Hi SBDavis1906,
Thank you for posting in the Apple Support Communities. Congratulations on your new AirPods Max. It sounds like you're having some trouble with transparency mode, correct? If so, we would love to help see if we can get the issue resolved for you. Let's go ahead and follow the link below to double check your setup. Then if the issue remains, please follow the steps to test the issue further and let us know the result.
Adjust the settings of your AirPods
Place Your AirPods Max on your ears
Swipe the iPhone screen down from the top right of screen to see the Control Center.
Touch and hold the volume control to access the noise control settings.
Make sure that both Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency are turned off, and that no music is playing in the AirPods.
Pay close attention to sound and then turn on Active Noise Cancellation. You should hear a chime and notice a change in the external sound in both ears, as if it has become muffled.
Do you notice any decrease in noise cancellation quality when you hear the chime?
Once again, make sure that both Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency are turned off, and that no music is playing in the AirPods.
Pay close attention to sound and then turn on Transparency. You should hear a chime and notice a change in the external sound in both ears, as if it becomes amplified.
Do you hear the chime and notice differences in external sound?
