Rumours of a sequel to Apple's 2020-released AirPods Max wireless headphones have been flying around for years. Many Apple launch events have come and gone without so much as a mention of a second-gen Max, but the time of their unveiling finally came at the iPhone 16 event on Monday 9th September.
Indeed, the AirPods Max 2 are now official, succeeding the originals which are a massive hit among the What Hi-Fi? reviews team and among the best wireless headphones you can buy. That said, the second-generation Max aren't quite the evolutionary leaps many of us hoped for, arriving as rather 'soft' updates that overlook much of the rumoured features and upgrades. Below we sum up what has changed, what was rumoured and what we would like to see in the next generation.
- Read our full Apple AirPods Max review
- The iPhone 16 is official: here's everything you need to know
AirPods Max 2: release date
- As expected, the AirPods Max 2 launched at Apple's September iPhone event
- Pre-orders are open now; shipping begins on 20th September
There was a lot of back and forth about when the AirPods Max 2 would appear, but Bloomberg’s serial Apple tipster, Mark Gurman, tweeted the day before the 9th September iPhone 16 event that the new over-ears would be unveiled alongside the handsets and AirPods 4 then.
He was, of course, correct. CEO Tim Cook announced the second-gen Max on stage. AirPods Max 2 pre-orders are open now, with availability beginning on Thursday 20th September. The original Max will be discontinued.
I expect Apple to launch new AirPods Max headphones tomorrow with better noise cancellation, adaptive audio & USB-C. They’ll launch with the low-end AirPods 4. This is line with my reporting for months but runs counter to lack of low inventory in stores. https://t.co/KIJQEwywcpSeptember 9, 2024
Before that last-minute rumour, the AirPods Max 2 were actually expected to launch later this year, as their predecessors did in December 2020. Ming-Chi Kuo, another highly respected Apple analyst, suggested months prior that a new Max would arrive in either the second half of 2024 or early 2025.
Apple kept us waiting for the original AirPods Max: they were expected to debut alongside the iPhone 12, which launched on 12th October 2020, but "complications" in the design and manufacturing process put paid to that. Instead, the AirPods Max were finally unveiled on Tuesday 8th December, before going on sale on Tuesday 15th December 2020.
Still, the timeline puts the AirPods Max and AirPods Max 2 almost four years apart, which is a significant period of time considering rivals such as Bose and Sony often entertain gaps of only two years between model refreshes.
AirPods Max 2: price
- Same price as the original AirPods Max
The first-generation AirPods Max hit shelves at £549 / $549 / AU$899. That was more expensive than we had hoped – and even imagined – but it didn't seem to matter: they sold out almost instantly. At one point, the waiting list ballooned to 12 to 14 weeks. That's Apple customers for you!
Apple will now discontinue the originals in light of the new Max, which are priced exactly the same. It is unlikely the new model will go on sale for a while – we wouldn't hold your breath for Black Friday or Christmas deals this year – but the good news is that the original model will likely be sold off by retailers at a decent discount in the coming weeks and months.
We have seen the premium cans fall to around £449 / $449 / AU$799 several times before, so that should give you an idea of the price to look out for.
We've listed today's best AirPods Max deals just below.
With the Max, Apple was the first brand to position a pair of wireless headphones at such a high price point, a significant step above the 'premium' pairs like the Award-winning Sony WH-1000XM5. It gave the green light to other brands to release high-end models, such as the five-star Bowers & Wilkins Px8, Focal Bathys and Mark Levinson No. 5905. Bose not long ago launched the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones at £450 / $429 / AU$649, too, and the new Sonos Ace and Dyson OnTrac headphones are fall within that ballpark.
Some rumours suggested that the new AirPods Max would be cheaper than the originals due to concerns that the first generation was priced too highly. Indeed, some speculated that Apple might have dropped the cost for the second-gen model to $449. But honestly, it is no surprise that Apple decided to continue to play firmly in the high-end playground by keeping the price the same. Perhaps it will eventually add a second, lower-cost model to its over-ear lineup – AirPods Max Lite or AirPods Max SE, anyone?
We should also say that we are relieved Apple didn't go higher in price, although that would have been harsh considering the modest upgrades the new Max bring...
Apple AirPods Max 2: design
- New colourways and USB-C port
- No redesigned case or touch-based controls
Apple is renowned for its sleek designs, but it really pulled out all the stops for its first pair of over-ears. From its pristine anodised aluminium ear cups to its perfectly weighted steel headband, the AirPods Max makes some of the best wireless headphones feel cheap by comparison. It isn't the end of the world that Apple has largely kept the same design for the Max 2, then.
The Max 2 bring just two changes: new colourways and a USB-C charging port.
The AirPods Max were available in five finishes: Silver, Blue, Space Gray, Pink and Green (similar to the 2021 iMac Pro lineup). As was heavily rumoured before the announcement, the new Max are available in five new colours: Midnight (black), Starlight (beige), Blue, Orange and Purple.
Rumours of an 'AirPods Max 2 Product (RED)' edition are at this time unfounded.
The AirPods Max 2 have migrated from Lightning to USB-C for their charging port, in line with EU law. During last year's September iPhone event, Apple announced that USB-C sockets would feature on the iPhone 15 as well as on new charging cases for the AirPods Pro 2. The universal connection is standard for Apple products going forward.
So what rumoured design upgrades didn't we get? Well, there was plenty of talk of Apple tweaking the Max's control mechanism. According to Patently Apple, the Cupertino brand has been attempting to perfect a set of gesture-based touch controls to replace the Digital Crown, a dial inspired by the digital crown of the Apple Watch. Our expert in-house reviews team called the Crown "a tactile joy... a particularly neat and intuitive solution". That said, we did find it a little too easy to knock when adjusting the headphones, and its low resistance means you can accidentally adjust the volume by rather large degrees.
Overall, we like the physical control and are pleased it stays. Touch controls are, in our experience, hit and miss for accuracy and intuitiveness, although if anyone is going to implement it well or introduce a sophisticated gesture control system in the future, our bets would be on Apple.
Lastly, there was strong speculation that Apple planned to rejig the AirPods Max carry case, which has been rather humorously compared to a bra or a gun holster. Not only does it look strange, but we think it does a poor job of protecting the headphones from knocks, scratches and dirt as it doesn't even cover the whole product. We are therefore disappointed that this wasn't addressed by the Max 2; ramping up the protection for what is a very expensive item should, in our minds, be a priority next time around.
An Apple patent uncovered in July 2022 seems to suggest that Apple was working on a far more substantial case that snaps shut using a series of "magnetic clasps" – so where is it?
- Our expert pick of the best AirPods Max alternatives
Apple AirPods Max 2: specs and features
- No new features or spec upgrades
- Rumours included Adaptive Audio, improved ANC and new processor
With such a high launch price, the original AirPods Max needed to deliver a lot. Thankfully, they did. Our experts said that, compared to the Sony class leaders at the price point below, "The AirPods Max are undeniably more crisp, precise and spacious. The sound is that bit more engaging on account of that precision, and more atmospheric thanks to the added openness and the space given to each instrument. It’s a more transportative experience: it feels as if you’re sitting in the room as the musicians play around you." The Max, in a word, impressed.
The Max 2 should sound exactly the same as their predecessors, meaning that they will remain class leaders until something else comes along and trumps them. Bose and Focal have so far come very close to giving them a run for their money, but the Max model still holds its own.
As well as no performance upgrade, the Max 2 don't offer any feature upgrades or new features either. Yep, apart from new colours and a USB-C port, they are identical to the originals they replace. See what we meant by a 'soft' update?
Rumours certainly suggested more action here, although some seemed unlikely from the get-go. One of those rumours we took with a pinch (or handful) of salt was the introduction of game-changing audio transmission.
When Apple added lossless audio quality tracks to Apple Music in mid-2021, it emerged that none of the company's AirPods, including the Max, could deliver lossless audio wirelessly. Not even over the Max's wired connection. Patently Apple suggested Apple could be working on new better-than-Bluetooth optical audio transmission technology that would enable wireless lossless audio. That would be a big evolutionary step for portable wireless audio.
Apple recently announced a new "groundbreaking wireless audio protocol" that "unlocks powerful 20-bit/48kHz Lossless Audio" in the AirPods Pro 2, although this only works when the Pro 2 (USB-C model) is connected to the Apple Vision Pro headset. If wi-fi headphones are where gains in wireless sound quality are possible instead of the restricted Bluetooth, this could be the path that Apple takes in the future if it's serious about higher-quality audio. But evidently not for the Max 2.
Apple was also said to be sprucing up its active noise-cancelling technology. In February 2022, the folks at Patently Apple revealed an interesting AirPods Max patent that covers the detection of "audio howl" (unwanted feedback created by noise-cancelling microphones). Apparently, Apple is working on a better way to detect and mitigate this interference, which could result in a more natural noise-blocking experience.
Apple also announced a new Adaptive Audio mode at WWDC 2023. This is a hybrid listening experience that gives you a mix of transparency mode and ANC to provide the best of both listening technologies in one place. Surprisingly, it came to the AirPods Pro 2 but not the AirPods Max... or the Max 2.
One of the more logical update rumours was the implementation of an upgraded processor. The original Max use the H1 chip, whereas the newer AirPods Pro 2 are equipped with the superior H2. According to Forbes, there was a chance of a switch to H2 for the second-gen AirPods Max, although taking into consideration the design upheaval involved in integrating a new chip lessened the chances. An even newer chip (H3?) will undoubtedly allow for improved noise-cancelling, battery life, audio quality and better computational power– perhaps that will debut in the AirPods Pro 3.
There was also talk of a new "Find My" feature, as featured in recent iPhone models. This would keep track of where your Max are, allowing you to pinpoint their exact location when they go walkabout and you're fretting you've just left hundreds of pounds' worth of headphones in a gym locker room.
AirPods Max 3 wishlist: 5 features we'd like to see
1. Better battery life
AirPods Max battery life is "up to 20 hours" with noise cancellation and spatial audio enabled. That's plenty for a commute or five, but significantly less than you get from the class-leading Sony WH-1000XM5, which offer 30 hours, and the five-star Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless, which manage a staggering 60 hours.
2. Wired listening when the battery is dead
If you want to use the AirPods Max 2 in a wired capacity, the only way to do so is with a USB-C-to-3.5mm cable. Even then, the AirPods Max won’t work in passive mode: if the battery’s dead, the headphones are useless. Not ideal if you're stuck on a plane at 30,000 feet. Apple was the one guilty of killing the 3.5mm headphone jack in smartphones (from the iPhone 7) in the first place so we may not see this appear any time soon, but we can only hope for a way to listen to these headphones in passive, wired mode.
3. Improved Android support
Unsurprisingly, you need an iPhone or iPad in order to get the most out of the AirPods Max. Sure, they'll work with non-Apple products using standard Bluetooth 5.0, but you’ll miss out on almost all of the unique iOS features such as spatial audio with head-tracking, conversation mode, adaptive audio, audio sharing and more. Don't hold your breath on this one, but better Android support would certainly widen the appeal of the AirPods Max model.
4. Foldable design
A better battery case is technically the #1 requested feature from team What Hi-Fi?, but a design that's also foldable would do wonders when it comes to portability. We imagine Apple's design team might disagree, but a folded design that can be packed into a more sensible and protective carry case would be invaluable for high-end headphones.
5. Waterproof resistance
Wouldn't it be nice if you knew that getting hot and sweaty at the gym or getting caught in a mild shower while out pounding the streets wouldn't damage your Apple over-ears? There is no official IP rating for the Max's waterproofness, so we would welcome an IPX4 rating or better, which would be more than enough for dealing with drizzly conditions, splashes/sweat and dust ingress.
Should you upgrade to the AirPods Max 2?
If you own the original AirPods Max, we would skip this update – unless, of course, USB-C charging will massively improve your life, or you have simply fallen in love with the new orange colourway. The AirPods Max 2 don't offer any major improvements over the originals whatsoever, so you are best waiting for a superior sounding rival to come along... or the AirPods Max 3 in, gosh, 2028?
That said, if you are looking to upgrade other wireless headphones to a more premium pair and wondering whether the AirPods Max 2 should be that purchase, our answer is a lot more positive.
Despite the Max 2 essentially rolling with their predecessors' 2020-released specification, and the fact that similarly priced rivals from Sonos, Bose, Bowers & Wilkins and Focal have subsequently arrived, the Max model remains surprisingly competitive in the field. It has unrivalled aesthetics, strong ANC and sound performance, and a niche execution of spatial audio. If you're an Apple fan who can live with a 20-hour battery life and can afford the significant outlay, the Max 2 are a great buy.
If you can live with a Lightning port, however, the original Max might be the better buy if you can find them at a decent discount.
MORE:
The best AirPods Max alternatives to consider
AirPods 4: everything you need to know about price, design and new features
How do they stack up against the competition? Read our comparisons:
AirPods Max vs Sony WH-1000XM5
AirPods Max vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
AirPods Max vs B&W Px8
Apple AirPods 4 vs AirPods 3: what's new?
