The AirPods Max have a great deal on at the moment — but here's what you should buy instead

Tom's Guide

04-07-2025

The AirPods Max, Apple's venerable over-ear noise cancelers, look unlike anything else you can buy for the price. They pack good sound, good comfort and excellent controls into a package that few can afford.
The price has just dropped, meaning you can now pick up a pair with an $80 discount at Amazon, where they're now $479. But I think you should still buy something else.
There's a much better pair of headphones for less that are just as premium, but cost less, sound better, and arguably give you much better value for money.
The AirPods Max are Apple's flagship headphones, and despite a recent USB-C update they've remained mostly the same since their initial release. They're a weighty, well built pair of headphones that sound really good — earning 4 stars in our review — but they're starting to get a bit long in the tooth at this point.
While I can't deny that the AirPods Max are, indeed, a very attractive pair of headphones, their other merits are starting to wear off as they get older and older. Bluetooth 5.0 feels distinctly out of date, even with Apple's magic pairing and interoperability.
They still sound very good, but cheaper alternatives are cropping up with better sound. Even their looks are starting to slip, with the likes of the Nothing Headphone (1) coming out. USB-C audio mode? Headphones that cost half as much pack that in now. The AirPods lustre is starting to show some tarnish.
Even at this deal price, the best thing you're getting is the sumptuous build quality and wonderful dial-like control on the right earcup. If you're looking for something worth the $449 you'll spend, look no further than my favorite headphones of 2025. The Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S3.
The Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S3 are my favorite pair of headphones. They're extremely comfortable, look the part with loads of premium materials on display, and they sound monumental.
Since testing them earlier this year, they've become my no. 1 most used pair of headphones by far. They're better than the AirPods Max in loads of ways too — and even though they're full price at the moment, they're still cheaper than the reduced AirPods Max.
Bowers & Wilkins brought its A-game when making the PX7 S3. They sound impeccable, with a great sound signature that does a better job with detail and mid-range grunt than the AirPods Max. I gave them a 4.5 star review when I tested them earlier this year thanks to their good protective case and solid battery life.
These cans feature better battery life, with 10 hours more on tap than the AirPods. While perhaps less visually interesting, I'd argue they're a more handsome option than Apple's headphones.
The protective case is better, their features are more useful, and charging quicker. There are so many reasons to buy what are my pick for the best headphones you can buy today — and if you wait for Prime Day, you might even see a reduction.