I just bought a pair of AirPod Max 2.
Since I started listening to music again a month or two back after a decade long break, I been using a pair of Sony WH-1000XM4 that I've owned for years and rarely used. On the Sony app I have the equaliser on an upward slant with bass reduced by two thirds...
My new AirPods Max 2 aren't entering low-power mode in the Smart Case. They stay connected, show up as an audio output (can be selected and routed, can even play audio), and keep draining the battery.
I even set up a Shortcuts automation to test it, and it constantly triggers a Bluetooth...