Sony WH-1000XM5 Bluetooth Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones - Blue

I decided that it was time to upgrade to a really great set of wireless, circumoral headphones. Lots of great choices out there right now, but I narrowed my list down to the Sony® WH-1000XM5, or the Apple® Airpods Max. I tested both. Both sound fantastic, and worth the high price. But I went with Sony. >> Sound quality is 100% first class. All the frequencies are in perfect balance, and the difficult-to-get-right midrange is studio-perfect. >> Packed with peerless technology, e.g. the headphones know when they are on or off your head, and when off they can automatically pause whatever you're listening to. >> The active noise cancelling is absolutely superb. Press a button and all exterior sounds are gone. For me, this feature works better than physical ear plugs, believe it or not. >> Control the volume and other settings with gestures. Swipe up and down on the right-side cup for volume control, etc. You also have the option to use voice commands. >> Not 1, not 2 -- 8 microphones! So you can make calls with these babies with 100% confidence. This microphone abundance contributes much to the excellent active noise cancelling. A bit disappointed that Sony decided to go with a plastic frame with instead of metal with WH-1000XM5. The Airpods Max headphones have a steel frame. The plastic parts of my old (and legendary) Sony MDR V6 headphones actually started to crumble after a few years. Steel doesn't have that problem. Also disappointing: The Sony Headphone Connect app is for mobile devices only. I am a PC man. A PC version would have been optimal. NB1: As with all Apple products, headphone features work great with Apple software and hardware, and have certain drawbacks when used with PCs. Sony doesn't have that drawback, and I am a Windows / PC person. NB2: A full charge will give you 30 hours a play with the Sony WH-1000XM5. Apple Airpods Max = 20 hours with a full charge.