The Apple AirPods Max were released about three months ago. Perhaps you ordered these headphones the day they debuted, or maybe you waited a little longer to get yours because finding them in stock was not an easy task.

Perhaps you still have questions about the AirPods Max's age before making the $549 purchase. If so, I hope I can answer some of them for you.

I've been using the AirPods Max almost every day since its release, and you'll find that I've enjoyed them plenty, but Apple doesn't make the best headphones money can buy. Now that the fog of first impressions has lifted, my feelings about the AirPods Max have changed, so here's what I like and dislike about the Apple AirPods Max three months later.

When I first reviewed the AirPods Max, I did not fully experience the active noise cancellation (ANC) feature. Due to a combination of winter weather and a pandemic, I was in a fairly quiet apartment. To test the extent to which the headphones could cut through car traffic and passing pedestrians, I resorted to playing a loop of fake city sounds through the speakers.

But a few weeks ago, I finally boarded a plane and the AirPods Max successfully drowned out the noisy engines of the jet and the chattering passengers. I may have slept for a few minutes. With my AirPods Pro, I couldn't find the quiet I needed to doze off during the flight, and while I wish the AirPods Max offered various levels of noise cancellation like the Bose 700, its one setting is as effective as the best noise-canceling headphones are just as effective.

I've owned many wireless headphones over the years, and one consistent complaint is the quality of the microphone. No matter how expensive the buds or headset, I worry that the person I am talking to may not be able to hear me clearly. I also dislike my voice when wearing most wireless headphones to record audio or video.

Thanks to the AirPods Max, that is no longer the case. Whether I need to collect voiceovers for a project, chime in during a team meeting, or simply make a friendly phone call, the microphone quality is always impressive.

The swappable magnetic ear cups are a defining aesthetic feature of the AirPods Max. The oval pillows of shape-memory foam create a spongy seal around my ears, although they are not as plush as Sony's WH-1000XM4. However, it does create a spongy seal around my ears.

With my AirPods Max unit, the ear cups tend to come off when the headset is shaken. When stored in the case, I don't have this problem (the case is still ugly, by the way), but if I place it on the desk with any force, the pads fall off. In other words, the earcups are a bit exaggerated in the way they are removed, although they are not knocked off the head like the Hulk.

The ear cups' magnetic effect is one of several reasons why the AirPods Max shouldn't cost $549. If you ask me what my favorite tech product is, it's the $399 Apple Watch Series 6. Just $150 less than the AirPods Max, my Apple Watch is an advanced health device and communication center. Paying more for a device that has only one primary function seems like a rip-off.

$549 is a lot of money for headphones, even if they are Apple's. It's not easy to pass up, given that most of the best AirPods Max alternatives are currently a few hundred dollars cheaper. I hope Apple finds a way to offer its first AirPods-branded over-ear headphones at a less controversial price.

If you can spend the money, the AirPods Max is a one-way ticket to luxury listening. But be sure to check out our guide to the best headphone sales, where you can save on all kinds of headsets and buds, including the AirPods Max sale.