iFixit Says AirPods Max teardown made competitors look like toys

After examining the guts of Apple’s new in-ear headphones, the AirPods Max, tech site iFixit concluded that the complex engineering made the hefty $ 550 price tag sound almost reasonable. iFixit opened up the headset and, in summary, said after looking at the competition, “internally, the obsessive AirPods Max craftsmanship makes these other extremely capable devices look like toys in comparison.”

In our review, we noted that the AirPods Max were big and expensive, but surprisingly comfortable with impressive sound. The iFixit review didn’t come after listening to the headphones in action. The site took the device apart to take a look inside and judge the ease of repair.

The AirPods Max got a 6 out of 10 rating on this front – the earbuds are difficult to take apart but serviceable once you’re inside. By comparison, the earphone versions of the AirPods had repeatedly scored a zero in ten on this scale. This larger model is definitely a step in the right direction, although it is still not easy if you want to do a DIY repair.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.