Apple dropped the AirPods Max 2 on Monday, no leaks, no rumours, no warning. The announcement caught the entire tech industry off guard, making it arguably the most surprising product launch in Apple’s 49-year history.
- Apple dropped the AirPods Max 2 on Monday, no leaks, no rumours, no warning.
- The announcement caught the entire tech industry off guard, making it arguably the most surprising product launch in Apple’s 49-year...
- Powered by the H2 chip, the AirPods Max 2 brings features like Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness, Voice Isolation, and Live...
- Smart features powered by Apple Intelligence come to AirPods Max 2 Conversation Awareness helps lower content volume and reduce background noise...
Keep reading for the full breakdown on Adaptive Audio — everything you need to know is covered below.
Powered by the H2 chip, the AirPods Max 2 brings features like Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness, Voice Isolation, and Live Translation to the over-ear lineup for the first time. For premium headphone buyers, the wait is finally over.
AirPods Max 2 active noise cancellation gets a major upgrade
“With the incredible performance of H2, AirPods Max are upgraded with up to 1.5x more effective ANC for the ultimate all-day listening experience,” said Eric Treski, Apple’s director of Audio Product Marketing.
“The sound quality is remarkably clean, rich, and acoustically detailed — and when combined with capabilities like Personalised Spatial Audio, AirPods Max 2 deliver a profoundly immersive experience.”
The Adaptive Audio feature lets the AirPods Max 2 automatically adjust ANC and Transparency levels based on the user’s surroundings, while Transparency mode is now more natural thanks to a new digital signal-processing algorithm optimised for the H2 chip and the AirPods Max microphone array.
Smart features powered by Apple Intelligence come to AirPods Max 2
Conversation Awareness helps lower content volume and reduce background noise when a user starts speaking to someone nearby, while Live Translation, powered by Apple Intelligence, helps users communicate across languages in person.
Siri Interactions allow users to conveniently and privately respond to Siri announcements by simply nodding their head yes or gently shaking their head no. It is a hands-free experience that pushes the AirPods Max 2 well beyond conventional headphone functionality.
AirPods Max 2 unlocks studio-grade audio recording for creators
The AirPods Max 2 can now act as a camera remote, letting users trigger photos or video recording on an iPhone or iPad using the Digital Crown, while studio-quality audio recording makes the headphones useful for podcasters, musicians, and other creators.
A new high-dynamic-range amplifier delivers cleaner audio, and Spatial Audio is improved, with better instrument localisation, stronger bass response, and natural mids and highs.
The AirPods Max 2 are priced at $549 in the US and £499 in the UK, with pre-orders opening March 25 and shipping expected in early April across more than 30 countries.