Airpods Max died and Apple ghosted me
I bought AirPods Max in December 2021, expecting a premium product at a premium price. I was able to price match them for $600 and felt that was a great price if they provided many years of reliable use. I generally try to 'buy it for life': spend the money up-front for high-quality, reliable products and then take care of them. Unfortunately, that wasn't my experience. After about a year, the mesh headband deteriorated to the point where the metal supports pressed directly into my head, making them uncomfortable to wear unless I wore a hat. Around October 2025, after approximately 3 years and 10 months, they failed completely with the amber blink of death. I took them to the Apple Store hoping for assistance. The headphones were diagnosed as having a hardware fault and I was quoted approximately $500 for a repair. I then contacted online support, explained the situation, and was promised a follow-up within a week. No follow-up arrived. I contacted Apple again three weeks later and have still not received a response. Do AirPods Max sound good? Yes. Do they look good? Yes. However, based on my experience, they have not proven to be a durable premium product. A lifespan of less than four years for premium headphones with an RRP around $1,000 is shoddy. Apple's customer support is worse. I thought Apple were different. They're not. Warranty claim made: Yes Product purchased: Apple AirPods Max