Six points out of ten
IFixit has completed the disassembly of Apple AirPods Max wireless headphones, which began last year. Looking ahead, let’s say that the preliminary conclusion about the complexity of disassembly was partly confirmed in the final numerical assessment: the headphones received six points out of ten for maintainability.
Apple AirPods Max earphones get pretty high marks for maintainability
However, this is very good if you remember that the Apple AirPods earphones at one time received zero points. To not blame the difference on the features due to the belonging of these devices to different categories, we recall that the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live headphones, performing in the same category as the Apple AirPods, earned eight points from iFixit.
So, what did the repairers like about the Apple AirPods Max? For example, magnetic ear cushions. You don’t need any tools to separate them. The advantages include the ease of detaching the cups from the headband: use a paper clip or a tool to replace the SIM card. Finally, the mounting of the emitters and the battery was approved. They are screwed down and equipped with easy-to-repair connection plates.
But the large number and variety of screws have already raised questions because many tools are needed to repair Apple AirPods Max. Finally, the unconditional disadvantages of iFixit were the non-standard Pentalobe screws and the use of glue.