Lightest
Sony WH-1000XM6
- Quieter on rumble and screech
- Folds into a hard case
What buyers love: how it sounds.
Catch: Grips the head firmly
About a third cheaper
Cheaper alternatives to the Apple AirPods Max 2
Three pairs that last longer, weigh less and work fully on Android.
Updated 5 November 2026
Triple the battery
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless
- Measured around 56 hours
- Spacious, musical sound
What buyers love: how it sounds.
Catch: Touch panel is oversensitive
About a third of the price
Over twice the battery
Soundcore Space 2
- Plush memory-foam cushions
- Folds flat for a bag
The original
Apple AirPods Max 2
Worth it if: Every device you own is Apple
- Metal build that feels truly premium
- Instant switching across Apple devices
What buyers love: how it sounds.
Not worth it if: You're on an Android phone
Worth its price
What are you actually paying extra for with the AirPods Max 2?
What the extra money buys
- Metal build that feels truly premium
- Instant switching across Apple devices
- A transparency mode that sounds natural
- Spatial audio with head tracking
Worth it if
- Every device you own is Apple
- You watch films with spatial audio
- Looks and build justify the weight
Not worth it if
- You're on an Android phone
- You need headphones that fold small
Good to know
Why each one made the list, and our final recommendation.
Sony WH-1000XM6
On the Underground, What Hi-Fi found the XM6 smooths out rumble and screech more fully than the Max 2, and it rated the Sony's sound clearer and more cohesive too. It folds into a proper case and weighs far less. You give up Apple's seamless switching, and the clamp is firm.
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless
Where the Max 2 needs charging every couple of days, the Momentum 4 can go a week. SoundGuys measured about 56 hours with noise cancelling on, and Expert Reviews praised a spacious, detailed sound. It doesn't fold, blocks a little less low drone, and its calls struggle outdoors.
Soundcore Space 2
Expert Reviews made the Space 2 a best buy for its comfort and strong cut of low rumble, and found about 40 hours of use left a fifth of the battery. Voices get through more than on pricier pairs, the cups get warm, and What Hi-Fi rated the sound flat.
Final recommendation: If you're not deep in Apple's world, the Max 2 is hard to justify. The Sony WH-1000XM6 is quieter, lighter and folds. The Sennheiser Momentum 4 goes for days and costs well under half. The Soundcore Space 2 is the comfy budget buy. Keep the AirPods Max 2 for an all-Apple setup, spatial audio films and that metal build.
Side by side
Specs from each maker. Price levels come from shop prices we checked recently; tap through for today's price.
| Model | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price level | Premium | Premium | Affordable | Budget |
| Battery, noise cancelling on (claimed) | Up to 20 hours | Up to 30 hours | Up to 60 hours | Up to 50 hours |
| Weight | 386 g | 254 g | 293 g | 264 g |
| Bluetooth codecs | SBC, AAC | SBC, AAC, LDAC, LC3 | SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX Adaptive | SBC, AAC, LDAC |
| Two devices at once | No (switches between Apple devices) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Folds / case | Doesn't fold, Smart Case | Folds, hard case | Doesn't fold (cups turn flat), carry case | Folds flat, no hard case |
| Headphone cable | USB-C audio (lossless) | 3.5 mm | 3.5 mm and USB-C audio | Yes, 3.5 mm |
| Shop | Check price on Amazon ↗ | Check price on Amazon ↗ | Check price on Amazon ↗ | Check price on Amazon ↗ |
Questions people ask
Are the AirPods Max 2 worth upgrading to from the first AirPods Max?
Only for the new features. The design, weight, case and 20-hour battery are unchanged. What Hi-Fi heard a smoother, more open sound and better noise cancelling, but called the gains small rather than night and day.
Can you turn the AirPods Max 2 off?
No, there's no power button. They drop into a very low power mode only inside the Smart Case, so leaving them out drains the battery. Third-party cases cover more of the headphones but don't trigger that mode.
Do the AirPods Max 2 play lossless music?
Only over the included USB-C cable, at up to 24-bit/48kHz. Over Bluetooth they use AAC, while the Sony and Soundcore support LDAC on Android phones.
Related guides
How we reached this
We compared the Apple AirPods Max 2 with the alternatives most often recommended by independent reviewers, then checked each against the makers' own specs and current prices.
We haven't tested these products ourselves. Our picks weigh independent expert reviews against each maker's published specs and the prices we checked. Opinions are ours; facts link to where they come from. How we choose.
Sources: Apple UK: AirPods Max 2 tech specs, What Hi-Fi?: Apple AirPods Max 2 review, T3: Apple AirPods Max 2 review, Sony UK: WH-1000XM6 specifications, What Hi-Fi?: Sony WH-1000XM6 review, TechRadar: Sony WH-1000XM6 vs WH-1000XM5, SoundGuys: Sony WH-1000XM6 vs Sennheiser Momentum 4, Sennheiser UK: Momentum 4 Wireless, Expert Reviews: Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless review, Soundcore UK: Space 2 product page, Tom's Guide: Soundcore Space 2 review, What Hi-Fi?: Soundcore Space 2 review, Expert Reviews: Anker Soundcore Space 2 review.