AirPods Max 2: Everything We Know So Far

[jettredmont]

Nice list of features, but the one thing that is missing is the killer: reliability.

A pair of $500+ headphones needs to last more than three years. I see no indication here that Apple has even acknowledged the horrible reliability of the APM v1 design, much less tried to fix it. IMHO this is worse than (although with a much smaller affected customer base) the old butterfly keyboards where random letters stopped working after 2-3 years.

 

[someone33]

What is it that causes the current ones to stop working after a few years? Just the battery?

 

[Student of Life]

What is it that causes the current ones to stop working after a few years? Just the battery?

Just get AppleCare and your good, remember it can be extended so problem solved.

 

[dcingie]

I was waiting for the new version upgrade to come out, and then the entirety of the upgrade was adding USB-C so I passed and went with Sony XMH series and I love them.

 

[AlyssaUnbound]

I'm confused how something that will perhaps enter production in 2027 can be described as "on the way."

The next ice age is also "on the way" and likely will have faster updates than some of Apple's products.

 

[terrapinjess]

Despite wanting a pair of these pretty badly, I won’t buy until they add a power button and a port so I can directly plug in for lossless audio.
Not having at least a power button is BONKERS and unnecessarily edgy. The latter is a ploy to get me to subscribe to Apple Music and I’m just not into that at all. I’ve been with my Beats Studio and they’ve been utterly fantastic otherwise.

 

[ZMacintosh]

can they have a proper black and proper white version? can they use something other than the goofy ass case that I never use? can they have a proper on/off function? lossless over USB-C? basic **** here

 

[Jeeve Stubbs]

"believe that new ‌AirPods Max‌ are on the way. Kuo expects the ‌AirPods Max‌ 2 to enter mass production at some point in 2027"

If it's 2027, they're not exactly "on the way"…

 

[Jeeve Stubbs]

"not popular enough for the company to invest a ton of time and money into creating a new version"

Typical self-defeating Apple. They neglect some of their products and then wonder why they're not popular. The AirPods Max aren't the Vision Pro: I regularly see people wearing over-the-ear headphones, so it's definitely more than a niche market. You can't succeed in something if you don't take it seriously.

 

[ATLAS-2]

It's a chicken and egg problem. They don't sell as much as Apple would hope, but a lot of people (myself included) aren't buying because we know they're a bit long in the tooth and want to see them upgraded first.

 

[Happy_John]

Despite wanting a pair of these pretty badly, I won’t buy until they add a power button and a port so I can directly plug in for lossless audio.
Not having at least a power button is BONKERS and unnecessarily edgy. The latter is a ploy to get me to subscribe to Apple Music and I’m just not into that at all. I’ve been with my Beats Studio and they’ve been utterly fantastic otherwise.

If you want them, buy them. If you're not going to buy them, stop "wanting them pretty badly".

From my side, I spent over a year debating whether to buy them or not, and then I was given set as a present. And I'm very happy with them.

From owning them, I'd say stop worrying about what chip is in them and about the buttons. The obsessing about hardware and specs ignores the selling point - they're very nice "proper" overear headphones that have the full AirPods connectivity package, which makes life nice.

I wouldn't sweat about the power button, it's not a real issue day-to-day. The crown and single button (for ANC modes) are a lovely control setup to use, nicest I've ever had on any pair of headphones.

So, for what it's worth, just ignore specs and whatever's being talked about them on forums like this. Go to an Apple Store, or any store where you can test them with your own ears to see if the sound and fit suits you. Base your buying decision on that direct experience, not on the chitter-chatter.

 

[boswald]

Despite not being a major seller (price, I assume), I still see people wearing them out in the wild. There’s still a market for these, Apple!

 

[turbineseaplane]

Despite not being a major seller (price, I assume), I still see people wearing them out in the wild. There’s still a market for these, Apple!

Strangely, to me at least, I see them at the gym all the time.

 

[boswald]

Strangely, to me at least, I see them at the gym all the time.

Believe it or not, but I usually see lawn crews wearing them down here in FL.

 

[thefredelement]

I have the original ones and they still work well but it has to be my least used Apple product, they're just not comfortable to wear for any extended period of time. I recently picked up the air pods pro 3 and use them and air pods gen 2 way more.

 

[poematik13]

I get that these must not be big sellers,

IMO its a sleeper hit. Every flight im on or airport I go to, at least 10-20 people are wearing them.

 

[HenryAH]

I've had my APM for several years now and they still work well, especially with the Apple TV playing movies with spatial audio. But, in the last year I've lost hearing in one ear and now use hearing aids, I installed the hearing app in my AirPods Pro 2 and it works quite well. If they finally come out with the APM with the H2 or better chip and allow the hearing aid app, I would buy it in a heartbeat. The APM beats the AirPods Pro 2 by quite a bit, especially for spatial audio movies.

 

[turbineseaplane]

IMO its a sleeper hit. Every flight im on or airport I go to, at least 10-20 people are wearing them.

These people obviously aren’t comparing them to any other options.

The ANC is surpassed by many alternative products at this point.

I sold my APM a few months ago.
I don’t miss them.

I’d love to see an update though!

 

[WarmWinterHat]

Just get AppleCare and your good, remember it can be extended so problem solved.

Oh yea, sure....just pay extra for a warranty on something the manufacturer should have fixed from the get-go. It would be only "problem solved" if it was free.

IMO its a sleeper hit. Every flight im on or airport I go to, at least 10-20 people are wearing them.

I fly quite a bit and don't see them very often. I do see a lot of the Bose, though.

I think they are uncomfortable, personally. 🤷🏻‍♂️

 

[trip1ex]

I'm mixed on mine. I had them in the closet for a year before I opened. And reaction went from terrible to pretty clear sound and useful NC at times and nice build to overall uncomfortable and kind of bugs the ears after awhile with NC on.

I always realize they are on my head compared to my wired open Sennheisers. I guess I need a solution for using those with my tv.

I'm thinking of ebaying mine. Maybe used 7 times in my office over a few week period.

 

[257Loner]

I'd like to echo the sentiments shared by several posters in this article's thread by saying that Apple's proclivity to use high-end materials like metal and glass, while providing a fancy appearance to many of their computers, is totally inappropriate for wearable electronics like the AirPods Max and Apple Vision Pro which instead need to be light (because you're wearing them).

If Apple was willing to reconsider their choice of materials, I wonder if the AirPods Max could one day be as light, comfortable, and wearable for long periods of time as the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones?

 

[turbineseaplane]

If Apple was willing to reconsider their choice of materials, I wonder if the AirPods Max could one day be as light, comfortable, and wearable for long periods of time as the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones?

They really should, as I've had the Ultras and they are so light and so comfortable.
It's a completely different (and far better) on head experience.

The only I still prefer about the APMs is the headband -- although the durability of that.
Mine had really stretched out (again, due to the weight).

 

[trip1ex]

Whether it is AirPods Max, Apple Displays or the HomePod, I do not understand why Apple is letting some products just wither on the vine. Either commit to the product and make quality regular updates or abandon it, but this bizarre middle ground just makes Apple look like they could abandon products way too easily.

I don't see it that way at all. These are products that don't need frequent updates. Most aren't buying new monitors or speakers or expensive pairs of over the ear headphones every year. And meanwhile display and speaker tech quality barely if at all improves year to year.

 

[Sami13496]

What’s wrong with the current ones?

 

[yoak]

I really liked my APM, but then the headban streched out and suddenly it was the metal bars resting on my head. I thought I would replace the headban and be a happy camper again, but turned out they are not replaceble. What a jone. I had to buy a rubber headban cover to be able to use them. Nlt buying again unless this is fixed. Other than that they work perfectly after 4 years