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It would be plain insulting to use a 5 years old chip in a 600$+ device, when a device half the price from two years before used a newer chip
 
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I bought AirPod max at micro center for 400 bucks. I don't care for 3.5 mm jack, but do hope they can reduce the footprint of the case with ability to fold. Other than the space it’s one of the best overall travel/home Headphones among the Sonys and Bose I owned over the years.
 
I love mine, honestly.

I don’t find them ugly in the least - quite the opposite, in my eyes.

While I wouldn’t mind them being a bit lighter and less expensive, I don’t regret my purchase at all.

If the next version offer a slightly lighter form factor, usbc, and better battery, I’ll be getting a pair for sure (and my wife will inherit my current pair).
I’m glad you enjoyed your purchase.

I would love to get a gen 2 that hits the following:

Foldable for travel
Lighter
Sleeker - I’m not princess Leah
Dolby atmos
Analog cable for flights
lossless audio
FindMy
 
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I’m glad you enjoyed your purchase.

I would love to get a gen 2 that hits the following:

Foldable for travel
Lighter
Sleeker - I’m not princess Leah
Dolby atmos
Analog cable for flights
lossless audio
FindMy
Analog cables for flights, is it still a thing? Haven’t needed or used one in a long time. I travel multiple times a month.
 
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I wouldn’t mind a pure digital USB-C connection, and I expect this will have that, but there should also be a way to power these things off and use them as a completely passive set of headphones via a 3.5mm connection - maybe possible with a USB-C dongle of some sort. This seems less likely IMO but it’s what I would like to see.
 
I love my Airpods Pro earbuds. I use an old wired pair of Bose headphones with a bluetooth adapter if I want full sized headphones. If these have better noise cancellation than my Bose headphones, they might be my Apple purchase for next year. But so far I haven’t seen anything that can beat the noise cancellation on my old Bose wired headphones.
 


2024 AirPods Max: What to Hope For

The latest rumors suggest that no other major changes are expected for the AirPods Max 2, although Apple's plans could always change between now and when they are released in late 2024. Here are the improvements and changes that we hope Apple ultimately includes.

H2 Chip
It would seem reasonable for AirPods Max 2 to feature the H2 chip, Apple's custom silicon chip designed specifically for earbuds and headphones. The H2 chip enables improved computational audio to enhance sound quality on the current-generation ‌AirPods Pro‌ and improves battery life with better energy efficiency. […]

Despite the H2 chip's introduction with the AirPods Pro, Gurman's latest report suggests Apple currently does not plan to include the technology in the AirPods Max 2, which would also deprive the headphones of H2-specific features like Adaptive Audio, Personalized Volume, and improved noise cancelation and battery life.

U2 Chip and Precision Finding

Apple's U2 Ultra Wideband chip can be found in the latest iPhone 15 series, Apple Watch Series 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2, and allows for Precision Finding in the Find My app.

The current ‌AirPods Max‌ feature basic support for ‌Find My‌, but do not even feature the previous generation U1 chip. For Apple to add a U2 chip to AirPods Max 2 would therefore enable a much more precise way to locate the headphones when they are nearby.​

In my mind there is literally a 0% chance that Apple would update these and not include the H2 chip.

Would be crazy , even if the sound is already really good with H1

Only plausible alternative would be an H3 chip.

I don’t think it’s absurd to even think it might include the H3.

Yup. This is the dumbest take ever on the internets.
It really irks me that the article says “Apple’s plans could change.” You know what else could be the case? Gurman’s report is incomplete. Apple is very secretive (as we know) and often one team does not know about what another team is doing.

No way Apple releases this with an H1.
 
The AirPod max are awesome. BUT… the mesh headband gives after a year or so of use. It becomes saggy. Apple needs to redesign that aspect for more rigidity.
(I never had an issue with the “bra” case)
 
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I can’t wait. I’ll pay any price (interest-free over a year of course), AirPods Max changed my life after AirPods Pro did after AirPods did.

AirPods are by far Apple’s best product line to date.
 
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Hopefully, it won't be a case of "too little, too late." There are high expectations for it to come packed with lots of new features, given that it's more than three years old!
 
I love mine, there are a few bugs, nothing a restart/reset doesn’t fix.
I‘d like reliability to improve along with having the option to purchase headbands. MagSafe charging would be swell.
All physical controls just like the existing set. Less weight with titanium? Though steel arms look sick!
They have been the best wireless headphones i have used for convenience. There are many with better sound, but not a better user experience.
 
In my mind there is literally a 0% chance that Apple would update these and not include the H2 chip.
Agreed. H2 noise canceling is amazing, a huge feature. No H2 (or better) would make the device totally unacceptable at anything near its price point.
 
I love my Airpods Pro earbuds. I use an old wired pair of Bose headphones with a bluetooth adapter if I want full sized headphones. If these have better noise cancellation than my Bose headphones, they might be my Apple purchase for next year. But so far I haven’t seen anything that can beat the noise cancellation on my old Bose wired headphones.
I too have the Bose and they have been very good for years now. But IMO the noise canceling in AirPods Pro 2 is better. An over-ear AirPods with H2 noise canceling would probably be amazing.
 
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Of course it is. I fly delta regularly for work. Unless something changed from last week you need an analog connection to listen to the infotainment screen.
Yikes. Those infotainment screen resolutions are pixelated and atrocious. I fly Delta and Southwest regularly but use the App on my iPad Pro or iPhone 13 PM. If I was gonna watch those lousy screens, I might just borrow those lousy complementary earbuds Delta provides, in case Wi-Fi is not working.
 
Headphones need a 3.5mm jack, I believe Apple are the only company that don't offer this.
A tiny dongle would easily solve. Third parties will make them even if Apple does not.

Edit: already available for less than $20.
 
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Of course it is. I fly delta regularly for work. Unless something changed from last week you need an analog connection to listen to the infotainment screen.
The airline industry is the only one that has literally gone downhill every year for the last 50+ years, despite being sort of a tech business. Every airline industry executive should be hugely embarrassed instead of simply wealthy.
 
The design would need to change for me to buy a new version. The old one is too heavy and looks-wise is cringe-inducing. This and the Apple mouse are two items that are just odd in terms of design. It's like they are stuck in a time-warp from an alternate universe where form trumps function.
 
I hope they take some inspiration from the Vision Pro headband and redesign the headband entirely. The mesh should not be relied on as a structural component because it stretches over time. My mesh is no longer supporting the headphones on my head. Just make that piece a little more solid, add some wireless MagSafe charging capability and make the case better and I’d be a happy camper.

Love the product otherwise, although I agree the featureless pebble/soap look could be refined a bit. I’d prefer an Apple Watch Ultra round into flat look, which is funny since when you remove the earcups that’s exactly what it looks like, just facing the wrong way.
 
Wishlist:

Power switch. - they constantly drain when not connected or connect to my phone in the middle of the day on a call.

Case - it’s fine. I just wish you didn’t have to use it. The design tragedy is needing to use it to power them off. See above for power switch.

Lossless. USB connection direct would be nice. For those asking there is an analog cable 3.5mm they have for purchase.

Everything else is fine to great. Audio fantastic I dumped a 5k$ headphone setup because this was 98% as good.
 
In my mind there is literally a 0% chance that Apple would update these and not include the H2 chip.

Agreed, such a ridiculous claim that goes against any and all logic. I don’t care if Gurman heard that rumor from Tim Cook himself, I still wouldn’t have reported on it lmao.
 
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