Technologies
Best Apple AirPods Max Alternatives for Less: Sony, Bose, AirPods Pro 2 and More
Apple’s swanky over-ear noise-canceling headphones aren’t exactly cheap at $549. Here are the best alternatives.

Despite their high price tag, Apple’s AirPods Max headphones are rather popular. I rated the AirPods Max very highly in my review, praising them for their swanky design, premium sound, excellent noise-canceling and solid voice-calling performance.
Needless to say, they’re designed to work seamlessly with Apple devices and offer features like spatial audio and hands-free Siri that only Apple users can take advantage of. But they’re also expensive, weigh a lot and may not fit everyone’s head well. They carry a list price of $549, though typically sell at retailers like Amazon for around $480 and sometimes less.
Basically, they aren’t for everyone. The good news is that there are plenty of excellent AirPods Max alternatives that cost less — and some, much less. Below are my current top picks, all of which I’ve fully reviewed or had hands-on experience with over several weeks.
And for those who want AirPods Max alternatives, price be damned, check out our list of best high-end Bluetooth headphones and earbuds.
More headphone recommendations
- Best True Wireless Earbuds of 2023
- Best Open Wireless Earbuds That Aren’t AirPods
- Best Noise-Canceling True Wireless Earbuds of 2023
- Best Wireless Earphones and Wireless Headphones for Making Calls
- Best Headphones of 2023
- Best Cheap Wireless Noise-Canceling Headphones Under $100
- Best Headphones for Running in 2023
- Best Over-Ear Headphones of 2023
- Best Cheap Earbuds and Headphones
- Best AirPods Max Accessories for 2023
Technologies
Trump Tax Cut Extension Grinds to a Halt: Here’s What It Might Cost You
Technologies
Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for May 17, #706
Hints and answers for Connections for May 17, #706.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.
Today’s Connections puzzle is pretty fun. There are a couple of royal titles that might throw you off, though Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.
The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.
Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time
Hints for today’s Connections groups
Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group, to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.
Yellow group hint: Think science.
Green group hint: Found in schools.
Blue group hint: Chilly Willy.
Purple group hint: Fifth letter.
Answers for today’s Connections groups
Yellow group: Member of a kingdom in taxonomy.
Green group: Graduated instruments.
Blue group: Kinds of penguins.
Purple group: «E» things.
Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words
What are today’s Connections answers?
The yellow words in today’s Connections
The theme is member of a kingdom in taxonomy. The four answers are animal, bacteria, fungus and plant.
The green words in today’s Connections
The theme is graduated instruments. The four answers are beaker, protractor, ruler and syringe.
The blue words in today’s Connections
The theme is kinds of penguins. The four answers are chinstrap, emperor, king and macaroni.
The purple words in today’s Connections
The theme is «E» things. The four answers are commerce, mail, scooter and signature.
Technologies
Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for May 17, #236
Hints and answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, No. 236, for May 17.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.
Connections: Sports Edition has one pretty simple category, especially if you’re a fan of horses. The other ones aren’t terrible, though there are a couple of very long words that barely fit in the grid. Read on for hints and the answers.
Connections: Sports Edition is out of beta now, making its debut on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 9. That’s a sign that the game has earned enough loyal players that The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times, will continue to publish it. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but now appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can continue to play it free online.
Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta
Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.
Yellow group hint: NFL division.
Green group hint: Sport of kings.
Blue group hint: Laverne and Shirley’s hometown.
Purple group hint: Hoops coach.
Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Yellow group: An AFC South player.
Green group: First words of famous horse races.
Blue group: Milwaukee sporting greats.
Purple group: Teams coached by Rick Pitino.
Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words
What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?
The yellow words in today’s Connections
The theme is an AFC South player. The four answers are Colt, Jaguar, Texan and Titan.
The green words in today’s Connections
The theme is first words of famous horse races. The four answers are Belmont, Breeders’, Kentucky and Preakness.
The blue words in today’s Connections
The theme is Milwaukee sporting greats. The four answers are Abdul-Jabbar, Antetokounmpo, Molitor and Yount.
The purple words in today’s Connections
The theme is teams coached by Rick Pitino. The four answers are Celtics, Iona, Panathinaikos and St. John’s.
-
Technologies2 года ago
Tech Companies Need to Be Held Accountable for Security, Experts Say
-
Technologies2 года ago
Best Handheld Game Console in 2023
-
Technologies2 года ago
Tighten Up Your VR Game With the Best Head Straps for Quest 2
-
Technologies4 года ago
Verum, Wickr and Threema: next generation secured messengers
-
Technologies4 года ago
Google to require vaccinations as Silicon Valley rethinks return-to-office policies
-
Technologies4 года ago
Olivia Harlan Dekker for Verum Messenger
-
Technologies4 года ago
Black Friday 2021: The best deals on TVs, headphones, kitchenware, and more
-
Technologies4 года ago
iPhone 13 event: How to watch Apple’s big announcement tomorrow