The AirPods Max are the one full-sized headphones Apple has ever made. It was definitely a shock when the unique mannequin first dropped again in 2020, nonetheless bearing the AirPods identify regardless of not being significantly pod-like. At $549, they had been additionally costly, even in comparison with the opposite premium wi-fi headphones in the marketplace. After which they only sat there with out receiving many updates, with the 2024 iteration solely introducing a USB-C port and new colours.
Six years from that authentic launch, Apple has lastly launched the AirPods Max 2. At first, second, or possibly even a 3rd look, these may seem to be the headphones they’re changing, and sadly, in some ways, they’re. Nevertheless, Apple can also be promising developments within the type of improved lively noise cancellation, audio high quality, and some different options due to the inclusion of the up to date Apple H2 processor.
However is that sufficient, particularly contemplating these are nonetheless $549 headphones? Nicely, it is time to discover out.
Design
The AirPods Max 2 design is equivalent to the unique 2020 mannequin. The 2024 mannequin (let’s name it AirPods Max 1.5) introduced with it new colours, which have been carried over to the AirPods Max 2. This implies there isn’t a solution to visually establish the AirPods Max 2 from the mannequin you can have bought two years in the past.
Aesthetically, these are a few of the most good-looking headphones cash should buy. Apple’s designers have achieved a timelessness right here that’s troublesome to match within the client electronics house. It fuses basic, identifiable traces and shapes from aviation headsets whereas sustaining a resemblance to Apple’s industrial design sensibilities, together with some futuristic design components. This creates a visible profile that’s suspended in time, echoing the previous, current, and way forward for headphone aesthetics concurrently. It is no surprise the corporate feels no actual compulsion to replace it, as it will be troublesome to give you one thing higher.
Wanting nearer at a few of the components reveals a number of finer detailing. The scarf makes use of a fabric mesh that’s suspended in a downward curve, however somewhat than hanging loosely, it is taut, via what I assume is pure witchcraft. Extending the scarf exposes fantastically polished metallic yokes that keep a visually delicate however in any other case sturdy contact with the ear cups. The ear pads are magnetically connected and are available off with minimal effort. The antennas are hidden on the underside of the ear cups, so they do not spoil the aesthetics. The digital crown and the listening mode button mirror the design of their counterparts on different Apple merchandise.
The headphones are additionally completely symmetrical in design, with the one mismatch coming from the bodily controls and the USB port on the correct ear cup. Each different part echoes the design of its counterpart on the opposite facet, to the purpose the place you would be forgiven for carrying these headphones backwards. In truth, these dastardly symmetry-breaking controls are the one approach you possibly can inform one facet from the opposite, particularly at midnight.
Nevertheless, whereas the AirPods Max 2 get full marks for his or her aesthetics, there are some basic drawbacks to their design. For starters, there’s a good motive why most headphones at the moment aren’t symmetrical. You might have observed that our ears are angled from the vertical aircraft of our heads, and most fashionable headphones at the moment observe that alignment as a substitute of making an attempt to pressure an angled peg by way of a straight gap.
The second challenge is with the extent of adjustability of the scarf, which is restricted. You may solely lengthen them a lot earlier than they backside out, which would go away out a number of of us with large heads. I do not actually have a significantly giant head, and I nonetheless discovered myself wanting the scarf to be longer. In truth, there are a good few points with the ergonomics of those headphones, however extra on that later.
For now, allow us to focus on the Sensible Case. The AirPods Max Sensible Case has been the butt of many jokes for the reason that product first launched, and it stays unchanged to at the present time. For some motive, it covers solely the ear cups, and Apple additionally determined that inserting the AirPods Max inside this case is the one solution to actually energy them off.
Here is my sizzling take: I do not assume the AirPods Max 2 Sensible Case is that dangerous. In truth, I do not assume it is dangerous in any respect. It takes significantly much less house than a typical case, and is simpler to stow away when not in use. The method of taking the headphones out and in of it is rather simple, which meant I ended up utilizing this case much more than a typical headphone case that I’d solely use whereas touring. My solely criticism with it’s that whilst you can cost the headphones whereas they’re within the case, the cutout typically does not align correctly with the port, so you need to faff round a bit earlier than you possibly can plug the cable in.
I wish to end off the design part by discussing the construct high quality. The AirPods Max 2 are a phenomenally well-built set of headphones. The end of the aluminum ear cups, the fluidity of the joints, the tactility of the transferring dials and switches, the seamlessly hidden joints and stitches all ooze high quality. That $549 you spent is nearly on full show right here, and the AirPods Max 2 appear and feel head and shoulders above their rivals on this division.
With that stated, there are a few considerations concerning the development of those headphones. The ear cups are identified to build up condensation on the within across the speaker grilles, and other people have additionally reported their headband material sagging after some time. I did not discover any condensation throughout my use, nor am I in the kind of local weather to expertise one thing like that. As for the sagging, that’s one thing solely time will inform, and never one thing that may be found in the course of the assessment interval.
Consolation
Now for the all-important matter of consolation, and the AirPods Max 2 have some obtrusive points which have remained unchanged from the earlier generations.
Initially, at 386g, these headphones are heavy. You may stack two iPhone 17 on high of each other, they usually nonetheless wouldn’t weigh as a lot as one AirPods Max 2. A lot of the weight is within the ear cups, so the headphones don’t really feel top-heavy as such. Nonetheless, when you’ve gotten that a lot weight positioned in your head, it introduces extra inertia to your neck actions. You’ll tilt your neck again for some motive and discover your head simply flops backward extra aggressively than ordinary. And the AirPods Max 2 are deceptively compact for his or her weight, so it doesn’t really feel like you’ve gotten a number of weight hanging round your head, however somewhat your head itself out of the blue weighing much more.
So as to anchor that weight securely to your head, the AirPods Max 2 clasp extra aggressively than ordinary round your ears. The scarf has important clamping pressure, particularly when the headphones are new, and the benefit of it’s that the headphones aren’t going wherever as soon as you set them on. The dangerous factor is that you’re all the time conscious of the headphones being round your head, and the sensation can get tiring after some time.
The ear cups on the AirPods Max 2 have the identical coarse material texture as earlier than. I wasn’t keen on how they felt round my ears initially, and likewise the sound they make after they rub towards your pores and skin, particularly in case you have facial hair. Nevertheless, I did recover from that fairly rapidly, and it doesn’t hassle me now as a lot as I believed it will. The wonderful thing about these cups is simply how simple it’s to take away and reattach them, and spares can be found readily from Apple itself in addition to a number of third-party sources.
One other annoyance with the AirPods Max 2 is the adjustability of the scarf. As talked about earlier than, the ear cups can solely be prolonged in a considerably restricted trend. This not solely limits the dimensions of the heads that may put on these headphones but additionally makes it extremely uncomfortable to have them round your neck while you’re not actively utilizing them. Not solely did it severely prohibit my neck motion, however I’m additionally not the sort to get pleasure from being slowly choked on this method.
I wish to say at this level that I don’t discover the AirPods Max 2 unusable by any means, and I did find yourself spending fairly a little bit of time with them as soon as I acquired used to how they really feel. Nevertheless, they don’t depart a optimistic impression on you the primary few instances you utilize them, and a few folks could by no means get used to how a lot they weigh or really feel round your ears. You additionally most likely can’t even put on them in any respect in case your head is larger than mine. These are some features that Apple ought to have labored on within the second-generation mannequin, and easily making them 30% lighter would have gone a great distance in making them extra approachable.
Software program and options
Like the opposite AirPods fashions, the AirPods Max 2 are designed for use with all Apple units. Whereas you need to use them with Home windows, Linux, or Android merchandise, you lose out on a good portion of their performance, and at that time, it’s best to simply take into account shopping for one thing else. All testing right here was accomplished with an iPhone 15 Professional and an M4 Mac mini.
The AirPods Max 2 options might be accessed by way of devoted menus that seem while you pair the headphones with a suitable Apple gadget. Right here, you possibly can regulate issues just like the ANC modes and options, head gestures, Spatial Audio, Discover My, and extra. You can even see the firmware model right here, however you continue to can’t manually pressure an replace, and simply have to attend for the headphones to do it themselves every time they really feel prefer it. For reference, all testing right here was accomplished with the 8E251 firmware, which was the most recent on the time of writing.
iOS settings
You may say that the AirPods Max 2 have an enough variety of options, however it’s unusual to see that they nonetheless lag behind the AirPods Professional 3, regardless of the bump as much as the most recent era Apple H1 chip. You do get stuff like Adaptive Audio, loud sound discount, Dwell Translation, voice isolation, and many others., that you just didn’t have earlier than.
macOS settings
However the AirPods Professional 3 nonetheless have the higher hand, with options resembling Listening to Check, Listening to Assist with computerized conversion increase, and listening to safety. The most recent mannequin additionally acquired coronary heart fee monitoring, which does make extra sense on the AirPods Professional 3, however contemplating the quantity of people that use the AirPods Max within the fitness center anyway, it most likely wouldn’t have gone amiss right here.
Efficiency
Audio high quality
The AirPods Max 2 use what Apple calls ‘Apple-designed dynamic drivers’ of unspecified diameter which have been carried over from earlier era fashions, and a ‘customized excessive dynamic vary amplifier’ that’s new for this era. The headphones assist SBC and AAC codecs over Bluetooth 5.3, and you too can join them in wired mode utilizing a USB-C to USB-C cable or Apple’s USB-C to three.5mm audio cable that has a built-in DAC/ADC.
After utilizing the AirPods Max 2 on daily basis for over every week, my impressions of their audio high quality are principally optimistic. Nevertheless, there are a few drawbacks that maintain them again from being actually good.
The general frequency response is V-shaped, which is kind of widespread lately, but it surely’s the way in which Apple has gone about it that units these headphones other than their competitors.
Beginning with the bass, the AirPods Max 2 select to position most of their emphasis within the sub-bass area. The benefit of doing issues this fashion is that you just keep away from the surplus bass power from spilling into the decrease midrange and cut back the general bloated feeling which will come from a wide-band bass increase. Most music doesn’t actually have a ton of sub-bass data, so very often the AirPods Max 2 don’t sound particularly bass-heavy.
Nevertheless, it’s when the supply does have a number of sub-bass power that you just understand that the AirPods Max 2 could have overcooked on this space. There’s a number of sub-bass coming from these drivers, which imparts a number of thump and rumble to the bottom notes, however may sound like a runaway subwoofer. That is particularly noticeable when listening to Spatial Audio content material that features a devoted low-frequency channel, and the AirPods Max 2 actually make a meal out of it. Watching the film ‘F1’ on Apple TV resulted in a number of rumbling and thumping notes coming my approach that acquired a bit distracting after some extent.
The mids and treble are a blended bag, and that is the place we have to discuss in regards to the elephant within the room with the AirPods Max 2 sound, which is a somewhat substantial dip within the upper-mid and lower-treble areas. Very similar to with the AirPods Max, the AirPods Max 2 sound dips audibly previous 3,000Hz, and will get actual quiet round 5,500Hz, one thing you possibly can hear very clearly in case you take heed to a logarithmic frequency sweep tone. It then recovers previous that, after which will get fairly excessive, which then ends in the opposite half of the V-shaped response.
Beginning with the decrease mids, the AirPods Max 2 carry out fairly effectively. Most voices and devices on this area of the audible spectrum come throughout fairly effectively, and Apple’s choice to not overwhelm the listener with a number of high-bass power pays dividends right here. Nevertheless, as soon as we get into that upper-midrange/lower-treble transition part, the sound can get notably quiet. This ends in a fuzzier, murkier presentation at instances.
This isn’t all the time noticeable, and actually depends upon what you’re listening to. Some content material merely doesn’t have a number of data in that area, or it’s one thing that you just don’t have to focus a number of consideration on. However content material that does make the most of this area has components that sound unusually quiet, which simply makes you need to improve the amount to unsafe ranges.
Previous that time, the sound will get noticeably spicy. Apple has chosen to have the upper-treble area elevated to probably make up for the lower-treble, but additionally to maybe minor particulars within the sound that may enhance imaging and soundstaging efficiency. Sadly, it usually simply provides to sibilance and hiss within the music, and may make some tracks uncomfortably shrill at instances.
Frequency response apart, there’s not a lot else to speak in regards to the AirPods Max 2 sound. The element copy is common, and the imaging is unconvincing. The sound principally simply feels prefer it’s positioned inside the ear cups somewhat than being round you, until you’re particularly listening to Spatial Audio content material.
Just like the AirPods Professional 3, the AirPods Max 2 assist Adaptive Audio, which adjusts the audio to your particular match and ears. It displays the sound in real-time utilizing the interior microphones and may make up for any leaks that is likely to be current within the ear cups attributable to improper match or glasses. This ensures you’re all the time listening to the supposed sound from the headphones and reduces consistency points that usually plague headphones.
The AirPods Max 2 additionally assist Adaptive EQ, which robotically boosts sure frequencies at decrease volumes to compensate for the inconsistencies in our listening to at completely different quantity ranges. Issues like bass and treble don’t sound as loud as decrease volumes, even when they don’t change in relative amplitude, and to make up for that, these headphones can increase them. This additionally means in case you noticed some frequency response graph of those headphones (or the AirPods Professional 3, for that matter), then it’s not that related, as these are often accomplished at most quantity, and the sound might be fairly completely different at volumes folks usually pay attention at.
Getting again to the general impressions of the sound high quality, I do discover it to be good, all issues thought of. It’s definitely higher than what the usual has been for the class over the previous decade or so, as little as that bar is. Having stated that, Apple itself delivers higher audio high quality on the AirPods Professional 3, and this turns into yet one more factor that the smaller, cheaper earbuds do higher than this flagship mannequin.
Microphone
Very similar to the AirPods Professional 3, the AirPods Max 2 have a really spectacular microphone efficiency. Testing in a quiet atmosphere, the audio captured by way of the microphone is above and past what you will discover on another Bluetooth gadget, with sound rivaling that from wired microphones. That is the clearest solution to make voice calls exterior of utilizing devoted wired headsets.
When testing in a loud atmosphere, the AirPods Max 2 select to prioritize audio high quality over making the background noise quieter. You may nonetheless hear a few of the background noise, particularly when the particular person is talking, however the voice high quality itself stays superb. That is, as soon as once more, much like how the AirPods Professional 3 work.
Noise cancellation
The AirPods Max 2 get up to date lively noise cancellation over their predecessors due to the inclusion of the Apple H2 chip. Sadly, I should not have the H1 fashions available right here to check, so this must be an remoted evaluation.
The AirPods Max 2 have superb noise cancellation efficiency. Proper off the bat, the ear pad cushions take in a number of ambient noise, even earlier than the electronics kick in. This additionally means that you may simply maintain the ANC off and nonetheless get cheap isolation out of your environment. The ear pads additionally do not leak a lot sound, so nobody round you may be aware of what you are listening to.
The ANC does extremely effectively with family noises. Sounds from issues like followers, air conditioners, the TV taking part in in the lounge, and even doorbells are suppressed to such a level that you just genuinely don’t know what is going on on round you anymore. An identical factor can occur open air, with solely the loudest of sounds getting in, which makes them fairly harmful to stroll round in in case you aren’t actively paying consideration.
The general ANC efficiency of the AirPods Max 2 is much like that of the AirPods Professional 3. I discovered this to be shocking, as full-sized headphones often do higher, contemplating they will block your inside in addition to your total exterior ear, whereas in-ears can solely block your ear canal. It simply goes to indicate how effectively the ANC works on the AirPods Professional 3. I’ve come to have an unbelievable quantity of respect for these earbuds since I reviewed them final 12 months after a handful of lengthy worldwide flights due to simply how totally good their ANC is on planes. I’ve little doubt the AirPods Max 2 will carry out simply as effectively.
A remaining level concerning the ANC on the AirPods Max 2 is that it might get uncomfortable at instances, particularly if you end up utilizing it indoors in already quiet environments. This was noticeable on the AirPods Professional 3 as effectively to some extent, however it may be fairly oppressive on the AirPods Max 2. The stress of the ear cups mixed with the sturdy ANC impact can actually really feel like your eardrums are below fixed duress. This impact is decreased when you’ve gotten one thing taking part in, however the quiet moments in between might be fairly disconcerting. Apparently sufficient, the AirPods Max 2 readily show an choice to disable the ANC solely within the AirPods menu on the telephone, whereas on the AirPods Professional 3, the choice is hidden by default and must be enabled by way of a separate setting.
Lastly, there’s the transparency mode. I discovered this mode on the AirPods Max 2 to be not so good as on the AirPods Professional 3. The transparency mode on the AirPods Max 2 is so distinctive that there’s nearly no distinction between carrying and never carrying the earbuds. You may have just one earbud in your ear, and also you hear roughly the identical as together with your different totally open ear.
On the AirPods Max 2, the sound feels artificially boosted and considerably unnatural. There’s additionally extra buffeting noise on the AirPods Max 2 from the wind, even from indoor sources like followers and air conditioners, which was additionally not a lot of an issue on the AirPods Professional 3. The transparency mode on the AirPods Max 2 nonetheless will get the job accomplished, however I discovered myself solely turning it on in choose circumstances and never simply leaving it on, like on the AirPods Professional 3.
Just like the AirPods Professional 3, the AirPods Max 2 additionally get an Adaptive mode, which acts as a midway level between transparency and ANC modes, letting some ambient noise in whereas additionally blocking or turning down actually loud sounds. It really works very well right here as effectively, and possibly a greater different to the transparency mode in sure eventualities, resembling on planes the place chances are you’ll want to listen to what the pilot is mumbling on the intercom, however not a lot the engines.
Connectivity
Within the wi-fi mode, the AirPods Max 2 have distinctive connectivity efficiency. The connection was rock-solid throughout testing with nary a fault. One of many wonderful issues about AirPods can also be how effectively they handover between a number of Apple units, and the AirPods Max 2 would transition fantastically between my iPhone and Mac every time I began taking part in one thing on one or the opposite.
I additionally wished to check Apple’s a lot vaunted lossless wired mode. I am certain most individuals will not hassle utilizing it in any respect, however I wished to see if they need to.
Quick reply? No. The audio high quality doesn’t meaningfully get higher in any respect, which, as soon as once more, goes to indicate the most important high quality bottlenecks in Bluetooth merchandise are the drivers and audio processing, not the codecs. The latency could be higher, however not in a approach that issues, because the wi-fi latency is low sufficient on these headphones already, and nobody is basically planning on doing critical gaming with these.
I examined the wired mode with a Mac, an iPhone, just a few Android telephones, and Home windows PCs. The headphones clearly work the perfect with Macs and iPhones, however in addition they labored fairly effectively with Home windows PCs, whereby transferring the digital crown adjusted the amount on the PC, and you too can press the crown or take away the headphones to pause. The performance was the worst on Android, the place the digital crown quantity and the telephone’s quantity weren’t in sync, and eradicating the headphones additionally would not pause. There was additionally a persistent loud popping sound, regardless of testing with a number of telephones and cables.
The AirPods Max 2 present up as a 24-bit, 48kHz USB audio gadget on the related telephone or PC. That is the one bit-depth/sampling fee they will function at, with nothing increased or decrease being supported. This brings Apple’s claims of lossless audio below scrutiny, as a result of in case you present audio that’s completely different in bit-depth or sampling fee, the interior DAC on the headphones must do up- or down-sampling. At that time, we’re now not within the realm of losslessness, so you actually should not get a lot connected to that label.
By the way in which, the microphone does not work regardless of which platform you plug these headphones into, so you possibly can’t use them for voice calls or gaming with voice comms.
Battery life
The AirPods Max 2 have a rated battery lifetime of 20 hours, a somewhat low quantity for a full-sized pair of headphones, particularly when the competitors is doing at the very least 30 hours.
In my testing, the AirPods Max 2 performed for 21 hours and 36 minutes repeatedly with ANC on a full cost. That is a bit above the claimed determine, however not sufficient to meaningfully change something. That is nonetheless comparatively low for full-sized headphones, and through my use, I’d incessantly see the battery low notification.
Apple claims 1.5 hours of listening after a 5-minute cost. I did my ordinary 10-minute cost for consistency with different checks and acquired 3 hours and 25 minutes. This, to me, is an effective quantity, as you can be on an extended flight, run out of juice, plug it in for a bit, after which get sufficient energy to observe Oppenheimer in its entirety. You may then take a fast 10-minute break and get sufficient energy again to do it another time (hopefully with a unique film).
A lot has been stated in regards to the lack of an influence button on the AirPods Max 2. It does perplex me a bit as to why it merely doesn’t exist, and why the one solution to energy down these headphones is to place them contained in the Sensible Case. Nevertheless, simply to examine how a lot the battery drains when you do not put the headphones into the case, I left the headphones exterior in a single day, and after 8 hours, the headphones had misplaced 1% battery.
I discover that acceptable. If I had been planning on not utilizing them for longer, I’d merely put them contained in the case. Even when I did not, it does not seem to be they drain a lot energy exterior the case both, so this actually looks like a non-issue. After all, you possibly can merely neglect to place them contained in the case and are available again to them a month later and discover them useless. Some other pair of headphones would nonetheless have most of their cost remaining from while you final used them, so it isn’t like Apple’s method right here is solely flawless.
Conclusion
The AirPods Max is a perplexing product. Logically, it does not make a lot sense to purchase these headphones, even whereas buying inside Apple’s personal catalog. The AirPods Professional are higher in each significant approach, and you should purchase two pairs of these and nonetheless have money leftover for the worth of 1 pair of AirPods Max 2. These additionally get extra frequent updates from Apple, whereas the AirPods Max appear to have principally been back-burnered. Then there’re clearly competing merchandise from different producers, lots of that are additionally cheaper.
But, these headphones are all over the place. You may see them in espresso outlets, malls, resorts, airports, and even within the gyms. Folks clearly can’t get sufficient of them regardless of the excessive price ticket, and a few could even discover that as a part of the allure. It appears these headphones scratch a really particular itch, considered one of shopping for a full-sized pair of headphones from Apple, whatever the worth. No different product suits that invoice, so the AirPods Max win by default.
That is to not say they aren’t with out their deserves. The design and building are top-notch, the sound is sweet, the combination with Apple’s merchandise is second to none, and the noise cancellation on the most recent mannequin is excellent.
Nevertheless, six years on from the launch of the unique mannequin, the AirPods Max 2 do little or no to maneuver the needle ahead and enhance upon the issues of their predecessors, which embrace issues like the burden and luxury, sure reliability considerations, and the middling battery life.
Having stated all that, the one actual deal-breaker with the AirPods Max 2 is the worth. If that is probably not a priority for you, and if these headphones scratch that aforementioned itch, then you need to be completely proud of them.
Professionals
- Excellent design and premium building.
- Good sound high quality.
- Nice noise cancellation.
- Wonderful microphone high quality.
- Digital Crown is a pleasure to make use of in comparison with buttons or gestures.
- Impeccable synergy with different Apple merchandise.
- Ear pads are tremendous simple to take away, clear, or change.
Cons
- Overbearing weight.
- Restrictive headband adjustability.
- No system-wide EQ assist.
- Mediocre battery life.
- Couple of reliability points carried over from earlier fashions.
