AirPods Max 2 review: Is Apple's latest headphone worth the money?

Unlike iPhones, which get an update every year, AirPods are slow to roll out. Apple waited five years between the AirPods Pro 2 and Pro 3 earbuds , and the AirPods Max headphone just got its first update since December, 2020. (OK, technically, Apple ditched the Lightning port for USB-C in 2024, but that was it.)

So here I am wearing the AirPods Max 2, which, save for some new color options, is physically identical to its predecessor. Every change is internal: updated chip, newer software, etc., all promising more features, better sound, an ANC boost ... can I get a yada-yada-yada ?

Of greater interest, to me, at least: Did Apple address any of the Max's usability issues? Did the price come down at all? (These are expensive even by premium-headphone standards.) And are any of those internal improvements enough to justify upgrading? Here's my Apple AirPods Max 2 review.

For the uninitiated, the AirPods Max 2 are premium noise-cancelling headphones designed primarily with Apple users in mind. You can pair them with Android phones, but you'll lose out on features like auto-pause and spatial audio. My two cents: Android users should check out our roundup of the best headphones you can buy right now , which has plenty of better options.

Beyond that, I'm going to take the same approach here that I did with the AirPods Pro 3 : The AirPods Max have been around long enough that you probably know their "deal," so let's focus on what's new, what's good and what could be better.

What's new in the AirPods Max 2

As noted above, most of the big changes in AirPods Max 2 are on the inside. To me they add up to something more akin to Max 1.5 — or maybe even Max 1.2 — but you can judge for yourself:

Colors

The only real cosmetic change here is color. Apple offers five lovely metallic hues: blue, orange, purple, starlight (i.e., gold) and midnight (black). Gone are the silver, green, gray and pink from the original lineup. A better assortment overall? I think so, but of course this boils down to personal preference.

H2 chip

It's weird to talk about the chip that powers a headphone — these aren't computers, after all — but Apple's H2 is what endows the AirPods Max 2 with new features. Or, at least, features that were already available in AirPods 4, AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3 (all of which have the same chip).

Those include:

• Adaptive audio:The headphones automatically switch between ANC (active noise-cancelling) and transparency modes depending on your environment.

• Conversation awareness:If you start talking, the headphones automatically lower audio volume so you can hear yourself speak. OK, but what if you like to sing along to the music? On many occasions, the Max 2 seemed to know the difference: The volume didn't decrease when I sang, but did when I spoke. (Unfortunately, this wasn't the case every time. I'm not sure why.)

• Voice isolation:When you're on a call, the headphones "isolate and enhance" your voice, reducing background noise (think: wind or busy city street) so the person you're talking to can hear you clearly.

• Head gestures: When a call, message or notification comes in via your phone and Siri alerts you via the headphones, you can now nod your head to accept or shake it to decline.

Again, these aren't new features; they're simply new to AirPods Max. And all very welcome, no question.

Live translation

Although this is also an H2-powered addition not a Max 2-exclusive, I'm mentioning it separately to better explain the feature: While wearing the headphones, you can get live translations of French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Korean and other languages, with more to come.

However, it's really your iPhone that's doing the heavy lifting here, processing the translations via Apple Intelligence (meaning you need a model that supports that capability). And you need to make sure to have the Translate app installed and the language(s) you want downloaded. The headphones are really just a conduit, feeding foreign-language words through their microphones and playing the responses through the speakers.

You can accomplish exactly the same thing using just your phone; thus, I feel its a bit disingenuous to call this out as an AirPods Max feature. A more accurate description might be "private" or "hands-free" live translation.

Improved active noise-cancelling

Apple says the AirPods Max 2 deliver "up to 1.5X more active noise-cancellation" than before, which sounds great on paper but is difficult to measure in real life. Not for lack of trying, though: I parked myself next to a noisy HVAC unit and then sat in a crowded cafe, switching back and forth between the original AirPods Max and the Max 2.

Verdict: Yes, I could detect slightly better ANC with the latter. Was it 50% better? Hard to say, but it's worth noting I didn't get to chance to try the headphones on an airplane or other mass-transit system where ANC often does its best work. I'll update the review after my text trip on a plane, train or bus.

For the record, I'd rate the AirPods Max 2's ANC as very good overall — not as that of AirPods Pro 3, but certainly rivaling the premium competitors from Bose and Sony.

Everything else

Also new to AirPods Max 2: a camera-remote function (press and hold the crown), miscellaneous improvements to audio recording, reduced audio latency in gaming and ultra-low latency audio via USB-C. (You can also listen to any old-fashioned audio source with a good old-fashioned headphone jack, but you'll need a $39 cable . Yikes.) These all fall under "nice to have," but for most users they're not must -haves.

What hasn't changed

Many aspects of the AirPods Max haven't changed at all. That's good in some cases and not-so-good in others. Mostly I wish Apple had addressed certain usability deficits — but thankfully they're mostly pretty minor. Here's a rundown:

Sound quality

Apple points to features like a new "high dynamic range amplifier" and "next generation Adaptive EQ algorithm" as evidence of the Max 2's improved sound. My hot take: The original Max already sounded great; so does the Max 2. My ear wasn't finely tuned enough to detect any difference here. But there's no debating the premium sound coming out of these 40mm drivers: Everything I listened to sounded exquisite.

Unfortunately, there's still no equalizer option for those who like to tinker the highs, lows and everything in between.

However, like the AirPods Pro, the AirPods Max is virtually unrivaled when it comes to one of my favorite features: spatial audio. It includes head-tracking, which simulates keeping the audio "fixed" to your phone — amazing when you're watching movies or playing games.

Controls

The AirPods Max 2 has just two physical controls, both easy to locate by touch: a large button that toggles between listening modes (ANC and transparency, for example) and a "digital crown" that'll be familiar to anyone who owns an Apple Watch.

The latter is used to control volume (turn it forward or backward), playback (press to pause, double-press to skip tracks, etc.) and answer calls. I love how precise it is for raising and lowering volume — much better than fumbling with tiny up/down buttons or swiping touch controls.

Battery

The AirPods Max 2 continue to rank at the bottom of the pack for battery life: Apple still promises around 20 hours on a charge, which represents zero improvement over the 1st-gen Max. Competing headphones from Sonos and Sony are good for around 30 hours, while those from Bose, Soundcore and others can play for 45 to 55 hours or even more.

Charging LED

This annoys me no end: When you plug in the headphones, a little LED lights up amber, then goes dark. And that's the end of the LED's contribution to charging information. Is the Max 2 still actively drawing power? All done? You have to press a button to find out. Or venture into settings on your iPhone or iPad.

Apple did make one small improvement: Your device can now notify you when the Max's battery drops below 15% — and when charging is complete. Seriously, though, why can't this LED work the same as every other LED on every other device? Amber = charging. Green = charged. Done. Sheesh, I have to do everything around here.

'Smart' case

Apple made no changes to the design of its controversial, purse-like case — which is unfortunate (and not because I'm a man and have a problem carrying a purse, though if I'm being honest that's part of it). For starters, it offers no protection for the headband or outer edges of the earcups. If the Max 2 rides around in a real purse, backpack or the like, it's likely to get dirty and/or scuffed.

Even worse, unless you return the headphones to the case every time you take them off, the battery will continue to drain. Not by a ton, but enough that you'll end up needing to charge more often. I find it odd that you can't just turn the Max 2 off like you can every other headphone.

To be fair, it's convenient skipping the step of manually powering on and off, but I find it irksome having to rely on a case that I don't like using and doesn't even provide good protection.

Fit and weight

I love this headphone's extra-wide headband, a soft, stretchy mesh that feels better atop my noggin than just about any other. However, as before, the AirPods Max seems oddly weighted, like it'll topple off if I tilt my head forward or back too far. They're plenty tight (maybe even a bit too much), but there's also some slippage where the earcups meet my head.

So much about fit is personal preference. If you can, visit an Apple Store for an AirPods Max 2 demo and try to keep them on for at least 10 minutes.

Price

This is where things get rough. The AirPods Max 2 list for $549, same as the original Max. In comparison:

• Sonos Ace (our current pick for best noise-cancelling headphone ): $399

• Sony WH-1000XM6 : $429

• Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd-gen): $449

Yes, we'll likely see frequent discounts on the Max 2, which was the case with its predecessor. But those competitors routinely go on sale as well.

Ironically, AirPods Pro 3 earbuds are actually cheaper than their Bose and Sony counterparts; I'm not sure why Apple continues to hug the high side of headphone pricing. Nevertheless, it remains a sticking point. These are extremely expensive headphones in time when few buyers can afford to splurge.

Should you buy the AirPods Max 2?

Had Apple spent some time addressing the minor design shortfalls of the first-gen Max — the weird case, the mediocre battery life, the weight and fit — it would be easier to get at least somewhat excited about the AirPods Max 2. But with little more than a spec bump, it's increasingly difficult to recommend a $549 product when there are so many alternatives priced so much lower. (To put it another way: AirPods Max 2, in this economy?)

If you want, for example, a good home-theater companion that also rocks at spatial audio, the Sonos Ace would save you $149. If you just want headphones that sound good and do a decent job with noise-cancelling (and work with Android devices), look no further than the Soundcore Space One: They're a mere $100 .

On the flipside, Apple fans know the score: premium products, premium prices. If you love this gear and don't mind paying a hefty sum for it, I have no doubt you'll love the AirPods Max 2. But if you're a satisfied first-gen Max owner, there's no upgrade urgency here.