From a new iPhone to a budget-friendly MacBook, Apple announced a series of new products this week.

Apple today officially unveiled the second-generation Apple AirPods Max 2. The new over-the-ear headphone brings upgrades to active noise cancellation, sound quality, and several new smart features powered by the company’s H2 chip.

At first glance, the new model looks quite familiar. Its design remains largely unchanged from the original AirPods Max, but most of its improvements are inside. 

Apple AirPods Max 2 Specifications

It now runs an H2 chip, enabling features like adaptive audio, conversation awareness, and voice highlighting. We have seen these features in newer AirPods, and they are now making their way to the company’s flagship headphones, too.

According to Apple, active noise cancellation on AirPods Max 2 is now 1.5 times more effective than the previous generation. The company says the improvement comes from a combination of the H2 chip and updated computational audio algorithms. 

Transparency mode is also getting an update. Apple says the system uses new digital signal processing tuned for the H2 chip and the headphone’s microphone array, which should make outside sounds feel more natural when users want to stay aware of their surroundings.

AirPods Max 2 also introduces a new high dynamic range amplifier designed to produce clearer audio while maintaining the sound profile the original model is known for. The spatial audio now gives more accurate instrument placement and improved balance across lows, mids, and highs.

A few extras

The headphones support 24-bit, 48 kHz lossless audio when connected with the included USB-C cable. Apple says creators can use the headphones in professional workflows inside apps like Logic Pro, including music production and track mixing with head-tracking spatial audio.

The AirPods Max 2 has a Game Mode that the company claims can deliver a more responsive audio experience while gaming. 

AirPods Max 2 also introduces a few less typical features for headphones. Users can remotely control a camera by pressing the digital crown while the Camera app is open on an iPhone or iPad. Apple is also adding studio-quality audio recording, which the company says could be useful for interviews, podcasts, or vocal recordings.

Other additions include personalized volume that adjusts listening levels over time based on user preferences, as well as a new Siri interaction method that allows users to nod or shake their head to respond to notifications from Siri.

On the environmental side, Apple says the headphones include several recycled materials. Magnets are made with 100 percent recycled rare earth elements, ear pads use fully recycled polyester, and Apple-designed circuit boards include recycled gold plating and solder. Packaging is also entirely fiber-based.

Price and Availability

AirPods Max 2 will be available in Midnight, Starlight, Orange, Purple, and Blue. Preorders begin March 25 at $549. The headphones will ship with the Smart Case included with the previous generation.

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The post Apple AirPods Max 2 are official with the H2 chip and improved active noise cancellation appeared first on Gizmochina.

The successor to its premium headphones cost $549 and are launching with enhanced active noise cancellation, the H2 chip, live translation, better sound quality, and more.