AirPods Max 2: Obviously good, near-impossible to recommend

Powered by Apple’s latest H2 chip, the AirPods Max 2 headphones arrived in 2026 to a more competitive market than ever. Apple originally raised eyebrows with its high $549/£499 price tag for the original AirPods Max in 2020, but the gamble paid off – it turned out consumers were willing to pay more for great sound.

But six years is a long time in the world of the best Bluetooth headphones. Now, rivals like Sennheiser, Bose and Sony all offer premium over-ear cans at competitive prices. The AirPods Max 2 arrives at the exact same price as its predecessor, which is effectively a discount in real terms, but feels arguably even higher when there’s so much competition.

So, the AirPods Max 2 will have to do something special to justify a recommendation. Does it?

Ehhhh, not really.

Sound profile

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I would have been very surprised if the sound of the Airpods Max 2 were anything other than excellent, and reader: I was not surprised. The overall balance of sound you get from these headphones feels smooth and well-judged, with a pleasing balance of tones across the range. Nothing seems over-emphasised, nor does anything get particularly lost. This is good news, since the lack of any headphones-specific EQ control means that the stock sound is the one you’re going to be working with.

Midtones have plenty of space around them, delivering impressive clarity and distinction between sounds. I particularly like the way the AirPods Max 2 handles vocals – they just cut through so well. On an album where the voice is the undisputed star, like CMAT’s ‘EURO-COUNTRY’, the AirPods really deliver, allowing you to experience every detail of her astonishing vocal power and range. The surrounding instruments are crisp and well-defined, and have punch where it counts – I also put the AirPods Max 2 through the paces of the old classic ‘Silent Alarm’ by Bloc Party, and those drum hits were as punchy and taut as they needed to be.

Bass is present enough to be discerned, but comes off as decidedly mild. Compared to big-bass-from-the-box cans like the Sony WH-1000XM6 or Bose QuietComfort Ultra, the AirPods Max 2 are definitely a gentler listen as far as the low end is concerned. This isn’t to say that bass is weak – like cans I’ve reviewed before for CB, I put the AirPods Max 2 through The Chain Test (which you can probably guess is the test where you listen to Fleetwood Mac’s ‘The Chain’ and have a fantastic time doing it) – and at John McVie’s showstopping moment, I had all the low-end power I wanted.

At the high-end, treble sounds are a similar story to the bass. They’re there, and they come forward when they need to, but they aren’t very showy, and again, high-end rival headphones like the Sennheiser HDB 630 have a bit more crispness to the high frequencies, a bit more insistence. Once again, it makes for easy listening, but you may find that some of your tracks are just that tiny bit lacking in high-end sparkle.

One thing to bear in mind is that, like the original AirPods Max, these headphones don’t support high-res audio. Their Bluetooth codecs are SBC and AAC – no LDAC or aptX to speak of. And while you can listen wired via USB-C, there’s no 3.5mm connection option.

Features

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Given that it was Apple who coined the mantra ‘it just works’, it comes as no surprise that using the AirPods Max 2 is an extremely smooth and polished experience from the moment you open the box. Connecting it to your corresponding Apple device is the work of seconds, and they’ll even work with Android Bluetooth devices, albeit somewhat begrudgingly – certain features, like automatic pausing when you remove the headphones, will only work when you’re connected to an Apple device.

I won’t belabor this point too much, since it is difficult to imagine a committed Android user buying the AirPods Max 2 anyway. The key point is, if you’re someone like me with a byzantine, multi-platform device ecosystem (I have an Apple computer and an Android phone – don’t ask), the AirPods Max 2 will work across the whole lot.

Active Noise Canceling is once again present, and excellent. It provides a lovely, comfy cushion against the outside world without any unwanted hiss or an impact on the sound. I used these headphones on the most clattering lines of the London Underground (oh, Central Line, how I despise you) and at home while calls were happening in the background, and was able to sink blissfully into my tunes with minimal distraction.

I’d say that the ANC on Bose and Sony’s flagship headphones is a little more world-shunning, but honestly at this level I don’t think the difference is enough to make a fuss about. If you want excellent ANC, it’s here. And if needed, a tap of the noise-control button will activate a very effective transparency mode. Call quality is also very good at both ends – neither my call partners nor I had any complaints.

I must say, though: just 20 hours’ battery life is a poor show. Sure, it’ll get you through a few commutes, and charging is very quick if you wake up and realise the headphones are dead – a few minutes is enough to net you a few hours’ listening. But come on. Sennheiser’s Momentum 4 headphones will do you at least 40 hours of listening from a full charge. Every major rival on the market does better. At this price, it’s not good enough.

Using the AirPods Max with an iOS device nets you a few extra features, such as Adaptive Audio which tweaks the ANC according to the noise level around you, and Adaptive EQ, which is supposedly the secret sauce behind that lovely smooth stock sound, constantly tweaking and adapting the mix according to the fit and the shape of the wearer’s ears. I listened to the same track through an Apple device and then an Android, and I did notice the difference – the latter sounded perceptibly flatter. Another on the pile of reasons why Android users should not bother. But again, you knew that.

Value

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Things get a bit tricky here. The AirPods Max 2 comes at a chunky asking price of $549 / £499. That is pricier than even the sublime, superb Sennheiser HDB 630, one of the best-sounding pair of cans I’ve ever experienced – and I can’t say that the smoothness of connecting the AirPods Max to my Mac Mini was enough of a difference to warrant forking out an extra $150.

The construction of the AirPods Max 2 is beautiful. This absolutely feels like a premium pair of headphones with all its anodised aluminium – I’ll talk about this in the next section. But I can’t really say that a premium feel is worth such a chunky asking price, especially with the glaring omissions and the keen competition. These headphones are not good value, even for a die hard Apple fan.

Comfort & build

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The design of the AirPods Max 2 is as smooth, sleek and slick as you like. The cups are constructed from anodised aluminium, and while this makes them considerably heavier than other headphones, it also makes them feel a lot more premium. I never found the weight to be a problem. The earcups are well-sized for long-term listening, and the level of clamping force exerted to me feels just right.

We do have to talk about the case. Though ‘case’ isn’t really accurate – it’s barely a sleeve. It’s a glorified leather-like bra that barely covers the earcups and doesn't cover the mesh headband. A baffling choice for a non-weatherproof pair of headphones, providing no protection at all if you want to keep the AirPods Max 2 in your bag with other things. Bad.

If it weren’t for the case’s one key function – putting the headphones in the case is the only way to properly turn them off – I’d say you’re better off junking them and buying a third-party option. Though that is a bitter chaser when you’ve already shotted the initial asking price.

Should you buy?

No.

I’m not trying to be a hater. But unless you’re just completely in love with Apple’s aesthetic, and cannot handle even a second’s potential friction between your iPhone and its accessories, you can get so much better value for money almost anywhere else. Sennheiser’s Momentum 4 is fully half the price of the AirPods Max 2, and gives you a great sound for twice as long before the battery dies (and it has EQ!)

Sennheiser’s HDB 630 is still somehow cheaper, and offers expansive audiophile-friendly options like wired listening, parametric EQ and support for high-res codecs. Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra is, unsurprisingly, quieter (in ANC terms) and more comfortable. It's also way lighter and more comfortable.

Look, this is obviously an excellent pair of headphones in some ways, which is why it still gets three stars out of five. But try as I might, I can’t construct a hypothetical user for whom the AirPods Max 2 represents the best choice, beyond ‘rabid Apple fan who needs absolutely all their peripherals to match’. And if that’s you, you probably already own the AirPods Max 2.

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