iFixit has completed its teardown of Apple's new AirPods Max.
The over-ear headphones feature two 40 mm Apple-designed dynamic drivers, two color-matched magnetic ear cushions, two Apple H1 chips, eight microphones for active noise cancellation, Bluetooth 5.0 with support for the Apple-friendly AAC codec, and a soft-touch Smart Case and a Lightning-to-USB-C cable for charging.
Teardown Highlights:
● Wired listening is handled by the Lightning port, pulling double duty for listening and charging
● Both battery cells live in the right ear cup, tethered together by a single cable.
● Two cells are wired in parallel with a total capacity of 664 mAh and 2.53 Wh total energy at 4.35 V
● Hiding beneath that antenna line on the left ear cup is... a big antenna.
● Apple's electromechanical hinge hardware is both intricate and overbuilt.
The most notable highlight is that the headband can easily be removed from the earcups with just a SIM card ejection tool or paperclip.
When fully assembled, a little poke in just the right place compresses two tiny springs inside the joint, freeing the clamp that secures the headband. We were as shocked as you are. Did Apple put this tiny hole here with repair in mind? Portability? Both? Is $550 starting to seem ... reasonable?
Repairability Score: 6 out of 10
● The ear cushions attach (and detach) magnetically—no tools required.
● The headband detaches from both earcups with a simple poke from a paperclip or SIM card tool—no wires and no fuss.
● Drivers and battery are secured with screws and use repair-friendly board connections.
● While screws are almost always preferable to glue, the sheer number of screw types here is baffling—you'll need an extensive toolkit, even by our standards.
● Pentalobe screws and adhesives guard the earcups, complicating internal repairs.
Hit the link for the full teardown...
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The over-ear headphones feature two 40 mm Apple-designed dynamic drivers, two color-matched magnetic ear cushions, two Apple H1 chips, eight microphones for active noise cancellation, Bluetooth 5.0 with support for the Apple-friendly AAC codec, and a soft-touch Smart Case and a Lightning-to-USB-C cable for charging.
Teardown Highlights:
● Wired listening is handled by the Lightning port, pulling double duty for listening and charging
● Both battery cells live in the right ear cup, tethered together by a single cable.
● Two cells are wired in parallel with a total capacity of 664 mAh and 2.53 Wh total energy at 4.35 V
● Hiding beneath that antenna line on the left ear cup is... a big antenna.
● Apple's electromechanical hinge hardware is both intricate and overbuilt.
The most notable highlight is that the headband can easily be removed from the earcups with just a SIM card ejection tool or paperclip.
When fully assembled, a little poke in just the right place compresses two tiny springs inside the joint, freeing the clamp that secures the headband. We were as shocked as you are. Did Apple put this tiny hole here with repair in mind? Portability? Both? Is $550 starting to seem ... reasonable?
Repairability Score: 6 out of 10
● The ear cushions attach (and detach) magnetically—no tools required.
● The headband detaches from both earcups with a simple poke from a paperclip or SIM card tool—no wires and no fuss.
● Drivers and battery are secured with screws and use repair-friendly board connections.
● While screws are almost always preferable to glue, the sheer number of screw types here is baffling—you'll need an extensive toolkit, even by our standards.
● Pentalobe screws and adhesives guard the earcups, complicating internal repairs.
Hit the link for the full teardown...
View More