Apple AirPods Max: Industrial Design Analysis
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 ธ.ค. 2020
- Make a killer portfolio and land your dream design job. Enroll in my online industrial design course, Form Fundamentals. bit.ly/335vsqO .
Apple has finally released an over-ear headphone design: the AirPods Max. The industrial design innovations in comfort are especially interesting. With that said, I don't think this design is perfect, by any means. In this video, I'll talk about what Apple's industrial design team did really well, and maybe some areas that could be improved in the next generation of the design.
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John Mauriello has been working professionally as an industrial designer since 2010. He is an Adjunct Professor of industrial design at California College of the Arts.
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This is soo insightful. Cant believe the level of free education available here!
Thank you for checking it out :)
As an over-ear and wired headphone user (a very reasonably priced Sony) this video was even more interesting. Illuminating insights, as ever - thank you for sharing them with us!
Yeah, I don't think I could rationalize $550 for a pair of headphones. But obviously there are enough people to make it a viable product. It sold out within hours!
One thing I want to make clear is that no design is perfect. Balancing design, engineering requirements, marketing strategy, product management, and manufacturing is no small task. Industrial design is just one small piece of the puzzle. I've had so many projects go awry because of all sorts of unforeseen circumstances. Product development is HARD. So I always try to keep that in mind when doing public design reviews. Be nice to Apple's industrial designers :) Also, if you'd like to discuss this design with me and others, or get feedback on your own design projects, come join my discord channel here: discord.gg/hFw55nh Make a killer portfolio and land your dream design job. Enroll in my online industrial design course, Form Fundamentals. bit.ly/3EYVU3X .
just one of the reasonable solutions
This is so true. I saw some of your work. They are very nice and praticak designs. You practice what you preach!
What always amazes me is not just the design, but designing for mass manufacturing too
Great video as always! This put into words a lot of things I was feeling about this headset, especially the connection to the office chairs.
Thanks Olivier, glad you checked it out and found it helpful :)
RIP the average joe in broad daylight haha.. great video as always John!
Average Joe can just pencil on some fake angular lines and he'll be fine
Alternatively, Average Joe can also just grow a beard to hide his rounded jaw line.
I tend to disagree on the cup size issue. I think people tend to associate size with quality, especially when it comes to sound; Maybe Apple is trying to make you believe these earphones pack huge drivers and therefore better sound quality. They know that they don't have to hide the shape because they are Apple and having a huge pair of earphones on you is not embarrassing when they're such a high-end status symbol product. I don't love the design but I Get it....
Great content dude, I just started my first year of industrial design in Israel and I'm spreading your videos around the campus like wildfire. Keep it up king 👑
All fair points. Thank you for spreading the word, it really does mean a lot. It's probably the highest compliment I could ask for. More content coming!
I own Airpods Max, and they sound like the best wireless headphones I've ever listened to. I can tell you that the audio people at apple definitely did not skimp on the audio quality. The actual Frequency Response of these headphones is actually really close to a studio/reference headphone, apart from a slight dip at 4K and some extra sub bass, presumably for movie watching with their 3D audio feature. As for the case, I really don't mind it as much as other people do mainly because I (naturally, to me anyway) put them back in the case whenever I'm not using them, same as I do with my AirPods Pro. If you can somehow manage to have airpods pro and airpods maxes, you do come to realize that the maxes definitely have their place in when to use them compared to the Pros. And honestly, as much as people want to call them luxury, the price of them isnt as far fetched as you might think. There's only one other brand of headphone ive seen that sells with an Adaptive EQ function, that is, where the sound of the headphone is adjusted in real-time to compensate for the lack of seal you'd have from however you're wearing the headphone on your head. That brand is AKG and its a studio monitoring headphone that costs thousands of dollars. So there's that, and the fact that its also all wireless, and of course the super precise design. Additionally, you're also paying for the software features you get too, like the Spatial Audio that lets you watch movies in virtual surround (that I can attest sounds amazing) and music as well if there is a dolby atmos version. And then bearing in mind that these kinds of products only get better over time with new firmware updates and whatnot, $550 is not a bad price at all IMO.
They're a great sound but they're overpriced.
First of all great insightful video about the industrial design of the AirPods Max, I feel like not enough people appreciate the thoughts behind Apple's designs!
I do disagree with wanting them as a ''status symbol''. Personally, I've never experienced a pair of headphones that fit me comfortably, I tried the APM in the store for 15min and they felt really comfortable, of course, I'd need to test them for a longer period but it was promising, plus they sounded amazing! Yes the price tag is very high at over €600 but IF Apple can deliver on comfort as they did with sound quality, then they'll be worth it, I'll reward them with my hard-earned money!
I'm really glad you enjoy the product! Thanks for watching, I appreciate the kind words
The fact that they can't fold into a carrying case to me indicates apple wants people to carry it, flex it as a status symbol.
As someone whose had them for a few months, I can attest to just how comfortable they are. With transparency mode, you can actually forget that you have headphones on after the first 30 mins.
It's funny hearing the first minute of this video knowing that every single pair of those headphones that I encountered in the wild have failed in one way or another in a span of less than a year. Truly the best.
I hope you never stop doing these videos. Thanks a lot for all the great content!!
I won't stop any time soon :)
Also, that little swivel part is very reminiscent of the original air pods.
I love your videos. Always reminds me of some design principles and they are fun to watch. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for being one of the first subscribers :)
Great video. Maybe when the pandemic dies down a bit, I can go to an Apple store to try these out. Curious how the sound quality is on these. Also curious about how easy it is to use the "Crown dial". I recently got a BEOPLAY H95 and found that I really like the large control wheels and surfaces for controlling the headphones.
Hey Alex, thanks for checking it out :) . Yeah, fit remains to be confirmed 100%. But they certainly look comfortable. And the technology they're using really seems to emphasize comfort. It would be strange if all of these features ended up being non-functioning gimmicks. My gut tells me they probably nailed the comfort aspect of these, though.
Love your essays bro!
Another great video! You definitely changed my view of these headphones.
Glad I could help!
this really let me learn alot , hope you create more analysis like this, keep it up
More to come!
Phenomenal analysis! You've earned a subscriber!
Thanks Piotr, glad you liked it!
I shelled out the dough because they're a very durable design. Over a year later and they still function perfectly of using them 7 days a week for hours on end. I've spent more than $500 on various other headphones like Studio Beats and Bose and they all snapped at the head bands and joints after a few years.
Subscribed for the pure design brilliance and sheer value you give for free here on youtube for learners and professionals alike. (Me being a professional with 4 years of experience designing wearables, furniture and what not). Thanks alot, I hope your channel blows up and you make millions B)
Hey Bran, thank you for that. It means a lot, especially coming from a fellow professional :)
Beautifully crafted
Great Video!
I especially like how you not only include your own opinions, but always try to look at it from more critical angles as well.
Thank you for checking out the video! I appreciate it
Another great and useful case study! Thanks!!!
Thank you for checking it out, Daniel!
I’m a design student and I love your channel. Great analysis! :) your videos open my mind
That's the goal! Thanks for checking them out, and I'm glad you find them helpful.
what a great in depth analysis and critique from an industriam design standpoint
Thanks for watching, Deric :)
Great Channel and content!
great analysis sir, I hope you never stop doing these videos
More to come tomorow (Monday)!
Fantastic analysis. I think this convinced me that I really like them. Clearly a thought through design.
For the earcups, I agree that they look big but splitting that surface could take away from the soft appearance. Seems to be a trade off. Comfort was clearly the defining criteria behind this design.
I actually am not a huge fan of the design. But with these design reviews, I like to focus on the positives....simply because I know how hard it is to get a product to market. And we have no idea what kinds of constraints the designers were facing. A lot of times, the design decisions are completely out of the designers' hands. It's so easy to be a critic.
Regarding the earcups, I agree with you. It's a tough problem. If at all possible, it may have been a good idea to just scale the entire thing down a little bit. And maybe have some sort of edge to it in at least one dimension...whether that's the silhouette or whatever else.
I would have made the surface a little bit irregular, but without including sharp edges, if that makes sense. Maybe a depression in the middle to decrease the overall volume of the part
@@orjval yeah, that probably could have worked.
Found your channel through frank Stephenson’s review of the cybertruck. You got some great content, can’t wait to see this channel blow up!
Thanks for checking it out :) more stuff coming soon! I actually did my own review of the cybertruck about a year ago. My thinking was pretty similar to Frank's.
Im about to do a crowdfunding campaign and your ideas are on point!
I would love to see a "sequel" analysis from you for the Apple Vision Pro
excellent analysis, we definitely need more discourse and awareness of the trade and craftsmanship that goes into mass production... Apple does take itself wayyyy too seriously sometimes but they set a standard for other companies to follow... more design knowledge will only continue to improve the quality of life of everyone... great content, I’d love to chat w you when you get a chance 🤙🏻
You can check out my discord channel if you want to talk with me and a community of other designers. The link is in the pinned comment of this video :)
Great product analysis as always . I like your comparison with the Aeron chair but i have a doubt about the choice of material. The knitted fabric they used will most likely to pick up dirt and grease fast (especially the white one). What's your take on that? do u think they use the right material for that? I also have a doubt about the placement of the crown, it looks a bit out of reach for comfortable volume control, they could've used that Ginormous metallic surface of the cups for gesture control. what do you think?
Yes, this is an excellent point. It's hard to say though. It really depends on the type of fabric they use. Some fabrics are very non-porous and easy to clean, whereas others just suck up dirt like crazy. It just depends. I also agree with you regarding the crown, but I think this is something I'd have to try out in person. It might be okay since the rest of the earcup is so smooth, so it might be easy to reach for it by feel and adjusting it. Once again, we'll have to test it out in person.
Sure they probably don’t sound as good as high-end wired headphones in their price category, but I have no doubts these will sound better than their competition like the Sony WH-1000XM4s and Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700, but again, these are $200-250 more expensive than them. There are apparently a couple of other wireless premium headphones in the $500 price category too, but I don’t have a lot of knowledge about them, so we’ll see how these will compare agains them. I don’t have doubts about the sound quality because no other headphone has 10-core audio processors in each of their earcups, 9 microphones, inward facing microphones to detect how good of a seal they’re making to compensate for it by adjusting the sound (ie. you’re wearing glasses and because of that you have an imperfect seal), ANC, ‘Transparency Mode’ (opposite of ANC) and the fact that all of these features are combined in a single package. They’re not just overkill in the design department, but also in the technology department.
They do have wired capability, just not out of the box. You can purchase a Lightning to 3.5mm cable from Apple or a third party for that purpose. I’ve yet to see anyone test it with one of those wires, though I’ve seen a lot of early reviews of its wireless capabilities.
Your analysis is precise, objective, easy to understand, and more importantly, sharp, plus revealing, shedding light on the overlooked female market for ANC headphones as well as some "user-unfriendly" aspects of AirPods Max, which are surely fair comments.
Thanks Daniel :)
@@Design.Theory Thanks a lot for your sharing! Very professional and educational videos. I will definitely watch them all, and highly recommended for those who are interested in industrial design!
nice video, like your analysis!
Glad you like them!
Good video. I really like design studying.
I heard the sound quality is pretty good. Maybe not studio but still pretty good. And I mean the AirPods Pro already have a pretty flat curve and I’ve seen people using the as reference headphones. It’s the same thing with the homepods, very Good speakers for the money.
Apple still has a thing for audio quality.
Yeah, I believe that. Thanks for the info :)
Hey John! Great video. I was just wondering that, apart from the review of the Industrial design of a product, how about you add something about the sustainability aspect of these products as well. In this day and age, I believe we also need to tell people about what these brands may or may not be getting wrong in that aspect.
The problem is that 95% of products would do very poorly in that analysis. 😐 But maybe I can put more emphasis on products that do a good job of that
@@Design.Theory Well if 95% are doing bad in that regard, then surely designers who watch your videos will get a world full of points to take care of in their designs. So I think it is a good thing to cover. Not too detailed, just a brush-up. The details, we can research further 😊
last point was very well made.
These might sell very well with the female audience.
Very few options on the market under that category.
Yeah, I think it was a wise move to make it more gender neutral. You've effectively widened your audience by 50% by doing so.
Awesome analysis, John! I think you're right on the mark when you talk about breaking into the women's headphone market. In a similar vein, I think a large part of this product is giftability, which makes sense given the timing of this product. A couple of Christmases, I went to buy over-ear headphones for my then-girlfriend/now-wife, and it was so difficult to find anything that was more lifestyle-driven/feminine than tech-driven/masculine. I ended up getting her a pair of B&O headphones (their noise-canceling headphones being of a similar pricepoint to these), but if the Airpod Max had been out, I think I would have purchased these instead. And of course, don't forget about the ecosystem!
Yeah, giftability is a big one. I think the headband is SO cool. But there are other parts of the design that I'm not in love with. And for $550, I really would have to love them.I'm really not their target demographic anyway, since I'm very biased towards wired headphones. I agree with you: the headphones really do not feel techy at all, which I think was a wise move on Apple's part. High end headphones are so over-saturated with weird bombastic tech stuff with metal grill meshes and machined, cylindrical aluminum rings all over the place. Don't get me wrong, I think that look is pretty cool when done well. It's just that it's a bit of a crowded space. And yes, the almighty ecosystem reigns over us all. Thanks for checking out the vid and offering your thoughtful feedback, James!
Do you think there is a reason they didn't include their logo?
The smaller original airpods don't have the logo, either. I think that it's kind of a flex. They feel that the design is recognizable enough that a logo isn't necessary.
The logo would ruin the perfectionistic design
The reason they don't put the logo on them is because they are wearables. Neither Apple Watch or the other AirPods show a logo. As time goes on technology is going to more and more look like clothing. Apple has recently filed many patents on cloth like materials that can be used for tech products.
This channel does a wonderful job of discussing design in depth. It is particularly appropriate with Apple products because unlike virtually every other company in the world, Apple places their designers in charge of the product development process.
One last comment, your question about the size of the "ear muffs" will be answered in the coming weeks or months. These are not just headphones.
I think it’s the recognition as well. They are going after iconic design. Like the air pods you know from the form that AirPods are AirPods and everything else imitates them.
Hi, is Apple giving one year of free subscriptions to their services like Apple TV+ with a purchase of their Apple AirPods Max as they are with iPhones etc? I have ordered mine which will be delivered in 8-10 weeks here in The U.K.
I’m more curious how well they implement with apples AR. We know they are focusing on the glasses, this with spatial audio and AR could be pretty sweet.
me too. it's an exciting time for consumer electronics/industrial design :)
Would love to see Apple Watch: Industrial Design Analysis
Great analysis man!! From a product design student ;)
Glad you liked it! More videos coming soon!
Hey John! Wondering what you think about the ergonomics of the digital crown?
For me it looks like it's placed in a super difficult position. Small and hidden behind the headband. What if you have long hair that covers the crown? That interaction point is where a lot of headphones really let me down. I have the on-ear 2's by sony with the big side touch panel and even that is something that I've never fully enjoyed or been aw to dial in. Even worse are the pixel buds. I cannot for the life of my hit that earbud with one finger on my first try.
Stay well!
Very hard to say. I intentionally omitted anything regarding ergonomics of the crown because I really just don't know. You'd almost need to test it in person to really know for sure.
On one hand, you can't see it....and it's very small. But on the other hand, the surface is so smooth, all you'd need to do is run your fingers up the side of the device until you hit a bump, and then rotate it. But once again, it's hard to say for sure without actually trying it.
I had the words Comfortable (Comfort) and Futuristic (sort of like how you defined Magic). Loved the analysis, I learn a lot by listening to you. Also the "lol wtf" part and bra meme were gold xD
Great points and very insightful analysis! We definitely agree that Apple is going for more comfort here and as Sony fanatics for headphones, we're curious about sound quality/how Apple's compares. In terms of the case, it doesn't appear protective and looks like it can get dirty pretty fast.
Hey guys. I'm a huge fan of your design/engineering work, so thanks for stopping by :) . Keep up the good work!
@@Design.Theory We appreciate it--thank you! We look forward to more of your analyses! Who knows? Maybe we can collaborate on a video sometime :)
Legit content!👍🏻
Appreciate it!
great video.. 👍👍👍
Thank you !!!
Brilliant analysis. The fashion over function element has Jony Ive written all over it imo
Yeah. Maybe this was in the works while he was still there? Who knows.
@@Design.Theory yea they started making these in 2016
Great Video. Remember when the first gen AirPods was released? All the memes about the design? I see a resemblance with the memes of the AirPods case. Adding the fact that the first batch has been announced as sold out and stock only in March.... Looks like a well planned and thought marketing startegy. The hype is allready building up...
Agreed. Let's see what happens :)
I saw another review today that pointed out that the earcup material is coarse and not as comfortable as it looks; that the clamping force is strong; and that the earcups can pinch your temples or below your ears depending on your head size and shape because the headphones don't use a yoke-style mechanism for greater earcup articulation. I wonder if you have any thoughts about any of that.
Not sure, I've never worn these. Did the guy have an unusually shaped head? It's pretty much impossible to make a one-size-fits-all design like this. Most companies try to fit up to the 5th and 95th percentile of head sizes/shapes. Anyone who's not in that range is out of luck. While the headphones look comfortable, they certainly may not actually be comfortable.
What made me buy AirPods Pro was trying on AirPods Max at the 5th Avenue Apple Store. What really sold me was noise-cancelling. But I still want the AirPods Max.
the headband shape with the net is quite clever, an interesting evolution of the split headband on the Austrian Audio model range
but everything else, from the hidden length adjustment, to the cup rotations, to the cup shapes, to how the cushions are integrated into the cup shape, just seems crap compared to the same concepts on AKG and Austrian Audio headphones
Did ou mentioned that they sound like any base level over ears while costing like mid range?
So basically its design for the looks while forgetting the sound
Thanks for another interesting video.
The Bluetooth frequency of 2.4 GHz should be high enough to carry high quality digital music so I cannot see how wireless headphones might sacrifice sound quality, but please correct me if I’m wrong.
It's all in the bitrate. The Bluetooth 5 standard only allows for 5mbps of data being transferred, and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) only allows for 2mbps.
Your average 5-minute 24 bit, 192KHz FLAC file is around 200 megabytes, or 1600 mbit, which would require over 800 seconds to be transferred over BLE 5.0, which is nowhere near enough to be utilized for high res music, at least for now.
Hey,what job do you do
When you wait so long and come out with platforms lol. Great video.
fun watch!
Thanks for checking it out, Derek :)
The knitted fabric is going to stick a lot of hair though. Leather or foam would have been more practical.
I think the shape of the aluminium is to do with acoustics inside the ear cup.
Also, why add arbitrary lines and curves if they aren’t needed?
I think the shape is probably dictated by acoustics as well. But they could have had a separate interior shape that is ideal for acoustics and an exterior that doesn't look like princess leia buns.
@@Design.Theory I get that, but if the interior form is dictated by the acoustic properties, and the exterior form is dictated by nothing more than the functionality of gripping them between thumb and fingers... the current design does both. Anything different is arbitrary for the sake of aesthetics. Maybe I’m wrong but I think while it’s not beautiful, it’s inoffensive and fictional, so it’s how it’s meant to be. I think. Maybe. 🤷♂️🙂
@@Jabingla2810 This is a thing that is worn on the head....it seems to be targeted to rich white collar commuters....or now, people on zoom calls. The fashion aspect is inescapable. You can ignore this reality, but you're alienating a huge portion of the market. Luxottica became the biggest eyewear conglomerate in the world because they stopped treating eyeglasses as medical devices and started treating them as fashion items AND medical devices.
@@Design.Theory yes you have a good point about the fashion side of things, beats and skull candy would agree with you! I like the minimal and plain look however I can see where you are coming from :)
Spot on analysis! I really like them, both aesthetically and quality wise. However, I still think they’re extortionately overpriced and I must have been blind when I bought them.
Excellent analysis.I learned a lot about how designers approach a new product: in this case, wireless headphones. I didn't understand the incredible R & D and manufactoring resources it takes to create a product with the characteristics of the AirPods Max. That explains why really high end earphones are a niche market. Apple can more easily amortize their cost over their product lifecycle. The price point of $550 could not be delivered by any other manufacturer.
That's exactly right. Apple has the power to monopolize entire supply chains. A few years ago, they bought the biggest glass-making factory in the world, essentially leaving its competitors scrambling to find their own glass manufacturers.
@@Design.TheoryI know your expertise is Design innovation but one thing many people miss is that Apple is world class in supply chain innovations. You may remember the iPod Shuffle which offered a music player with memory for what vendors charged for just the same memory capacity. Apple's strategy was to go big and had the foresight to lock up DRAM in advance. It caused a lot of problems throughout the industry. They've been doing things like this for a very long time. I used to think Wal-Mart was the leader in supply chain management but nothing compares to Apple. They're not perfect, remember sapphire glass, but they're more than willing to make a bet if it is a compelling differentiator.
Why does Apple use exactly the same features used in the Apple Watch? (Control Buttons) I mean, the top view of the headphones is very similar to the side view of the Apple Watch.
I think it's mostly for the sake of uniformity and consistency. If everything has the same controls, it's easy to switch over from one thing to another...at least in theory.
The fact they don’t use their logo is a strong statement piece like “yeah you know who we are”
Great video, also Industrial designer here, although personally disagree with some of your points. Good to see from a different perspective.
Thanks for checking it out and being respectful, despite your disagreements :)
Can you please tell me the song you used for this video?
I believe it's Respecognize by Diamond Ortiz? I could be wrong on the song title, but it's definitely by Diamond Ortiz and it's available in the youtube royalty-free audio library.
I am your average middle-class citizen and did not buy these for the luxury or fashion statement purpose.
I had simply been dreaming of owning an all metal, high quality/durable bluetooth headset, and the airpods max sure ticked all those boxes, and after having worn them for every single day for the last 1,5 years, I can comfortably say that the price is totally worth it simply due to the comfort and durability (yes I've dropped them countless times from my head with no problems).
Anyone can save 550 euros, and normal middle-class people wine about it whilst spending 1000+ euros on cell phones.
If you really enjoy music and want a good pair of headphones that aren't all plastic, you will be able to save up for these just like I did.
No commentary on the grill under the ear pads that pay homage to the Watch screen app view? 😜
good catch :)
could you make a video on if industrial design is still worth studying because people have been telling me it is dying
now im stuck on if I should pursue UX/UI or if I should stick with studying Industrial
I think industrial design has always been highly competitive. I don't think the field is dying, but it is growing very slowly, and there are definitely more graduates than there are available jobs. People said the field was dying when I was graduating, as well. So it's a tough question to answer definitively.
@@terrellduke5377 I think it's not so much dying as evolving; more than ever, we have to know more processes, software packages, and dip our toes into a multitude of fields. There's a very small sector that can afford to just do styling. Plenty of ID grads only ever work in CAD/CAM, UI/UX, graphic design, product photography or others.
It becomes more important to understand what you want to do and see if an ID degree will help you get there.
OK, subbed.
Thanks for the sub!
As a professional product designer/industrial designer do you think the Apple engineering and design team use Apple computers (Macs) to do all of the necessary CAD and FEA/FEM work? As an engineer myself I’m super curious if they use Mac’s to do this work because I know most CAD and design software is written to run on Windows.
No, they use Windows. I think they use Alias for surfacing work last time I checked, which does not run on Mac. They may use Siemens NX too. Not sure.
@@Design.Theory thanks! Do you think it’s likely they run this software on PCs or via boot camp and/or virtualization (Parallels/VMWare)? With the incoming Apple Silicon Mac’s it seems like boot camp is going away and virtualization of x86 Windows may not be possible anymore. All of the x86 Windows software obviously won’t run unless Microsoft’s x86_64 emulation/translation layer is fast enough to accommodate CAD software.
@@tycruickshank They just use straight-up Windows machines, which is pretty damn funny when you think about it. Parallels and Bootcamp are not nearly as stable as just a fully integrated windows machine.
@@Design.Theory thanks for getting back to me so quick!! It’s certainly interesting that they use full blown Windows PCs for a large part or all of their engineering/design work. I’ve asked this same question to others and I’ve mostly heard the same thing (they use dedicated Windows hardware). I’ve tried using Parallels, VMWare and boot camp for some CAD work and sometimes I run into weird bugs. It’s why I’ve always been very curious to find out what Apple uses for their design and engineering.
@@tycruickshank I've been a dedicated Apple user since college, but my next computer will 100% be a PC. Several reasons behind that. Most of it has to do with my design programs being way better supported on Mac.
I think there is an appeal to Apple die-hards that like to keep all their products within the ecosystem. I purchased them simply because I like their products and loved the idea of this type of headphone coming from them. They fit in beautifully both functionally by connecting directly and immediately to your Mac/iPad/iPhone, software toggles like volume, ANC, transparency, and the battery widgets Apple integrates into their software, as well as aesthetically. The minimalist, industrial design language blends in with their products. They are a comfortable pair of headphones. My only real issues with them are the case and the delicate paint on the aluminum. I have already scratched mine a bit and I treat them very well. They are the most expensive headphones I own.
I would disagree with the argument of apple’s standards being unobtainable by other companies. Many clones of Apple products, especially the accessory items, are on the market right after the launch of said product. Now usually the quality of electronic components is not as good due to trying to get high profit margins, but I find the outward build quality to usually be completely on par with apples. AirPod clones come to mind.
There's a difference in quality based on what I've seen. But I could be wrong. Also, it's a lot easier to reverse engineer an existing design than it is to start from scratch. You can create it in a fraction of the time. Just FYI I'm not an apple fan boy by any stretch. I do own an ipad but that's it
@@Design.Theory I completely agree about overall quality. I bought a pair of knock off airpods and they even did the whole apple pairing thing, but after comparing them to genuine airpods I couldn't spot or measure a distance, however I have heard that the way they do this is by stealing and buying molds from the actual manufacture which then would negate my original statement and confirm yours.
The Flamingo colour way is like Marilyn Monroe falling into the design DNA vat, and comes out dripping in a silk gown hugging your head in the luxurious Technicolor of the 1950s looking to the future )))))
Objection! My hair is spiky this headphone will be a hell for me
Love your videos and content, but.. as an audio engineer i think you should avoid talking about the sound a product makes purely based on specs or pictures. Have a listen.
These headphones not only provide amazing sound quality, they also delivered the best active noise cancelling of the market at the time.
So please do more research into the acoustic team at Apple: they are as talented and relentless as their design team.
Apple designs are near perfect and out of the world.
They use airplay so its almost lossless
They look like headphones you have inside a helicopter or airplane and also like a simulator technology
Something you put on your head and pass out into a simulation
Very cool, thanks for letting me know about that.
@@Design.Theorythey still used bluetooth though and dont sound good and are very uncomfortable heavy heating up too much and have a very strong chemical smell
"wireless headphones tend to be much lower quality than wired headphones in terms of sound quality"
What are you talking about? Modern wireless headphones go toe to toe with wired headphones nowadays.
My desire to purchase them has nothing to do with "status". I want these specifically because they have the potential to sound the best. Apple's audio engineering is bonkers nowadays.
When I made this video I assumed they were bluetooth, which does not compete with a wired connection in terms of sound quality. I think someone else mentioned that the might be using a different technology, which is nearly lossless. In that case, it might be ok.
If you are truly interested in sound quality and only that, there are probably better options out there for the same price. But who knows, I could be wrong. No one can know for sure until after we hear them
@@Design.Theory they’re using bluetooth but they sound really good, according to all reviewers
@@user-qi3hf8ko3q they’re using Bluetooth, but you can get a lightning to headphone jack cable with an included DAC, meaning they’re both wired and Bluetooth.
First and foremost, thank you for the video, is interesting. However, I think that your analysis is based on renders and 3D models. Would love to see a deeper one with the actual product in your hands or a studio. Because, as a designers we know one thing is how it looks, and the other is how it feels.
Yes, absolutely. This was before the headphones were released to the public, so I did my analysis in the best way that I could
This r the words i got
Fluffy
Cotton candy
Soft
Pillow
lol. Fluffy and cotton candy. I love it :)
Pillow...haha.. went back to the image just to relate to it again.
Do a video on the apple vision goggles
Aluminium is the beige of our generation. Not sure why they don’t use a more suitable material that would push the boundaries of material. Forged carbon would be stunning and lightweight.
I’m considered a Apple fan girl by ppl I know but these are so incredibly ugly to me, absolutely love the video and I love how much I learn from your videos
Thanks Perseophone!
Great video John. Would love to see you do an ID analysis on a medical device. Would likely be more difficult to get information on but maybe something from the red dot awards such as a insulin injector pen or infrared thermometer would be great.
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lol those chairs are SOOO annoying. Like apple, more hype than actually good.
But, interesting analysis and great content from you.
I personally think the AirPods Max makes everyone who wears it look better - like a pair of designer glasses. But then again it all comes down to personal taste I guess.
Love this video, but the AirPod Max isn’t a “high-end” headphone. It might be high quality, but it’s only mid-range (hence why audio quality won’t the best there is, as it’s not the goal). When you start to enter the $1000-$5000 price range, you’ll enter high-end audio
I guess high end is a relative term :)
@@Design.Theory Yes, indeed. It’s relative to what’s on the market, not affordability unfortunately.
P/S: I’ve always wanted to start a channel taking about intuitive design on consumers technology. But seems like you’ve beat me to it :p
Apple tends to be the only company who actually does exploded views properly.
A lot of companies fake it simply because they know 99.9% of people will never know the difference. So they just use components that look cool, rather than ones that are grounded in any sort of reality.
Make a killer portfolio and land your dream design job. Enroll in my online industrial design course, Form Fundamentals. bit.ly/335vsqO .
Amount of praise you have is incredible smh
The handbag 😂😂😂😂😂
6:44 all reviewers say they sound very good
Keywords- bold, sleek, clean, premium, playful, comfort, cold, Luxurious,
Not about to spend 500 dollars on headphones LMAO
I think they prioritized the wrong things. They might look luxurious, but they have a different use case than typical luxury headphones. Those typically spend their lives in a studio or home tethered to a similarly expensive playback device. AirPods Max however try to appeal to a broader audience, that wears them as a fashion and status piece. They are after all Bluetooth headphones, and I think the design should have made more affordances to this use case. They shouldn't have been made of a material more lightweight than metal, they should fold down more compactly, and the case should protect the most delicate part, the headband.
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