About five long years have passed since Apple introduced the original AirPods Max to the world, a period considered an eternity in terms of the technology world. Now, the company put an end to the wait and announced the AirPods Max 2. Although at first glance they look almost identical to their predecessors – with the same large, colorful ear cups and matching headband – the truly significant change is under the hood, or more precisely, inside the chip.
The beating heart of the new model is the H2 chip, the same one that was first introduced in the AirPods Pro 2. Its integration, together with improved audio algorithms, allows Apple to claim a 1.5 times improvement in the efficiency of active noise cancellation (ANC) compared to the 2020 model. This is a necessary step for a product priced at 549 dollars, especially in a market saturated with competitors offering advanced technology at significantly lower prices.
Beyond silence, Apple has placed an emphasis on sound quality and environmental adaptation. The headphones include a new amplifier for cleaner sound and an improvement in spatial audio performance (Spatial Audio). For those who insist on uncompromising quality, the headphones now support lossless audio via the included USB-C cable connection.
The new chip also brings with it a package of smart features that were missing from the previous model. The "Adaptive Audio" mode knows how to balance between transparency mode and noise cancellation according to background noise, and the "Conversation Awareness" feature will automatically lower the audio volume and activate transparency mode the moment the user starts speaking. Another notable addition is Live Translation, which uses artificial intelligence to translate speech into a selected language in real time, in combination with the iPhone.
The AirPods Max 2 essentially align with the capabilities of the AirPods Pro 3, only in an over-ear design. Pre-orders are expected to begin on March 25, with delivery to customers planned for early April. For those who have been waiting for a significant update since the USB-C launch last year, this is an upgrade that should have arrived a long time ago.