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AirPods Max 2 Could Miss Out on Adaptive Audio Features

G5isAlive said:
I have had mine since release, so a bit more than 3 years, and yes my headband mesh has gotten noticeably softer. I dont do anything strange to it but do travel a lot with them. Shrugs. Doesn't matter to me, I didn't notice any discomfort and had to physically check the first time I heard about the issue. To me its real, but without consequence so it wont stop me from upgrading. Congrats on yours doing better.
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My headband (white - should have gotten a different color) got yellowed pretty quickly despite having a silicon guard that sits between your head and the band, so only the top is exposed. The earcups get relatively dirty too. I would clean them frequently and that improves the look, but they never look like new, and they age fast. My headband is a little looser too. Its not an uncommon issue (just look at all the articles/videos with suggestions on the web). That said, they still function perfectly, are comfortable, and its just cosmetic.

I think next time I'll go for the darker color to hide grime and normal wear better. The non-cloth components look as good as day one for me. I just have a hard time replacing parts on a $500 set of headphones unless it results in listening quality improvements, and a yellowed headband or some slightly-stained earcups won't cause me to spend more.
 
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nortonandreev said:
I love my AirPods Max but it’s ridiculous how outdated they are and that a new version is not coming anytime soon…
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They are terribly outdated yes. And there should be no reason they cost as much as they do.
They should have come down at least $100.00

I won’t buy these specifically because I have no idea when the next version will come out
 
mrfunnypenguin said:
They are not worth $500 if they don't have an aux port so you can play lossless on them
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You should be able to play lossless over USB-C so long as the on board DAC supports 24 bit 48kHz.

Hi-Res lossless is a bit trickier. Recent MacBooks support up to 96kHz but many wireless headphones use an analog to digital converter that cuts it off at 48kHz
 
Harmonious Zen said:
I've had mine for almost two years and there are zero issues with my headband. You must be doing something to them.

APM are the best headphones I've ever had, and I've had a lot. The weight is not a problem for me at all and the sound quality is superb. I really don't care much about Adaptive Audio, nor I'd wager does the average person. I DO care about USB-C though.
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I'd love a version of the APM that collapses so that's it more compact and easier to carry around.
 
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VisceralRealist said:
I have three pairs of high-end wired headphone, two of which are closed-back and offer some passive noise cancellation, but I won't act like it's anything compared to ANC. For me what AirPods Max lack is lossless playback and an ability to be used passively as a wired headphone. If they added these features, I'd get one now. But it sounds like we'll get a four-year update that consists of nothing but a port change. Very disappointing...
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USB-C will allow for wired lossless playback. The $29 EarPods gained lossless playback for the USB-C version. And they actually sound pretty damn good for the price.
 
Seems like the only change will be a new port and some new colour options.
 
I find adaptive audio more frustrating than useful, perhaps because I live in a large city, but I’d be extremely disappointed not to see all the other benefits of (at least) the H2. I’ve disagreed with Apple before, but this would be the first time I wouldn’t even be able to comprehend them.
 
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spcopsmac21 said:
They are terribly outdated yes. And there should be no reason they cost as much as they do.
They should have come down at least $100.00

I won’t buy these specifically because I have no idea when the next version will come out
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They've been marked off $100 dollars or a bit more quite frequently, but I agree, retail price is too high, especially after having been out a few years.

I'd certainly wait for a new version if I didn't already own a pair. Then you can decide whether to pay for the new ones, or if you just want to spring for the old pair at a discount, which are pretty capable and I'm guessing will be supported for at least the foreseeable future.
 
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I don’t see anyway this can be true. I was thinking about getting the a pair of them after the next update, but no way if they don’t update them lol….id love to be able to listen to full lossless audio on them. I guess I still have my Sennheisers, but would need to buy a C>aux adapter. Your most expensive best headphones won’t have main features that earbuds have that cost half as much that they got a year ago?!?

Either the Max don’t need these features since they are full cans (doubt it) or they are sunsetting the Max line and that’s a extremely easy and cheap “update” to have C across the line.

Just doesn’t make any sense.
 
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That would be disappointing.

USB C is a given - it should have been used on the first release, but now they've finally migrated the iPhone off the obsolete Lightning port as well.

Not updating it with the latest chips would be disappointing, especially in what is their highest-end offering.

What I would like:

1) Weatherproofing. It could start raining while you're out wearing your headset, that shouldn't have a destructive potential.
2) Lossless sound - it's a marquee feature of Apple Music, and your best headset isn't good enough to use it. Fix that.
3) Support sound via a USB C cable, not just bluetooth. Would be great on e.g. planes for the on-board entertainment. Could also help with 1).
4) Better noise cancellation. The competition has improved, so should Apple.
5) Better case
6) Off button. The "we'll handle everything via autodetect" has issues, an on/off button is an easy way to fix that. The current way too often results in a need to re-pair with e.g. the office PC.

If I'm dreaming, multiple, simultaneous connections would be great - so it could stay connected to the Windows PC while I listen to music from my iPhone, to give one example. Having to re-connect manually whenever someone wants to talk on Teams is annoying.
 
gusping said:
Trounced by the Sony XM5s and Bose QC Ultras before they even launch. Embarrassing. Don’t even get me started on the battery life, or lack of.
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One thing that AirPods Max has over those and any other ones I have found are the ear cushion material. I can’t use leather. It irritates my ears after about 10 minutes of use. I love the AirPods Max cushions.
 
gusping said:
Trounced by the Sony XM5s and Bose QC Ultras before they even launch. Embarrassing. Don’t even get me started on the battery life, or lack of.
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I’ve used XM5’s every day since I bought them on release date almost 3 years ago. Amazing sound & NC, aux port, fit is amazing; no HIV (Head-In-Vise).

I like the look of APMax but they’re reportedly heavy and, allegedly, the aluminum causes moisture buildup (i.e. AppleCare is mandatory lest they break on month 13)
 
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Jdhommert said:
I don’t see anyway this can be true. I was thinking about getting the a pair of them after the next update, but no way if they don’t update them lol….id love to be able to listen to full lossless audio on them. I guess I still have my Sennheisers, but would need to buy a C>aux adapter. Your most expensive best headphones won’t have main features that earbuds have that cost half as much that they got a year ago?!?

Either the Max don’t need these features since they are full cans (doubt it) or they are sunsetting the Max line and that’s a extremely easy and cheap “update” to have C across the line.

Just doesn’t make any sense.
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Ultra line incoming.
Air pods ULTRA 🤣🤣🤣🤣
 
Maybe it's because I have APP2 as well... but in the APM, I don't miss those features. Probably because I don't use the adaptive audio features on the APP2 either. I've given it a fair shake, but when it comes to listening, I want to decide when to tune in and tune out of what I'm listening to. Sometimes the adaptive audio features activate at an inopportune time, and I just found it annoying more than useful. To each their own though.
 
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