Disassembling the AirPods Max makes Sony and Bose headphones look like toys

In iFixit It has long been in the making AirPods Max disassemble is being finallySo, for a comprehensive look at the internals of first launched Apple headphones and an idea of ​​how easy it is to fix them. IFixit even went above and beyond in breaking up Sony’s WH-1000XM4 headphones and Bose’s NC 700 headphones for comparison. So far, iFixit has refused to give Apple a single fix point for Which From It AirPods, But AirPods Max bucked the trend with a surprisingly high score of six out of ten.

Why is it so high? Well, for starters, their earbuds are attached via magnets, making them easy to swap out and replace when they inevitably wear out. There are also plenty of internal components that fix with screws rather than messy glue, making it easy for would-be repairers to swap out if they break.

Photo: iFixit

Photo: iFixit

iFixit is particularly fond of the headband hinge mechanism located between the strap and the ear cups, which she notes can be detached “only with a SIM card removal tool or a paperclip, without opening the earcup.” This is called “perhaps the most detailed part of the AirPods Max” and notes that it is “complicated and overrated, and may make the AirPods Max price a little easier to swallow.”

The headphones cannot be completely fixed by any means. Opening the AirPods Max involves handling some messy adhesive, and while Apple has done a good job of using screws to assemble its internal components, iFixit notes that it uses a puzzlingly different set for the job, which means you have to be well equipped with screwdriver heads to try the fix.

Photo: iFixit

Compared to other popular over-ear headphones, the AirPods Max are pretty good. As part of a deep dive into Apple headphones, iFixit has also shredded the cheapest Sony WH-1000XM4 And the Bose NC 700That is among the Favorite noise canceling headphones. But she notes that compared to the “geek craftsmanship” of Apple headphones, at the end of the day they look “like games by comparison.”

Given its staggering $ 550 price tag, it’s reassuring to see that AirPods Max won’t be a complete nightmare to fix when its batteries and other components start to fail within a couple of years. Now, Apple just needs to find a way to bring the same repairable devices Ridiculous popularity True Wireless AirPods.