It took Apple more than five years to give the AirPods Max a proper second generation, and the result is a curious mix of the familiar and the significantly improved.
The AirPods Max 2 look almost exactly like their predecessor, retaining the aluminium-and-steel construction, mesh canopy and the wonderfully tactile Digital Crown that made the original distinctive.
So, what sets the second generation apart?
The biggest change is the H2 chip, replacing the H1 hardware in the original and finally bringing the Max up to speed with the rest of Apple’s recent AirPods lineup.
There’s also 24-bit/48kHz lossless audio over USB-C, making the Max 2 considerably more interesting for serious listening and content creation.
It took Apple more than five years to give the AirPods Max a proper second generation, and the result is a curious mix of the familiar and the significantly improved. The AirPods Max 2 look almost exactly like their predecessor, retaining the aluminium-and-steel construction, mesh canopy and the wonderfully tactile Digital Crown that made the original distinctive. So, what sets the second generation apart?
Quite a lot, as it turns out. The biggest change is the H2 chip, replacing the H1 hardware in the original and finally bringing the Max up to speed with the rest of Apple’s recent AirPods lineup. The difference is noticeable - active noise cancellation is noticeably stronger, with Apple claiming up to 1.5x the ANC performance of the first generation. Transparency Mode is more natural too, while Adaptive Audio can intelligently blend the two depending on what’s happening around you. The sound gets a welcome bump as well. The 40mm drivers remain, but a new high-dynamic-range amplifier and improved computational audio processing deliver cleaner separation, richer bass and more detailed mids and highs. There’s also 24-bit/48kHz lossless audio over USB-C, making the Max 2 considerably more interesting for serious listening and content creation. Plus, the head-tracked Spatial Audio also sounds more convincing, particularly with movies and TV.
