Apple has added a surprise coda to its recent round of product releases: An upgrade to its premium headphones.
The AirPods Max were first released in 2020 and got a minor refresh in 2024 that swapped the Lightning connector for USB-C.
The AirPods Max 2, announced overnight, continue the samedesign and anodised aluminium finish but get a major feature overhaul, including what Apple bills as “up to 1.5x” better active noise cancellation.
The Max 2 also gets the live translation feature already available for the AirPods Pro 2, which uses Apple Intelligence to translate live two-way conversations to or from English, Chinese, French, German and Spanish (as with rival live-translation services, there’s a slight delay, but results were perfectly serviceable when tested by the Herald with the AirPods Pro 3).
The new smarts come courtesy of the Max 2’s new H2 chip, which is also behind better transparency, voice isolation and conversation modes, plus “studio quality” recording from the Max 2’s built-in mics.
The H2 chip also supports Siri interactions, allowing you to respond to a request with a nod or shake of your head.
Other upgrades include better power efficiency, better spatial audio, a new amplifier that promises cleaner audio and 24-bit lossless audio support (at least when wired via USB-C).
One thing that’s no surprise: The AirPods Max remain a premium-price product, with the second generation selling for $1149 (the same price as the previous model).
Apple‘s first-generation AirPods Max already lead the pack for frequent flyers, according to the New York Times’ Wirecutter, which said: “If you’re willing to pay more for the absolute best active noise cancellation and a more-luxurious design, the Apple AirPods Max over-ear headphones sound great and reduce the most noise in the airplane band of any set we’ve tested.”
That was my experience, too, pitting the AirPods Max gen 1 against Sony’s WH-1000XM6 on a plane, though the M6’s ANC is close.
Chris Keall is an Auckland-based member of the Herald’s business team. He joined the Herald in 2018 and is the technology editor and a senior business writer.
