Apple AirPods Max vs AirPods (3rd generation)

Which Headphones Are Better?

Products

Apple AirPods Max
Apple AirPods (3rd generation)

Tested using Methodology v2.0

Updated Feb 04, 2026 07:23 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com

Tested using Methodology v2.0

Updated Dec 01, 2025 09:30 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
  1. Recommended in 1 article:
  2. Apple

Our Verdict

Apple AirPods Max

Apple AirPods (3rd generation)

The Apple AirPods Max and the Apple AirPods (3rd generation) have different strengths, and you may prefer either. The Max are over-ear headphones with ANC. Their noise isolation performance is much better, and they have a longer continuous battery life. They also reproduce more thumpy low bass, which some users may prefer. On the other hand, the 3rd generation are earbuds with a much more portable design. They come with a charging case and have an IPX4 rating for water resistance.

0 

Variants

  • AirPods Max (USB-C) (Blue)
  • AirPods Max (Lightning) (Green)
  • AirPods (3rd generation) (Lightning Charging Case - White)
  • AirPods (3rd generation) (White)

Check Price

Blue
AirPods Max (USB-C)
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Lightning Charging Case - White
AirPods (3rd generation)
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Green
AirPods Max (Lightning)
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
White
AirPods (3rd generation)
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Midnight
AirPods Max (USB-C)
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
 
Orange
AirPods Max (USB-C)
SEE PRICE
Apple.com
 
Pink
AirPods Max (Lightning)
Amazon.com
 
Purple
AirPods Max (USB-C)
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
 
Silver
AirPods Max (Lightning)
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
 
Sky Blue
AirPods Max (Lightning)
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
 
Space Gray
AirPods Max (Lightning)
SEE PRICE
Walmart.com
 
Starlight
AirPods Max (USB-C)
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
 

Main Differences for
Sports And Fitness

Threshold 

0.10

Sports And Fitness 
 

6.9
7.2

Portability 
 

6.0
9.7

Bluetooth Connection 
 

7.9
7.2

Full Comparison

Sound

Sound Profile 
 

Sound Profile  

 Preview Graph
Apple AirPods Max Sound Profile
 Preview Graph
Apple AirPods (3rd generation) Sound Profile

Normalization Frequency 
 

1,250 Hz
1,200 Hz

Bass Amount 
 

Slightly Emphasized (1 dB)
Underemphasized (-5 dB)

Treble Amount 
 

Underemphasized (-4 dB)
Slightly Underemphasized (-2 dB)

Sound Signature 
 

Warm
Flat
Show Text 

Frequency Response Consistency 
 

8.1
5.8

Consistency L  

 Preview Graph
Apple AirPods Max Consistency L
 Preview Graph
Apple AirPods (3rd generation) Consistency L

Consistency R  

 Preview Graph
Apple AirPods Max Consistency R
 Preview Graph
Apple AirPods (3rd generation) Consistency R

Std. Deviation 
 

0.83 dB
1.39 dB
Show Text 

Raw Frequency Response 
 

Raw FR L  

 Preview Graph
Apple AirPods Max Raw FR L
 Preview Graph
Apple AirPods (3rd generation) Raw FR L

Raw FR R  

 Preview Graph
Apple AirPods Max Raw FR R
 Preview Graph
Apple AirPods (3rd generation) Raw FR R

Bass Profile: Target Compliance 
 

9.7
6.3

Bass Profile: Target Compliance  

 Preview Graph
Apple AirPods Max Bass Profile: Target Compliance
 Preview Graph
Apple AirPods (3rd generation) Bass Profile: Target Compliance

RMS Deviation From Target 
 

1.5 dB
7.8 dB

Low-Frequency Extension 
 

20 Hz
40.02 Hz

Low Bass 
 

1.71 dB
-10.47 dB

Mid Bass 
 

1.08 dB
-1.36 dB

High Bass 
 

1.43 dB
-0.53 dB
Show Text 

Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance 
 

9.2
9.3

Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance  

 Preview Graph
Apple AirPods Max Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance
 Preview Graph
Apple AirPods (3rd generation) Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance

RMS Deviation From Target 
 

1.27 dB
1.13 dB

Low Mid 
 

0.42 dB
-0.09 dB

Mid-Mid 
 

-0.05 dB
-1.29 dB

High Mid 
 

-1.35 dB
1.06 dB
Show Text 

Treble Profile: Target Compliance 
 

6.3
8.5

Treble Profile: Target Compliance  

 Preview Graph
Apple AirPods Max Treble Profile: Target Compliance
 Preview Graph
Apple AirPods (3rd generation) Treble Profile: Target Compliance

RMS Deviation From Target 
 

4.91 dB
2.9 dB

Low Treble 
 

-4.96 dB
-1.79 dB

Mid Treble 
 

-2.98 dB
-2.93 dB

High Treble 
 

-2.68 dB
-9.72 dB
Show Text 

Peaks/Dips 
 

8.2
7.5

Peaks/Dips Graph 
 

 Preview Graph
Apple AirPods Max Peaks/Dips Graph
 Preview Graph
Apple AirPods (3rd generation) Peaks/Dips Graph

Peaks 
 

0.96 dB
1.39 dB

Dips 
 

1.65 dB
2.08 dB
Show Text 

Stereo Mismatch 
 

9.1
7.3

Frequency Response Mismatch  

 Preview Graph
Apple AirPods Max Frequency Response Mismatch
 Preview Graph
Apple AirPods (3rd generation) Frequency Response Mismatch

Phase Response Mismatch  

 Preview Graph
Apple AirPods Max Phase Response Mismatch
 Preview Graph
Apple AirPods (3rd generation) Phase Response Mismatch

Weighted Amplitude Mismatch 
 

0.10 dB
0.40 dB

Weighted Frequency Response Mismatch 
 

0.67 dB
1.23 dB

Weighted Phase Mismatch 
 

0.6°
3.2°
Show Text 

Group Delay 
 

8.0
3.6

Group Delay  

 Preview Graph
Apple AirPods Max Group Delay
 Preview Graph
Apple AirPods (3rd generation) Group Delay

Weighted Group Delay 
 

0.8 ms
1.9 ms
Show Text 

Cumulative Spectral Decay 
 

CSD 
 

Compare High-Res
Apple AirPods Max CSD
Compare High-Res
Apple AirPods (3rd generation) CSD

PRTF 
 

4.4
0.0

PRTF  

 Preview Graph
Apple AirPods Max PRTF
Apple AirPods (3rd generation) PRTF

PRTF Accuracy (RMS Deviation) 
 

4.28 dB
N/A

PRTF Size (Avg.) 
 

6.81 dB
N/A

PRTF Distance 
 

5.22 dB
N/A
Show Text 

Harmonic Distortion 
 

9.5
9.3

Harmonics Levels  

 Preview Graph
Apple AirPods Max Harmonics Levels
 Preview Graph
Apple AirPods (3rd generation) Harmonics Levels

THD Ratio  

 Preview Graph
Apple AirPods Max THD Ratio
 Preview Graph
Apple AirPods (3rd generation) THD Ratio

WHD @ 94 dB SPL 
 

0.06%
0.07%

WHD @ 104 dB SPL 
 

0.10%
0.13%
Show Text 

Electrical Aspects 
 

Impedance  

Apple AirPods Max Impedance
Apple AirPods (3rd generation) Impedance

Sensitivity @1kHz-1V 
 

N/A
N/A

Bluetooth Max SPL 
 

103.2 dB
104.5 dB
Show Text 

Virtual Soundstage 
 

2.9
2.9

Virtual Soundstage 
 

Compare High-Res
Apple AirPods Max Virtual Soundstage
Compare High-Res
Apple AirPods (3rd generation) Virtual Soundstage

Head Modeling 
 

No
No

Speaker Modeling 
 

On/Off
On/Off

Room Ambience 
 

No
No

Head Tracking 
 

On/Off
On/Off

Virtual Surround 
 

Spatial Audio
Spatial Audio
Show Text 

Test Settings 
 

Firmware 
 

6A326
6F21.

Power 
 

On
On

Connection 
 

Bluetooth
Bluetooth

Codec 
 

SBC, 16-bit, 48kHz
SBC, 16-bit, 48kHz

Test Instrument  

Audio Precision APx517B
Audio Precision APx517B

EQ 
 

Adaptive EQ
Adaptive EQ

ANC 
 

On
No ANC

Tip/Pad 
 

Default
Default

Microphone 
 

Integrated
Integrated
Show Text 
Design

Style  

Design Picture 2 
 

Compare High-Res
Apple AirPods Max Design Picture 2
Compare High-Res
Apple AirPods (3rd generation) Design Picture 2

Type  

Over-ear
Earbuds

Enclosure  

Closed-Back
Open-Back

Wireless  

Yes
Truly Wireless

Transducer  

Dynamic
Dynamic
Show Text 

Comfort 
 

7.0
7.0

Comfort Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
Apple AirPods Max Comfort Picture
Compare High-Res
Apple AirPods (3rd generation) Comfort Picture

Weight  

0.85 lbs
0.02 lbs

Clamping Force 
 

1.2 lbs
N/A
Show Text 

Controls 
 

7.9
5.5

Controls Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
Apple AirPods Max Controls Picture
Compare High-Res
Apple AirPods (3rd generation) Controls Picture

OS Compatibility 
 

iOS
Not OS specific

Ease Of Use  

Great
Great

Feedback  

Good
Good

Call/Music Control  

Yes
Yes

Volume Control  

Yes
No

Microphone Control  

No
No

Channel Mixing 
 

No
No

Noise Cancelling Control  

On/Off
No

Talk-Through 
 

On/Off
No

Additional Controls  

Voice Assistant
Voice Assistant
Show Text 

Portability 
 

6.0
9.7

Portability Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
Apple AirPods Max Portability Picture
Compare High-Res
Apple AirPods (3rd generation) Portability Picture

 

7.8" (19.8 cm)
1.2" (3.1 cm)

 

7.5" (19.1 cm)
0.8" (2.1 cm)

 

1.7" (4.3 cm)
0.6" (1.6 cm)

Volume  

99.00 in³ (1,622.31 cm³)
0.62 in³ (10.20 cm³)

Transmitter Required  

No
No
Show Text 

Case 
 

6.0
8.5

Case Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
Apple AirPods Max Case Picture
Compare High-Res
Apple AirPods (3rd generation) Case Picture

Type  

Soft case
Hard case

 

7.9" (20.1 cm)
2.1" (5.4 cm)

 

8.5" (21.6 cm)
1.8" (4.6 cm)

 

1.7" (4.3 cm)
0.8" (2.1 cm)

Volume  

114.00 in³ (1,868.12 cm³)
3.28 in³ (53.80 cm³)
Show Text 

Build Quality 
 

8.0
8.0

Build Quality Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
Apple AirPods Max Build Quality Picture
Compare High-Res
Apple AirPods (3rd generation) Build Quality Picture
Show Text 

Stability 
 

6.5
6.5

Stability Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
Apple AirPods Max Stability Picture
Compare High-Res
Apple AirPods (3rd generation) Stability Picture
Show Text 

Headshots 1  

Angled Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
Apple AirPods Max Angled Picture
Compare High-Res
Apple AirPods (3rd generation) Angled Picture

Side Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
Apple AirPods Max Side Picture
Compare High-Res
Apple AirPods (3rd generation) Side Picture

Headshots 2  

Front Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
Apple AirPods Max Front Picture
Compare High-Res
Apple AirPods (3rd generation) Front Picture

Rear Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
Apple AirPods Max Rear Picture
Compare High-Res
Apple AirPods (3rd generation) Rear Picture

Top  

Top Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
Apple AirPods Max Top Picture
Compare High-Res
Apple AirPods (3rd generation) Top Picture

In The Box  

In The Box Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
Apple AirPods Max In The Box Picture
Compare High-Res
Apple AirPods (3rd generation) In The Box Picture
Show Text 
Isolation

Noise Isolation - Full Range 
 

9.4
1.7

Noise Isolation - Full Range Graph  

 Preview Graph
Apple AirPods Max Noise Isolation - Full Range Graph
 Preview Graph
Apple AirPods (3rd generation) Noise Isolation - Full Range Graph

Noise Cancelling  

Yes
No

Overall Attenuation 
 

-26.06 dB
-3.75 dB

Bass 
 

-19.54 dB
-0.02 dB

Mid 
 

-30.62 dB
-0.95 dB

Treble 
 

-28.95 dB
-11.36 dB
Show Text 

Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios 
 

9.0
1.9

Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios Graph  

 Preview Graph
Apple AirPods Max Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios Graph
 Preview Graph
Apple AirPods (3rd generation) Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios Graph

Airplane Noise Attenuation 
 

-21.85 dB
-3.32 dB

Airplane Noise Isolation Audio 
 

Office Noise Attenuation 
 

-19.98 dB
-3.35 dB

Office Noise Isolation Audio 
 

Street Noise Attenuation 
 

-21.92 dB
-3.57 dB

Street Noise Isolation Audio 
 

Show Text 

Noise Isolation - Voice Handling 
 

Female Voice 1 
 

Male Voice 1 
 

Female Voice 2 
 

Male Voice 2 
 

ANC Wind Handling 
 

ANC Wind Handling Graph  

 Preview Graph
Apple AirPods Max ANC Wind Handling Graph
Apple AirPods (3rd generation) ANC Wind Handling Graph

ANC Wind Noise 
 

N/A
Show Text 

Leakage 
 

7.1
7.0

Leakage  

 Preview Graph
Apple AirPods Max Leakage
 Preview Graph
Apple AirPods (3rd generation) Leakage

Leakage Audio 
 

Overall Leakage @ 1ft 
 

38.88 dB
39.46 dB
Show Text 
Microphone

Microphone Style 
 

Integrated 
 

Yes
Yes

In-Line 
 

No
No

Boom 
 

No
No

Detachable Boom 
 

No
No

Mic  

Yes
Yes

Recording Quality 
 

6.6
6.0

Microphone Frequency Response  

 Preview Graph
Apple AirPods Max Microphone Frequency Response
 Preview Graph
Apple AirPods (3rd generation) Microphone Frequency Response

Recorded Speech 
 

LFE 
 

273 Hz
67.27 Hz

FR Std. Dev. 
 

2.77 dB
3.25 dB

HFE 
 

3,466.89 Hz
1,659.96 Hz

Weighted THD 
 

3.025
3.887

Gain 
 

15.85 dB
18.34 dB
Show Text 

Noise Handling 
 

5.0
5.5

SpNR  

 Preview Graph
Apple AirPods Max SpNR
 Preview Graph
Apple AirPods (3rd generation) SpNR

SpNR 
 

9.61 dB
12.16 dB

Noise Gate 
 

No
Always On

Speech + Pink Noise Handling 
 

5.0
5.5

Speech + Pink Noise Audio Sample  

Speech + Subway Noise Handling 
 

5.0
5.5

Speech + Subway Noise Audio Sample  

Show Text 
Active Features

Battery 
 

8.3
7.2

Battery Type 
 

Rechargable
Rechargable

Continuous Battery Life 
 

21.6 hrs
6.8 hrs

Additional Charges 
 

0.0
5.0

Total Battery Life 
 

21.6 hrs
40.8 hrs

Charge Time 
 

1.5 hrs
0.8 hrs

Power-Saving Feature 
 

Standby mode
Standby mode

Audio While Charging 
 

Yes
Yes

Passive Playback 
 

No
No

Charging Port  

Lightning
Lightning
Show Text 

App Support 
 

6.0
5.0

App Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
Apple AirPods Max App Picture
Compare High-Res
Apple AirPods (3rd generation) App Picture

App Name  

iOS Interface
iOS Interface

iOS  

Yes
Yes

Android  

No
No

macOS  

Yes
Yes

Windows  

No
No

Equalizer 
 

No
No

ANC Control 
 

On/Off
No

Mic Control  

No
No

Room Effects 
 

No
No

Playback Control 
 

No
No

Button Mapping  

No
No

Surround Support 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 
Connectivity

Wired Connection 
 

9.3
0.0

Cable Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
Apple AirPods Max Cable Picture
Compare High-Res
Apple AirPods (3rd generation) Cable Picture

Analog Audio 
 

Yes
No

USB Audio 
 

No
No

Detachable 
 

Yes
No

Length 
 

N/A
N/A

Connector 
 

Lightning
No Wired Option

Latency - Analog 
 

1.7 ms
N/A

Latency - USB 
 

N/A
N/A

Recorded Latency 
 

N/A

Recorded Latency Connection  

Analog
No Wired Audio
Show Text 

Bluetooth Connection 
 

7.9
7.2

Bluetooth Version 
 

5.0+H1 chip
5.0+H1 chip

Multi-Device Pairing 
 

No
No

Quick Pair (Android) 
 

No
No

Quick Pair (iOS) 
 

Yes
Yes

Line Of Sight Range 
 

328.00 ft (99.97 m)
205.05 ft (62.50 m)

Latency - SBC 
 

185 ms
184 ms

Latency - aptX 
 

N/A
N/A

Latency - aptX Adaptive (High Quality) 
 

N/A
N/A

Latency - aptX Adaptive (Low Latency) 
 

N/A
N/A

Latency - LDAC 
 

N/A
N/A

Recorded Latency 
 

Recorded Latency Codec  

SBC
SBC

AAC Support 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

Wireless Connection (Dongle) 
 

0.0
0.0

Line Of Sight Range 
 

N/A
N/A

Latency - Dongle 
 

N/A
N/A

Recorded Latency 
 

N/A
N/A

PC Compatibility 
 

Analog 
 

No
No

Wired USB 
 

No
No

Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No
Show Text 

PlayStation Compatibility 
 

PS4 Analog 
 

No
No

PS4 Wired USB 
 

No
No

PS4 Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No

PS5 Analog 
 

No
No

PS5 Wired USB 
 

No
No

PS5 Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Xbox Compatibility 
 

Xbox One Analog 
 

No
No

Xbox One Wired USB 
 

No
No

Xbox One Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No

Xbox Series X|S Analog 
 

No
No

Xbox Series X|S Wired USB 
 

No
No

Xbox Series X|S Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Base/Dock 
 

0.0
2.2

Type 
 

No Base/Dock
Charging Case

USB Input 
 

No
No

Line In 
 

No
No

Line Out 
 

No
No

Optical Input 
 

No
No

RCA Input 
 

No
No

Dock Charging 
 

No
Yes

Power Supply 
 

No Base/Dock
Lightning
Show Text 

Check Price

Blue
AirPods Max (USB-C)
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Lightning Charging Case - White
AirPods (3rd generation)
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Green
AirPods Max (Lightning)
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
White
AirPods (3rd generation)
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Midnight
AirPods Max (USB-C)
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
 
Orange
AirPods Max (USB-C)
SEE PRICE
Apple.com
 
Pink
AirPods Max (Lightning)
Amazon.com
 
Purple
AirPods Max (USB-C)
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
 
Silver
AirPods Max (Lightning)
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
 
Sky Blue
AirPods Max (Lightning)
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
 
Space Gray
AirPods Max (Lightning)
SEE PRICE
Walmart.com
 
Starlight
AirPods Max (USB-C)
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
 

Apple AirPods Max

Apple AirPods (3rd generation)

Comments

  1. Comparison

Apple AirPods Max vs Apple AirPods (3rd generation): Main Discussion

What do you think of these products? Let us know below.


Looking for a personalized buying advice from the RTINGS.com experts? Insiders have direct access to buying advice on our insider forum.

PreviewBack to editorFormat guide
No comments yet, refresh to see new ones