I’ve got a pair of AirPods Max and have had them for a while. As much as I love them, I can’t ignore the fact that AirPods Max have been a little neglected. We were teased with a second-gen version in 2024, but it was just a colour refresh.
Now, finally Apple is upgrading AirPods Max. In fact its the biggest-ever (and arguably first) major upgrade to the top headphones. And the best part? You can get it completely for free.
Lossless audio and ultra-low latency are finally landing on AirPods Max. Apple is unlocking the potential of its over-ear cans with the iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4 and macOS Sequoia 15.4 software updates coming in April. Lossless audio was promised to us years ago, but Apple has seemingly remembered these headphones exist and is finally delivering.
But this new feature set appears to be exclusive to the USB-C version of the AirPods Max. If you’re still rocking the original Lightning model, you’re probably out of luck. To make full use of lossless audio and ultra-low latency, you’ll need to plug in via USB-C.
Naturally, Apple is also launching a new USB-C to 3.5mm cable. It’s $39/£39 if you fancy tapping into the future of audio. You’ll also be able to use the same cable to connect your iPhone or iPad to a car stereo or speakers with a 3.5mm jack.
So what does this actually mean? You’ll finally be able to listen to 24-bit, 48 kHz lossless audio on AirPods Max. Yes, proper lossless audio. Apple says it’ll even work with Personalised Spatial Audio. Plus, for the musicians out there, AirPods Max will become the only headphones that let you create and mix in Personalised Spatial Audio with head tracking. Apple claims that ultra-low latency will give you instant feedback, putting the response time on par with Mac, iPad and iPhone speakers.
The AirPods Max update is rolling out in April alongside iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4 and macOS Sequoia 15.4. If you’ve got the USB-C model, this upgrade is free. Except for the cable that is. And let’s hold out some hope for the Lightning version.
