AirPods Max - page 2

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: We’re basking in the afterglow of Apple’s “It’s Glowtime” event. Time to discuss what we like most (and least) about the new iPhone 16 lineup, Apple Watch Series 10, AirPods 4 and more.

Also on The CultCast:

• That black titanium Apple Watch Ultra looks tempting. The barely upgraded AirPods Max? Not so much.
• Which new Apple products do we plan to order? The choices seem tougher this time than usual.
• And finally … the results of our “It’s Glowtime” event predictions. We have a winner! (Two, actually.).

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.

Is it time for you to upgrade and buy the new AirPods 4? The fourth-generation AirPods boast advanced noise cancellation features previously only available on AirPods Pro 2. Meanwhile, the refreshed AirPods Max swap out the legacy Lightning port for USB-C and bring new color options.

Now that the new headphones are available to preorder, you might be wondering whether it’s worthwhile to upgrade. That depends on what AirPods model you own. I put together a buying guide and a video to help you decide.

At Apple’s “It’s Glowtime” event, the company introduced the Apple Watch Series 10, iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro, fourth-generation AirPods and more. It was a big event — and some people complained about the length.

If you don’t have an hour and forty minutes to spare, here it is in just 90 seconds.

Apple breezed through a few long-overdue updates to the AirPods Max during Monday’s “It’s Glowtime” event. The minor updates include new colors for Apple’s premium over-ear headphones, tweaks to their active noise cancellation feature and the removal of the Lightning port in favor of USB-C.

AirPods 4 could launch in just a few days to replace two models of wireless earbuds now in Apple’s lineup. Rumors indicate the new version will borrow a feature from the Pro models: Active Noise Cancellation.

And AirPods Max 2 could be in for a revamp next Monday, too. Probably not so for AirPods Pro 3, though.

Here’s what to look forward to in new AirPods variants when they’re unveiled at the “It’s Glowtime” event on September 9.

Labor Day comes up on Monday, September 2, but some sales on tech gear kick off as much as a week before that. Take Sonos, for example. You can find a range of great deals on headphones, speakers, soundbars and bundles of different products. Most of the bargains are at both Sonos and Amazon. Go to Sonos to see the whole sale on one page and grab the bundles. Follow links to either Amazon or Sonos below for various Labor Day deals on Sonos audio gear.

Fake AirPods are a bigger problem than you might think. With so many legit-looking AirPods clones floating around, it can prove difficult to spot counterfeit earbuds.

However, you can take several steps to see if the AirPods you are contemplating buying — or that you already bought — are genuine Apple products.

Apple’s vaunted AirPods Max noise-canceling over-ear headphones list for a wallet-bruising $549. They’re sometimes discounted a bit, but not usually like today’s deal on Amazon: $382.70, or 30% off. But it looks like you have to get the pink ones to grab the best deal. Or you could find lesser discounts on other colors, or even opt for the still-deeply-discounted Beats Studio Pro.

Are your Apple earbuds acting weird? Sometimes you need to reset your AirPods Pro, AirPods Max or regular AirPods to eliminate connection problems and other minor glitches. You have two possible courses of action: a hard reset and a soft reset.

Follow this guide to learn the difference between those two options, plus how to reset, unpair and remove the earbuds from the Find My network.

The Sonos Ace is the first pair of wireless headphones from the company renowned for its room-pounding wireless speakers. With premium features and a fat price tag to match, the Sonos headphones compete with Apple’s over-ear headphones, the AirPods Max. But in a Sonos Ace versus AirPods Max comparison, which pair of high-end headphones comes out on top?

If you have the money to spend, check out the specs, pros and cons of each model in our hands-on comparison.

Popular speaker brand Sonos finally unveiled its “most-requested” product ever Tuesday — Sonos Ace over-ear headphones. They appear to go straight at Apple’s aging AirPods Max as a competitor. The new cans sport top features and a $100 lower list price ($449) than Apple’s premium headphones.

Sonos touts the new headphones’ “breathtaking lossless and spatial audio, world-class Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and Aware Mode, as well as the most precise and immersive home theater experience possible using Sonos’ new TrueCinema technology.”

You can preorder Sonos Ace now and they become available June 5.

Known for high-quality earbuds that don’t break the bank, EarFun released a set of over-ear cans Monday for the first time — Earfun Wave Pro Hi-Res ANC Wireless Headphones.

Introduced at CES 2024, the new noise-canceling EarFun Wave Pro cans claim high-resolution audio, hybrid active noise cancellation (ANC) and a stalwart 80 hours of playback. And all that comes at a cost of just $80. Actually, even less for early-bird buyers. If you’re considering Apple Mac headphones as an alternative, you might want to explore this review of EarFun Wave Life headphones to compare features.

Apple suppliers are reportedly preparing for “the biggest AirPods launch to date.” The company is supposedly planning to produce between 20 million and 25 million units of AirPods 4, a significant jump from previous models, according to recent news airpods.

Apple could launch the AirPods 4 in two flavors later this year: one with ANC and another without. Alongside updated internals, the new earbuds purportedly will sport a sleeker new design.

For those who get by with audio from a laptop or display speakers in their computer setup — as good as that can be these days — an upgrade to desktop speakers offer a real treat for the ears. Today’s MacBook Pro setup from a Florida-based rapper just got a nice set of brand new Yamaha speakers and jacked them in to a huge subwoofer under the desk. 

Sonos audio products are popular for a reason — they sound great and they’re not too far from affordable. Today’s MacBook Pro and Studio Display user thinks the monitor’s built-in speakers are good for many uses, but when they really want the big sound — for gaming, it turns out — they’re all about their Sonos One SL speakers and Sonos Beam soundbar.

With all the computer setups out there with two, three and even five displays, sometimes you’ll see them stacked. But a dual-Studio Display setup that stacks one on top of the other is a rarity.

Today’s Mac Studio user, who is also an avid PlayStation 5 and Ninendo Switch gamer, said the stacked displays work well and don’t cause any neck pain from looking up all the time.

Sure, you can buy a computer monitor and set it up on the stand that came in the box. But what if you want to easily move the external display around? And what if you want to have multiple screens and move them around?

Keeping monitors up off the desk and mobile can really improve your setup. And the best way to do that is to mount your screens on arms. It takes some effort, but as today’s user points out below, it’s worth it.

Amazon is offering discounts on all Apple AirPods models right now, including some hefty ones. Depending on the right model for you, you might save as much as 24% off the regular price, or about $60.

Even AirPods Max over-ear headphones are priced down a bit, with prices ranging from $495 to $535 depending upon which color you choose (under the regular $549 price).

Multiple-display computer setups are all the rage, but can a workstation benefit from losing one of its external monitors, even one with 4K resolution?

If today’s featured MacBook Pro rig is any indication, yes, it can — especially if the outfit sees a bunch of other cool upgrades at the same time, like a cool new monitor riser, an open stand for the MacBook Pro and a great new office chair.

In an effort to boost sales and clarify offerings, Apple will revamp its AirPods lineup in 2024, reports have indicated — but that won’t include updates for every product.

AirPods 4 should arrive next year, with two versions replacing current lower-priced earbuds models. And AirPods Max 2 rumors suggest some long-awaited updates, although the pricey over-ear headphones won’t get a major revamp. And as for what comes after AirPods Pro 2, we’ll have to wait until early 2025, most likely.

After a recent debate over whether dual external displays should be lined up straight across or angled for better ergonomics, a Mac Studio and dual-MacBook setup addresses the question in a different way. It uses three identical displays in landscape mode, placing the center one one straight and one on either side of it at an angle.

And the setup also offers connecitivity tips, running the two MacBooks into two of the displays via a CalDigit dock while the Mac Studio drives one directly.

Few people would dispute that the extra screen real estate of a second display can be a huge help in a computer setup. But let’s say you have two Studio Displays in landcape (horizontal) mode. Do you place them side by side perfectly straight or do you angle them in some way?

Today’s MacBook Pro workstation brought up the debate and surfaced a cool tip for getting wallpaper to appear half on one display and half on the other.

If Apple’s popular but pricey Studio Display is well-suited to anyone, it’s any type of designer because of the monitor’s formidable graphics chops.

In today’s loaded MacBook Pro setup, a designer sets apart his Studio Display for the highest praise among many items in a remarkably well-equipped workstation. And his Lego collection is epic, too.

Apple will revamp its AirPods lineup in 2024 in an effort to boost sales and clarify offerings, a new report indicates.

AirPods 4 should arrive next year, with two versions replacing current lower-priced earbuds models. And AirPods Max will receive some long-awaited updates, although the pricey over-ear headphones won’t get a major revamp.

Curved ultra-wide gaming displays have been making their way into Mac setups for quite some time now. But some people want to experiment, maybe push the envelope a bit, so they mount them on top of other displays or sometimes in portrait mode (vertical). But today’s Mac Pro setup takes the cake in that regard.

The user nixed a Studio Display with a high-quality external webam in favor of a truly massive, 55-inch curved ultra-wide Samsung gaming display — mounted vertically. It towers over everything with a pronounced stoop.