Apple Announces $549 AirPods Max 2 With New Intelligent Features and Better Noise Cancellation

After launching the iPhone 17E, the MacBook Neo, and other new products on March 11, Apple is following up today with another product announcement, the new AirPods Max 2. The most expensive model in the AirPods family is being upgraded with better active noise cancellation, enhanced sound quality, and new intelligent features previously added to the AirPods Pro line.

Apple last refreshed the AirPods Max in September 2024, adding a USB-C port to replace its proprietary Lightning port. Last year, a new firmware update added support for lossless audio and ultra-low latency on the AirPods Max with USB-C.

The combination of new audio algorithms and Apple’s latest H2 chip, which handles Bluetooth and audio processing, will deliver up to 1.5x more effective active noise cancellation on the AirPods Max 2 compared to the previous generation, the company said today. The AirPods Max 2 also feature a new high dynamic range amplifier to improve audio quality, and they support 24-bit, 48 kHz lossless audio over a USB-C connection, just like the previous model with USB-C.

The AirPods Max 2 offer a camera remote feature, allowing users to press the Digital Crown to take a photo and start or stop video recording. Siri interactions are also available, letting users privately respond to Siri by nodding their head to say yes and shaking it to say no.

The same intelligent features already available on the AirPods Pro line are now available on the AirPods Max 2 with its new H2 chip: That includes Live Translation, Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness, Voice Isolation, Loud Sound Reduction, and Personalized Volume. “With a new digital signal processing algorithm optimized for H2 and the microphone array on AirPods Max, Transparency sounds even more natural so users can stay aware of their environment and those around them,” Apple said today.

The $549 AirPods Max 2 will be available for pre-order on March 25, and they will start shipping early next month. The new premium headphones are available in midnight, starlight, orange, purple, and blue colors.