An increasing number of Apple fans who blew $549 on the company’s new AirPods Max have discovered that the wireless, over-ear headphones were designed without any real safeguard against condensation (i.e., moisture that generally occurs when humid air encounters cooler surfaces). The issue was brought to light by social media users such as Donald Filimon (via 9to5Mac), who provided a number of photos demonstrating the amount of water that can build up around the device’s ear cups.
“So, uhh… my AirPods Max form condensation after extended use,” Filimon reported. “They’ve never been used in any humid environment. The water gets inside the drivers and has caused ear detection problems. I’ve been wearing them inside sitting at a desk mainly, nothing crazy. Super concerning issue.”
Had exactly the same issue, with a light walk (40mn) and then again while watching a movie (1h30). Decided to return them after seeing that the water was also getting inside the driver and that the ring was getting red (or maybe I was overthinking it). Anyway too worrisome for me
— Calvin (@klemanet) December 29, 2020
Another user chimed in with a similarly frustrating experience, noting that his AirPods Max headphones accumulated moisture after just 40 minutes of light activity.
“Had exactly the same issue, with a light walk (40mn) and then again while watching a movie (1h30),” klemanet tweeted. “Decided to return them after seeing that the water was also getting inside the driver and that the ring was getting red (or maybe I was overthinking it). Anyway too worrisome for me.”
It isn’t clear how widespread this issue is, but additional complaints can be found on Filimon’s thread on r/airpods. Released in early December, Apple’s AirPods Max headphones are marketed as having incredible high-fidelity audio with unique features such as Adaptive EQ, Active Noise Cancellation, and spatial audio.