These AirPods Max are better than the USB-C model and just $399 right now

There may be a “new” version of the AirPods Max at the Apple Store, but the only thing different is the USB-C port, which can’t be used to listen in wired mode like the Lightning model. So why bother paying $549 when you can save a bundle on the Lightning version: Amazon is selling the the fantastic Lightning-based AirPods Max headphones for $399, a healthy $150 discount from their $549 MSRP, and the best price we’ve ever seen.

Other than the port, these AirPods Max are identical to the USB-C model despite some different colors. They have the same design that’s gorgeous and comfortable and come with the same specs and features, including top-notch noise cancelation with super useful transparency mode, and excellent battery life.

In our review of the AirPods Max, we gave them a four-star rating, loving the pleasant sound quality and just how well-built they are. “Are the AirPod Max the best wireless noise-cancelling headphones you can buy? For those who rely on the Apple ecosystem, yes. They offer sound quality on par or even slightly better than their competitors and superior noise-cancelling,” we noted in our review.

While the headphones don’t have a physical power button, they have an Apple Watch-style Digital Crown to play and pause music, answer calls, control volume, and skip tracks. They also have some super smart sensors that pause audio when you take them off and power down when not in use for a while. They also provide some 20 hours of battery life, and plugging them in for about 5 minutes adds another 90 minutes of listening time. And they have a feature the USB-C model doesn’t have: you can plug in a Lightning-to-3.5mm cable and listen with a wired connection.

So don’t miss out on getting the Lightning AirPods Max at their best price of just $399.