The headband of the AirPods Max , the very expensive Apple headphones with cancellation noise, can be removed with very little effort by the user. The particular feature of the new Apple device was disclosed by iFixit, which carried out the usual teardown revealing that the operation can be performed with a tool we all have: the pin for removing the SIM , present on all smartphones sold in recent years.

AirPods Max are over-ear headphones that have already done the talking for many aspects, including audio quality and customization possibilities, as well as the exorbitant price compared to other comparable products for the consumer market. The part that encloses the pads is magnetically attached, and you can buy new pads to get a great variety of possible color combinations, for your personal version of AirPods Max.

L Any future possibility of replacing the headbands with after-market products would significantly increase the customization possibilities for Apple headphones. As revealed by iFixit it is in fact possible to remove the headband without performing any disassembly operation : they must be removed the pads, fold the earpads and insert the SIM removal pin into a small hole positioned just above one of the speakers.

Will there be after-market headbands for AirPods Max in the future?

The operation it serves to “compress two small springs inside the joint”, thus freeing the clamp that holds the earpads and headband hooked. In doing so, a connector similar to Lightning (but smaller) is exposed which is used to transfer data and power between the two headphones. The user can replace the headband with that of other AirPods Max to obtain new color combinations not initially foreseen by the manufacturer, in a much easier way than expected.

The novelty is rather curious because the possibility of customizing the headband was announced by several rumors , before the launch of the AirPods Max, but it seems that it has been removed on the final product. The relative simplicity with which the operation can be carried out, however, suggests that Apple really thought about the “feature” and then eliminated it later to simplify and speed up production work, as Bloomberg had said.

It is possible that the simplified headband removal system is reminiscent of the original AirPods Max design, and that in the future Apple could use it to introduce an ecosystem of headbands to replace the originals. It is also possible, however, that Apple has kept the system only and simply to facilitate the repair works, even if it seems a stretch given the way in which the system is developed, too refined to be thought for the insiders.

At the moment, however, we absolutely recommend that AirPods Max owners do not do the operation, as it is not clear whether the procedure invalidates the product warranty.