I've owned and used the AirPods Max (APM) since its release. In my opinion, the Ace is a far better alternative.Pros:- Great sound quality, easily comparable to the APM.- In-app EQ for those interested.- Way louder than the APM gets.- The noise cancellation is on par with the APM in my opinion. I was lucky or unlucky that major construction was happening right in front of my house so I had an opportunity to compare the strength of the noise cancellation of both headphones.- Way lighter than the APM, the difference in weight is immediately noticeable.- USB-C. I mean come on.- Actual tactile physical buttons, I'm sick and tired of touch sensitive gestures and motions. They work really well. I find the buttons more to my liking than the APM's crown.- You can connect the ace to multiple devices. You can also pair it to a Sonos soundbar which is a nice touch.- An honest to God On/Off button.- The Ace's case is premium, functional, and compact. I can see myself taking this with me when traveling.Cons:- Some software glitch with iOS18 (Beta) when you change the volume it's not immediately reflected in Apple's music app. I'm sure this is easily solvable with an update when iOS 18 is officially rolled out.- Sonos ruined its relations with its customers by releasing an absolutely terrible app that was clearly and obviously not ready for an official release. The app is clunky, less functional than before, and not intuitive to use. If you rely heavily on the app you may want to hold off and assess whether this purchase makes sense to you.Conclusion: I really love the Ace. It's gorgeous, it sounds phenomenal. It's lightweight. Yes you're not gonna some of the niceties you may get with the APM's deep integration with the Apple ecosystem but the Ace performs well. The 399 dollar price is a good deal indeed.
