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The AirPods Max 2 are my favorite headphones to date. That's it — that's the whole review. I'm clocking out now. My work here is done.
I jest, but in all seriousness, the AirPods Max 2 are (IMHO) the best headphones on the market right now. They say all good things take time, and that's precisely the case with the AirPods Max 2. I'm glad we waited almost six years for the updated Apple over-ears — because what a successor.
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What's good about the AirPods Max 2?
In a nutshell, the AirPods Max 2 sound like angels singing directly into my ears. I've never heard Bluetooth audio like it. The original AirPods Max sounded incredible, with a fun, effusive, and energetic soundscape. In 2020, the AirPods Max were the headphones to beat.
I had my doubts about the AirPods Max 2. The audio landscape in 2026 is so different from where it was at the start of the decade. It's harder to stand out these days because the bar is that much higher.
The AirPods Max 2 have to compete with some seriously impressive cans: the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 ($799), the Sony WH-1000XM6 ($459), the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Gen 2 ($449), the Sennheiser HDB 630 ($499), and the Dali IO-8 ($1,250, which I personally own).
But all of these headphones have their respective merits and downfalls. The Dali IO-8 have the crispest, widest soundscape I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing. But they're over double the price of the already expensive Max 2, and they don't look anywhere near as premium.
The Bose QC Ultra Gen 2, although boasting the best ANC in the world, simply do not sound or look like $449 headphones. Similarly, while the Sony XM6 have fantastically detailed sound and supreme call quality, they just miss the "premium" design for me.
The Sennheiser HDB 630 may be some of the most detailed headphones you can get, but the plasticky, rattly design and counter-intuitive touch controls make them a pain to use as your daily drivers.
The Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 are devilishly good headphones — if you're only concerned about sound. The Px8 S2 have really disappointing ANC.
The AirPods Max 2 are the best of all worlds: incredible sound, premium design, fantastic comfort, unbeatable connectivity, and industry-leading features. I'll be the first person to admit the 20-hour battery life is a little disappointing, but when my Max 2 run out, I just plug them into my phone or MacBook to keep listening and charge at the same time.
Remember what they said about a jack of all trades, master of none? Well, it's better than being a master of one. That's the case with the AirPods Max 2 — they just do everything so well. No, "Well, you get great sound, but if you're on a train, you'll be able to hear the screaming kid next to you," or, "ANC is amazing, but the headphones look like they were made in 2001."
For me, the AirPods Max 2 do everything I could ever want — everything.
So why do I hate that I love the AirPods Max 2?
Listen, I don't hate the AirPods Max 2. I hate how much I love them, because now I'll never be able to use another pair of headphones ever again. It's like I'm a scurvy-maddened, sea-weakened sailor, and the AirPods Max 2 are the wily sirens luring me to my salty death. I cannot escape the AirPods Max 2 now — but I don't want to.
I want to use headphones that understand me. I want to use headphones that work for me. I want to use headphones that make me excited to wake up in the morning and press "play".
Because that's what the AirPods Max 2 are. Sure, they make me look cool, sure, they sound like a delight. But, ultimately, they're just perfect for me. I have every Apple product: iPhone 16 Pro, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, Apple Watch SE 3, AirPods Pro 2, and an (extremely old) iPad (that runs out of battery in 2 hours).
So AirPods are the perfect audio product for me. If I'm working on my MacBook Air and I get a call on my iPhone, my headphones switch automatically. If I then go to watch YouTube on my iPad, the headphones follow me again. And then back to my MacBook Pro for gaming or whatever it is I do after work — my headphones follow me. No messing around in an app, figuring out dual device connection, or manually switching between devices.
It's not just connectivity, though. The AirPods Max 2 are supremely fun. They bring music to life, heightening every pulse-raising bassline, clarifying every melody and riff. There's an unbeatable width and depth to every song, whether I'm listening via Bluetooth or USB-C. Music sounds the best on Apple Music, of course, but even bootlegged DJ sets on YouTube make me feel like I'm right there.
Of course, I'm not claiming the AirPods Max 2 are the best-sounding headphones in the world. The Dali IO-8, Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 and Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95 are up there, if you ask me. But at this price point, with this level of versatility, connectivity, and aesthetics, you're not really going to get anything better.
My AirPods Max 2 are on my head as I write this, and I don't see myself taking them off anytime soon. Well done, Apple, you've made me hate you. But I don't, really. You've just ruined every other headphone for me.
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