GoKawiilI have avoided the AirPods Max since their original release in 2020. I could never justify the $550 price tag, especially when the AirPods Pro line was much cheaper, offered more features, and had a more convenient form factor. I knew there was a target customer for these high-end headphones, but at the time, it wasn’t me. Then Apple dropped the true successor to the Gen 1 AirPods Max and added a lot of the features and internal hardware that the AirPods Pro 3 received earlier in 2025. So I decided to pick up a pair, and while the AirPods Max 2 are objectively great headphones, what it truly did was show me just how incredible the AirPods Pro 3 are. Let me explain.
Be sure to check out my hands-on review and comparison with both of these. I think seeing my reaction on video will be all you need.
This update to the new AirPods Max 2 was all about bringing the specs up to 2026 standards and catching up with its little sibling, the AirPods Pro 3. The Max 2 and the Pro 3 now both have:
H2 chip
Active Noise Cancellation + Transparency Mode
Voice Isolation
Adaptive Audio
Loud Noise Reduction
Conversational Awareness
Personalized Spatial Audio
... continue reading