AirPods Max 2

The AirPods Max 2 cost $549, exactly what the original pair cost in 2020, and brought Apple’s over-ear headphones up to date after more than five years without a proper replacement. The H2 chip did the work, taking over from the H1 that had been in there since the beginning.

Noise cancellation was the headline change, which Apple rated as up to one and a half times more effective than before. Transparency mode was reworked to sound more natural, and a new amplifier handled a wider range between the quietest and loudest parts of a track.

A set of features that had only ever been on the smaller AirPods arrived here at last. Live Translation, Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness and Voice Isolation were all introduced on the AirPods Max 2, along with Loud Sound Reduction, studio-quality voice recording, a camera shutter remote and the ability to answer Siri with a nod or a shake of the head.

Plugging the headphones in with the supplied USB-C cable gave lossless audio and head tracking for anyone editing music in Logic Pro. Wireless lag was cut down as well, which matters when playing games. The five colours carried over unchanged: midnight, starlight, orange, purple and blue.

It was announced on 16 March 2026 by press release rather than at an event. Orders opened on 25 March, while it reached customers and Apple Stores on 1 April, priced from $549.

Read about the AirPods Max 1st Generation with USB-C that came before.