Bought the imitation AirPods Max for $37, but am intensely irritated by the purchase.
In the world of high-end headphones, the Apple AirPods Max have established themselves as a benchmark for sound quality and build. However, cheaper clones like the Wentronic Y01, which visually mimic the AirPods Max, promise to offer a more budget-friendly alternative.
Upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that the Wentronic Y01 is essentially a superficial knockoff rather than a true alternative. While it may appeal to some due to its design, it falls significantly short in sound performance and overall audio fidelity when compared to the original AirPods Max.
Sound Quality
The AirPods Max deliver meticulously tested, rich, and well-balanced sound, providing an immersive and clear audio experience. On the other hand, the Wentronic Y01 produces muddy, less distinct audio that fails to match the original's performance. The treble is often crackly, the bass bloated, and the overall dynamic range overwhelmingly flat, leading to a frustrating listening experience for those familiar with the AirPods Max.
Build Quality
Apple’s AirPods Max are made with high-quality materials and careful craftsmanship aimed at durability and comfort. The Wentronic Y01, while styled to look like the AirPods Max, does not replicate that level of build excellence. This is implied by the critical tone noting it is "the sum total" of the effort, suggesting cheaply made components and less durability.
Additional Features
The Wentronic Y01 does offer some additional features not found in the original AirPods Max. For instance, it has a power button, two physical buttons, a 3.5mm port, and a 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable included in the box. However, it lacks USB-C passthrough and does not have an H1 chip, resulting in no Apple ecosystem perks.
The headband of the dupe option is padded with a thicker, soft protein material instead of the memory foam and woven fabric design of the original AirPods Max. The ear cups of the dupe option can fold up into the headband for easier transportation, but no case or 'headphone bra' is supplied with the dupe option.
Call Handling and Mic Placement
Call handling on the Wentronic Y01 is poor, with callers being too quiet and call recipients describing the speaker as "very muffled, then occasionally less muffled but very tinny". The mic placement on the dupe option is different from the original, with tiny pinholes instead of the notable, mesh-covered pill-shaped solutions.
Noise Cancellation and Battery Life
The passive noise cancellation on the Wentronic Y01 is not bad, but active noise cancellation performance is limited to 'on' or 'off' with no transparency mode. The battery life is decent, but it does not match the impressive 20 hours of listening time offered by the AirPods Max.
In conclusion, while the Wentronic Y01 may be a cheaper alternative to the AirPods Max, it does not compare favourably in terms of sound quality or build. For a slightly higher price, headphones like the Sony WH-CH520 or any headphones from the best cheap headphones roundup offer vastly superior audio quality. It is recommended to invest a few extra dollars for a more enjoyable listening experience.
[1] Source: Review of Wentronic Y01 Headphones [2] Source: Comparison of AirPods Max and Cheaper Clones
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