After more than five years of waiting, the new AirPods Max are finally available in stores this week. Apple is now sharing more details about the changes in the AirPods Max 2, centering on the H2 chip. These new headphones not only use this chip, but also more advanced software and algorithms, making active noise cancellation (ANC) up to 1.5 times more effective than that of the first generation AirPods Max.
TechRadar reports that Apple developed the H2 chip to break the performance limits and take audio quality to the next level. Tim Millet, Vice President Platform Architecture at Apple, explains the approach underlying the new chip.
AirPods Max 2 update explained
After the AirPods Pro 2, Pro 3 and AirPods 4, the AirPods Max 2 now (read: finally) also have the H2 chip. In a conversation with TechRadar, Tim Millet, Vice President of Platform Architecture at Apple, provides more clarity about the integration of the H2 chip into their audio products.
H2 chip as a basis
The new processor of the AirPods Max 2, which is located in both shells, focuses mainly on improvements in active noise cancellation (ANC), sound quality and Adaptive Audio. Tim Millet explained the approach behind the new chip.
“At Apple, we’re all about the product when we develop chips. We don’t sell our chips individually on the open market, which gives our team the freedom to understand exactly what they’re designing for. The H2 chip is a platform that continually demonstrates that there is still opportunity for growth.”
Apple can improve the AirPods Max 2 over time with software updates, without requiring any hardware adjustments. We have also observed this in recent years with the AirPods Pro 2 and the newer AirPods models. Although the H2 chip has been on the market for more than 3.5 years, Apple will likely continue to use these processors in its audio products for quite some time.
Better sound, without custom hardware
The H2 chip and new computational audio algorithms ensure that the AirPods Max 2’s Active Noise Cancellation is up to 1.5 times more effective than the previous generation. Environmental sounds, such as those of a plane or train, are dampened even better, so you can fully concentrate on your music, work or phone call. Eric Treski, Director of Audio Product Marketing at Apple, explained to TechRadar how the company measures these improvements.
“We calculate that on average as a factor of 1.5 across all frequencies. We do not consciously select one or more particular frequencies. The ANC amplification by a factor of 1.5 without making hardware changes is incredibly difficult. This is entirely due to the computing power and improved algorithms of the H2 chip.”
Adaptive EQ improved
Together with the switch to the H2 chip, Apple is taking over the digital amplifier from the AirPods Pro 3 – a subtle change, but with major consequences for the rest of the audio chain. Treski emphasizes that it’s all about distortion and reference accuracy:
“It’s about getting the sound back to an objective – making sure we get it as accurate as possible with the lowest Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) possible. This gives us a lot more room to play with and gets a lot more clarity in the sound.”
That extra space directly benefits Adaptive EQ, which runs continuously and can no longer be switched off.
“You can’t actually turn Adaptive EQ off… we use the microphone to control what you hear through that air-correcting microphone – a reference microphone – and that allows us to use Adaptive EQ 48,000 times per second, even in the higher frequency range. That’s especially important in combination with ANC, because we have to do all that in real time,” Treski says.
The result is a much more consistent listening experience, regardless of head shape, ear cup position and seal quality. In effect, the sound is ‘normalized’ for each user, rather than Apple having to rely on one fixed tuning curve.
Buy AirPods Max 2
The AirPods Max 2 have been available for sale since April 1, 2026 in midnight, starlight, orange, purple and blue. The price remains €579. You can also buy the AirPods Max from MediaMarkt, Coolblue, Amazon, Azerty, InformatiqueYorcom or Bol.com. Are you going to sell your old AirPods Max? Nowadays you can also do this via our sales page.