AirPods Max 2 Finally Gets the H2 Chip, Five Years After Apple Last Cared

What it is

The AirPods Max 2 is Apple's first true update to its over-ear flagship since December 2020. It keeps the original aluminum ear cup and mesh headband design, swaps in the H2 chip that shipped on AirPods Pro 2, adds lossless audio and ultra-low-latency audio over USB-C, and introduces Live Translation and Voice Isolation. Battery life is still rated at up to 20 hours of active listening.

Pricing is $549 in the US and £499 in the UK. That is identical to the 2020 launch price and identical to the 2024 refresh, which Apple critics have pointed out added only USB-C without sound or processor improvements.

What's interesting

The H2 chip is the main story. Apple claims up to 1.5x stronger ANC than the previous generation, and a new high-dynamic-range amplifier paired with rewritten DSP. Engadget confirmed the ANC is noticeably better in noisy environments (airplane cabin, coffee shop) than the original Max. MacRumors reported tighter bass and clearer mid-range separation on the same tracks.

Lossless over USB-C is the second meaningful addition. For wired listening from a Mac or iPhone, the AirPods Max 2 now bypass Bluetooth entirely and decode 24-bit audio directly. Competitors at this price (Sony WH-1000XM6, Bose QuietComfort Ultra) do not offer lossless over USB-C; they rely on Bluetooth codecs.

Live Translation is the feature Apple is marketing hardest. Speak one language, hear the translation in your ear. It works with the same languages that Translate supports on iOS 19.

What's missing or unverified

The design is unchanged. The 384g weight, the lack of a power button, the non-folding design, and the easily-lost smart case are all carried forward from 2020. What Hi-Fi? called out that "better-performing rivals have moved things along considerably" in the intervening five years, specifically pointing at Focal Bathys and Bowers & Wilkins Px8 in the same price bracket.

Apple does not publish a codec list for Bluetooth. AAC is the only confirmed codec, which is a lower-quality ceiling than Sony's LDAC or Qualcomm's aptX Lossless available on competing headphones.

Replaceable ear cushions are user-serviceable but expensive ($69 for a pair from Apple). Battery replacement is not user-serviceable and requires an Apple Store visit.

Transparency mode is re-tuned but still adds a subtle whoosh that SoundGuys flagged as audible in quiet rooms.

Who it's for

Apple-ecosystem users who already have an iPhone and Mac and want the best possible integration with Handoff, Find My, Spatial Audio with head tracking, and Live Translation on the go. Audiophiles who want lossless over USB-C without an external DAC. Listeners who prioritized ANC and care about the H2 upgrade.

Not for: anyone who cares about weight on long sessions, anyone who wants a folding travel case, buyers upgrading from the 2020 original who have been happy with its sound, or non-Apple users who will not get Live Translation, head-tracked Spatial Audio, or Find My integration. The Sony WH-1000XM6 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra remain the benchmark in cross-platform ANC headphones at this price.

Verdict

AirPods Max 2 is the headphone Apple should have shipped in 2023. The H2 upgrade is real, lossless over USB-C is a meaningful addition, and the ANC gain is audible. Apple has left enough on the table, specifically the unchanged chassis weight and the AAC-only Bluetooth ceiling, that the product does not leapfrog Sony or Bose for general listeners. At $549 it is priced against competitors that have shipped two or three generations of refinement while Apple did not. For Apple-ecosystem buyers who want the best possible audio integration, the upgrade is justified. For everyone else, the Sony WH-1000XM6 is the smarter buy at the same price.