when Airpods maximum By the end of 2020, Apple’s high-end headphones don’t have much space for audio content. And, no Any support for lossless audio. The company hasn’t added Dolby Atmos and lossless music to Apple Music yet, or even When those arriveApple still hasn’t solved the biggest problem with the $549 headset. and iOS 18.4 Apple finally made a firmware update to the AirPods Max, and Apple finally put a touch-up on its only lossless audio headset.
Let’s back up for a few months. Last September, Apple gave the AirPods Max its only major update since its initial release: It replaced Lightning Jack For USB-C port. When the current AirPods lineup moved to the recent and more powerful H2, the headphones were still running on the aging H1 chip. I didn’t have the chance to update AirPods Max Design for the company, but I wasn’t frustrated, but failed to upgrade the chip is Head scraper.
Now, lossless audio feels more complete on the lightly refreshed Airpods Max. But it took four years to achieve, and if you purchased the 2020 model you won’t be able to use this newly added feature. You need the USB-C version of the AirPods Max that you arrived last year, iOS 18.4, iPados 18.4 or Macos Sequoia 15.4 to disable lossless and ultra-low latency audio.
How to get lossless audio with AirPods Max on USB-C
Update one of your Apple devices to iOS 18.4, iPados 18.4, or Macos Sequoia 15.4, connect AirPods Max to it via Bluetooth. You will then need to plug the headphones into a power socket or USB-C port with a cable included. If you keep the two widgets close for nearly 30 minutes, you should download the AirPods Max firmware update. To check, jump into AirPods Maximum Settings and scroll down to the approximate section. Here you need to check the 7E101 version to confirm that you own the item.
You will need to keep the cable conveniently. Lossless audio on AirPods is available for wired use at most. You still need to establish a Bluetooth connection for all smart features like hands-free Siri. If you want to go this route, Apple also sells new $39 USB-CCC-to-3.5mm wires, but either way, you’ll need the cable due to the limitations of Bluetooth high-resolution audio.
Why is there no audio available on the original AirPods Max?
If you purchased Apple’s $549 headphones in 2020, I can understand your frustration and you’re not willing to do this update. However, I don’t think Apple made this decision just to drive sales. The Lightning port has hardware limitations, which hinders lossless audio, especially data throughput constraints on the previous version. Apple has made some changes to the DAC (digital to Analog converter) inside the AirPods Max to make it happen without loss, which is also unlikely on older models.
Will lossless audio make a difference?
I’ve heard people say they can’t tell the difference between a normal song and lossless music. I think it depends on what you are listening to. If this is Dua Lipa or Sabrina Carpenter’s recent pop music, you’d better go with the Dolby Atmos Mix and probably won’t give any details for high-resolution streaming. For bass chaos, chaotic genres like metal, I noticed that the mixture can balance better. Spiritbox’s voice Tsunami Sea Rising above the booming drums and shaking guitars, the bass is softer. The same goes for Underoath’s The place after this placeall instruments seem to be more separated from the vocals. Overall, the sensational tracks on this album have become bigger and more immersive.
In addition to other soft styles such as jazz, the lossless audio on AirPods also specifically enhances acoustic genres such as bluegrass and folk. I might have also been inside the acoustic guitar on Julien Baker & Torres’ “Sugar in Tanks” because I felt like I could hear every percussion detail on every string. I can’t imagine Jason Isbell’s voice would be better The fox in the snow If I was actually in the room of the electric ladies studio during recording. Martin 0-17, the only instrument on the album, is so pure and authentic. Jump to Myles Davis The Birth of Blue The place of trumpet, piano, bass and drums seems a little more active and more energetic, with Davis’ trumpet spreading throughout the poetic rhythm.
Do you have to use Apple Music?
First, let’s talk about the available content on Apple Music. Since June 2021, the service has provided lossless audio to subscribers at no additional cost. This starts with CD quality, 16 bits at 44.1 kHz and reaches 24 bits at 48 kHz. The latter rate is the maximum speed that AirPods Max can now support via USB-C connections, and Apple says there are 100 million songs in lossless quality on the service now. Apple Music also collects a series of high-resolution loss-free content, reaching 24 bits at 192 kHz. However, you need extra gear, such as USB DAC, to listen on that level.
You are not limited to Apple Music. You can play up to 24 bits of lossless audio anywhere at 48 kHz, which you can use with these headphones. There are other services that offer this service (such as Tides), or you can play locally stored files. The only requirement is the USB-C cable; your source is not limited to Apple.
wrap up
It’s always good when the company directly resolves one of your complaints. When it takes more than four years, it’s not very good. Now that the lossless audio is here for AirPods Max, I can’t say that the headphones feel incomplete, which is a big step up from their launch.
However, I’ve been exploring back and forth whether this update is enough. This is the first time Apple has expanded the capabilities of the AirPods Max in four years, and for the minimized 2024 version, it can only do that. Bloomberg Mark Gurman, who has a stable record at Apple Product Scoops Reported November The company “has no real plan to meaningfully update the Airpods Max.” He said the headphone sales weren’t enough to justify a lot of R&D, but they weren’t big enough to be put on hold forever.
With that in mind, this update adds ultra-low latency to gamers, in fact, much larger than usual. But to continue to offer $549 requirements for 2020 hardware, Apple needs to run out of these types of updates regularly. While you can find these headphones for sale at as low as $449, it’s still a huge investment. Even then, the AirPods Max is hard to recommend to anyone else who is stubborn on the iPhone and Mac.
