AirPods Max 2 finally got an actual update. They're still excellent, but the added features aren't really anything new.
Apple half-heartedly updated the AirPods Max in September of 2024. It was such a meager update that it removed a prior feature — wired lossless — and didn't get a new name.
Thankfully, Apple at least brought back wired lossless audio via a software update. That update delivered nothing else, and was months later just to restore a feature that the Lightning version had.
It's now been more than five years since the original launch. Apple has finally released a follow-up. Like other recent Apple updates, the changes that arrive with the AirPods Max 2 aren't exactly exciting.
Let's take them for a spin.
AirPods Max 2 review: What's old is new again
After all this time, you'd think that Apple would make some physical changes to AirPods Max 2. That's far from the case, as the new cans are physically identical to the old ones.
If you have a USB-C accessory, it still works perfectly. The same goes for other accessories that rely on magnet placement to sleep the headphones. Identical.
They lack even a refresh in colorways. They come in the same four as before: blue, purple, Midnight, Starlight, and orange.
AirPods Max 2 review: I like the orange, but I wish the aluminum was more vibrant
I prefer some color, so I opted for the orange. The colors remind me of the iMac, where they end up being much more muted in person than you'd expect after reviewing advertising materials.
The AirPods Max 2 have a bright case, but the metal body, top canopy, and ear cups are all light and more peach-colored. No iMac-like contrast here.
If you've read the AppleInsider review of the USB-C version from 2024, this is going to sound familiar, but I do want to go into detail on how sleek this hardware is. It may not be entirely new, but it's still very nice.
AirPods Max 2 review: The canopy has silicone-covered metal sides and a mesh middle
I'm tired of the number of over-ear headphones that I've used that are nothing but plastic. Even high-end ones are almost all plastic, which gives me concern about durability over extended use.
AirPods Max 2 are metal. With copious use, the metal may see dings or scuffs. To me, that just means it looks like an earned, well-loved patina.
AirPods Max 2 review: The ear cups are replaceable and have "L" and "R" woven into them
The only concern would be the ear cups and mesh canopy, since they're most susceptible to damage being fabric. Fortunately, the former are swappable and replaceable via Apple.
Being mesh, there's an opportunity for the canopy to be snagged or torn. The metal arms of the canopy won't change, though, and if you're particularly worried, there are silicone covers you could buy to cover it.
I may be too nervous though, as I can attest that after 5 years, my original AirPods Max have not been damaged at all. They still look great and the canopy is intact after travel and being haphazardly tossed in my bag.
AirPods Max 2 review: The right cup has the Digital Crown and the listening mode button
The left cup is primarily bare, other than a few mic ports and air vents. The right cup has the USB-C port on the bottom and two buttons on the top.
One of those buttons is the Digital Crown, which houses multiple functions such as rotating for the volume, pressing to control playback, and holding to manually summon Siri. The second button Apple calls the "listening mode button" and is used to cycle between noise cancelling, transparency mode, or neither.
AirPods Max 2
I love the contrast in the materials, from the metallic matte finish of the aluminum, the polished steel, and the soft-touch silicone-covered arms. It all marries great together in what I feel is one of the best-looking sets of headphones out there.
AirPods Max 2 review: The AirPods Max 2 case hasn't changed
Despite a lot of criticism, Apple chose not to update the carrying case for AirPods Max 2. It's still the origami-like folded piece of material with internal magnets that put the headphones into sleep mode.
I like the magnetic functionality of it, but the coverage could be better. It's minimalist and I think could easily be improved.
It's yet another sign that Apple went out of its way to not update the design in any way this time around.
AirPods Max 2 review: Battery and charging
AirPods Max 2 charge up via a sole USB-C port. Plug it in with the included cable to charge, but remember it is BYOC — bring your own charger.
Apple says that you can expect 20 hours of use on a single charge. That 20-hour figure is also when ANC is enabled too, so you may get more if the ANC is disabled.
AirPods Max 2 review: Battery life is rated for 20 hours with ANC
I've found the original AirPods Max got a bit less than this advertised figure. In my testing so far, I think the new AirPods Max 2 may be slightly better and a bit closer to that number.
It could be due to the H2 chip, or because I'm testing mostly in my studio and home with minimal background noise. If the ANC has to work harder like on long flights, I'd bet that the battery life will dip a bit.
We haven't had a chance to test them on a flight yet. I'll update here when we do.
AirPods Max 2 review: Fit and comfort have their moments
There's been a lot of user feedback around the AirPods Max. I was surprised to see Apple opt for keeping the design the same.
So, other than that case, common complaints are still weight, followed by the lack of extended-use comfort for some.
I'm lucky enough that I've always found them to be very comfortable. I'll wear them on cross-country flights and around the house without thinking twice.
AirPods Max 2 review: The new headphones sitting on a stand
AirPods Max 2 aren't light, tipping the scales at 13.6 ounces. That's significantly more than the popular industry-leading second-generation Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones that are closer to 9 ounces. Those four ounces plus make a difference when they're on your head for a while.
The worst I can say about their comfort is that they can get warm. I was actively working around the house while listening to music and taking a few phone calls, and after an hour or so, my ears were sweating a little.
There have been issues reported from users of the Lightning model, talking about sweat and condensation from folks working out killing the headset. I can't speak to that yet.
What I will say, is consider your tools. Apple's Beats product line or AirPods are better if you want something more sweat-resistant.
AirPods Max 2 review: Updated internals make all the difference
Apple swapped out that original H1 wireless headphone chip and put in its current H2 chip. This is the meat of the 2026 AirPods Max 2 update.
The H2 chip itself isn't new. The first was baked into the AirPods Pro 2 in 2022 and has been in use ever since.
AirPods Max 2 review: Move between audio modes in Control Center
Apple says that the H2 chip powers better audio processing, performance improvements, and a bunch more. We believe them, but in a side-by-side listen, it was hard to pick out playback differences.
It may just be that Apple finally stopped producing the H1 chip, so it updated the AirPods Max 2 with little-to-no other changes except the silicon bump.
Regardless of why Apple made the change, it's welcome. It was ridiculous that AirPods 4, AirPods Pro 2, and AirPods Pro 3 all had features not found in Apple's most expensive headphones.
Some of the new H2-powered features include:
- Adaptive Audio: AirPods Max 2 will automatically adjust the ANC and Transparency modes based on the environment
- Live Translation: This iOS 26 Apple Intelligence feature will translate someone speaking a different language while talking in person.
- Conversation Awareness: Automatically ducks audio when someone starts speaking.
- Camera remote: When you open the Camera app, you can control the shutter by pressing the Digital Crown.
- Studio quality recordings: Record audio with onboard mics with higher-quality sound.
- Hearing health features: Automatically reduce loud sounds in your surroundings.
- Personalized Volume: Adjust the volume based on intelligently learned user preferences.
- Gestures: Control Siri by nodding or shaking your head to respond with the affirmative or negative.
This is an impressive new list of features to bring to these headphones, but it's also nothing new. Every one of these features is available on AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3, and some of them are on the AirPods 4.
There are technically two of these H2 chips, one found in each ear cup.
AirPods Max 2 review: Mic quality
In total, AirPods Max 2 have nine microphones spread across both ear cups. The nine are used for noise cancellation modes as well as picking up your voice during calls and during recordings.
AirPods Max 2 can take advantage of Voice Isolation, a feature that shipped with iOS 26. You can enable it in Control Center manually to help cut out background noise, but it also turns on automatically when needed.
AirPods Max 2 review: I took these to a crowded restaurant to record audio samples and Voice Isolation works great
For the review, I went to a busy restaurant and recorded three audio tracks. First, using the original AirPods Max, then with the AirPods Max 2, and then with the AirPods Max 2 and Voice Isolation enabled.
The new model sounds significantly better. It still was able to pick up my voice quite well in such a loud environment, but Voice Isolation helped even more.
I did notice some clipping as it worked to cut out the sheer amount of talking and other noises going on, but considering how loud and varied the sounds were, I was impressed.
With the improvements to recording, I think musicians will get benefits out of these more than I do. They could record a few riffs on their guitar directly into the Voice Memos apps and have it sound great.
During my testing, I took several phone calls too, and the person on the other end of the call reported each time it was clear and easy to understand. It sounded good, even when I was outside and it was windy.
AirPods Max 2 review: Sound quality
Aside from the H2, there was one other change Apple made to the AirPods Max 2. It now has new high dynamic range amplifiers pushing the sound.
They're the same size as before, but more powerful. It can deliver more sound at a higher volume with lower distortion than before.
These new drivers, combined with features like Adaptive EQ and the H2's superior audio processing, yield better sound than before. But like I said, it's not a night and day difference.
AirPods Max 2 review: They're a bit heavy, but I find them comfy and sound great
Going between the two sets of headphones, I only noticed the difference when I was listening to music with a lot of bass, at a high volume, and the ANC going. In that scenario, the audio was cleaner than it was before and there was more precision to the bass.
Otherwise, sitting around the house listening, it sounded very, very similar to my AirPods Max. I think it was a case of Apple dialing in the fringe scenarios and rectifying some of the weaknesses in that original set.
The active noise cancellation is very good with these, with Apple saying up to 1.5X as powerful. I didn't have any flights in the past couple of weeks, so I simulated a loud environment with a stereo pair of HomePods at a high volume.
Nearly all noise was cancelled out, and only the faintest hum was perceptible. I also found them to be better at ANC than AirPods Pro 3, which were also very good.
Another nice thing is that because the ANC was so good, I could listen to audio at lower volumes. I didn't need to crank it up to aid in masking the outside noise, and audiobooks and podcasts both were great to listen to.
My favorite improvement was to Transparency mode. As I walked around the house, I could easily carry on a conversation and the sounds around me all sounded very natural.
Before, there were times that the environmental volume would be off and I'd always be reminded I had a set of headphones covering my ears. But in my testing, I'd go about a conversation and forget that my AirPods Max 2 were on.
AirPods Max 2 review: Yet another iterative update
It's hard to say with my whole heart that you should go out and buy AirPods Max 2, and you probably shouldn't if you have an earlier generation. There are a lot of excellent headphones out there — Master & Dynamic, Bose, and Sony all make quite the exceptional headphones that are largely priced less than AirPods Max.
That's never been the whole story, though. AirPods Max 2, like a lot of Apple products, aren't just good at what they do, but they're also status symbols like the white cable in the old iPod commercials.
AirPods Max 2 review: The AirPods Max 2 are still expensive, but at least they're modern
I can't walk down the streets of New York without seeing person after person wearing the last-generation model. They stand out and are decidedly Apple's iconic style.
Some people may buy a set of headphones purely for the audio quality and consider nothing else. Others, when shopping, may just go for what looks cool.
I think Apple is right in the middle with fantastic audio quality, stylish looks, and then it caps it off with a suite of slick software features that are hard to beat. For an Apple user, there is still no better choice, feature-wise, than a set of Apple headphones.
It's a compelling case for AirPods Max 2 if you're willing to spend that much. Not so compelling as to necessitate a replacement versus an existing AirPods Max, though.
As long as you find the headphones comfortable and the price tag palatable, AirPods Max 2 are a superb set of headphones. If, however, they're too heavy or too expensive, there are many alternatives to choose from that will suit you better.
AirPods Max 2 review: Pros
- New H2 chip delivers a ton of new software features
- Solid 20-hour battery life
- USB-C for charging and lossless audio
- ANC is some of the best in its class
- Onboard microphones deliver great call and recording quality
- Tight integration into the entire Apple ecosystem
AirPods Max 2 review: Cons
- Same origami-like case with little protection
- No updated colors
- No reduction in weight or updates to the design
- No new features that weren't on AirPods Pro first
- Still very expensive
AirPods Max 2 rating: 4 out of 5
Where to buy AirPods Max 2
AirPods Max 2 are on sale now, with Walmart and Amazon discounting the headphones in Midnight by $20.
Today's best AirPods Max 2 deals
- AirPods Max 2 in Midnight: $529 ($20 off) at Walmart and at Amazon
Easily compare AirPods Max 2 prices and shop the best deals on the AirPods range as they become available in our dedicated coverage.
