Apple has unveiled its second-generation AirPods Max – the most expensive pair of headphones in its lineup.
AirPods Max 2 arrives with improved Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) to quash unwanted background sounds so you can listen at lower volumes on flights, trains, and busy offices. According to Apple, AirPods Max 2 wearers can expect 1.5x better results than the previous generation, which have now been discontinued.
Equipped with a custom-designed H2 system-on-a-chip, AirPods Max boast some of the most useful features baked into Apple's wireless earbuds, like AirPods Pro 3, for the first time. That means you'll be able to use Adaptive Audio – a one-size-fits-all mode that blends Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency Mode to automatically adjust the level of noise you hear in your headphones based on the environment around you. For example, if you're passing road works, the AirPods Max 2 will automatically increase the level of ANC without increasing the volume.
From the outside, little seems to have changed with the design of the AirPods Max 2. But tucked inside these refreshed over-ear headphones is the H2 system-on-a-chip that unlocks several new features
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The addition of the H2 chipset also unlocks:
- Conversation Awareness — this will automatically lower the ANC when it detects you're speaking, so you can quickly order a coffee or talk to cabin crew without removing your headphones
- Voice Isolation — strips out any distracting background sounds during calls, voice notes, and FaceTime
- Live Translation — this feature was added to AirPods last summer and translates conversations in real-time across nine different languages like having your own personal interpreter
Similar to the in-ear AirPods, you can remotely trigger the camera shutter on your iPhone with a tap on the Digital Crown to take a photo and start or stop video recording from a distance. This is handy if you're planning on using the studio-quality microphones built into the earcups to record better sound quality.
AirPods Max 2 arrive in a choice of Midnight, Starlight, Orange, Purple, or Blue. You'll be able to preorder these new over-ear headphones for £499 from March 25, 2026.
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AirPods Max 2 ship in a choice of Midnight, Starlight, Orange, Purple, or Blue
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Eric Treski, Apple Director of Audio Product Marketing, said: "With the incredible performance of H2, AirPods Max are upgraded with up to 1.5x more effective ANC for the ultimate all-day listening experience. The sound quality is remarkably clean, rich, and acoustically detailed — and when combined with capabilities like Personalised Spatial Audio, AirPods Max 2 deliver a profoundly immersive experience."
If you've never tried Apple Music before, you'll unlock a three-month subscription for free with the purchase of AirPods Max 2.
The arrival of these new noise-cancelling headphones follows a packed few weeks for Apple fans, with the arrival of a supercharged new MacBook Air, new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, an affordable new addition to the iPhone 17 lineup, and the cheapest MacBook ever produced by the Californian firm.
Ahead of the launch, GBN Tech had a chance to test out the MacBook Neo. You can read our initial impressions of this colourful £599 laptop in our first look article.