AirPods Max breaks price limit: Apple s premium headphones now really cheap

Due to poor availability, the prices of the AirPods Max initially remained high. After the initial price slide for Apple headphones in the summer, the price drop continues. Now even 400 euros are undercut.

Update from October 11, 2021: After less than a year on the market, the price drop of the AirPods Max is currently unstoppable. At Apple you still pay over 600 euros, currently only 389 euros on eBay - mind you for new goods with a guarantee and original packaging (see on eBay). It doesn't get cheaper at the moment.

But the renowned trade doesn't ask for much more either. For example, the luxurious Apple headphones are available from Amazon for just under 430 euros (see Amazon). The AirPods Max are slowly but surely becoming interesting for a wider range of customers.

Original article:

First of all: The delivery times of the AirPods Max are still anything but satisfactory. Even if you order from Apple in the store yourself, you have to allow for a waiting time of more than 2 months; delivery is usually promised in February at the earliest, sometimes not until March. It doesn't look much better or just as bad in stores, Amazon does not even give a specific date, so you can only order for good luck and hope for a "happy surprise" in the next few weeks.

Price drop of the AirPods Max: The situation with the Apple headphones

Ergo: No good cards for a premature drop in prices. Unsurprisingly, most offers are based on Apple's own price from December 2020 - 597.25 euros, usually not a cent less. Why should the price of a non-deliverable product be reduced, the demand is visibly higher than the supply. And yet there is a bizarre situation. At Apple itself, luxury headphones have actually become more expensive at the turn of the year. From now on you have to pay 612.70 euros. Background: The value added tax, which has risen again, was again at 19 percent, and was previously at 16 percent for six months. Intended as an incentive to buy and thus an economic "emergency injection" during the corona pandemic. Most retailers are still based on the old, now cheaper gross price, so they are actually cheaper than Apple. However, it is quite possible that retailers will raise prices if delivery problems persist.

They look nice, but we currently have to wait a bit for a real price drop:

A real drop in prices, on the other hand, is likely to be expected in a few months at the earliest, which shouldn't really be expected before summer 2021 - according to our assessment. The procurement problem must be resolved beforehand and the supply must increase accordingly.

Are the headphones worth it?

And are the AirPods Max even worth it? Testers attest a good sound, but weaknesses in the design. In particular, the senseless supplied bag caused more ridicule and amusement than satisfaction. You have to want to afford AirPods Max, and everyone can and should see this. If you only need good headphones, you will find cheaper and better alternatives at Sony, Bose and Co.