For you, music may contribute greatly to your quality of life. With this being said, the quality of how you listen to music matters too. Thankfully, Apple now has three high-quality options for you to choose from to enjoy your listening experience. Each having their own unique qualities, should you buy AirPods, AirPods Pro, or AirPods Max? 

AirPods Max 

AirPods Max is the newest addition to Apple’s collection of audio accessories. They are also the priciest. For $549, you can own a pair. 

You won’t have a pair in your hands for a while though. The AirPods Max became available for preorder on Dec. 8, and shipping won’t begin until Dec. 15. So don’t get your hopes up if you expect to receive them before Christmas.

Apple describes AirPods Max as “A perfect balance of exhilarating high-fidelity audio and the effortless magic of AirPods. The ultimate personal listening experience is here.” Their active noise cancelation and amplified surround sound bring this to fruition. 

What makes Max’s drastically different from the other two is its design. The AirPods and AirPods Pro are wireless earbuds, whereas the AirPods Max is designed like a traditional set of over-the-ear headphones. 

These headphones are made up of a headband with breathable knit mesh that helps reduce on-head pressure, a stainless steel frame warped in soft material for max flexibility and comfort, telescoping arms that easily extend, memory foam ear cushions, and aluminum cups surrounding the ear cushions that help balance pressure.

With its wireless components, a digital dial knob on the side of the ear cup allows you to precisely control volume, skip between tracks, answer phone calls, and activate Siri. 

What may also drive you to buy a pair is the fact that they come in five different colors: white, black, blue, coral, and green. 

AirPods 

AirPods are Apple’s OG wireless earbuds. They were released in December 2016 and have been very popular since then.

One reason why you may consider buying AirPods rather than AirPods Max is because of the price. With the wireless charging case included, AirPods cost $199, a $350 difference. 

AirPods are simple to set up and can sense when they are in use. Once they are in your ears and connected to your iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad, or Mac, you can listen to your music, videos, and podcasts. When you take them out, your audio pauses, preserving its battery life. 

Apple promises that AirPods have up to five hours of listening time on one charge, more than 24 hours of battery life with the charging case, and up to three hours of listening time with only a 15-minute charge. The AirPods Max holds a 20-hour charge. 

What is unique about AirPods is its Audio Sharing. With Audio Sharing, you can share songs, podcasts, and other audio between two sets of AirPods, while each having individual control of audio volume. 

AirPods Pro

The AirPods Pro is one step up from AirPods and costs $249.

Like the AirPods Max, AirPods Pro has active noise cancelation for the best sound quality. But they also have Transperacy mode, which allows you to listen to what’s happening in your surrounding area. 

One of the main complaints with AirPods and other wireless devices is that they can easily fall out and go missing. With three different size options- Large, Medium, Small- AirPods Max will sit comfortably in your ears all day. They are also water-resistant, which will surely give you one less thing to worry about. 

The AirPods Pro provides more than 24 hours of listening time, up to 4.5 hours of listening time on one charge, and around one hour of listening time on a five-minute charge. 

Each set of AirPods has its own pros and cons, but no matter what you decide to buy, you are guaranteed to get high-quality audio.