Ian LeCheminant

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ianlecheminant

Air Pods Max 2 Available For Pre Order

AirPods Max 2 get a long overdue update with the H2 chip adding features that have been available in the much more affordable and now discontinued AirPods Pro 2 since September 2023. But better late than never, I guess…

The AirPods Max 2 are an interesting and very niche product. In much the same way as their previous releases with the original 2020 debut release of AirPods Max and last year’s 2025 AirPods Max USB-C refresh. Which left many long time users in an awkward position, $549.00 headphones which lacked the latest cutting edge features of the much more affordable AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation including, Conversation Awareness, Voice Isolation, and Personalized Volume.

These H2 chip powered features are now included in the AirPods Max 2. As well as a new AirPods Max 2 exclusive feature, Digital Crown Camera Control.

It is great that the AirPods Max 2 finally received this updated feature set to bring them in line the popular AirPods 4 with ANC and AirPods Pro 3.

Having said all that should you pre order a pair?

Probably not…

However tempting they may be, most casual users and audio professionals should avoid spending the $549 on them. If you have $549 to spend on your current tech setup there are other ways to better utilize those funds.

Some examples could include:

Mac Storage Or RAM 🐏 Upgrade On A New Mac

SSD storage upgrade on a new MacBook Pro

  • M5 Pro 1TB SSD base -> upgraded to 2TB SSD + $400
  • M5 Max 2TB SSD base -> upgraded to 4TB SSD +$600

RAM 🐏 upgrade on a new MacBook Pro

  • M5 Pro 24GB of RAM🐏 base -> upgraded to 48GB of RAM🐏 + $400
  • M5 Max 48GB of RAM🐏 base -> upgraded to 64GB of RAM🐏 +200

SSD storage upgrade on a new Mac Studio

  • Which you actually shouldn’t buy new currently as it was last updated this time a year ago.
  • M4 Max 512 SSD base -> upgraded to 1TB SSD + $200
  • M3 Ultra 1TB SSD base -> upgraded to 2TB SSD +$400

RAM 🐏 upgrade on a new Mac Studio

  • M4 Max 48GB of RAM🐏 base -> upgraded to 64GB of RAM🐏 +200
  • M3 Ultra 96GB of RAM🐏 base -> upgraded to 256GB of RAM🐏 + $2000
    • Sidebar if you can easily afford the $2000 RAM🐏 upgrade on a mac studio you’re probably a corporate buyer or a small business owner who is doing well, go a head in throw in the AirPods Max 2 with the order, you obviously have cash on hand to spend.
    • Be sure to check out the newly launched Apple Business Platform while you’re at it.

iPhone

iPads

MacBooks

Apple Watch

AirPods

Home Products

Accessories

As a Logic Pro power user, writer, and tech support services vendor, I’ve considered purchasing the previously released AirPods Max USB-C many times in the recent past and my initial reaction to this week’s newly announced AirPods Max 2 was no different. Is now the time to splurge and pick them up? Invest in my Apple based audio workflow and lifestyle? Maybe??

If you have the extra funds on hand, they are a fun and useful gadget, no question.

The headphones do sound and feel great overall, I can’t lie, however the cost is so high that it makes one pause and think about whether the investment is really worth it? They are also very heavy on the head when compared to other studio headphones. I can imagine them getting taxing during long music production sessions. Not to mention the infamous form over function smart case.

This past weekend I listened to John Powell’s live action How To Train You Dragon Score in store on the headphones, last year’s USB-C model, Forbidden Friendship and Test Drive sounded larger than life playing back in Spatial Audio via Dolby Atmos. The bustling noise of the Apple Store faded away as I was emerged in the soaring score. Impressive.

The limitation of lossless audio over USB-C is also a huge detractor, you cannot drive these headphones with an RME, Apogee, or any third party audio interface and monitor lossless audio via the headphone outputs of said interfaces. Per Apple’s Technical Support Page: About lossless audio in Apple Music:

The Lightning to 3.5 mm Audio Cable and USB-C to 3.5 mm Audio Cable are designed to allow AirPods Max to connect to analog sources. AirPods Max can be connected to devices playing Lossless and Hi-Res Lossless recordings with exceptional audio quality. However, given the analog-to-digital conversion in the cable, the playback will not be completely lossless.

The headphones certainly have their place as a tool in some professional music production workflows. They are a luxury, a nice to have, but are not an essential tool to have in order to get good client facing work done for the vast majority of composers and music producers during day to day operations.

The only exception to this is perhaps if you are delivering music mix directly to Apple Music in Dolby Atmos for Apple device Spatial Audio playback regularly, then maybe this purchase makes sense.

Other studio grade headphones can also be used with Dolby Atmos Renderer and binaural render modes in Logic Pro for Mac.

I have not yet been able to get myself to justify an AirPods Max USB-C purchase. This was mostly due to the omitted features outlined above when compared to the latest generation AirPods Pro release.

This week’s product refresh release changes that consideration. However parting with $549 for headphones that only support lossless audio over USB-C is a hard sell. So I will hold off for now…

If you must have them look for sales from third-party retailers like Best Buy, Target, and Amazon. They often go on sale somewhere between $25 to $100 off.

So who are these headphones for?

Simply put they are for people who want “The Best“.

Quoting from John Gruber’s review of AirPods Max generation one:

BOTTOM LINE: AirPods Max sound great and they’re very well-made, but their premium audio and build quality come at the expense of making them quite heavy, and, well, quite expensive. If you think any wireless headphones could be worth $550, these might be them.

Logic Pro Users working in Dolby Atmos And Spatial Audio

  • Note that AirPods Max USB-C and 2 headphones only support lossless audio over a direct USB-C connection. The AirPods Max become your Audio Output Device within Logic Pro, meaning that if you need to switch between the AirPods Max headphones and your speakers you’ll have to reload the entire project, and/or close the project, change audio output devices within Logic Pros settings, to the audio interface connected to your main speakers for example, and then reopen and reload the project to monitor it’s output on your speakers.
  • Via Why Logic Pro Rules:
    • The AirPods Max are now the only headphones in Apple’s lineup that allow you to enjoy cabled, low-latency audio to:
    • Create and mix with personalized spatial audio
    • Utilize head tracking for immersive positioning
    • Record audio in real-time
    • Experience high audio fidelity (24-bit/48kHz) without lossy compression

Music Producers wanting to learn more about delivering Dolby Atmos mixes to Apple Music for Apple Spatial Audio Playback

Creating music in Spatial Audio takes a high caliber of dedication, and Apple Music acknowledges these efforts. Spatial Audio content receives a greater share of sound-recording royalties on Apple Music than content not available in Spatial Audio, by a rate of up to 10%.*
We believe artists should be compensated for the time and investment they put into mixing in Spatial Audio. Whether you’re an independent artist using Logic Pro to mix and and render music or you’re signed to a label and mixing in one of the 1000+ Dolby studios across the globe, your music has the opportunity to get a higher royalty rate on Apple Music if it is delivered to us in Spatial Audio.

* Spatial Audio-available content streams are defined as any stream of content that is available in Spatial Audio, regardless of whether the listening device supports Spatial Audio.

This economic incentive is why so many of your favorite records are now available in “Atmos” even if they were not recorded and/or produced in “Atmos” natively at the time of recording and producing the album. The supposed sonic benefits or improved listener experience of these remixes and remasters of classic recordings is questionable at best. But that’s a topic for another blog post.

For music producers wanting a commonly used and widely available consumer headphone to reference their mixes on, an AirPods Pro 3 purchase is the more economical and practical choice. This is due to the prevalence and popularity of these earbuds among the masses. Chances are some of your fans will only ever hear your mix on a pair of AirPods or AirPods Pro.

IN CONCLUSION

Unless you’re an audio professional, a die hard music consumer or an Apple fan boy to the max, pun intended, if you have $549 to burn, essentially $600, you should pickup the following Apple Products before the AirPods Max 2. Assuming you don’t already own them.

Note: Prices are based on today’s Apple retail prices, all are subject to change.

Combinations provided by Claude Pro using the product links and descriptions listed above.

Combination 1: “The Creator’s Starter Kit”

  • iPad (11th gen) – $349
  • Apple Pencil (USB-C) – $79
  • AirPods 4 with ANC – $179

Total: $607

Perfect for students, designers, or anyone getting into digital art/note-taking.

Combination 2: “The Audio Enthusiast”

  • AirPods Pro 3 – $249
  • HomePod (2nd gen) – $299
  • AirTag (1-pack) – $29

Total: $577

Great for someone building out their Apple audio ecosystem at home and on the go.

Combination 3: “The Fitness Tracker”

  • Apple Watch Series 11 (42mm GPS) – $399
  • AirPods 4 with ANC – $179
  • AirTag (1-pack) – $29

Total: $607

Ideal for someone focused on health/fitness who wants workout-ready audio.

There are many other Bluetooth over ear headphones for much less money that will easily satisfy the needs of most users.

AirPods Max 2 Alternatives

Source: The Verge – Best Amazon Big Spring Sale Early Deals 2026

Sonos Ace

  • MSRP: $399
  • Features: Premium build, active noise cancellation, Sonos Arc/soundbar compatibility
  • The Verge Review: Read review

Beats Studio Pro

  • MSRP: $349.99
  • Features: Improved ANC, lossless audio over USB-C (first Apple headphones with this feature), iOS and Android support
  • The Verge Review: Read review

Beats Studio Buds Plus

  • MSRP: $169.95
  • Features: Translucent design options, 4 swappable ear tips, 9-hour battery life, IPX4 water resistance, platform-agnostic
  • The Verge Review: Read review

Beats Solo 4

  • MSRP: $199.99
  • Features: No ANC, lossless playback over USB-C/3.5mm, spatial audio, 50-hour battery life, platform-agnostic
  • The Verge Review: Read review

AirPods Pro 3

  • MSRP: $249.99
  • Features: Improved fit, superior noise cancellation, better bass, heart rate sensors
  • The Verge Review: Read review

ANOTHER WAY TO EXPERIENCE LOSSLESS AUDIO ON APPLE DEVICES

Another way to get 48k 24bit lossless audio on iPhone, iPads, and Macs is to get a dongle, a pair of audio professional headphones, and a compatible device. All without the need for a dedicated DAC or Audio Interface.

Dongles

Wired Headphones For Professional Music Production

Apple Support Pages

AirPods Max 2 are sure to be a hit, even though you probably shouldn’t spend $549 on them. However, I wouldn’t blame you if you did. Who knows, I might eventually one day…

AirPods Max 2 System Requirements

  • iPhone models with the latest version of iOS
  • iPad models with the latest version of iPadOS
  • Apple Watch models with the latest version of watchOS
  • Mac models with the latest version of macOS
  • Apple TV models with the latest version of tvOS
  • Apple Vision Pro with the latest version of visionOS
  • AirPods can be used as wireless Bluetooth headphones with Apple devices using earlier software and with non-Apple devices, but functionality may be limited.

READ MORE

MUSIC LISTENED TO WHILE WRITING THIS POST

Dodie – Human

Paramore – Live At Bonnaroo Music Festival 2023 (Full Concert HD)

LINKS AND THINGS

If you enjoyed the post and found it to be useful, consider supporting. Entirely optional, and appreciated. Thanks for your support!

Written on MacBook Pro and iPad Pro using Drafts Pro and Obsidian in Markdown.

Disclosures: Ian LeCheminant is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, he may receive a small commission.

Image Credits: (Apple Newsroom)

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