I have the XM4’s and they are fantastic headphones. I use mine alongside my Airpods Pro (the earbuds) as there’s times I don’t feel like wearing over ear headphones (eg. when it’s hot). I would go whatever path leads to you to having the XM5’s. The Airpods Max are so overpriced for what they offer in my opinion. And this is coming from someone who owns multiple Apple products.