Apple's 'modern' AirPods Max with USB-C are cheaper than ever... but still pretty expensive
Released in 2020 and refreshed in 2024 with USB-C charging support, Apple's first (and still only) own-brand over-ear headphones are... a decently smart 2025 buy.
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Do you know the first-ever over-ear headphones Apple released under its own brand all the way back in 2020? For some reason, the Cupertino-based tech giant never brought out a true sequel to the AirPods Max, which are once again making headlines at an... interesting discount ahead of Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days 2025 event.
As you may have noticed, I actively avoided using a very strong adjective there, as the AirPods Max's latest price cut cannot be objectively described as deep, substantial, or life-altering. That's mainly because these are super-expensive headphones, normally fetching $549 a pair, so their new $120 discount doesn't quite make them affordable, at least compared to something like the Beats Studio Pro or Solo 4, which are also manufactured by Apple.
Apple AirPods Max
$119 off (22%)
Wireless Over-Ear Headphones with Active Noise Cancellation, Transparency Mode, Personalized Spatial Audio, Digital Crown for Volume Control, Apple H1 Chip, Up to 20 Hours of Battery Life, USB-C Charging, Three Color Options
Technically, however, this is not a 2020-released product you're looking at here, but a 2024-refreshed model with USB-C charging support replacing the outdated (and annoying) Lightning technology of the original version.
This particular flavor of the AirPods Max has never been available at a lower price than right now, so as unlikely as it sounds, the ancient over-ear cans might top some holiday shopping lists for yet another year.
If you hurry, you can save 120 bucks on your favorite of three different colorways (midnight, blue, and starlight) without jumping through hoops or meeting any sort of special requirements. I'm talking no obligatory Prime membership, although if history is any indication, that may change for the worse once Amazon's 2025 Prime Day sale kicks off in a matter of hours (at the time of this writing).
The AirPods Max are as stylish today as they were back in 2020 or 2021. | Image Credit -- PhoneArena
Now, are the AirPods Max still among the best high-end Bluetooth wireless headphones money can buy? I don't personally think so, but a lot of hardcore Apple fans are likely to (strongly) disagree with my view, considering the possibility to pair their iPhones with a non-Apple-branded product a cardinal sin.
To be perfectly clear, the AirPods Max are not bad by any measure of the word, rocking an undeniably fashionable design (even today), decent battery life, excellent spatial audio, and more than respectable active noise cancellation... at a price that could still go a little bit lower by the end of the holiday shopping season.
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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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