Apple's AirPods Max 2 costs $549 and targets the broadest possible audience with adaptive EQ and spatial audio powered by the H2 chip. The Heavys H1H takes a different route — charging $299 on Amazon, these headphones ship with eight speakers and a design philosophy built around heavy metal and rock. Both deliver ANC and transparency mode, but their priorities diverge sharply.

Where Apple leans on digital processing to make one driver handle everything, Heavys splits the work across four speakers per earcup — two low-mid drivers plus two front-facing tweeters. The result is minimal frequency overlap and less distortion, at least for genres like Iron Maiden or Metallica. Heavys also wins on battery life with up to 50 hours versus Apple's 20, and unlike the AirPods Max 2, the H1H actually folds for travel.

Control schemes reflect each philosophy. Apple keeps things minimal with a Digital Crown and Siri commands, while Heavys packs physical switches for volume, ANC, and track skipping. Customization favors Heavys too, offering replaceable earcup shells in orange, purple, and starlight black. For metal fans prioritizing raw speaker count over ecosystem polish, the Heavys H1H is the clear pick.