Apple has released the AirPods Max 2, the biggest upgrade to its top end over ear headphones since the original came out in late 2020.
Pre orders opened on March 25 in the United States and more than 30 other countries. The headphones will start arriving in early April. The price stays the same at US$549.
The stainless steel frame, rotating ear cups and mesh headband all look the same as before. The headphones still weigh about 386 grams. The same Smart Case is back, and there is still no power button.
Apple has replaced the older H1 chip with the newer H2 processor. The company says noise cancellation is now up to 1.5 times better than the last version.
The new chip also adds features that were only available on the AirPods Pro 2 until now. These include Adaptive Audio, Personalised Volume, Conversation Awareness, Voice Isolation and Live Translation.
A new amplifier is designed to make the sound cleaner. When plugged in with the included USB C cable, the headphones can play 24 bit, 48 kHz lossless audio. Bluetooth has also been upgraded from version 5.0 to 5.3.
For the first time, Apple is also promoting the headphones as tools for creators. The AirPods Max 2 can record studio quality audio. A new camera remote feature lets users take photos or start and stop video by pressing the Digital Crown.
Battery life stays at 20 hours with noise cancellation turned on. The headphones come in five colours: midnight, starlight, orange, purple and blue.
Whether the upgrades are worth the price will depend on how well they stack up against rivals from Sony and Bose which still sell strong options for less money.
Early impressions have been mostly positive, but the full picture will only become clear once people get their hands on them next month.
