AirPods Max 2

What H2 changes

AirPods Max 2 keeps the shell of AirPods Max 1 and changes the chip: H2 in each ear cup instead of H1, and Bluetooth 5.3 instead of 5.0. Apple says the noise cancelling is up to 1.5 times more effective than the previous generation’s. That’s Apple’s figure, and it’s the main thing you’re paying for.

Spec	AirPods Max 2	AirPods Max 1 (USB-C)
Chip	H2 in each cup	H1
Bluetooth	5.3	5.0
Adaptive Audio	Yes	No
Weight with cushions	386.2 g	386.2 g
Listening, noise cancelling on	Up to 20 hours	Up to 20 hours
Folds	No	No

H2 also runs Adaptive Audio and Conversation Awareness alongside Transparency, plus Voice Isolation, Personalized Volume, Loud Sound Reduction and, in beta, Live Translation. For the full side-by-side, see AirPods Max 1 (USB-C) vs AirPods Max 2.

The same 386.2 grams, and still no fold

Apple didn’t change the outside. AirPods Max 2 weighs 386.2 grams (13.6 ounces) with its memory-foam cushions under the knit-mesh canopy, and it measures 168.6 × 83.4 × 187.3 mm. It still doesn’t fold. It goes into the Smart Case whole, and the case, another 134.5 grams, holds it in an ultra-low-power state to save charge. Together that’s more than half a kilo in your bag.

The colors are Midnight, Starlight, Blue, Purple and Orange.

Battery and charging

Mode	AirPods Max 2
Listening, noise cancelling on	Up to 20 hours
5-minute charge	About 1.5 hours of listening
Stored in the Smart Case	Ultra-low-power state

The rating is the same as on AirPods Max 1, so battery life isn’t a reason to upgrade. It charges over USB-C.

Lossless audio over the USB-C cable

Plug in the included USB-C cable and AirPods Max 2 plays lossless audio with ultra-low latency at 24-bit, 48 kHz, Apple says. It’s a wired feature: the lossless path is the cable, not Bluetooth. Apple also lists studio-quality recording, and the Digital Crown works as a camera remote on iOS or iPadOS 26.4 or later.

Made for Apple devices

There’s no AirPods app to install. Settings live in iOS, iPadOS and macOS, and also in watchOS, tvOS and visionOS, and full features need the latest version of each. Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking uses a profile made with an iPhone’s TrueDepth camera, and it works with supported apps and content.

On older Apple software and on non-Apple devices, AirPods Max 2 works over Bluetooth with limited features.

Controls, calls and sensors

The Digital Crown sets the volume, plays and pauses, answers and mutes calls, skips tracks and brings up Siri when you press and hold it. A separate button switches listening modes. You can also say “Siri” or “Hey Siri”, and Siri Interactions work on supported software.

There are nine microphones: eight for noise cancelling and three for your voice, two of them doing both jobs. Each ear cup has optical, position and case-detect sensors and an accelerometer, and the left cup adds a gyroscope.

Price

AirPods Max 2 launched at $549 in the US. Orders opened on Wednesday, 25 March 2026, and Apple said deliveries and store availability would begin early the following month. Retail prices can drift from Apple’s, so check the current one before you buy.