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After courageously dropping the headphone jack with the iPhone 7, Apple’s solution was a pair of truly wireless earphones — the AirPods. Though ridiculed for its uncannily long stem at first, the AirPods family is now one of the most renowned headphone lineups you can buy. Introduced in 2020, the AirPods Max brought all the novelty Apple-exclusive goodies in an over-ear style, while still sporting a head-turning design. The AirPods Max were refreshed again in 2024, with a long-overdue upgrade to the USB-C charging and connection protocol, and they also brought wired lossless audio.

Though there are several cheaper alternatives to the AirPods Max, it’s tough to find a pair of headphones that work as seamlessly with Apple devices. If you care for features like Spatial Audio and Apple’s H1 chip, the AirPods Max happen to be your only option — and with a premium build quality and great noise cancellation, they aren’t a bad purchase. That said, if your budget is tight, the older AirPods Max with Lightning provide virtually the same experience — at several hundred dollars less if you buy them refurbished.

Despite sitting in the labs for over four years, the second generation of AirPods Max disappointingly brings very few upgrades — they even sport the same H1 chip as their predecessor. That said, by opting in for the older variant, you’re sacrificing the convenience of USB-C and lossless audio — which may be dealbreakers to some, but not for many.

As is with any gadget, finding the right source when buying refurbished can make or break the experience. In this case, Best Buy’s Geek Squad Certified AirPods Max can be picked up for as low as $160.99 — as long as you manage to find one in stock and quickly move it to your cart. This is quite the bargain considering these used to retail at $550.

This specific listing has over 1,000 customer reviews and a 4.5-star rating — which is pretty impressive for a refurbished pair of headphones. Most of the reviews seem to praise the headphones themselves, but a few mention their positive experience with the refurbished program. One customer even expressed how the headphones “didn’t even seem used,” further ramping up confidence for this listing. You may notice a few dents on the box itself, but that’s to be expected. With the purchase, you also get the carrying case — which is recommended if you wish to send the AirPods Max into the low power mode instantly when not in use.

Cycling to the one-star reviews, some users note damaged packaging, missing Lightning cables, or dirty padding on the headphones themselves. Some also report connectivity issues, or the AirPods still being tied to the previous user’s accounts. These may be edge cases due to shipments that haven’t been properly refurbished — but this is where Best Buy’s return window can be a life-saver.

Purchasing refurbished electronics is not a bad idea — given you stick with trusted retailers, or the manufacturer’s own certified refurbished programs. This usually plays out well in the case of smartphones, but shopping for refurbished wearables should always be met with caution. The first big concern is always regarding hygiene — a pair of headphones that aren’t properly sanitized and refurbished are a big no-no, especially if they have been previously owned by someone else.

Also, unlike smartphones that can usually be spot-checked for signs of physical damage to things like the screen or camera, inspecting a pair of headphones isn’t as straightforward — especially if you don’t know how they are supposed to sound brand-new. Certain users reported muddy audio coming out of their refurbished pair of AirPods Max after a few days. Connectivity issues and reliability are also major factors when it comes to wireless headphones.

Tips when buying used headphones include knowing which parts to inspect and sanitize properly, or even replacing the ear cups entirely. Trusted refurbished outlets include Amazon’s Renewed program, Apple’s Certified Refurbished store, and Best Buy’s Refurbished Electronics outlet. It’s also a great habit to scroll down to the customer reviews section on individual listings to get some authentic feedback on the refurbished product you’re eyeing.

The Geek Squad Certified AirPods Max that we’ve based this piece on has an impressively high 4.5-star rating with over 1,000 customer reviews, and at its listed price of $160.99, it’s a no-brainer if you find one in stock. Reviews are mostly overwhelmingly positive, and the few complaints that customers have mentioned are more to do with the physically heavy build of the AirPods Max themselves. While making this recommendation, we referred to these customer reviews in addition to the Geek Squad’s certification checklist for similar products.

You can also pick up a refurbished pair of AirPods Max on Amazonwhich is currently listed at $389. Amazon’s Renewed store is a trustworthy platform to shop refurbished goods from, which is made evident by the listing’s 4.2-star rating and over 1,000 customer reviews. That said, at close to $400, you must really want the AirPods Max — and even be fine with settling for the older generation. At this price point, you can choose from a variety of brand-new over ear headphones instead of going the refurbished route.