AirPods Max 2: what really changes after five years

Five years and three months. That’s how long Apple took to offer a successor to the AirPods Max from December 2020. The 2024 USB-C version? Just a connector change. The AirPods Max 2 announced this Monday, March 16, represent the first hardware update to Apple’s high-end headphones.

The most surprising part: no prior leaks, no keynote. A page on Apple’s website, and that’s it. For such a highly anticipated product, the contrast with the brand’s usual launches is striking.

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The H2 chip changes (almost) everything

The core of the update comes down to two letters and a number: H2. This chip, already present in the AirPods Pro since 2022, finally replaces the H1 processor in the first AirPods Max.

The consequences are numerous. Apple announces active noise cancellation 1.5 times more effective than on the previous model. Airplane engine noise and train rumble, weak points of the first model according to several users, are said to be better attenuated thanks to new audio processing algorithms.

Transparency mode also benefits from a new digital signal processing algorithm. The goal: to make outside sounds more natural when this mode is activated, closer to what you would hear without headphones.

A new amplifier, no new drivers

The 40 mm dynamic drivers remain identical to those from 2020. On the other hand, Apple has integrated a new “high dynamic range” (HDR) amplifier. The promise: cleaner sound, with less distortion at high volume and more headroom.

Spatial Audio has been reworked: better instrument positioning, more consistent bass, more natural mids and highs. To verify this, we’ll have to wait for the first comparative tests.

Lossless audio remains limited to wired use. Connected via USB-C with the included cable, the headphones support 24-bit at 48 kHz. Over Bluetooth, even with the new version 5.3 (versus 5.0 previously), no lossless. Apple still hasn’t solved this technical limitation, common across the entire industry.

Software features catch up with the AirPods Pro

With the H2 chip, the AirPods Max 2 inherit features that appeared on the AirPods Pro over the years:

Adaptive Audio automatically adjusts the level of noise cancellation based on the environment. No need to manually switch between modes anymore.

Conversation Awareness detects when you start speaking and automatically lowers the music volume while reducing ambient noise. Handy for a quick interaction without taking off the headphones.

Voice Isolation filters background noise during calls. Wind, surrounding conversations: the algorithm tries to isolate your voice.

Live Translation translates conversations in real time. This feature requires an iPhone compatible with Apple Intelligence running iOS 26.4 or later.

Siri Interactions lets you respond to Siri with a nod (yes) or by shaking your head (no). Discreet on public transport.

Camera Remote turns the Digital Crown into a remote photo and video shutter for iPhone and iPad.

These features already existed elsewhere in the Apple ecosystem. Seeing them arrive on the brand’s most expensive headphones was obvious, not innovative.

What Apple did not change

The list is long.

The design is exactly the same: anodized aluminum ear cups, stainless steel headband, knitted mesh canopy, memory foam cushions. The weight remains 386.2 grams, making them one of the heaviest consumer headphones on the market.

The Smart Case has not evolved. This soft case, which protects only the ear cups while leaving the headband exposed, remains divisive. It puts the headphones into ultra-low-power mode, but its design has reminded many commentators of a bra since 2020.

Battery life remains stuck at 20 hours with active noise cancellation. The headphones still do not fold, unlike most of their competitors, which makes transport more complicated.

The colors are the same as those of the 2024 USB-C version: Midnight, Starlight, Orange, Purple, and Blue.

An IP54 rating, at last

The first AirPods Max had no official water-resistance rating. The AirPods Max 2 get an IP54 rating: resistance to dust and water splashes. Not enough to submerge them, but sufficient for sports use or light rain.

The same price as in 2020

Apple is keeping the price at $549 in the United States, £499 in the United Kingdom, and AU$999 in Australia (or AU$100 more than before). In France, the price should be around €579.

Preorders open on March 25, with deliveries scheduled for early April.

At that price, the AirPods Max 2 remain about €100 to €150 more expensive than the Sony WH-1000XM6 or the Bose QuietComfort Ultra, two benchmark models that have been updated more regularly in recent years.

More catching up than moving forward

The AirPods Max 2 correct a delay that has built up over five years. The H2 chip brings features that the AirPods Pro have offered since 2022. The improvement in noise cancellation and the new amplifier should improve everyday listening, but the acoustic foundations (drivers, architecture) remain unchanged.

For owners of the first model, the question is simple: do the new software features and the improved noise cancellation justify paying again? The identical battery life, unchanged design, and lack of wireless lossless dampen the enthusiasm.

For those who were hesitating to buy the first model, the AirPods Max 2 remove several barriers. But the price remains an obstacle against competition that did not wait for Apple to make progress.