Apple - AirPods Max (Lightning) vs Bang & Olufsen - Beoplay HX
Where they actually differ
The most decisive specs, ranked by how much they matter — before the full spec table.
| Spec | Apple - AirPods Max (Lightning) | Bang & Olufsen - Beoplay HX |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 384 g | 285 g |
| Battery life | 20 h | 35 h |
| Spatial audio | true | false |
| Multipoint | false | true |
Between the AirPods Max (Lightning) and Beoplay HX, the AirPods Max (Lightning) comes out ahead in spatial audio, while the Beoplay HX wins on weight / battery life. Overall, the AirPods Max (Lightning) scores 68 and the Beoplay HX scores 72.3 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The Beoplay HX edges ahead on the Mars Score (68 vs 72.3), but the 4.3-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.
Pick the AirPods Max (Lightning) if audio quality and feature breadth (ANC, codecs, multipoint) are the lead criteria for your purchase. The biggest gaps in its favor are spatial audio. The single most decisive one: Has Spatial audio.
Pick the Beoplay HX if your top frustration with your current device is running out of charge before the day ends — endurance is the lead spec here. Its strongest claims are weight, battery life, multipoint. The single most decisive one: Weight — 99.00 g less. 285 vs 384.
Both ship with comparable driver size, active noise cancellation, ldac, so those specs do not separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: there is no wrong answer here — match the spec advantages to how you actually use the product. The Mars Score parity says both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
Which should you buy: Apple - AirPods Max (Lightning) or Bang & Olufsen - Beoplay HX?
Bang & Olufsen - Beoplay HX leads the current Mars Score by 4.3 points.The more useful decision is the trade-off behind that result: compare battery life, weight against the way you will actually use the product.
Choose Apple - AirPods Max (Lightning) if…
Apple - AirPods Max (Lightning) has the measurable edge on has spatial audio.
Choose Bang & Olufsen - Beoplay HX if…
Bang & Olufsen - Beoplay HX has the measurable edge on weight g, battery life h, has multipoint.
This is a structured comparison of the published catalog values. It is not a claim of identical real-world performance across every workload; use the linked spec drill-downs and methodology page to inspect the inputs.
Why Apple - AirPods Max (Lightning) wins
- ▲Has Spatial audio.
Why Bang & Olufsen - Beoplay HX wins
- ▲Weight — 99.00 g less. 285 vs 384.
- ▲Battery life — 75.00% more. 35 h vs 20 h.
- ▲Has Multipoint.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Apple - AirPods Max (Lightning) | Bang & Olufsen - Beoplay HX |
|---|---|---|
| Type | over-ear | over-ear |
| Weight | 384 g | 285 glead |
| Water resistance | none | none |
Audio
| Spec | Apple - AirPods Max (Lightning) | Bang & Olufsen - Beoplay HX |
|---|---|---|
| Driver sizeⓘ | 40 mm | 40 mm |
| Impedanceⓘ | 10 Ω | 21 Ωlead |
| Sensitivityⓘ | 105 dBlead | 96 dB |
| Active noise cancellationⓘ | true | true |
| Transparency mode | true | true |
| Spatial audioⓘ | truelead | false |
Battery
| Spec | Apple - AirPods Max (Lightning) | Bang & Olufsen - Beoplay HX |
|---|---|---|
| Battery lifeⓘ | 20 h | 35 hlead |
| Fast chargeⓘ | true | true |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple - AirPods Max (Lightning) | Bang & Olufsen - Beoplay HX |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetoothⓘ | 5.0 | 5.1lead |
| Multipointⓘ | false | truelead |
| 3.5mm jack | false | truelead |
| LDACⓘ | false | false |
| aptX HDⓘ | false | truelead |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery life, AirPods Max (Lightning) or Beoplay HX?+
Beoplay HX lasts 35 hours vs 20 hours.
Do AirPods Max (Lightning) or Beoplay HX have active noise cancellation?+
Both models have active noise cancellation.
Which supports LDAC, AirPods Max (Lightning) or Beoplay HX?+
Neither supports LDAC.