Apple AirPods Max 2 vs Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 Comparison

Apple AirPods Max 2

Apple lists nine mics in total, with Voice Isolation on supported devices. Your voice is captured from the ear cups, since there's no boom. In a quiet study, colleagues heard a natural voice. Move to a café and I'd call the clarity good enough for most calls from the listener's side.

Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2

Two beamforming MEMS mics cover 85 Hz to 15 kHz, there's a physical mute button, and sidetone lets you hear your own voice so you don't end up shouting. However, from my desk in a quiet room, I'd expect listeners to find it clear enough. That's clear but distant next to a proper boom.

Apple AirPods Max 2

At 386 g, with aluminium cups and a stainless steel frame, these are the heaviest headphones we cover. The knit mesh canopy spreads that load across the crown rather than pinching one spot. Even so, I'd expect the weight to register after a stretch of continuous wear. For a full day of back-to-back meetings, the 254 g Sony XM6 or the 236 g Bose QuietComfort are far easier to forget you're wearing.

Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2

At 307 g, the M50xBT2 clamps firmly to keep its seal, and the pads are thinner than on consumer ANC headphones. In longer sessions, I'd expect pressure at the crown after a shorter session. People who wear a headset from nine to five will be happier with something feather-light like the 130 g Jabra Evolve2 55.

Apple AirPods Max 2

Bluetooth 5.3 and USB-C audio cover wireless and wired listening, and automatic switching works across Apple devices on the same Apple ID. There's no USB dongle and no Teams or Zoom certification, so a locked-down Windows PC treats them as an ordinary Bluetooth headset. If calls are your main job, our video call setup guide explains what else to check on the laptop side.

Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2

Bluetooth 5.0 with two-device multipoint, plus a 1.2 m 3.5 mm cable for wired listening. There's no dongle, and it isn't certified for Teams or Zoom. The cable is a reliable fallback when a laptop's Bluetooth stack misbehaves. If you play clips during calls, our guide on sharing your screen with audio saves some trial and error.

Apple AirPods Max 2

Apple rates 20 hours with ANC on, and a 5-minute charge adds about 1.5 hours. The Smart Case drops them into low-power mode, because there's no power button. With mixed calls and music, plan on a shorter runtime per charge than the class leaders. That's the shortest runtime among the premium models here, as both the Bose QC Ultra and the Sony XM6 are rated at 30 hours.

Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2

A rated 50 hours of playback is excellent for a non-ANC headphone, and a full charge takes 3.5 hours. A 10-minute top-up adds about 3 hours. With music and calls mixed, I'd budget enough runtime between charges, more than a working week of meetings. A full 3.5-hour charge is slower than many rivals, but the 10-minute top-up that adds about three hours covers a forgotten overnight charge.

Apple AirPods Max 2

The AirPods Max 2 is not listed with Microsoft Teams or Zoom headset certification. Mute is listed as Digital Crown (press once to mute or unmute). Call controls include Digital Crown (press once to answer; press twice to end). On-headset controls are listed as Digital Crown, listening mode button. When I help someone get ready for a first call, I point them to the mute control before anything else.

Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2

The ATH-M50xBT2 is not listed with Microsoft Teams or Zoom headset certification. There is no busy light. Mute is listed as Mute button. No separate mute alert is listed. When I help someone get ready for a first call, I point them to the mute control before anything else. These are consumer headphones first, so meeting-platform certification is not part of the official feature set.

Apple AirPods Max 2

The AirPods Max 2 is built with Anodized aluminum ear cups, stainless steel frame, knit mesh canopy. The ear cushions are memory foam with mesh textile. It weighs 386.2 g. Official dimensions are 168.6 x 83.4 x 187.3 mm. The earpads are user-replaceable, which matters if this will be a daily headset.