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AirPods Max 2: Everything We Know About Features and Launch Date [Updated]

Apple needs to get either their own ALAC, or aptX Lossless codec into their premier headphones. They also need to pay attention to low and low-mid bass, as it's currently lacking. The next pair should also have a physical on/off switch, which is severely lacking. Lastly, they need a much better EQ functionality in the next release.

I have 20 years of high end wired Grado, Denon, Sennheiser, Bose, Sony and Apple headphones and various DACs & amps; I have a decent idea of what reference sound is, what the Harman curve sounds like, and which headphones depart from that curve in a good/bad way. The current Airpod Max are very good all around, but not at the top in terms of wireless sound quality. The Maxes do excel in noice cancelling, spatial audio and other features, but for $550 the audio falls a bit short in key areas.

I ended up returning my pair of Airpods Max and opting for Sennheiser Momentum 4, as they're one of the best sounding wireless cans on the market right now given current Bluetooth/battery capabilities.
 
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Ctrlos said:
A bloody off switch so the battery doesn't drain so much when they're not in use
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Is this a problem you regularly experience? I've had a pair since launch, used them every day and have nothing but praise for the battery life. I've not once thought "I wish I could turn these off".
 
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Is it really necessary?.
They sound very good.
Wired support for hires would be nice.
 
Unless there is at least $300 cheaper than the first edition (and there's no chance of that) I'm going to pass again. I bought a pair of Bose over ear for just under $400 and couldn't justify the $779 they cost in Canada.
 
I am using mine right now and remebered: WHY the music sometimes has glitches???? (I use Spotify and 4G all day in the same seat in the office).
Can’t that be fixed????. With wired headphones never had this issue in my Sony Walkman in the 90s :)
Basic use case can’t be sorted out by “modern” tech and here we are thinking on paying again for Version 2.
 
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AirPods Max 2 will at least switch to USB Type C connectivity for charging and wired playback and switch to the H2 wireless chip. Will it also get the U1 chip so it connects to the iPhone using UWB for true Apple Lossless playback?
 
rorschach said:
Gonna be honest, I think the AirPods Max won’t get updated and will eventually be quietly discontinued like the HomePod or the iMac Pro. Both of those axed without even a press release; the HomePod through a statement to TechCrunch when they asked about it, and the iMac Pro with a little “while supplies last” notice on its store page.

I don’t know what the sales are like, but I’m betting they aren’t great. I suspect we’ll wake up one day and find they’re done.
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I hope not. I can’t use earbuds and the Max are the best headphones I have ever used. And it has a significant advantage over the HomePod - Bluetooth support. I can use my Max with Windows and even my PS5.
 
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At first, I found my APMs to be very uncomfortable to wear. Then I hit upon the idea of wearing a skull cap under them. A game changer for me. Can easily wear them for hours now.

Apple Skull Cap - $199.
 
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senttoschool said:
This is what people don't understand. These headphones are worth $530 MSRP. But you can easily find them used for 40% off.

Well worth it. Period.
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I paid full-ass price the minute they came out. I've probably used them a couple thousand hours at this point and they're a pleasure every single time. I use them for music, phone calls, Apple TV, and lately a ton of work zoom meetings -- and they make plane trips absolutely serene. The sound isolation is great, but so is the transparency mode, so I can just flip back and forth throughout the day depending on the circumstances. I forgot about the $550 many months ago, believe me.

As for the lightning port, I'm already using Lightning to charge my iPhone, Magic Keyboard, Apple TV remote, etc. I get that new Apple products should have USB-C -- but in practice it's gonna be a while before all this stuff gets cycled out.

Unpopular opinion, but I actually like the weird case. It's much more compact in a bag than a fully enclosed case, and it protects them as much as is actually needed. I'm packing them next to a couple books or a sweater or something, not a bunch of rocks and sandpaper.
 
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steve09090 said:
Would battery then be an issue? Maybe the ability to use a cable.
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We literally go through this debate every single time AirPods Max are mentioned.
They do have a cable, and it allows you to play up to 24 bit 48 kHz files with almost no loss.
Only loss is because of the digital to analog to digital conversion, but you’re still hearing a 24-bit 48 kHz file, which is defined by Apple as “lossless”.
They’re just not going to tell you that because the conversion technically does cause some loss, but it shouldn’t matter.
It’s 24/48, and anyone saying the AirPods Max don’t have the ability to play back 24/48 files is just spreading misinformation to have something to yell at Apple about.
 
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The Aipods Max 2 will look like a smaller pair of HomePod Minis which cover the ears. Artificial fur snap-ons will add insulation in cold weather. New MagSafe battery rings inside the cups will be hot-swappable, and provide enough power for AirPlay 3 over WiFi 7, enabling lossless playback.
 
jadot said:
More than that, the suggestion of getting the (any?) girl 'tipsy' so he can get her to agree to doing something that she might not want to really do with him, is pretty creepy.
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That’s a good point. I missed that somehow.
 
doolar said:
I love my Max’s, and one of the strengths is the absence of touch controls. The Digital Crown and button is super intuitive. The problem with touch on headphones is erratic performance and ghost touches, such as the XM series from Sony at least used to have when wearing them in a cold environment.
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Yep. The digital crown is far superior to touch controls.
 
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Lounge vibes 05 said:
We literally go through this debate every single time AirPods Max are mentioned.
They do have a cable, and it allows you to play up to 24 bit 48 kHz files with almost no loss.
Only loss is because of the digital to analog to digital conversion, but you’re still hearing a 24-bit 48 kHz file, which is defined by Apple as “lossless”.
They’re just not going to tell you that because the conversion technically does cause some loss, but it shouldn’t matter.
It’s 24/48, and anyone saying the AirPods Max don’t have the ability to play back 24/48 files is just spreading misinformation to have something to yell at Apple about.
Click to expand...
Thanks. I actually wasn’t aware you could cable them to a device. I’d have them already but they really not portable compared to other brands (I have the Sony XM4) but I miss the connection ease of my Powerbeats pro.
 
Apple I would just love a f*****g on/off switch. I'm sick of losing 8-10 percent battery over a 18-24 hour period. I've had six different pairs and all have suffered this issue, so it's defintely firmware related.

Also, a firmware issue been the cause was further re-enforced when the firmware 4A400 update only made the AirPods Max lose 0-2 percent over the same period.

The next firmware update after 4A400 (and there after) has brought back the 8-10 percent loss over the 18-24 hour period.

I hope if the AirPods Max gets an update, that Apple does not go down the touch control route. The Digital Crown and the noise control button are soooooo intuative.

If I'm honest though, I think the AirPods Max will go the same way as the original HomePod and be discontinued, and not have a new model to replace them.
 
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The next version needs a significant sound quality upgrade, usbc and an on/off button.
 
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