Apple's New AirPods Max 2 Headphones Are a Lazy Update

In a news post this morning, Apple quietly announced the long-awaited update to its popular AirPods Max headphones. Meet the AirPods Max 2: A subtle makeover that offers upgraded noise canceling, audio performance, and features, all in a seemingly identical frame for the same $549 price. They'll be available for order starting March 25, with shipping starting in April.

It's nice to (finally) see an update to Apple's increasingly stale flagship headphones, which have remained largely unchanged since their 2020 release, outside of a few upgrades like a USB-C charging port and lossless audio support. Apple says the Max 2's addition of the H2 chip (the same chip in the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3) provides noise canceling that's “1.5x more effective” than before, alongside a new amplifier for “cleaner sound” with improved spatial audio support.

The H2 also ...