In terms of pricing, the original AirPods Max remained stubbornly high even years after their debut, which made them hard to recommend over the Bose QC Ultra or Sony’s XM series headphones unless you were an Apple die-hard. The AirPods Max 2, however, have been out for just over a month, and we’re already seeing a $40 discount at Amazon and Best Buy, bringing the price down to $509 across all five colors.
Unlike the refreshed AirPods Max Apple put out in 2024, the Max 2 are a true sequel. The company’s latest pair of over-ear headphones still feature the same 40-millimeter drivers as the original, but they’re now paired with a new high dynamic range amplifier, allowing for better bass response and terrific sound across the board. They also support lossless audio at 24-bit / 48kHz via USB-C and, construction-wise, continue to sport the same combo of aluminum, stainless steel, and knit mesh fabric. They’re still heavy at 385 grams, but they feel premium, which isn’t always the case, even with high-end headphones.
I’d argue the real upgrade to the AirPods Max 2, though, comes in the form of Apple’s H2 chip. It’s older, having made its debut in the second-gen AirPods Pro in 2022, but it adds a lot of functionality that wasn’t available on the first-gen Max. The latest Max 2 support adaptive audio, conversation awareness, personalized volume, voice isolation, and live translation, along with automatic device switching, spatial audio, and all the ecosystem tricks you’ve come to expect with owning a pair of Apple headphones. Plus, their active noise cancellation is a step up from that of the last-gen model, ensuring you can always drown out the outside world while listening to your favorite tracks.