
The headphones are made of plastic and have a memory-foam vegan leather cushion for the ear cups. One of the biggest differences between the Beats Studio Pro and all the other headphones on the list is the compactness of the headphones. Due to the plastic frame, the headphones easily collapse to fit into your bag.
5 features the Beats Studio Pro 2 need to be top over-ear headphones
The Beats Studio Pros returned Beats into audio enthusiasts’ good graces, but the company needs to keep the momentum going with the second generation.
Ultimately, the Beats Studio Pro is the best alternative for exclusive iOS users. Unlike Sony and Bose headphones, the Studio Pro is built with Apple devices in mind. Although the headphones don’t have as advanced noise-cancelling controls as the AirPods Max, they still make a solid budget alternative to Apple’s headphones.
Best budget alternative
Anker Soundcore Space One
While sitting at a budget-friendly $100 price point, Soundcore’s Space One’s look and feel luxury while delivering impressive ANC. Nice for travel and everyday activities like locking in at work or the gym, Soundcore doesn’t sacrifice style for sound quality or vice versa. While the sound quality isn’t industry-leading, it’s still full, dynamic, and solid for everyday listening
- Battery Life
- 40 hours with ANC on, 55 hours with ANC off
- Wireless?
- Yes
- Noise Cancellation
- Yes
- Foldable
- Yes
- Connectivity
- Bluetooth 5.3, Aux
- Driver size
- 40mm
- Stylish
- Foldable
- Budget friendly
Soundcore’s Space One headphones helped me nail the ‘it girl’ look on a budget
For only $100, these over-ears grant great style, sound, and ANC.
If you want a pair of decent over-ear headphones but don’t want to pay hundreds of dollars, you may find what you’re looking for in the Anker Soundcore Space One headphones. The headphones are wireless with a battery life of around 40 hours, have active noise-canceling technology, are collapsible, and have Bluetooth and auxiliary chord capabilities. The headphones easily connect to Apple and Samsung devices using Bluetooth.
The headphones have a sleek, trendy look which strays from the futuristic look of the AirPods Max, but more closely resembles Bose’s QueitComfort Ultra over-ear headphones. The headphones are available in black and white, plus have a soft velvet-like material cushioning the headband and earcups. Even after wearing the headphones for hours, the Soundcore Space One headphones don’t get uncomfortable.
Best Sonos alternative
Sonos Ace
Sonos hasn’t quite aced its first attempt at a headphone, but it’s one of the best first-generation products released in a long time. Sonos fans may be disappointed that it doesn’t do more within the ecosystem, but reviewed on its own merits — as a premium pair of Bluetooth headphones with one interesting Sonos trick — it could be worth your money.
- Brand
- Sonos
- Battery Life
- 30 hour battery using Bluetooth with ANC on
- Material
- Matte and stainless steel
- Bluetooth
- 5.4
- Noise Cancellation
- Yes
- Microphones
- 8 beamforming
- Colors
- Black, Soft white
- Audio codecs
- Qualcomm Snapdragon Sound AptX Lossless and Apple Lossless Audio Codec
- Charging type
- USB-C
- Multipoint
- Yes
- Retail price
- $499
- Battery charge time
- 3 hours listening time in 3 minutes
- Carrying case
- Yes
- Price
- $449
- Driver size
- 40mm
Sonos’ first over-ear noise-canceling headphones doesn’t necessarily stand out from the rest, but is still a cheaper alternative to AirPods Max. The Sonos Ace over-ear headphones are noise-canceling, have around 30 hours of battery life and will cost you about $449. The headphones more closely resemble the design of AirPods Max and are available in black and white.
Although I wouldn’t recommend these headphones over other headphones on the list for non-Sonos fans, Sonos loyalists should be sure to check out the Ace headphones.
The Sonos Ace don’t reinvent the game, but these headphones still get the win
With superb sound, a modern design, and a couple Sonos perks, these $449 headphones are pricey but competitive.
The headphones have the unique ability for home theater audio swapping. Pressing the Content Key on Sonos soundbars or the Ace headphones will allow users to swap the audio from the selected device. The Content Key on the Ace headphones also allows users to adjust the volume or play/pause their audio.
A Gen Z-er’s take
Of course, there are hundreds of over-ear headphones on the market. When picking the best AirPods Max alternatives, I not only looked at the technical and aesthetic aspects of the headphones but mainly what headphones non-AirPods Max users are wearing. One of the biggest appeals to AirPods Max for those who don’t consider themselves a “techy” is the popularity of over-ear headphones on social media. All the options above are headphones have been reviewed and tested by Pocket-lint staff and are also being talked about on social media.
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Coming off of Paris Fashion Week, and with New York’s around the corner, we took a look at the top fashion x tech trends over the past few years.
The bottom line: What are the best AirPods Max alternative overall?
All the headphones above are good choices, but I prefer the Sony WH-1000XM5. The headphones are just as good in technical aspects as Apple’s AirPods Max and have an aesthetic similar to the AirPods Max.
Sony WH-1000XM5
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