Apple Announced It Will Soon Support Lossless Audio for the AirPods Max

We’ve been lucky enough to test out a lot of wireless headphones. And time after time, the audio from Apple’s AirPods Max consistently outperforms most monitors at the same, or even great, price point. 

Needless to say, the ~$550 pair of headphones don’t need a whole lot of sonic improvement with the latest update for 2024 (and didn’t get any) but could’ve used some physical upgrades, including an actual power button on the ear caps and maybe a more traditional carrying case. However, a few months have now gone by and Apple has announced an update that nobody was expecting.

The Wireless Setback

Listen, wireless headphones are a great innovation. Giving you access to your tunes, podcasts, and cell phone without the hassle of lugging around a long cable for plugging into your device, these monitors actually make it easier to get better audio on the go compared to in-ear monitors. Prior to the preponderance of Bluetooth-connected headphones about 15 years ago, customers would simply settle for earbuds instead.

However, a major issue with wireless headphones is their inferior audio quality compared to their wired counterparts. And while many wireless cans have a cable option, which can improve the quality by giving you a more direct signal path, they typically can’t give you lossless audio — meaning, a non-compressed version of your song without any information loss. Just because headphones have a cable doesn’t mean it can automatically deliver lossless audio quality because the headphones themselves have to be equipped to handle such a task.

You might think that the untrained ear won’t notice the difference between compressed and lossless versions of the same song, but you’d be surprised with how much more fulfilling the latter is to listen to.

Where Apple Comes In

With the inherent quality of the AirPods Max, Apple can position itself as delivering the best lossless audio headphones for the price, especially when you factor in everything else the headphones can do: seamless connectivity to your Apple devices, eclectic audio quality for music, intimate audio quality for taking calls, and arguably the most comfortable headband design around. The AirPods Max also have one of the most effective transparency modes I’ve ever used and a unique volume knob on the earcups. They’re pretty awesome, and soon they’ll be able to leverage their custom-designed 40mm dynamic drivers for a lossless audio profile.

The New Update

With the 2024 update for the AirPods Max, the biggest change was the switch to a USB-C port for charging, replacing the Lightning port of the outgoing model. This allowed for more universality when it came to charging but also eliminated the ability to connect to your device via cable for an improved (yet still not lossless) listening experience. However, a new firmware update will now support lossless audio, thus turning your USB-C port into a way to connect to your device again.

Basically, instead of trading in your current headphones (if you have the newest model), you’ll just have to download the update to unlock lossless audio support at 24-bit, 48 kHz. What’s more, you can also utilize Apple’s Personalized Spatial Audio tech so that the lossless audio can be personalized for your own ears.

Rolling out next month as part of iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and macOS Sequoia 15.4 updates, the firmware also provides an ultra-low latency for decreased lag time, which is a key upgrade for gamers and movie lovers as well.

Spec Sheet

Pricing & Availability

When they’re not on sale, the AirPods Max are priced at $549, which is the same as they were before and a great price for lossless audio. The USB-C to USB-C cable can also be swapped with a new USB-C to 3.5mm auxiliary jack for $39 from the Apple store.

Recap

Apple AirPods Max with Lossless Audio

With a new update, Apple’s AirPods Max headphones will support lossless audio via the USB-C port that was given to the 2024 model upgrade.

Learn More: Apple