AirPods Max (2024) can now be bought for under ten thousand! They still offer premium craftsmanship and great sound

Do you long for AirPods Max, but the full price of the new model deters you? Then there’s a smart shortcut. The 2024 version with USB-C (the original from 2020 had Lightning) now costs 9,494 CZK with code ALZADNY10, while the freshly introduced “second generation” comes in at 13,990 CZK. And as we’ll show in a moment, that price difference makes more sense than the difference between the models.

Quick summary:
✅ Good choice if you want top-notch sound and premium ANC in the Apple ecosystem and don’t need the latest H2 chip features – you’ll save thousands compared to this year’s version.
⚠️ Consider the considerable weight (385 g), the absence of a power switch and water resistance, the missing 3.5mm cable in the package, and the older H1 chip.
💡 For 9,494 CZK you get practically the same headphones as the new model for 13,990 CZK, just without a few software enhancements.

Almost the same as the second generation, just cheaper

The year before last, Apple quietly replaced the Lightning connector with USB-C on the AirPods Max and left everything else as it was – the same stainless steel and aluminum design, the same drivers, the same H1 chip. When the “second generation” with the H2 chip arrived this year, it turned out to be more like Max 1.5: the appearance, weight, and sound remained almost identical, and the new model mainly adds slightly better noise cancellation, a more natural transparency mode, and software features like head movement control, Conversation Awareness, or live translation. If you don’t require these features (translation doesn’t work in Czech anyway), you get practically the same experience for 9,494 CZK. And that experience is still first-rate: large drivers deliver spatial and cinematic sound, ANC is, according to reviews, among the best on the market – reliably cutting out a child’s cry on a train or airplane roar – and pairing with an iPhone, iPad, or Mac is instantaneous. Via USB-C, they also support lossless audio, and the battery lasts up to 20 hours.

What you have to put up with

The headphones also have their flaws, which owners regularly encounter in reviews. First and foremost, they are heavy – you’ll feel 385 grams on your head after hours, your ears sweat in them, and they are not suitable for sports at all. Apple mysteriously didn’t give them a power switch: you can only turn them off completely by placing them in their case, otherwise, they smolder in standby mode for weeks, draining the battery. Water resistance is missing, and the cool aluminum combined with a warm ear reportedly sometimes leads to condensation inside – one of the more common reasons for complaints in reviews.

They are not perfect headphones, and their ailments have been ongoing for years. However, if you crave the best sound and ANC in the Apple world and don’t want to pay full price for the new model, this older generation on sale is a smart way to save. Those who insist on the latest H2 features or often travel light should rather opt for the “second generation” or AirPods Pro.

Would you pay extra for the newer H2, or are you content to save with the proven generation?