Apple AirPods Max 2 review: Better late than never

I’m honestly shocked nan AirPods Max 2 moreover exists. After Apple only added a USB-C larboard and a fewer caller colors to its over-ear headphones successful 2024, I thought it had fixed up connected delivering a due upgrade to its priciest AirPods model. I’m happy to study that wasn’t nan case.

The AirPods Max 2 is surely an updated type of Apple’s headphones, but nan institution is besides catching it up to the AirPods Pro 3. The headphones now transportation nan company’s powerful H2 audio chip, nan constituent that enables features for illustration Adaptive Audio and Live Translation. The USB-C AirPods Max whitethorn person hardly been an update, but nan AirPods Max 2 is worthy of nan caller numeral successful its name. The value is still $549, owed successful portion to nan truth that Apple’s products are exempt from Trump’s tariffs, yet these stay immoderate of nan astir costly headphones I’ve reviewed. Are nan AirPods Max still worthy it?

What’s caller connected nan AirPods Max 2?

All of nan AirPods Max 2’s awesome caller features are present acknowledgment to nan upgrade to nan H2 chip. It was baffling that Apple didn’t switch retired nan H1 erstwhile it made nan move to USB-C, choosing alternatively to saddle its pricey headphones pinch very outdated silicon for different 16 months. So, successful a batch of ways, nan AirPods Max 2 is simply a batch much astir getting up to day pinch nan remainder of nan lineup, which intends a big of caller devices await.

Thanks to nan H2 chip, nan AirPods Max 2 has Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness, Voice Isolation, Personalized Volume, Siri Interactions (head gestures) and Live Translation. Adaptive Audio blends progressive sound cancellation (ANC) pinch transparency mode and automatically adjusts nan operation based connected your surroundings. Conversation Awareness tin show erstwhile you’re talking and automatically lowers nan measurement and enables transparency mode for speedy chats.

Voice Isolation helps amended your sound value for calls erstwhile nan AirPods Max 2 is utilized pinch compatible apps connected an iPhone, iPad aliases Mac, and I deliberation we’re each well-aware of what Live Translation is. Lastly, Personalized Volume takes notes connected your listening preferences complete clip and applies automatic adjustments based connected those and your surroundings.

Unsurprisingly, these features each activity arsenic good arsenic they do connected nan AirPods Pro 3. Of course, location will beryllium immoderate that you usage often and others that you mightiness not touch astatine all. For me, I don’t for illustration contending pinch unwanted measurement changes owed to Conversation Awareness, truthful I move that 1 off. It’s not arsenic easy triggered arsenic Sony’s version, but I did instrumentality it pinch an unexpectedly large burp. I besides don’t usage nan Siri caput gestures, though they activity very well. I often usage Adaptive Audio astir nan house, which allows maine to alteration transparency mode to perceive what I request to while letting nan headphones use ANC if I brushwood unwanted noise. Voice Isolation is besides a large betterment to normal sound capacity and Live Translation is surely bully to have.

Two further H2 features that I do usage often connected nan AirPods Pro, and will do truthful connected nan AirPods Max 2 because they activity good here, are studio-quality audio signaling and Camera Remote. The first is self-explanatory, but it does connection a boost to clips recorded successful Voice Memos and nan Camera app (my main 2 uses). Meanwhile, Camera Remote allows you to usage nan Digital Crown to return a photograph aliases start/stop a video signaling without reaching for your iPhone.

Et tu, proceeding health?

Apple’s hearing wellness features are immoderate of nan astir important devices connected nan AirPods Pro. However, you won’t find them connected nan AirPods Max 2, contempt nan caller H2 chip. While nan headphones do connection large sound reduction, nan hearing test, hearing aid and automatic speech boost devices are absent. There are respective reasons for this, nan superior 1 being that nan cushions connected nan over-ear headphones don’t seal disconnected your ears nan measurement nan AirPods Pro receptor tips do.

Still, large sound simplification isn’t nothing. This prevents vulnerability to large ambient sound while making adjustments to support nan audio sounding good. It’s peculiarly useful erstwhile you brushwood blaring building sounds during a commute aliases akin inconveniences.

Design: More of nan same

One point that hasn’t changed connected nan AirPods Max 2 is nan design. For amended aliases worse, Apple has kept nan aforesaid look that it debuted successful 2020. Aside from caller colors and nan move from Lightning to USB-C successful 2024, location are nary different visible differences betwixt this type and nan original. I would reason it’s clip for nan institution to alteration things up, but I tin besides understand why it hasn’t.

First, let’s talk what’s awesome astir nan AirPods Max’s design. It’s unique, particularly nan mesh headband, coagulated aluminum receptor cups and cloth receptor pads. The punches of colour are bully too, and if you for illustration thing much subtle, nan achromatic and gold, er… Midnight and Starlight options fresh that bill. From nan start, I’ve loved nan elemental controls that are comprised of nan Apple Watch’s Digital Crown and nan lone further fastener for listening modes (a property and clasp will activate Live Translation). The controls are successful a awesome location, and it’s truthful satisfying to rotation nan Digital Crown for measurement adjustments.

So, why hasn’t Apple redesigned nan extracurricular of nan AirPods Max? I’d reason it doesn’t deliberation it needs to yet. The AirPods Pro is still mostly nan aforesaid arsenic it has been from nan first version, and nan regular AirPods only sewage its first large creation overhaul successful 2024. The original AirPods debuted successful 2016, truthful if Apple keeps a akin timeline for artistic changes to some nan Pro and Max lines, we mightiness not spot those until 2027 and 2028 respectively.

Sound quality, ANC and calls

Besides nan H2 chip, nan different large upgrade to nan AirPods Max’s soul components is simply a caller precocious move scope amplifier. This improves wide sound value by allowing you to perceive astatine higher volumes pinch debased distortion and fantabulous clarity. Apple besides overhauled nan integer awesome processing (DSP) for amended bass consequence and to heighten nan locations of instruments successful nan mix.

Those tweaks don’t equate to a immense leap successful audio capacity connected nan AirPods Max 2, but nan gains are noticeable. Sound value wasn’t an rumor before, but you tin decidedly perceive nan improved instrumentality localization and enhanced bass capacity crossed astir each genres. On Ruston Kelly’s “Waiting to Love You (Piano Version/Live From Salt Lick Sessions),” nan singer’s unsocial sound and nan keys wholly capable your head. It’s for illustration a barrage of balladry successful nan champion way. You get nan texture of nan vocals, nan reverb of nan soft and each nan dynamics of nan stripped-down unrecorded performance.

Jump to thing a spot much energetic, for illustration aya’s “navel gazer,” and nan AirPods Max 2 deftly manages nan vocals, synths and immoderate other is happening successful nan operation (seriously, it’s a lot). And there’s still nan sonic deluge that hexed! hits you with. Even pinch nan multi-genre mash-up metallic of Bilmuri, these headphones support nan vocals, guitars, drums and subtle sounds separate. There are a batch of delicate specifications successful nan artist’s latest tracks — for illustration “More Than Hate,” for illustration — and nan AirPods Max 2 ensures you’ll drawback them all. A screeching eagle? Hell yeah, brother.

While wireless listening remains excellent, nan AirPods Max 2 still offers lossless audio complete USB-C. If you opt for wired use, you tin get up to 24-bit/48kHz value from compatible streaming services aliases locally stored files. This is nan aforesaid functionality that Apple delivered successful 2025. As expected, it still useful good and provides enhanced listening erstwhile needed. Personally, I for illustration to usage it erstwhile I’m sitting astatine my desk. What’s more, nan wired USB-C relationship tin beryllium utilized for low-latency audio — which is awesome erstwhile you’re playing a crippled aliases mixing/editing audio projects. I should statement nan remainder of nan AirPods Max features (Siri, Adaptive Audio, etc.) still activity complete Bluetooth successful wired mode, and there’s besides a low-latency Game Mode for wireless usage pinch a Mac, iPhone aliases iPad.

In position of ANC, Apple says nan H2 unlocks up to 1.5x stronger capacity than nan erstwhile generation. The institution mixed nan audio spot pinch caller computational audio algorithms to trim much outer sounds — for illustration airplane engines, trains and nan roar of a java shop. That quality is surely noticeable, arsenic I recovered changeless sources of sound astir my location (fans, achromatic sound machines, HVAC system, etc.) were overmuch little evident erstwhile I had nan AirPods Max 2 on. Plus, Adaptive Audio uses nan ANC strategy to prime up immoderate changes and make nan basal adjustments to support your music, podcast aliases movie coming done clearly.

Every AirPods exemplary that has ANC is besides equipped pinch transparency mode. Since nan debut of nan first AirPods Pro, I’ve been continually amazed by nan earthy sound of this feature. No different audio institution comes adjacent to matching nan clarity of nan ambient sound here, astir making you hide you're wearing earbuds aliases headphones. This has a tremendous effect connected calls, arsenic you tin perceive yourself very well, truthful you ne'er consciousness nan request to speak loudly. Plus, Voice Isolation combines nan AirPods Max 2’s H2 spot pinch an iPhone, iPad aliases Mac to further amended your sound and trim inheritance noise. Most headphones connection mean sound capacity astatine best, but for illustration it has successful nan past, Apple really delivers.

Battery life

One of nan areas I was hoping for an further boost connected nan AirPods Max 2 is artillery life. Sadly, I was headed for disappointment. This exemplary offers nan aforesaid 20-hour longevity arsenic its predecessors, a fig that includes ANC and/or Spatial Audio. While it’s surely capable to get you done a mates of activity days aliases a trans-Atlantic flight, that number falls good short of nan 30-50 hours overmuch of nan over-ear title tin muster these days.

I haven’t had nan AirPods Max 2 agelong capable to do a afloat artillery test; I chose to attraction connected nan caller features instead. However, based connected nan capacity that I’ve seen truthful far, I person nary logic to uncertainty Apple’s claims here. The institution has a coagulated way grounds connected artillery life, and each indications are that it continues connected nan AirPods Max 2. I’ll update this reappraisal erstwhile this trial is complete.

The competition

If you’re thoroughly invested successful Apple’s ecosystem, nan AirPods Max 2 is worthy considering. Most of nan features are reserved for nan iOS, iPadOS and masOS faithful, truthful it doesn’t really make consciousness for Android users aliases Windows devotees to splurge connected nan $549 headphones. If you’re still balking astatine that value tag, Sony’s WH-1000XM6 is my existent apical prime connected our best headphones list. While those headphones are $460 astatine afloat price, you tin presently find them for $400. Sony continues to operation awesome sound pinch tin ANC and a database of features fewer rivals tin compete with. Plus, those useful devices are disposable to some iOS and Android users.

Bose’s second-gen QuietComfort Ultra headphones are different coagulated option. They connection powerful ANC, awesome sound value and fantabulous comfortableness for $449, but you tin presently snag them for astir $400. If sound cancellation capacity is your superior concern, this is your pick. Lastly, if money is nary object, a individual favourite is nan Px8 S2 from Bowers & Wilkins. They’re axenic luxury correct down to nan $799 value tag, and they exude grandeur. The company’s combo of leather and aluminum screams precocious extremity and it made immoderate creation tweaks for this exemplary to refresh nan wide look. Battery life and sound value are nan large attractions here, but conscionable cognize you’ll person to forgo nan precocious features overmuch of nan (more affordable) title provides — for illustration each of those H2-powered devices connected nan AirPods Max 2.

Wrap-up

The AirPods Max 2 is an evident upgrade complete nan erstwhile version. And no, I don’t count nan USB-C swap-in arsenic a abstracted model. Simply put, nan H2 spot brings Apple’s over-ear headphones connected par pinch nan remainder of nan AirPods lineup, namely nan AirPods Pro 3. And since I don’t expect Apple to denote caller earbuds this year, that parity should stay for a while.

These headphones are still costly though, and nan much affordable AirPods Pro connection useful proceeding wellness features that are bully to person successful your pocket. I could besides understand why prospective buyers would want immoderate creation changes earlier making specified a large investment. Sure, nan AirPods Max 2 looks nan aforesaid arsenic its predecessor, perchance leaving those who ain nan erstwhile type pinch a difficult determination to make. But Apple kept nan value nan aforesaid and brought amended sound and much features, truthful there’s nary denying these headphones outperform nan original.