Apple has announced the official AirPods Max successor today. Years after the original model was introduced, AirPods Max 2 are here.
AirPods Max 2 available to order March 25, shipping early April
Today the long-awaited AirPods Max 2 have been unveiled.
The hallmark new feature is the H2 chip that has long been part of AirPods Pro and AirPods 4.
H2 powers an upgraded Active Noise Cancellation experience for users. Per Apple:
“With the incredible performance of H2, AirPods Max are upgraded with up to 1.5x more effective ANC for the ultimate all-day listening experience,” said Eric Treski, Apple’s director of Audio Product Marketing. “The sound quality is remarkably clean, rich, and acoustically detailed — and when combined with capabilities like Personalized Spatial Audio, AirPods Max 2 deliver a profoundly immersive experience.”
Alongside ANC improvements, Apple says Transparency mode is better with the new model too: “With a new digital signal processing algorithm optimized for H2 and the microphone array on AirPods Max, Transparency sounds even more natural.”
H2 is a major upgrade over the H1 found in the previous AirPods Max. That’s because in addition to boosting ANC, it also enables a host of new features that AirPods Max and its H1 chip never supported.
Those new features for AirPods Max 2 users include:
- Live Translation
- Adaptive Audio
- Conversation Awareness
- Voice Isolation
- Studio-quality audio recording
- Loud Sound Reduction
- Siri Interactions via head gestures
- Camera Remote
If you’re an AirPods Pro user, these features are nothing new—but it’s great to finally get them on AirPods Max.
If you’re interested in the wired experience with AirPods Max 2, Apple says it has been improved over the previous model, with 24-bit, 48 kHz lossless audio supported.
For the highest-quality audio across music, movies, and games, the new AirPods Max support 24-bit, 48 kHz lossless audio when connected with the included USB-C cable. Lossless audio and ultra-low latency audio enable music creators to fully utilize AirPods Max throughout their entire professional workflow on Logic Pro and other music creation apps. Using the USB-C cable, AirPods Max are the only headphones that let musicians both create and mix in Personalized Spatial Audio with head tracking.
AirPods Max 2 cost $549 and will be available to order starting Wednesday, March 25 before shipping in early April.
The new model comes in the same color options found with the previous USB-C model of AirPods Max: midnight, starlight, orange, purple, and blue.
Are you planning to upgrade to AirPods Max 2? Let us know in the comments.
Best iPhone accessories
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
