The Apple AirPods Max 2 will never require a second glance. This year’s iteration is basically stuffing the headphones with all the new software that landed in the AirPods Pro 3. They have Siri, Live Translation, head-based gestures, and more, along with some of the best noise-canceling on the market, deep bass, and shimmering highs. If you’re an iPhone owner with $549, there is just no reason to get another pair of over-ear headphones besides these.
What's Old Is New Again
I have the OG AirPods Max and yes, the two look exactly the same. They have the same milled aluminum casing, magnetic replaceable (and repairable) ear cups, the button and dial on the right ear cup, and the mesh headband (that Apple calls “the canopy”) that looks like a Herman Miller Aeron chair. Yes, they’re still two ounces heavier than every other headphone, but the canopy goes a long way towards making them feel lighter than they are.
And yes, they still come in the soft, magnetic, bra smart case. I understand why Apple uses this case. You can carry the headphones easily by just sliding the canopy onto your wrist; they’re easier to pull out of a bag. The canopy is tough enough to take whatever treatment you can dish out. I shoved the AirPods Max 2 into an overstuffed Wandrd Prvke Pocket ($245) and kicked it under airplane seats, and there’s no damage at all.
Photograph: Adrienne So
Still, the case is related to the one major downside of these headphones. There’s still no power off button, so the only way to turn the headphones off is by putting them into the case and carrying it around with you. The headphones go into low power mode if you leave them alone for 5 minutes, but mostly the battery is constantly, slowly draining. I put them on at 3 pm when I boarded my flight, kept them around my neck, pulled them on and off to watch movies or listen to music in between taking care of my kids. By the time I got home at 8 pm, the battery was down to 50 percent.
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