00:00I have been really excited for AirPods Max 2 ever since I reviewed the OG pair in 2020.
00:07Kind of wild that that's five years ago already, but I digress.
00:10Here's the thing. I had a list, a clearly defined list, of things Apple could change to make these the
00:16absolute best wireless headphones out there.
00:19Make them lighter. They're too heavy. Give me an actual case.
00:24What is this? Battery life needs to be longer to keep up with the comparable Bose and Sony options.
00:30So naturally, I assumed Apple would address at least one of those.
00:35They didn't. Not one.
00:37Same weight, same case, same battery story.
00:41So what exactly did Apple upgrade?
00:43Because if they're asking me and asking you guys to spend $549 again, are they actually worth it?
00:56Let's start with a snapshot of AirPods Max 2 versus AirPods Max 1.
01:01Well, these are technically the USB-C update, but either way, I'll throw a comparison chart up on the screen.
01:05Pause to read.
01:07Looks-wise, these don't look different, like, at all.
01:11Same design, same vibe, still very much a status item.
01:15And I get it. Despite my concerns about the weight, I actually do love the look.
01:20I went with orange this time around. It feels right for this time of year.
01:24Plus, go Cuse.
01:25You have a really nice selection of neutrals and colors when you're shopping AirPods Max.
01:30But if I had to strip down to the most singular, most important upgrade, it's definitely the H2 chip.
01:36H2 is the brain in the AirPods.
01:39It first debuted on AirPods Pro 2 in 2022, but for some odd reason wasn't added to the AirPods Max
01:45USB-C upgrade that happened in 2024.
01:48Anyway, now it is here.
01:50And at a glance, here are the features now available on AirPods Max 2 through the H2 chip.
01:56If you've watched any of my AirPods Pro videos or are just more familiar with them generally, none of this
02:03is new.
02:03Just new to AirPods Max.
02:05Some of the more recent additions in the Apple ecosystem are camera gestures, live translation, and studio voice.
02:12Hi, where is the closest subway station?
02:17Let me show you how the microphones actually sound.
02:21I'm recording into voice memos on my iPhone.
02:24What do you think, if you're watching this?
02:26Let me know if you have any concerts on your schedule for this summer and who you're going to be
02:32seeing.
02:33Microphone improvements also mean better noise cancellation, up to 1.5 times better noise cancellation by Apple's measurements.
02:41That sounds impressive, but what does that actually mean?
02:45So hopefully you guys can hear it through the microphone, but we're playing some airplane simulation sounds out loud.
02:51I had to double check that we were actually doing that because I didn't hear them at first.
02:58It's significantly repressed, and that's without playing music.
03:01I'm going to put on some, let's see, some Gracie Abrams.
03:08The second I turned on my music, even at a low volume, I couldn't hear any ambient noise.
03:15Wow.
03:17That actually is a difference.
03:20Nothing.
03:24I can't tell the difference at all.
03:26That's really good.
03:28Okay.
03:28Okay.
03:28I might.
03:31I am impressed.
03:33Noise cancellation quality on AirPods Max 2 is definitely stronger, but not in a very dramatic way.
03:39It's a little smoother, a little more controlled.
03:41Look, they were already very effective noise-canceling headphones.
03:45Do I think the Bose QuietComfort Ultra are still better in that regard?
03:50Yeah, but the gap has shrunk.
03:53How about transparency?
03:54I think anyone who's tested the OGs can agree the transparency always felt a little slightly artificial, is the best
04:01way to put it,
04:02especially if you were comparing it next to the AirPods Pro.
04:05But this is one of the better improvements for AirPods Max 2.
04:09Finally, let's talk sound quality.
04:11This is where the AirPods Max have always been really strong, really easy to recommend.
04:15One of those things with not that much room for improvement, or so I thought.
04:20I've been listening to a lot of artists with super distinct voices.
04:23Thank Billie Eilish, Kacey Musgraves, Bowie, Joni Mitchell.
04:27And what I like about these headphones is that they don't flatten any of their distinct voices out.
04:31They actually let those little textures come through.
04:34So yeah, I'd say vocals, still very much the star of the AirPods Max show.
04:39Bass is also improved.
04:41It's still not punchy in the face space.
04:43It's more like if it disappeared, you'd definitely notice it's not there, but it never overwhelms anything.
04:49It's controlled, it's balanced, it's very Apple if you think about it.
04:53Also, small but important, you can now get lossless audio with USB-C.
04:58Let's be real, most people probably aren't going to use it,
05:01but if you care about that stuff or want to tread into high-def listening, it's at your disposal.
05:08Here's my honest take.
05:09When it comes to AirPods Max 2, you're not just paying for sound quality.
05:13You're paying for the Apple ecosystem, the design, and yeah, the status a little bit too.
05:19I'm just as guilty of caring about that type of thing from a lifestyle perspective.
05:23And if that matters to you, you will probably love these.
05:26Because at the end of the day, these are still what they've always been.
05:30Really good headphones from both an aesthetic and sound perspective.
05:34At least now you get all of the latest features from Apple,
05:37and it's even likely that more features will be enabled via software updates as early as this fall.
05:44But I'll say this.
05:45I really do not think that anyone should pay full price for any pair of AirPods ever.
05:51They go on sale a lot.
05:53Amazon, Target, it might be a minute depending on when you're watching this video for AirPods Max 2,
05:59but either way, I'll link them in the description.
06:01Maybe you'll get lucky and catch them at a time they're discounted.
06:04I'd say Prime Day and Black Friday slash Cyber Monday
06:08will be the moments to look for those first AirPods Max 2 sales.
06:12And if you're looking for a new pair of wireless over-ear noise-canceling headphones right now,
06:18may I suggest the Sony WH-1000XM6 as my top AirPods Max 2 alternative.
06:25Always one of the top picks here at Tom's Guide.
06:27Recently launched in this subtle new sand pink color.
06:30It has 30 hours of battery life, first 20 on AirPods Max 2,
06:33and you can usually find them for about $400 new, so I'll link them below.
06:38If you guys like this video, be sure to hit that thumbs up button and subscribe
06:42so you don't miss the next tech review here on the channel.
06:45Let me know if you'd want to see a comparison of AirPods Max 2 against any other headphones,
06:50but otherwise, that's it for me for this video.
06:53Thanks for watching. I'll catch you next time.
07:06So is it not playing?
07:08What?
