In this video I give you my honest “6 weeks later” take on the new AirPods Max (the ones everyone keeps calling AirPods Max 2). I’ve been using them day-to-day and the headline is simple: there are basically no meaningful upgrades from the original model from four years ago, apart from the switch to USB‑C and the new colour options. They’re still called “AirPods Max” which kind of says it all. Design-wise, Apple still absolutely nails the luxury feel. The stainless steel headband and aluminium ear cups feel solid, and the ear cushions are easily my favourite part—super comfortable, removable, and replaceable (but expensive if you want extra colours). The downside is the weight (they’re heavy compared to my Sony XM4), there’s still no folding hinge, and the “Smart Case” is still… not very smart. Sound is good—neutral, wide, and clean—but I still wouldn’t call them the best noise cancelling headphones on the market, and I’d personally pick my Sony XM4s most days. Add in the lack of a power button, no headphone jack, no waterproofing, and the fact they’re still stuck on the H1 chip (no H2 features like conversational awareness), and you really need to be deep in the Apple ecosystem to justify £499. If you want my recommendation, I’d look at AirPods 4 with ANC for way less money—or hunt for a deal, because the changes here aren’t drastic.