Do you have Apple’s most expensive headphones, the AirPods Max? Then pay attention, because a design flaw can cause it to die during normal use. You must know this.
AirPods Max have design flaw
Imagine, you buy a pair of headphones worth 629 euros and suddenly they decide to give up the ghost. You haven’t done anything wrong. You used it on the couch for a while, maybe you went for a run or you took it with you on vacation. And yet it stopped working from one day to the next. It sounds bizarre, but that’s exactly what happens to owners of the AirPods Max. At least, if you see all messages on Twitter (X), Reddit, YouTube and Apple’s own support forum may believe.
It has to do with a simple design flaw of the AirPods Max and the ear cushions. iPhoned tells you exactly what’s going on and, more importantly, what you can do to prevent your AirPods Max from stopping working.
Condensation between metal and ear cushions
As you know, Apple uses a metal design for the earcups of the AirPods Max. The ear cushions click into place magnetically, and in combination with the headband, this ensures a pleasant wearing comfort. Only: what happens with large heat differences between metal and other material? That’s right, condensation is taking place. And that condensation water is then between the ear cushions and the ear cups – where the drivers of the AirPods Max are located.
You probably guessed it, but water and electronics are not such a good combination. If moisture gets to the drivers of the AirPods Max often enough, small short circuits will occur and eventually they will no longer produce sound.
Also Read: AirPods Max vs Sony WH-1000XM5: The Best Headphones Compared
What does Apple say about it?
According to Apple itself, the problem is not that common at all. The company also says that people should be more careful with their AirPods. That is why there is no official policy on how to handle such a repair. For example, some users got a new model of the AirPods Max for free, others, however, were less fortunate.
Incidentally, we have the idea that this is really a problem of the AirPods Max (and therefore that Apple is wrong), but that Apple’s premium headphones are simply not popular enough to really make a case out of them. There are too few people who have AirPods Max, and therefore even fewer people who file a complaint.
AirPods Max not working – here’s what you can do
In the first instance, prevention is better than cure. This means that you don’t use the AirPods Max for too long. If you want that, turn them off every now and then, remove the ear cushions and make sure there is no moisture with a cloth.
Has the damage already been done? We hear from repair circles that a solution may be to remove the headband and clean the connectors with alcohol. Others say that pieces of electrical tape on the inside of the earcups can do wonders. For a real fix, we’ll probably have to wait for the AirPods Max 2.
Have you ever experienced condensation on the inside of your AirPods Max? Let us know in the comments.