Apple - AirPods Max (Lightning) vs Bang & Olufsen - Beoplay HX
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 and battery life. Overall, the AirPods Max (Lightning) scores 65.7 and the Beoplay HX scores 68.3 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
These two are nearly even on the Mars Score (65.7 vs 68.3). The decision isn't about overall quality — both clear the bar — it's about which specific trade-offs fit your use.
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.
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.
Both ship with comparable driver size, active noise cancellation, ldac, 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
- ▲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.
Spec-level deep dives
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