The AirPods Max Have Never Sounded So Good. But That’s Only Half the Story

It’s hard to beat the AirPods Max.

They’re elite in terms of sound quality and the effectiveness of their ANC and transparency modes. Throw in how well they work with all your Apple devices, and they’re easy to recommend — assuming, of course, that price isn’t a barrier. The going rate for a pair is $549, before discounts from secondhand retailers.

But when the updated AirPods Max came out past fall, they were so similar to the four-year-old models that even loyal listeners had little reason to upgrade. Other than some new colors and a new USB-C port to replace Lightning, they were largely the same headphones that released in 2020.

What’s more, Apple even took away a key feature — the ability to play wired audio with the included cable — upsetting many hi-fi enthusiasts who still use old-school players without Bluetooth.

Fast-forward half a year and Apple has remedied the issue and then some.

Thanks to a firmware update (and new audio cable), Apple has made the USB-C AirPods Max a more compelling buy for everyone, not just hi-fi enthusiasts.

Photo by Tucker Bowe for Gear Patrol

24-bit audio, unlocked

The firmware update — version 7E101 — unlocks two key features: lossless audio and ultra-low latency when using the AirPods Max with the included USB-C cable.

The lossless audio is the most straightforward to explain. When used as wired headphones, the AirPods Max support audio up to 24-bit/48kHz, which is significantly higher fidelity than they previously could achieve over Bluetooth. They also support this 24-bit audio from any USB-C source — it doesn’t have to be an Apple device.

Audiophiles will likely be able to tell the difference in this improved audio quality right away. As for the average person, Eric Treski from Apple’s AirPods team says they’ll notice the difference “in the higher frequencies and the clarity you gain from those.”

Photo by Tucker Bowe for Gear Patrol

Added musicality

The other big benefit of using a USB-C audio cable with the AirPods Max is the lower latency. This essentially brings it down to very low response time, which is great for the general consumer who watches videos or plays games. But it’s also ideal for those who want to use AirPods Max for music production.

You can plug the AirPods Max into an iPhone, iPad or Mac and use apps like Logic or GarageBand — which use software instruments to recreate the sounds of synthesizers, pianos, guitars and basses. And, when you press a key, you’ll hear the sound back immediately. No lag.

“That’s exactly the experience you would expect from a real instrument,” says John Danty from Apple’s Music Apps team, who goes on to explain that the latency over Bluetooth prior to the firmware update made the AirPods Max virtually unusable from a music creation standpoint.

“The delay was so much that you hit a note … [waits a moment] bing … it’s that long,” said Danty. “The latency takes away from that realism [and] is also a little inconsistent. So if you’re a beat maker and want to tap on some pads and do those things, it just really doesn’t work.”

Photo by Tucker Bowe for Gear Patrol

Additionally, Apple introduced a USB-C to 3.5mm audio cable for the AirPods Max that supports ultra-low latency (Apple sells its separately for $39). This also allows musicians to use AirPods with more traditional audio sources that take a quarter-inch (6.35mm) or 3.5mm jack, such as a guitar pedal, synthesizer or drum machine.

“What’s so great and unique about this, is that it makes AirPods Max more of a tool than ever,” said Danty. “For so many artists and engineers, not only will they use it in their workflow, but [it’s] so transferable to the general consumer using AirPods Max as well.”

It allows them to record and mix tracks with the knowledge that the average consumer will hear it exactly the same — because they’re listening to those tracks on the exact headphones.

Photo by Tucker Bowe for Gear Patrol

Same AirPods “magic”

The firmware update and audio cable allow the AirPods Max to work more like traditional passive headphones, supporting higher-fidelity audio and low latency, but they still retain the so-called “magic” of AirPods … which depends on a Bluetooth connection.

“Probably the most unique thing we were able to achieve with this is how to simultaneously keep the USB-C audio [path] for certain things, namely low latency and audio fidelity, yet we’re at the same time enabling Bluetooth to keep all the other experiences in tact,” Treski said.

When connected using a wire, the AirPods Max still support with Siri voice commands, active noise-cancellation and transparency modes, as well as the same remote volume controls.

“We needed to make sure we didn’t turn anything off by plugging into USB audio and not just shutting down the Bluetooth radio and removing features,” Treski explained. “Not only is that great for consumers, but it unlocks this incredible capability for the pro audio workspace in something that’s never been done before.”

Apple

Apple AirPods Max (USB-C)

• $500 at Amazon
  $549 (9% off)
• $549 at Apple

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