While there aren't any physical changes, the updated chip brings slightly better noise-canceling and some neat tricks to Apple's top-of-the-line headphones

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission.

Last month, Apple announced that after half a decade, they were updating the AirPods Max headphones. Given the long gap between releases and the fact that anything Apple does tends to get a lot of attention, it’s the kind of release that would typically be met with great fanfare. But Apple didn’t announce these at a keynote; instead, it quietly dropped a press release unveiling the new model. And the relatively muted rollout reflects the fact that these are a pretty understated update of the Cupertino company’s popular flagship headphones. 

In fact, save for the new colorways, the headphones are entirely the same on the outside (down to the ounce). They have identical battery life as the originals, and the same notoriously flimsy case. All of the upgrades are under the hood — Apple used its latest H2 headphone chip for the AirPods Max 2, resulting in improved noise cancellation and features like live translation and adaptive audio. 

We put the latest headphones to the test, comparing them to the first generation to see how they stack up. In short, if you have a pair of fully functional AirPods Max headphones, there aren’t enough new features to justify an upgrade for most. But these still offer some of the best noise-canceling, sound quality, and comfort in the market, with enough improvements to make them worth considering for anyone dedicated to Apple’s ecosystem. 

Design and Construction

If you’re familiar with Apple’s original headphones, then you won’t be surprised by anything on the latest headphones. They’re the same on the outside, with a mesh headband and ear pads, and aluminum ear cups. They’re a heavy pair of headphones, owing to the metal components. But they wear surprisingly light — the mesh makes them more breathable than some other headphones, and the headband doesn’t exert excessive pressure.

The “case,” for lack of a better word, still isn’t very travel-friendly. It doesn’t protect the mesh headband or the hinges at all, so I’d be wary of having these headphones at the bottom of a backpack. The case does have magnets, which trigger the low-power mode for the headphones, so you’ll need to keep it around. Otherwise, there’s no way to properly turn them off. 

Instead of tap controls, the headphones feature a rotating watch-inspired dial for volume and playback, and a multifunction button that toggles between noise-canceling modes and handles calls. The controls have long been one of the best parts of the AirPods Max headphones; they’re intuitive and reliable, and have a fun tactile feeling. 

Controls and Features

Despite the lack of physical or battery upgrades, the AirPods Max still offer a significant number of new features, some of which were borrowed from the in-ear AirPods. 

There’s a Live Translation feature, letting you converse in a handful of languages. There’s also a conversation awareness mode, lowering the volume when you start talking (although I’m more inclined to just take my headphones off when talking to someone).

Other new features include using the crown button as a camera remote, personalized volume that adapts over time, and shaking or nodding to respond to Siri notifications. 

As with all AirPods, the controls are found in your iPhone or iPad settings rather than in a standalone app. You can adjust the volume dial clockwise or counterclockwise, turn off automatic wear detection, and change listening modes. You can also adjust adaptive audio in the settings to allow more or less background noise.

Sound Quality and ANC

Apple made some improvements to the AirPods Max in sound quality and noise-canceling. The headphones have a new dynamic range amplifier for cleaner audio, and you can get 24-bit, 48 kHz audio with a wired USB-C connection. The sound signature is pleasantly neutral — bass is deep, but not overly emphasized, and the mids and highs sound crisp and clear. Again, because there are no EQ settings in the app, you have to like how it sounds out of the box. 

As for noise cancellation, the AirPods Max are among the best of the dozens of headphones I’ve tested. They capably reduce everything from wind to background music to voices, and, to my ears, are beaten only by Bose and Sony. Apple claims that the H2 chip makes the ANC 1.5x more effective than the originals. It’s a hard claim to evaluate, but in testing the two side by side, the new headphones were at least slightly more effective than the already great ANC of the first generation. 

The biggest improvement to the noise-canceling is the addition of Adaptive ANC. The new mode intelligently adjusts to your surroundings, balancing awareness and noise-canceling. There’s also a new mode that adjusts the volume of your music automatically, raising it in louder environments and lowering it in quiet ones. It’s neat, but I found this feature more uncanny and distracting than useful.  

The transparency mode is a standout feature. You can hear outside sounds clearly, without sacrificing the sound quality of your music. As for calls, I recorded my voice in quiet conditions and on a busy street, with the vocals sounding clear in both settings.

Verdict

Compared to the earlier version of these headphones, Apple’s latest AirPods Max are an iterative update. They feature an identical build and the same battery life, with no physical changes to speak of, aside from a smattering of new color options. 

At $549, these are also a seriously expensive pair of headphones (compare them to Apple’s newly released MacBook Neo laptop, which is a mere $50 more than these headphones). That makes these headphones hard to enthusiastically recommend to anyone who already has the AirPods Max, even with some of the handy new features. 

That doesn’t mean there aren’t worthwhile upgrades under the hood. The addition of Adaptive ANC helps smooth out loud background noise, and there are fun additional features, like using the headphones’ button as a camera shutter. 

It’s hard to stand out in the crowded headphone market, but these headphones do have some features that few rivals can compete with. They have the best implementation of a transparency mode of any headphones I’ve tested, the noise-canceling ranks among the best you can get, and the sound quality does justice to just about whatever you can throw at it. Are there better headphones on the market? Yes. But if you’re an iPhone user (and you’re not pressed for cash), it’s hard to argue with the quality the AirPods Max deliver.