The Apple AirPods Max is normally priced considerably higher than its stiffest competition ($549 vs $349 for the Bose QuietComfort Ultra or Sony WH-1000XM5), but right now there's a way to get it for much, much less. For today only, Best Buy is offering Geek Squad Certified Refurbished units for only $299.99.
These come with a 90-day Best Buy warranty. I'd definitely take these over a used pair from eBay or Facebook marketplace, especially since this deal makes them less expensive, Geek Squad has a standardized grading process, and these headphones comes with a warranty. Geek Squad Certified Refurbished Unlike its AirPods brethren, the AirPods Max is a more traditional style over-ear headphone .
If you're not a fan of earbuds that go in your ear, then over-ear headphones are definitely going to be a better fit for you. Much of the high cost of the AirPods Max stems from the materials and build quality. The AirPods Max features an all-metal build with silicone type material wrapped around the headband and knit mesh and memory foam earcups that are both comfortable on your ears and effectively seal in sound.
The hinge and adjustment mechanisms are smooth and very easy to use. Apple went all in on the craftsmanship and it definitely shows. The audio quality and active noise cancellation are superb as well thanks the to Apple H1 chip and software and personalized spatial audio.
It easily competes with other premium headphones like the Sony WH1000XM5 we reviewed or the QuietComfor.