Apple Is Quietly Giving Your AirPods an Unexpected Hi-Fi Upgrade

This may finally be why you upgrade to Apple’s newest wireless cans.

Published March 24, 2025

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When Apple announced the “new” AirPods Max this past fall, it fell pretty flat — mostly because they were identical to Apple’s original over-ear noise-canceling headphones released in 2020.

Apple swapped out the Lightning port in favor of USB-C and introduced some new colors, but that’s really it. There was no compelling reason for anybody with the original AirPods Max to update to the new models.

Well, that may have just changed.

A lossless upgrade

Today, Apple announced that it would be rolling out a firmware update to the AirPods Max (USB-C), allowing them to lossless-quality audio (up to 24-bit/48kHz) when using a wired connection.

In today’s press release, Apple wrote: “With the included USB-C cable, users can enjoy the highest-quality audio across music, movies, and games, while music creators can experience significant enhancements to songwriting, beat making, production, and mixing.”

Apple says that the new lossless audio will be supported when using Personalized Spatial Audio, which is a spatial audio mode that is specifically tailored for your ears.

If you’re a gamer, vlogger or musician, the firmware update will also deliver “ultra-low latency audio” to the AirPods Max (USB-C). Apple says this “significantly lowers lag time, and is on par with the native built-in speakers on Mac, iPad, and iPhone.”

USB-C over Lightning

This is a big deal for two reasons.

First, it brings back a feature. Apple actually removed support for wired audio playback when it switched to USB-C—yes, the original AirPods Max can play audio over Lightning.

Second, it’s easier to listen to better audio. As The Verge pointed out, the original AirPods Max couldn’t play lossless audio “because of a signal conversion that occurs whenever a wired input is used.”

You can listen to lossless audio on the AirPods Max when using its USB-C to USB-C cable.

If you want to listen to more traditional sources, you can buy a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter, or Apple now sells a USB-C to 3.5mm braided cable for $39. However, neither unlocks the same lossless quality from the AirPods Max.

When’s it coming?

The firmware update that brings lossless audio and ultra-low latency audio to the AirPods Max (USB-C) when using a wired connection will be rolled out “in April” alongside the release of iOS 18.4.

Apple currently sells the AirPods Max (USB-C) for $549. They are available in five colors: midnight, starlight, blue, purple and orange.

To learn more about lossless audio support on the AirPods Max, check out the company’s press release.