Can these AirPod fakes from the Far East compete with the real thing?

Apple’s AirPods Max are in high demand, with sales in Switzerland alone reaching well into the tens of thousands. It’s a trend that’s showing no signs of stopping. Despite nearing three years old and garnering criticism for their weight and battery life, the AirPods Max will still set you back 499 francs or 538 euros.
At the same time, replicas are springing up like mushrooms – another telltale sign of popularity. The market is awash with replicas, especially if you cast a glance at retailers based in the Far East, such as Aliexpress, Wish or Temu. You’ll find them in all kinds of colours, in all kinds of price brackets.

David and I couldn’t help wondering whether any of these replicas pose a serious threat to the Apple headphones. Imitation devices, which, despite being worse, are so much cheaper that countless people order them.

Search, order, wait and ... wait some more

My search quickly bears fruit. On Aliexpress, I find a Wireless UFP9 BT Headset from Fu Shun Kang digital for 9.79 francs, Headphones Wireless Noise Canceling Music from Shenzhen Chuangjie E-Commerce for 29.95 francs and a Wireless Bluetooth Headset for Apple Huawei from
Xianqimingxiawangluokejiyouxiangongsi (yes, really!) for 46.95 francs. The prices didn’t include postage, which came to about three francs per set of headphones.

In the photos, they all look exactly like Apple’s AirPods Max. I order all three. Four days later, the cheapest pair arrives, with the «mid-range» one following after nine days. Pair number three keeps me waiting for a month. They cost 17 francs more than number two and 36 francs more than number one.

Instead of opening the boxes, I pass them straight on to our social media team. They prepare the headphones for David and me to do an unbiased, blind test and comparison with the original. Unfortunately, that proves impossible. Without even touching the headphones, it’s obvious right from the first glance which are fakes and which are the originals. We decide to at least have a go at guessing which of the three fakes is which.

The crucial differences between the fakes and the original

As you can see in the video (click the gear icon for English subtitles), the fake headphones aren’t even remotely comparable to the original. Although this was to be expected given the price difference, they really are dire. Here are the most important things David and I discovered:

Wireless UFP9 BT Headset

The UFP9 headphones, which cost about ten francs, are covered in plastic all over. The buttons on the side are almost entirely decorative – nothing happens when you press them. It’s only the power/pairing button that works.

The material of the ear cups reminds me of the plastic tablecloth I used to paint Easter eggs on as a child. Not only that, but the headband is too small for my head – the earcups don’t even reach over my ears. Overall, the packaging is actually better made than the headphones themselves.

They also sound like a 1980s telephone hotline. If you were to drop the phone into a tin bucket first, then hold your ear to it, that is. Never in my life have I used headphones this bad. And to make matters worse, they stink.

Headphones Wireless Noise Cancelling Music / Wireless Bluetooth Headset for Apple Huawei

Why are we giving a joint verdict on headphones two and three? Because they’re identical. Although the Wireless Bluetooth Headset for Apple Huawei costs 17 francs more, the only way it differs from the Wireless Noise Cancelling Music Headphone» is in colour. That’ll be a healthy margin for the retailer.

These two models are slightly better quality than the first. They’re also light as a feather and made of plastic. Even so, they’re a tad sturdier than their cheaper competitors.

The ear cups are actually made of fabric, even if it’s thin. The buttons on the sides feel wobbly and have pressure points of varying depths – but they do work.

Although the headphones fit over my head, they sit so poorly that any murmur of background chatter reaches my ear through the gap between the earcups and my head. The «noise cancelling», be it active or passive, is non-existent.

When it comes to sound, they have a «tape recorder in the garage» kind of vibe. Zero bass and distorted treble. In fact, it’s probably fine for audio books or podcasts. It doesn’t sound as bad as I’d expected. But that’s as good as it gets.

With that, the cheaper of the two is crowned king of the fakes in our review. Even so, they’re not a patch on the AirPods Max. We don’t recommend buying them. Firstly, because they suck and secondly, because we’re talking about product piracy here.

Verdict: you’re better off steering clear of fake AirPods Max

As is true of many Apple products, some people see the AirPods Max as a status symbol. Whether their 499-franc price tag can be justified is debatable – even if they do offer strong performance. But what David and I can say for sure is: the replicas are garbage.

Even the 30-franc Wireless Noise Cancelling Music Headphones from Shenzhen Chuangjie E-Commerce, which came out on top in our «blind test», failed to impress in any category.