Nearly six years after the launch of its first pair of over-ears, Apple recently unveiled the successor to the AirPods Max.
Apple has promised that the aptly titled AirPods Max 2 is “better than ever”, but is that really the case? Should you consider upgrading if you’re still sporting the original pair?
As we’ve reviewed both the original AirPods Max and the newly launched AirPods Max 2, we’ve compared our experiences with the two and noted the differences between them below.
Otherwise, if you’re not sold on the AirPods Max 2 then visit our comparison with the Sony WH-1000XM6 which are currently number one on our best headphones list.
Price and Availability
The AirPods Max 2 is available to buy now, with an RRP of £499/$499 – the same as its predecessor.
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Unsurprisingly, the original AirPods Max is no longer available to buy directly from Apple, so you’ll need to pick up the headphones from a third-party retailer. While its official RRP is still £499/$499, it’s worth noting that the headphones can be found with a solid price cut.
Design
- AirPods Max 2 look the same as the original AirPods Max
- The AirPods Max 2 retains the Digital Crown and Smart Case as its predecessor
Design-wise, there aren’t many differences between the AirPods Max 2 and AirPods Max – both come in the same five colours, are fitted with the Digital Crown and sport a mesh-covered headband with large aluminium earcups.
AirPods Max 2
AirPods Max
However, keep in mind that Apple did give the original AirPods Max a slight refresh back in 2024, and equipped the cans with a USB-C port in lieu of the outdated Lightning alternative. If you still own that iteration, then it’s worth noting that the latest AirPods Max 2 is equipped with USB-C too.
Although both AirPods Max weigh a hefty 386g, we found generally they are still pretty comfortable to wear. However, as they clamp tightly, they can become a bit tricky to wear for prolonged periods of time.
We had hoped that Apple would have fixed a few design frustrations we had with the original AirPods Max, however unfortunately they’ve cropped up in the AirPods Max 2. There’s the Smart Case which not only looks odd, but has the sole purpose of putting the headphones into low power mode.
Next, there’s the lack of a physical power button which means the headphones will only power down when left untouched for a while, or when placed into the aforementioned Smart Case. It’s such a strange and frustrating omission, that means you can’t help but feel as if you’re wasting precious battery.
Finally, keep in mind that neither pair of headphones are equipped with an IP rating either.
Winner: Tie
Features
- H2 vs H1 chip
- AirPods Max 2 supports new features
- AirPods Max 2 supports Bluetooth 5.3
Powering the AirPods Max 2 is Apple’s H2 chip, which can also be found in the AirPods Pro 3 and Pro 2. Instead, the original AirPods Max runs on Apple’s H1 chip.
The use of the H2 chip means the AirPods Max 2 are equipped with plenty of new features including Live Translation, Adaptive Audio and Conversation Awareness. We found all work well, with Live Translation especially being a useful tool to have when abroad – although whether you want to converse with your headphones on is a different matter.
Digital Crown on AirPods Max 2
AirPods Max
Otherwise, and perhaps unsurprisingly given they’re a newer pair, the AirPods Max 2 are equipped with Bluetooth 5.3 while the AirPods Max make do with Bluetooth 5. Both also support lossless audio with the included USB-C to USB-C cable that can output audio at 24-bit/48kHz.
Winner: AirPods Max 2
Sound Quality
- The AirPods Max 2 sound noticeably better than the original pair
- Both are designed for mainstream use, which might annoy some purists
- Spatial audio is present on both, but it can be hit and miss
We concluded that, thanks to its H2 chip, the AirPods Max 2 are some of the “best mainstream headphones for pure sound quality” and have a noticeable bump over the originals. While we especially found vocals to be improved, overall the AirPods Max 2 adapt well to various genres and offer a wide soundstage that gives an immersive feel.
Having said that, if you’re a bass purist then you may want to consider a different pair of headphones, as the AirPods Max 2 offer a lively low-end performance that’s tuned for fun more than anything.
This isn’t to say the original AirPods Max doesn’t sound great. In fact, we concluded that the headphones sound excellent and boast fantastic versatility too. Not only does bass come through well, but higher frequencies also sound clear and immersive too.
Although both support spatial audio, the performance is somewhat hit and miss on the two headphones. Essentially, how well spatial audio performs depends on how the track was mixed and mastered.
Winner: AirPods Max 2
Noise Cancellation
- Overall, the AirPods Max 2 offer a stronger ANC performance
- The AirPods Max 2 have three ANC modes to select from
- With both, you don’t have much control over the ANC settings
Both the AirPods Max iterations are equipped with ANC, although unlike some of the other best noise cancelling headphones, you don’t get that much control over it. While some alternatives allow you to tweak the effect, neither the AirPods Max 2 nor the AirPods Max offer the same level of customisation.
Even so, it’s worth noting that the AirPods Max 2 still offer a brilliant noise cancelling performance and do a better job than their predecessor. It’s not always perfect, with some external sounds piercing through from time to time, generally there’s a solid improvement.
Plus, as briefly mentioned earlier, the AirPods Max 2 are now equipped with Adaptive Audio which blends the ANC and Transparency modes according to your environment.
Otherwise, both are equipped with Transparency mode which is undoubtedly among the best around, as voices are able to come through without any robotic edge.
Call quality is also fine with both pairs of AirPods, however neither are as good as the AirPods Pro 3.
Winner: AirPods Max 2
Battery Life
- No improvements on battery life with the AirPods Max 2
- Both offer around 20 hours of power
- Neither have a power button
There aren’t any differences between the AirPods Max 2’s battery life compared to the AirPods Max, as both offer around 20 hours of power when ANC is enabled.
One issue, which we have mentioned already in this article, is the lack of power button on either pair of headphones. This omission means you’ll have to place the headphones into the Smart Case to enable them to preserve battery and enter low power mode, rather than just simply turn them off.
This feels wasteful and strange, although we should note that we never had any issues with the overall battery performance.
Winner: Tie
Verdict
Although the AirPods Max 2 look the same as the AirPods Max, the inclusion of Apple’s newer H2 chip means they offer improved ANC, better sound quality and new features. However, do keep in mind that some frustrations still remain with the AirPods Max 2 such as the lack of power button, accompanying Smart Case and high starting price.
Essentially, if you’re well-cemented within Apple’s ecosystem and want a pair of over-ears, then the AirPods Max 2 is an easy recommendation. We would, however, recommend you take a look at our best headphones list to see cheaper and more versatile alternatives.
Stephan is the sports journalist for the Maple Grove Report.
