Apple - AirPods Max (Lightning) vs Sennheiser - HD 660S2
Between the AirPods Max (Lightning) and HD 660S2, the AirPods Max (Lightning) comes out ahead in driver size and active noise cancellation, while the HD 660S2 wins on weight. Overall, the AirPods Max (Lightning) scores 65.7 and the HD 660S2 scores 61.4 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The AirPods Max (Lightning) edges ahead on the Mars Score (65.7 vs 61.4), 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 driver size, active noise cancellation, spatial audio, among others.
Pick the HD 660S2 if you carry the device everywhere and weight or thickness has been the deciding factor before. Its strongest claims are weight.
Both ship with comparable multipoint, ldac, water resistance, so those specs don't 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 tells you both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
Why Apple - AirPods Max (Lightning) wins
- ▲Driver size — 5.26% more. 40 mm vs 38 mm.
- ▲Has Active noise cancellation.
- ▲Has Spatial audio.
- ▲Battery life: 20 h vs 0 h.
Why Sennheiser - HD 660S2 wins
- ▲Weight — 124.00 g less. 260 vs 384.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Apple - AirPods Max (Lightning) | Sennheiser - HD 660S2 |
|---|---|---|
| Type | over-ear | over-ear |
| Weight | 384 g | 260 glead |
| Water resistance | none | none |
Audio
| Spec | Apple - AirPods Max (Lightning) | Sennheiser - HD 660S2 |
|---|---|---|
| Driver sizeⓘ | 40 mmlead | 38 mm |
| Impedanceⓘ | 10 Ω | 300 Ωlead |
| Sensitivityⓘ | 105 dBlead | 104 dB |
| Active noise cancellationⓘ | truelead | false |
| Transparency mode | truelead | false |
| Spatial audioⓘ | truelead | false |
Battery
| Spec | Apple - AirPods Max (Lightning) | Sennheiser - HD 660S2 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | 20 hlead | 0 h |
| Fast chargeⓘ | truelead | false |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple - AirPods Max (Lightning) | Sennheiser - HD 660S2 |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetoothⓘ | 5.0lead | 0.0 |
| Multipointⓘ | false | false |
| 3.5mm jack | false | truelead |
| LDACⓘ | false | false |
| aptX HDⓘ | false | false |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery life, AirPods Max (Lightning) or HD 660S2?+
AirPods Max (Lightning) lasts 20 hours vs 0 hours.
Do AirPods Max (Lightning) or HD 660S2 have active noise cancellation?+
AirPods Max (Lightning) has ANC; HD 660S2 does not.
Which supports LDAC, AirPods Max (Lightning) or HD 660S2?+
Neither supports LDAC.
Spec-level deep dives
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