Yes. I don’t have a set now but try them on often in the store. Weight is what’s holding me back now.
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AirPods Max 2: Everything We Know About Features and Launch Date [Updated]
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I’ve heard too many reports of them failing. I would want a one year warranty at a minimum. I’m sure there are those with great success, but this is a big enough purchase that I would not gamble.
2 pairs have failed for me due to liquid damage. No idea how that could have happened as they’ve been kept away from liquid and steam and never been used outdoors. I’m hoping the next version are more robust. I’d imagine the batteries are about to bite the dust for 2 year old headphones so I hope Apple give a buyback option otherwise expensive magnets and metal will end up in landfill sites.
Im tempted to buy one, just wondering would they let you buy apple care, after it expires. I know they let you do that for Mac, but not for AirPods, I learned that the hard way with my AirPod Pros. Also low key wondering if version 2 is around the corner. How good is the Noise canceling?
As a former Airpod Max owner, I'd consider coming back if they let me define audio settings. I have tinnitus so will never be an audiophile, but if you let me adjust/increase the bass I'd find it all worthwhile. Honestly, for my ringing ears, the Anker noise cancelers work just as well for less than 1/3 the price.
You already can do this, between the “Music/EQ” settings and the “Accessibility/Audio/Headphone Accommodations” settings
I think you’re probably correct, just going on how Apple has updated AirPods in the past.
I’d expect the design to be absolutely identical other than USB-C and maybe some new colors, and then it gets all the new features as the new AirPods Pro 2 got.
Anyone expecting Apple to go back on Several of the more controversial aspects of this product I think will be very disappointed.
I don’t think they’ll add a power button, I don’t think they’ll magically get full lossless audio over Bluetooth, I don’t think they’ll completely redesign the case like they should, and I certainly don’t expect a price drop.
At least a good side effect of having them switch to USB-C Is that getting your hands on a cable that you can use to playback 24/48 audio should be a lot easier and cheaper.
Maybe it's because I spend a lot of time in airports, but I actually see a lot of people wearing Airpods Max around compared to any other headphone. They seem to be the new "look at me" headphone in lieu of Beats. Tons of people use Bose on planes (and a few Sony) but you don't see them wearing them around outside much. What is my point? I guess that they might be selling better/a more important product than people give them credit for. But I'm not buying any until they switch to USB-C.
I'm still happy with my pair. Actually recently I've been seeing them around a lot more, presumably because of some discounts (albeit small and still overpriced).
Only thing that bugs me is the case, which I do use but it's somewhat inconvenient and there's no ability to replace it even if I'm willing to pay. It's also a little embarrassing to hold around in public lol
Only thing that bugs me is the case, which I do use but it's somewhat inconvenient and there's no ability to replace it even if I'm willing to pay. It's also a little embarrassing to hold around in public lol
Hmm interesting, personally I see tons of Beats, Sony XM4s and XM5s, just a few APMs, and barely any Bose. This is in Canada on public transport and in airports.
Thanks for the well researched article full of details about this upcoming device. Glad that it’s not just a recap of what Gurman has said and written in the past but such an in depth piece.
Apple's AirPods Max launched two years ago today, but rumors about a successor remain thin on the ground, so what exactly can we expect from AirPods Max 2?
After months of rumors, the AirPods Max began arriving with customers two years ago today, but the device now seems to be showing its age, with the second-generation AirPods Pro adding a range of technological innovations that the AirPods Max lack, such as Adaptive Transparency, IPX4-rated sweat and water resistance, skin-detect sensors, and the U1 chip for Precision Finding with Find My.
While it seems likely that the next-generation AirPods Max will gain many of the above features, there have been surprisingly few rumors about the device. In May 2021, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that Apple was not actively working on second-generation AirPods Max, and previous talk of a color options refresh for the first-generation seems to have diminished.
New Features
The most recent mention of a second-generation model was Gurman's claim in October that the next version of AirPods Max will feature USB-C and launch "by 2024." Beyond this single feature, we do not have any concrete rumors from reliable sources about what the new model could offer – but there is some evidence that could provide some interesting indications about what to expect.
In 2020, Gurman said that the AirPods Max, thought at the time to be called "AirPods Studio," had suffered from several development challenges, such as problems with the headband being too tight, leading to multiple delays and scaling back of functionality. It seems plausible that after several more years to iterate on the aspects that did not make it into the first version of the device, the second-generation AirPods Max could introduce some of these initially scrapped features.
It was originally believed that AirPods Max would offer unique customizability with interchangeable headbands and earcups, much like Apple Watch bands. Amid these delays and development issues, Bloomberg predicted that Apple would drop the concept of a replaceable headband to accelerate production.
Evidence of this concept can be seen in the final AirPods Max design. Users can easily remove the headband from AirPods Max without any disassembly of the headphones. To do this, users simply need to remove the magnetic ear cushions, fold the earcups flat, and insert a SIM card ejector tool into a small hole above the speaker.
Once the earcups are removed, the spokes on either side of the headband reveal a small Lightning-style connector for transferring power, and potentially data, between the earcups. It is possible that this system for removing the headband is a remnant of the original, more modular approach to AirPods Max. The earcups are magnetically removable and can easily be swapped out for a different color.
Moreover, it was believed that AirPods Max would have left and right ear detection so users could reverse the headphones' orientation, as well as touch pads on the earcups for controls. This appears to have been replaced by the Digital Crown from the Apple Watch in the final product.
Rumors also suggested that the AirPods Max would be available in two varieties, including a more affordable sports-oriented model. Leaker Jon Prosser repeatedly said that AirPods Max would come in a "sport-like variant" for $350 and a "luxury variant" for $599. While Prosser's $599 price tag was not far off the eventual $549 AirPods Max retail price, the cheaper $350 "sport variant" has yet to emerge. Apple could still launch this lower-end version of the AirPods Max some time in the future.
Based on the above information, the second-generation AirPods Max could conceivably offer some of these features:
Rumored for AirPods Max 2 Specifically
Rumored for Original AirPods Max But Omitted
- USB-C port instead of Lightning
- New color options
- Interchangeable headband for more visual customization options
- Automatic left and right ear detection
- Touch pads on the earcups for audio controls
- Lower-cost sports-oriented model
AirPods Pro Features That AirPods Max Could Adopt
- H2 chips
- Up to two times better Active Noise Cancellation
- Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity
- Adaptive Transparency
- Conversation Boost
- Skin-detect sensors
- U1 chip for Precision Finding with Find My
- IPX4-rated sweat and water resistance
- Improved battery life
- MagSafe charging
Launch Date
At least one new AirPods product has launched every year since 2019. To date, Apple seems to wait two and a half to three years to update each AirPods device and, since 2019, a different AirPods product line has been updated each year. According to this pattern, AirPods Max should be the next AirPods device to receive a refresh, perhaps somewhere between June and November 2023.
- AirPods (first-generation): September 2016
- AirPods (second-generation): March 2019 (two years and six months after previous generation)
- AirPods Pro (first-generation): October 2019
- AirPods Max: December 2020
- AirPods (third-generation): October 2021 (two years and six months after previous generation)
- AirPods Pro (second-generation): September 2022 (two years and 11 months after previous generation)
- AirPods Max (second-generation): June to November 2023?
Apple could, of course, wait even longer to update the device. Past launch dates do not always indicate Apple's future plans, but they can provide insights into the patterns to be expected from the company. There is even the slim chance that there are no plans to update the AirPods Max, with the product potentially meeting the same fate as the HomePod. It is simply too early in the rumor cycle to say at the current time.
Article Link: AirPods Max 2: Everything We Know About Features and Launch Date
A fine example of things that should be kept private. Always and forever.
Guy says he’s a 5, now we all know he is _definely_ a mentally aged 5 too.
I will NOT be purchasing AirPods Max until it can play lossless audio. However, they need to do it.... perhaps with lossless compression and decompression of audio over Bluetooth, or wifi connection. But again, until they can play lossless, I will not consider them professional, nor a product I'll purchase as not having the feature guarantees that they will need to be replaced in the future. I don't like buying products with absolute obsolescence coming.
Why would you want an off switch? Leaving your AirPods Max idle will get them into standby, and the battery life is awesome. They barely lose any battery when I’m not wearing them, and I just love how all I need to do is put them on my head and they work.
They definitely don’t need an off switch.
They are not professional, they are premium consumer, wireless headphones. If you’re looking for professional headphones, look elsewhere.
I’d like an off switch, so I can turn them off. That’s why!
No, the battery life is worse than my Bose because in between uses the battery drains. Especially if they aren’t in the stupid case.
I have used mine regularly for a year. The first headphones I have ever owned that don't show a single sign of wear and tear after that amount of use. Compare that to the vinyl pads on Sony and Bose phones that always shred and then are a pain to replace. The case has been fine (they always go into my backpack) The ear pads are getting a bit dirty, so I may replace those so that I can wash the old pair and then switch them out when cleaning is again needed. I wouldn't be interested in upgrading the entire unit. The sound has been excellent for bluetooth, but wired and lossless always sound better for serious listening.
Next month will be 2 years since I’ve had my AirPods Max. I don’t think I’ve ever felt more satisfied with a purchase in my life.
The sound blows my mind. It’s the first time I actually don’t care that’s it’s not lossless or connected to an external DAC because it’s just so good natively.
The Max’s noise cancellation and transparency quality was always miles above the first-gen AirPods Pro, so the 2nd gen Pro’s are technically playing catch-up here. I can leave the Max on my head all day in transparency mode and forget I have them on. I couldn’t do that with my 1st gen Pros (at least after hearing how much better the Max’s transparency was). They also helped me so much with working from home by blocking out the noise of others in noise cancelling mode if I didn’t have the house to myself, even without playing any music.
I suppose I’m in the minority here, but the lack of power button never bothered me either. Apple got the power management just right after a few software updates and I stopped using the case completely later in Spring 2021 (in fact I don’t even know where my bra is anymore either because I never used it again). I just take it off my head when and put them down when I’m done and it goes to sleep on its own. When I’m ready to use them again I put them on and they turn on by themselves. The springs above the earcups double as a mechanical power switch, so even when they’re in the deepest sleep with all the sensors off, it still wakes by itself without needing the magnets in the bra. I’ve never had it die on its own outside of the bra after Apple pushed those first few updates in 2021.
Even if a 2nd-gen Max came out, I can’t picture it being that big of an improvement to warrant an upgrade for me. I’ve just been so happy with the Max as they are.
That said, I could picture how someone who isn’t as sedentary as me might find the lack of portability to be an issue. If I ever have to return to working in the office I don’t think I would want to commute with these either.
The sound blows my mind. It’s the first time I actually don’t care that’s it’s not lossless or connected to an external DAC because it’s just so good natively.
The Max’s noise cancellation and transparency quality was always miles above the first-gen AirPods Pro, so the 2nd gen Pro’s are technically playing catch-up here. I can leave the Max on my head all day in transparency mode and forget I have them on. I couldn’t do that with my 1st gen Pros (at least after hearing how much better the Max’s transparency was). They also helped me so much with working from home by blocking out the noise of others in noise cancelling mode if I didn’t have the house to myself, even without playing any music.
I suppose I’m in the minority here, but the lack of power button never bothered me either. Apple got the power management just right after a few software updates and I stopped using the case completely later in Spring 2021 (in fact I don’t even know where my bra is anymore either because I never used it again). I just take it off my head when and put them down when I’m done and it goes to sleep on its own. When I’m ready to use them again I put them on and they turn on by themselves. The springs above the earcups double as a mechanical power switch, so even when they’re in the deepest sleep with all the sensors off, it still wakes by itself without needing the magnets in the bra. I’ve never had it die on its own outside of the bra after Apple pushed those first few updates in 2021.
Even if a 2nd-gen Max came out, I can’t picture it being that big of an improvement to warrant an upgrade for me. I’ve just been so happy with the Max as they are.
That said, I could picture how someone who isn’t as sedentary as me might find the lack of portability to be an issue. If I ever have to return to working in the office I don’t think I would want to commute with these either.
Why would you want to turn them off? You don’t need the case for them to get into sleep, it happens after just a few minutes.
Also, the battery drains like 1% per day when in sleep. Maybe you should stick to your Bose.
Just putting them on your head and having them work is an awesome feature, so I actually prefer not having the power button and not having to think about it. As you said, the power management is so good, I don’t have to put them in the case either. I just take then off, and pick them up when I need them.
🎧 are the most comfortable, convenient headphones I ever used.
An off switch, please. This is not hard.
Placing them in a "case" that isn't, just to turn them kinda-sorta off, is a feature aimed at, um... nobody?
Placing them in a "case" that isn't, just to turn them kinda-sorta off, is a feature aimed at, um... nobody?
They go to sleep a couple of minutes after inactivity, exactly the same as when in a case. When you pick them up - they work. They have excellent standby time. An off switch would just get people to degrade their experience by turning them off, because they think they are gaining some battery life, while in reality, the gains wouldn’t be worth it. It’s so cool to just pick them up, put them on your head and press play on your phone.
It doesn’t need an off switch. It shouldn’t have an off switch. You don’t have to place them in the case, mine are almost never in a case and their standby time is excellent.