Has Active Noise Cancellation (Anc)
Apple AirPods Max
✓
Sennheiser HD 660S2 ✗
Active noise cancellation uses more advanced technology to reduce unwanted ambient sounds. How it works, it detects and analyzes the sound pattern outside and inside the earbud and then inverts the soundwaves to cancel it out. In simple terms, it's like taking +1 outside (noise from your surrounding) and adding -1 inside (counter sound within the device) to make zero resulting in a reduced level of noise.
Apple AirPods Max allow you to listen at lower volume levels, causing less ear fatigue as you don't have to crank up the volume to overcome background noise.
Has Passive Noise Reduction
Apple AirPods Max
✓
Sennheiser HD 660S2 ✓
Passive Noise Cancellation uses well-designed ear cups to seal out unwanted noise. This is used for both in-ear earphones and over-ear headphones where the headphone itself will keep surrounding noise out.
The Sennheiser HD 660S2 sits tightly in place, creating an acoustic seal that reduces background noise and prevents your music from leaking out.
Both of these devices have passive noise reduction which means that also the Apple AirPods Max isolates you from ambient noise instead of actively using technology to cancel it out.
Lowest Frequency
Apple AirPods Max
✗
Sennheiser HD 660S2 8Hz
Low-frequency response measures if and how well an audio device reproduces low audible frequencies and if it makes any changes to the signal while at it. Sennheiser HD 660S2's lowest frequency is at 8Hz, the lower the low-frequency response, the stronger and juicier the bass.
Highest Frequency
Apple AirPods Max
✗
Sennheiser HD 660S2 41500Hz
High frequency response measures if and how well a particular audio device reproduces high audible frequencies and if it changes to the signal on the way through. Sennheiser HD 660S2's highest frequency is at 41500Hz, the higher the high-frequency response, the clearer and crispier the treble.
Sound Pressure Level
Apple AirPods Max
✗
Sennheiser HD 660S2 104dB/mW
Sound pressure is the average variation in atmospheric pressure caused by the sound, the sound level .i.e how loud something is can be perceived differently by different people so we need to have a way of getting an objective measurement of sound level expressed in numerical terms.
The sound pressure level, SPL, is the pressure level of a sound, measured in decibels, dB, Sennheiser HD 660S2's measurement is 104dB/mW. Devices with a higher sound pressure level are generally louder when supplied with any given audio source.
Driver Unit Size
Apple AirPods Max
40mm
Sennheiser HD 660S2 38mm
The driver unit is the component that produces sound in the device, its size dictates the loudness of the headphone. Sennheiser HD 660S2 driver unit is 38mm in diameter, bigger drivers are more powerful and can produce better bass.
Apple AirPods Max driver unit is 40mm in diameter,
making them have a larger driver unit than that of Sennheiser HD 660S2 by 2mm
, as many tend to believe that driver units of a bigger size automatically produce better sound quality.
However, large drivers usually have difficulty reproducing high frequencies so yeah, larger drivers can generate louder sound, but this does not mean that they deliver better sound.
Impedance
Apple AirPods Max
✗
Sennheiser HD 660S2 300Ohms
Defined as the device's resistance to the electromagnetic current, when electricity flows through a conductor, it faces electrical resistance that counters the flow of current. The resistance of a wire is measured in ohms. Sennheiser HD 660S2's impedance is 300Ohms, the lower the impedance, the easier it is to get higher volume and requires less power.
Has A Neodymium Magnet
Apple AirPods Max
✓
Sennheiser HD 660S2 ✗
Neodymium magnets if used in audio devices produce a higher sensitivity and substantial sound output while using less power. They can help produce music at quite a high sound pressure level, SPL, with the use of high magnetic flux. The Apple AirPods Max have this type of magnet.
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