Jason Hiner/ZDNET
Key takeaways
The ability to switch quickly and seamlessly across an unlimited number of Apple devices is still the best feature of the AirPods Max.
The low-latency upgrade in iOS 18.4 makes the AirPods Max a lot more viable for professional multimedia producers (and gamers) when using a wired connection.
Comfort, battery life, and audio quality match high-end competitors from Sony, Bose, and others.
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Even with their imperfections and elevated price tag ($549), I have to admit that the AirPods Max are a product that I love to use every day. What they do best -- pairing quickly and working seamlessly across my phone, laptop, desktop, and tablet -- is the thing that makes me prefer the AirPods Max to all other over-the-ear headphones.
But one of the things you couldn't traditionally do with the AirPods Max was use them for professional audio and video production, because of the latency issues with Bluetooth and the lack of an effective wired option. Apple fixed that in the spring of 2025 with the release of iOS 18.4, which brought a key software upgrade to the 2024 USB-C model of AirPods Max.
AirPods Max get pro audio
While the 2024 relaunch of AirPods Max was relatively disappointing since it only brought new USB-C connectivity and new color options, the spring 2025 software update for Apple's over-the-ear headphones brought long-awaited professional upgrades that landed in iOS 18.4, as well as iPadOS 18.4 and MacOS Sequoia 15.4.
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