We wonder how many headphone and hi-fi manufacturers saw a green light beam in front of their eyes when, at the end of 2020, Apple announced a pair of wireless headphones costing twice as much as the then-current premium competition. The AirPods Max didn’t exactly push the price parameters of wireless over-ear headphones – Bang & Olufsen’s flagship pairs had already attracted a ‘premium’ for, as had a handful of special edition pairs (remember the 24ct gold-plated Dr Dre Beats Pro?).
Nevertheless, the audacious move by such a big company would have surely spurred some brands to consider similar ambitions. The rise in pricier wireless headphones in the years since, like these Mark Levinson No. 5909, the T+A Solitaire T, Focal Bathy and Bowers & Wilkins Px8, would suggest so – though the ongoing maturation of headphone and Bluetooth technology will have naturally played its part too.
