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AirPods Max vs Noise Cancelling Headphones 700

Reddit rates both Stay Away. The split is what you want: the AirPods Max — don’t buy it — get the Sony XM4 instead. The Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 — don’t buy it — get the Sony WH-1000XM4 instead.

Apple AirPods Max
Apple · Audio

AirPods Max

Stay Away$397.67
40% of 2,279 owners recommend
~1 in 2 failure rate — ~1 in 2 long-term reports mention a failure — the highest of the 10 wireless headphones we track and nearly double the category baseline of 27%. Connectivity and pairing are the most cited components, with onset typically between 12 and 36 months. Of tracked warranty outcomes, 121 landed unresolved versus 73 resolved, so failures usually land outside warranty coverage.

Don’t buy it — get the Sony XM4 instead

+ Repeatedly mentioned as the reference point other headphones get compared against.

− A vocal minority report failures — but at ~1 in 2 long-term reports, the pattern is hard to ignore.

Full verdict →
Bose · Audio

Noise Cancelling Headphones 700

Stay Away—
44% of 459 owners recommend
~1 in 6 failure rate — ~1 in 6 long-term owner reports mention a failure, most often the bluetooth, typically inside the [0,25) month window. Reports that mention warranty mostly say it landed outside coverage.

Don’t buy it — get the Sony WH-1000XM4 instead

+ The most repeated reason owners recommend it (34 mentions).

− The single most cited complaint (23 mentions).

Full verdict →

Questions people keep asking

Which is better, the AirPods Max or the Noise Cancelling Headphones 700?

Reddit rates both Stay Away. The split is what you want: the AirPods Max — don’t buy it — get the Sony XM4 instead. The Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 — don’t buy it — get the Sony WH-1000XM4 instead.

Is the Apple AirPods Max worth it?

Reddit's verdict is Stay Away. Don’t buy it — get the Sony XM4 instead. Excellent sound and ANC, but ~1 in 2 long-term reports describe a failure — the worst reliability of the 10 wireless headphones we track.

Is the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 worth it?

Reddit's verdict is Stay Away. Don’t buy it — get the Sony WH-1000XM4 instead. 44% of 575 weighted mentions recommend it, across 100 ownership threads.