GoKawiilApple has announced the AirPods Max 2, finally updating its premium headphones with the improved H2 chip that enables better noise cancelling, audio quality and voice isolation when you're talking on a call or recording audio. The news certainly grabbed my attention, because my 5-year-old original AirPods Max have been mysteriously failing lately.
But until the new model ships -- preorders for the $549 headphones begin March 25 and they're expected to start arriving in early April -- I discovered an unlikely trick to extend the life of older pairs: put them in the freezer. Really.
The three amber lights of death
I bought my AirPods Max in 2021 and have used them nearly every day since. After becoming increasingly frustrated with other Bluetooth headphones that required manual connection to different devices, I felt justified in spending $500 on headphones that, for the most part, work as intended. Plus, the over-ear design is more comfortable for me during long stretches than having AirPods Pro jammed into my ear canals.
Lately, however, my AirPods Max have had some issues, requiring a reboot to activate. That involves holding the noise-control button and the Digital Crown for several seconds until the indicator light blinks amber. (Dear heavens, Apple, why couldn't you include a simple on/off switch?)
To restart AirPods Max, hold the Digital Crown and the mode button for several seconds. Jeff Carlson/CNET
Then, one day, that button-press ritual no longer worked.
Time for the headphone nuclear option: factory reset. That involves the same button press combination, but for around 15 seconds, at which point the light should blink amber once and then white.
There was no white. Instead, the light blinked amber three times and went dark.
Online searching revealed mentions of the "three amber lights of death," and a bizarre fix that made me think AI had hallucinated a result: Put them in the freezer for 30 minutes or longer.
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