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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
Choosing between the Apple Airpods Max and the Sennheiser HD600 depends on your preferences and usage. If you prioritize wireless convenience with impressive noise cancellation for travel or busy environments, the Apple Airpods Max is a great choice, plus they are optimized for Apple devices and offer head detection and virtual surround sound. However, they are heavier and their battery life is limited to about 21 hours per charge. On the other hand, if you want superior sound quality with better soundstage and comfort for critical listening at home or in the studio, the lighter Sennheiser HD600 with its open-back design excels but lacks built-in controls, noise cancellation, and is strictly wired. Both are premium priced, with the Apple Airpods Max being somewhat more expensive. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Apple Airpods Max
- Excellent for air travel
- Very good for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the Sennheiser HD600
- Excellent for music
- Good for gaming
- Very good for TV and video
Key differences
Music
7.3
9.3
The Sennheiser HD600 is excellent for music, while the Apple Airpods Max is good.
Gaming
5.5
7.0
The Sennheiser HD600 is good for gaming, while the Apple Airpods Max is poor.
Phone Calls
6.6
5.0
The Apple Airpods Max is only fair for phone calls, while the Sennheiser HD600 is poor.
TV and Video
5.7
8.9
The Sennheiser HD600 is very good for TV and video, while the Apple Airpods Max is poor.
Noise Reduction
10.0
2.5
The Apple Airpods Max is best in class for noise reduction, while the Sennheiser HD600 is poor.
Battery
21.0 Hours
N/A
The Apple Airpods Max has 21 hours of battery life. The Sennheiser HD600 does not have a battery.
Cost
$549
$350
$150
$200
$250
$300
$350
$400
The Apple Airpods Max has a price of $549 and the Sennheiser HD600 costs $350.
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Key similarities
Podcasts and Audiobooks
8.0
7.9
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple Airpods Max to be very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Sennheiser HD600 is good.
Build Quality
9.0
9.0
The Apple Airpods Max and Sennheiser HD600 both have excellent build quality.
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How the Apple Airpods Max and the Sennheiser HD600 compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple Airpods Max | Sennheiser HD600 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$549 | $350 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Apple | Sennheiser | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2020 | January 1, 1997 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Headphones | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired + Wireless | Wired | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 7.4/10 | 9.3/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 6.6/10 | 5/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.5/10 | 7/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 5.8/10 | 8.9/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 6.2/10 | 4.5/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 21 Hours | N/A | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | No | N/A | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 2 Hours | N/A | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5 | N/A | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | Yes | No | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 10/10 | 2.5/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | Yes | N/A | |
Android App | |||
Android App | No | N/A | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | Yes | N/A | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 7/10 | N/A | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 9/10 | 9/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7/10 | 8.4/10 | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 385.5 Grams | 258.5 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | N/A | |
Waterproof Rating | |||
Waterproof Rating | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Apple Airpods Max
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Dig into reviews and images
Sound Guys
Adam Molina | July 2023
"Objectively, the AirPods Max is a spectacular pair of headphones. I appreciate the smart features like auto-pause and the transparency mode are super practical. It also sounds great, is well-built, and has solid battery life."
Sennheiser HD600
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Dig into reviews and images
Headphonesty
Jean Mouchet | September 2021
"The HD600 are state-of-the-art headphones with high sound quality and remarkable value, among most of the offerings in today’s time."
Get a great deal on the Apple Airpods Max or the Sennheiser HD600
About Apple
Apple Inc. is an American technology company, founded in 1976, known for its wide range of premium products, including smartphones, computers, and audio solutions. Apple offers the very popular personal audio line AirPods, highly regarded for their wireless, smart capabilities and their seamless integration with the iPhone, iPad and Mac devices. They provide a high-quality sound, comfort and lifestyle features perfect for all users invested in their ecosystem.
About Sennheiser
A family-owned company, Sennheiser is a German, high fidelity, audio equipment manufacturer founded in 1945. Their consumer audio division is now owned by the Swiss hearing aid and cochlear implant manufacturer Sonova. Sennheiser offers a wide variety of, very high quality, audio equipment solutions, from headphones to earbuds, full sets of monitoring speakers, amplifiers and microphones. They also make what is widely regarded as the best, and most expensive, headphones in existence, the HE-1 Orpheus, costing a whopping $59,000 dollars.
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Why trust us
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec earbuds & headphones team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest earbuds or headphones information and makes it digestible for you.
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About the Earbuds or Headphones team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Earbuds and Headphones Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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Earbuds and Headphones Expert
Luis is a Mexico-based headphones expert. He’s been making headphone recommendations for five years and has close to 100 pairs in his personal collection.
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