It's hard to believe it's already been six months since Apple introduced the AirPods Max 2. Since then, we've seen plenty of competitors arrive, most notably the Sonos Ace Ultra and Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless.
The latter pair has joined this list. We're still working on our Ace Ultra review, but hopefully they're a big improvement on their three-star predecessors.
So you see, the wireless headphone market moves fast. Most of the pairs on this list launched within the last 12 months. And there were many more within that timeframe that didn't make the cut.
Because we've collected only the best AirPods Max alternatives here. Maybe you want a similar experience to Apple's finest, but paired with an Android phone. Or you own an iPhone, but don't want to be completely in Apple's pocket. Either way, we've got you covered.
Crucially, each of the below beat the AirPods Max 2 in at least one area, be it sound quality, versatility, price or something else. And they all work just as well with Android devices as they do with iOS.
With over 150 years of experience between them, our reviewers are well-versed in what makes a good pair of headphones. We test each pair out in the real world, then in our dedicated test rooms to zero in on sound quality.
Whether you're using them in your own listening room or on a packed commuter train, you can rest assured you're getting the best for your money.
We explain more about how we test AirPods Max alternatives below. Or you can read more about how we test headphones.
- Read our AirPods Max 2 review
- AirPods Max 2 vs AirPods Max: what are the differences?
18th September 2026: We've swapped in the recently-reviewed Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless in place of their predecessors.
I have 20 years' experience writing about headphones, and still remember my first Bose QC2s, complete with AAA battery. While Apple might dominate many categories, its headphones face fierce competition from more established industry rivals. That's truer than ever with the AirPods Max – unless you're an Apple diehard, chances are you'll be better served by one of the below.
The best AirPods Max alternatives we recommend in 2026
Why you can trust What Hi-Fi? Our expert team reviews products in dedicated test rooms, to help you make the best choice for your budget. Find out more about how we test.
Best overall
The AirPods Max 2 do improve on their predecessor's sound quality, but not by a huge amount. While the same can be said of the Award-winning Sony WH-1000XM6, there's no denying their superior sound quality.
“The way the headphones draw the edges of strings feels like they are extracting every ounce of information possible, leaving nothing left in the tank,” we wrote in our Sony WH-1000XM6 review.
The XM6 improve the dynamics and the sense of expression, and they uncover more texture and fine detail. And all aided by a sound field that’s as open as we’ve heard from a pair of wireless headphones at this price.
Noise cancellation is also improved thanks to the adaptive NC optimiser, which constantly adapts to changes in your environment as you move.
The design has been improved too – the earcups now fold into a ball for easy transporting, and they're more comfortable for long listening sessions. And they feature some tech borrowed from Sony's high-end Walkman portable music players.
Add to this that they build on an already very solid foundation in the form of the XM5, and you have true all-rounders that are a very worthy alternative to Apple's finest.
Read the full Sony WH-1000XM6 review
Best noise cancelling
By the time the original AirPods Max launched in 2020, Bose had been making over-ear headphones for decades. The US brand also invented active noise cancellation (ANC) technology. So if you want a pair of ANC headphones as alternatives to the AirPods Max 2, the QC Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) are your best bet.
The latest model improves on the first-generation model in a few ways. You can listen to them wired over USB-C, the battery life has been extended to 30 hours, and their Immersive Audio mode has been upgraded with a new 'Cinema' option for movie watching (by far the best implementation of spatial audio tech, in our view).
Bose has also improved the noise cancellation and sound quality, too. The ANC now kicks in quicker to nullify sudden loud noises from outside in Aware mode – switch on the vacuum, and the ANC wastes no time in getting to work so you can still hear your music.
And while the 2nd Gen might have the same processor and sonic profile as the first, there are some small but significant gains that boost them in the all-important area of sound quality. They sound clearer and more detailed, while also more solid and musically tighter than their predecessors.
Playing Charli xcx’s Von dutch, the Bose make "synths surge with low-end texture and impetus, the beat pulsates with snap and crispness. It’s the same pleasingly smooth, bass-rich character Bose has long favoured, simply more insightful and precise than ever before," we wrote in our Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) review.
Like all non-Apple headphones, they also work just as well with Android devices as iOS ones – handy if you switch mobile operating systems. For the ultimate in noise cancellation, look no further.
Read our full Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) review
Best battery life
The Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless were nearly four years in the making – considering most brands update their flagship pairs every couple of years or so, that's an age. But then bar a minor update in 2024, the AirPods Max didn't get a sequel until nearly six years after their initial release, so Sennheiser is in good company.
While we've chosen them as best for battery life, their 57-hour runtime is actually three hours fewer than their predecessors. But it's still nearly three times that of the AirPods Max 2. And given the advances they make in other areas, it's a compromise we're more than happy to make.
The design is a big step on. While the Momentum 4 Wireless felt a little cheap, the 5 are a much more premium affair. The headband is swathed in fabric, and while the earcups are still a bit plasticky, their control system is very well implemented.
They're comfortable to wear too, with a well-judged pressure that stays put without squeezing your head.
Features-wise, they have all mod cons. They support plenty of different audio codecs, including multiple flavours of aptX, and while Bluetooth 5.4 comes as standard, they will be updated to Bluetooth 6.0 sometime soon. Multipoint lets you connect to two devices at once, and Dolby Atmos enables spatial audio tech.
While the ANC has more of a softening effect on unwanted sounds rather than banishing them outright, it is still very effective.
And the sonics? Excellent. And that's despite the slightly over-egged bass. The midrange sounds natural and full of insight. These are "rich, smooth yet strikingly precise and detailed headphones, with an audio signature that makes listening a refreshingly undemanding experience," we wrote in our Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless review. "Sugar’s If I Can’t Change Your Mind can sound overly urgent or shrill via lesser alternatives, but the Momentum 5 Wireless have the poise and maturity to bring order to what could, in the wrong hands, have quickly descended into chaos."
Listening wired only amplifies these qualities, while lending textures added fullness and depth.
So while the Momentum 5 Wireless are undoubtedly marathon cans, they still have plenty of zip about them.
Read the full Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless review
Best for audiophiles
Sound is a big selling point of the AirPods Max 2. But if you're looking for an alternative that provides audiophile levels of performance from a wireless pair, Sennheiser has the answer.
The HDB 630 sound so great principally because of a neat accessory that comes with them. Once plugged into your device, it enables said device to support the same high-quality Bluetooth codec as the headphones themselves. So no longer will your overpowered headphones be fed by an underpowered smartphone.
Using the accessory, your phone will support aptX Adaptive, as do the Sennheisers. Which will give you hi-res 24bit/96kHz listening.
The result? A significant boost to clarity and solidity, as we found in our Sennheiser HDB 630 review. "These are wonderfully smooth and natural sounding headphones, full of shape and dynamism across the frequency range," we wrote.
Listening to Christine And The Queens' Mountains (We Met), there's a ton of midrange texture to the vocals, while the presentation is dynamic yet precise. There's plenty of scale, but it all remains musically cohesive, making for "the most informative and entertaining sound we’ve heard from wireless headphones at this price." High praise.
They even offer 60 hours of battery life – though that drops to 45 hours when using the dongle.
Wired listening comes courtesy of USB-C and 3.5mm connections. Both cables come bundled in the box.
The noise cancellation is the only real disappointment. Not that it's bad, it's just surpassed by plenty of rivals. It does isolate you well enough, but others are more successful when it comes to muting the world beyond the earcups.
But audiophiles will still find plenty to like about these genuine AirPods Max alternatives.
Read the full Sennheiser HDB 630 review
Best for luxury
You want eye-catching wireless cans that make a mighty impression before you've even clamped them over your noggin? Say hello to the Focal Bathys.
Focal’s entrance into the burgeoning premium Bluetooth noise-cancelling headphones market wasn't exactly a surprise considering its presence at the premium end of the wired space, but we're still pretty knocked out by the success of its first foray.
The gorgeous-looking Bathys are highly recommended for anyone after the convenience of portability in a premium pair of headphones at this price, earning a five-star recommendation and plenty of fans along the way.
The wireless headphone performance is among the most engaging we have heard at this level, offering space and breadth with plenty of aggression, spark and passion, too. If you want them to double up as home headphones for longer listening stints, which they are more than comfortable enough to wear for, know that going wired via the built-in DAC/USB-C port does add a degree of refinement and tightness to the delivery.
They do need power to be listened to, even with wires, so just bear that in mind if you're taking them out and about.
Noise cancellation is fairly non-intrusive to the performance, too, and if you need it – as we did on two flights during testing – it does a decent job of diminishing distracting outside world noise from your music listening in ‘Silent’ mode.
Overall, a spectacular pair of premium wireless headphones that signal Focal's intentions pretty clearly in this market. Watch out, Apple!
They have since been surpassed by the Award-winning (and pricier) Bathys Mg (see the 'Also consider' section). But the original Bathys are much closer to the AirPods Max 2 in terms of price.
Read the full Focal Bathys review
Also consider
The best (other) AirPods Max 2 alternatives we've tested:
Bowers & Wilkins Px8 (S2): The Px8 S2 might be pricier than the Max 2, but they're worth every penny, with a luxurious feel and impressively spacious audio.
Shure Aonic 50: Shure's first wireless headphones are very good, but do have room for improvement. They dig up an outstanding level of detail with a solid low end, but the carry case is as bad as the AirPods Max's, and the noise cancelling pales in comparison to the best around.
Dali IO-8: A previous 'best audiophile' entry, the IO-8 sound clean, crisp and detailed, with expressive dynamics and a pleasingly rhythmic drive. Battery life and build quality are also terrific, though the controls could be more responsive.
Sony WH-1000XM5: The XM5 won a What Hi-Fi? Award three years running, and deservedly so. Great sound, excellent design and superior noise cancellation make these fantastic all-rounders. And now the XM6 are here, the chances of a deal are high.
Focal Bathys Mg: If money is no object, the Bathys Mg are for you. They take wireless headphones to a whole new level with impeccable build quality and a wonderfully balanced sound.
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless: These actually outperform the Momentum 5 Wireless for battery life by three hours, but the 5 make gains in other areas, so are the superior pair. But the 4 still have plenty going for them, and now they've been succeeded, keep you eyes peeled for a deal.
How to choose
Chief among the AirPods Max's skills are wireless connectivity and active noise cancelling (ANC). So any alternative you're looking at will have to offer both of those.
Wireless connectivity means the cans will need a battery, and ANC is a real battery drain. The AirPods Max manage 20 hours of run time before needing a recharge. Look for at least a similar battery life from any alternative headphones on your shortlist, though nowadays most are closer to 30 hours, and certain pairs hit 60!
While we're on noise cancelling, some pairs have gradients of noise cancelling, and some just have two settings: on or off. What's best for you really depends on how much you'll use the noise cancelling, and in which situations.
As well as noise cancelling, Apple's on-ears offer a transparency mode, which allows in outside sound. It's handy if you'd like to hear a station announcement, or to have a quick chat with a friend or colleague, and don't want to take your headphones off.
Lots of other headphones have the same feature, but it can come under different names (like talk through).
How we test
We test most products in our state-of-the-art testing rooms, but AirPods Max alternatives are a little different. One of their main selling points is noise cancellation, and you can't test that in a quiet room.
Instead we head out into the field, using them on packed trains, in crowded pubs, down busy streets and in chatty offices. Like all products we test, we use them as if we had bought them in order to see how they really perform.
We don't take manufacturers' claims at face value, but test every aspect of the headphones ourselves. Does the battery life match what the maker claims? How does call quality fare? We download any partnering mobile apps and control the headphones that way, and of course consider comfort and ease of use during our long listening sessions.
We always compare AirPods Max alternatives to rival headphones in their price bracket, as testing in isolation is like wearing blinkers. Our stock room is packed with the best headphones of all makes and styles from the last few years, so we're never short of comparison pairs.
And with over 100 years of experience between us, our reviews team is one of the most seasoned in the business.
We pool that knowledge on every review, agreeing all verdicts as a team rather than allowing one member to have solely their say on a product. That way we avoid personal preference and make sure we haven't missed anything.
We aren't guided by PR companies or sales people when it comes to how many stars we award, and we never have been. We're proud of the reputation we've built over nearly 50 years as the home of honest, accessible and unbiased reviews – our only goal is to help you buy the best kit possible for your budget.
For more, check out our how we review page.
F.A.Q
Are any headphones better than the AirPods Max?
Yes they are. The AirPods Max may have widened the market for wireless headphones, creating a new level above the then industry leaders, but plenty of rivals have since stepped in to challenge them. All of the above pairs work better with Android devices than the AirPods Max, some have better noise cancellation and some sound better too.
What is the Android equivalent of AirPods Max?
There's not one Android equivalent, but all of the above offer the same features to Android users as to iOS. Which is not something that's matched by the AirPods Max.
Are AirPods Max even good?
It depends. For Apple users, they're pretty great. But if you don't use an iOS device, you won't be able to use all their features. That's a lot of money to spend without reaping the full benefit. In that case, you might be better off with one of the AirPods Max alternatives suggested here.
What's the difference between the AirPods Max and AirPods Max 2?
The AirPods Max 2 have new features, better sound quality and enhanced noise cancellation. For more detail on all the differences, check out AirPods Max 2 vs AirPods Max: what are the differences?
Recent updates
- 18th September 2026: Swapped the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless with the recently reviewed Momentum 5 Wireless in the main list – the Momentum 4 are now in 'Also consider'.
- 24th April 2026: We've updated this article throughout with references to the AirPods Max 2, which we recently reviewed. We also changed one of our FAQs accordingly.
- 23rd January 2026: Replaced the Bose QC Ultra Headphones with the recently reviewed 2nd Gen model, and the B&W Px7 S3 with the Sennheiser HDB 630. Replaced the B&W Px8 with the Px8 S2 in 'Also consider'. Removed the Mark Levinson No. 5909 from 'Also consider' as they are no longer on sale.
- 4th November 2025: Replaced Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 with Focal Bathys MG in 'Also consider'. Updated intro to mention recent headphone launches. Added 'What Hi-Fi? Awards winner' line to Sony WH-1000XM6 entry.
- 4th July 2025: Replaced Sony WH-1000XM5 with XM6. Moved XM5 to 'Also consider'.
- 28th April 2025: Replaced Dali IO-8 with Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3. Moved Dali IO-8 to 'Also consider'.
- 11th February 2025: Replaced Mark Levinson No. 5909 with Dali IO-8. Moved Mark Levinson No. 5909 to 'Also consider'.
- 12th December 2024: Updated intro. Added link to our 'how we test and review headphones' page. Mentioned the recent Mark Levinson No. 5909 price cut.
- 23rd September 2024: Updated intro to focus on new model of AirPods Max. Removed duplicate headings in The Quick List section. Edited Q&A to mention 2024 refresh of AirPods Max.
- 22nd July 2024: Updated intro to reflect new rival models and updated advice in How to Choose section.
- 10th May 2024: Updated the intro and edited one of the FAQs.
- 1st March 2024: Updated our advice and testing process, and removed B&W Px8 and B&W Px7 S2 entries from the main list.
- 18th September 2023: Added Focal Bathys and Mark Levinson No. 5909 to the main list.
Today's best AirPods Max alternatives deals
