What’s new in AirPods Max 2? Broken Apple headphone update

Two weeks removed from latest apple products event, Where we dealt with everything new iPhone 17e to The cheapest laptop Apple has ever madethe company surprised us with “something else.”

In news published this morning, Apple announced quietly The long-awaited update to its popularity AirPods Max Headphones. Meet the AirPods Max 2: a subtle change that delivers noise cancellation, audio performance, and upgraded features, all in a seemingly identical frame for the same $549 price. It will be available to order starting March 25, and will begin shipping in April.

It’s good to (finally) see an update for an increasingly outdated Apple Leading headphoneswhich has remained largely unchanged since its 2020 release, except for a few upgrades like a USB-C charging port and lossless audio support. Apple says the Max 2’s addition of the H2 chip (the same one found in… AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3) offers noise cancellation that is “1.5 times more effective” than before, along with a new subwoofer for “cleaner sound” with improved spatial audio support.

Courtesy of Apple

The H2 also offers some recent Apple features, like sound isolation, live translation, and ambient sound features like Conversation Awareness and Adaptive Sound, which adjust the sound depending on your voice and environment, respectively. Like the Max with USB-C, lossless audio is available on the new pair via a wired connection at up to 24-bit/48kHz with supported devices.

However, it’s a bit confusing to see Apple upgrading its premium headphones after such a long period without any meaningful hardware changes. The overall design of the AirPods Max feels just as unwieldy as before, with the same heavy aluminum chassis, and no mention of an upgrade to the rubber “case” that wraps around the earcups with little protection for travel.

This is in contrast to competing headphone brands like Bose and Sony, each of which have sparked multi-generational revamps in their products. Best noise canceling headphones Over the past six years, including making major leaps in noise reduction and upgrading hardware to achieve the latest Sony WH-1000XM6 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra 2 Among the most powerful portable wireless headphones on the market. Lots of other competing brands, from Bowers and Wilkins to JBLthey made annual or semi-annual updates to integrate Latest technology During that same period.

Given the competition and the fact that the biggest upgrade to the Max 2 appears to be centered around the four-year-old H2 chip, this update feels a little incomplete. Maybe that’s why Apple chose to hold the news until other, more exciting product updates from earlier this month had some time to cool on the windowsill.

Apple does things its own way, and the previous AirPods Max have managed to remain relevant thanks to a combination of minor upgrades and amazing debut performance, even if they no longer keep up with the latest technology. Best-in-class headphones. I’ll be fascinated to see what, if anything, Apple has changed in the design of the Max 2, and how much improvement they can leverage from the new chipset and speaker to regain some ground in what has become among the most competitive spaces in audio.