Apple unveiled the AirPods Max 2 on Monday, the long-awaited successor to its premium headphones that launched in 2020, featuring enhanced active noise cancellation, live translation capabilities, and improved sound quality at $549.
The headphones will be available for preorder starting March 25 in midnight, starlight, orange, purple, and blue colors, and will be available early next month. Apple says the new headphones’ active noise cancellation is up to 1.5 times more effective than their predecessor. The Adaptive Audio feature lets the headphones automatically adjust the levels of ANC and Transparency based on the user’s surroundings to optimize the listening experience.
The company says Transparency mode is now more natural, thanks to a new digital signal-processing algorithm optimized for the H2 chip and the AirPods Max microphone array, so users can stay aware of their surroundings and the people around them. The headphones come with Live Translation, which helps users communicate across languages in person. They also feature voice isolation, which uses advanced computational audio to prioritize voices during calls and block out ambient noise.
Apple says the AirPods Max 2 has a new, high-dynamic-range amplifier for cleaner audio, and Spatial Audio is improved with better localization of instruments, enhanced bass response, and natural mids and highs. The headphones also support Camera Remote, a feature that lets users trigger the iPhone or iPad’s camera shutter from a distance by pressing the Digital Crown to take a photo or start and stop video recording.
Apple says the headphones’ Loud Sound Reduction feature helps protect users from loud environmental noise while preserving the sound signature of what they’re listening to. The mic allows interviewers, podcasters, singers, and other creators to capture content with higher-quality audio and more natural vocal texture. The AirPods Max 2 support 24-bit, 48 kHz lossless audio when used with the included USB-C cable and will be available in more than 30 countries and regions.
