TL; DR
- Apple has launched the AirPods Max 2 in India at ₹67,900 — ₹8,000 more than the original — with pre-orders opening March 25 and shipping beginning early April.
- The key upgrades include the H2 chip with 1.5x stronger ANC, a new high-dynamic-range amplifier, 24-bit lossless audio over USB-C, and AI features such as Live Translation, Adaptive Audio, and Camera Remote.
- At nearly double the price of the Sony WH-1000XM6 (₹37,990), which folds, lasts 37 hours, and matches it on most audio benchmarks, the AirPods Max 2’s value proposition in India is questionable at best.
After six years of releasing the original AirPods Max, Apple has released the second-generation AirPods Max globally and in India. It brings some real upgrades this time, including the new H2 chip, better active noise cancellation, lossless audio, and a few of the AI features we’ve seen on the AirPods Pro 3 (and Pro 2).
For Apple fans who’ve been waiting, this is probably exciting. For everyone else? That sub-Rs. 70,000 price tag could be a bit too steep. Let’s get into it.
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AirPods Max 2: Price & Availability
The AirPods Max 2 commands a premium price tag of Rs. 67,900 in India. Interested (and courageous) buyers can pre-order the device from March 25, 2026, and deliveries commence in early April.
Colour options include Midnight, Starlight, Orange, Purple, and Blue. So, at least there’s variety, even if your wallet doesn’t agree with your decision to purchase.
It’s worth mentioning here that the original AirPods Max was priced at Rs. 59,900 — Rs. 8,000 less than the current version.
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AirPods Max 2: Key Features & Specifications
Like the AirPods Max, the Max 2 feature a stainless steel frame, aluminum earcups, and a mesh canopy headband. One thing that separates the AirPods Max from its competitors, the Digital Crown, is still there for playback controls.
Unlike the AirPods Max, the Max 2 come with the H2 chip, the same chip that powers the latest AirPods Pro 3 (review). Thanks to the chip, AirPods Max 2 can now deliver up to 1.5x better active noise cancellation, which sounds quite substantial on paper.
The H2 chip also brings along a long-overdue improvement in the audio quality. There’s a new high dynamic range amplifier now, which gives cleaner, more detailed sound without messing with the original tuning that people liked.
Another key highlight of the device is support for lossless audio: 24-bit, 48kHz lossless playback over USB-C. For music producers, critical listeners, people who care about that sort of thing, this is genuinely useful.
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Beyond the hardware-driven changes, the AirPods Max 2 borrows heavily from the AirPods Pro. The features that were previously available on Apple’s flagship earbuds — Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness, Voice Isolation, and Live Translation — are now available on the over-ear headphones.
Other AirPods Pro-inspired features include Camera Remote (it works via the Digital Crown), studio-quality audio recording, Loud Sound Reduction, Personalized Volume, and Siri Interactions. The headphones’ battery is rated to last up to 20 hours with ANC, which isn’t even close to what some other premium headphones available in the country offer.
Take the Sennheiser HDB 630 (review) or the Momentum 4 (review) as examples: both of them offer up to 60 hours of listening time with ANC. Sure, the brand’s ANC doesn’t quite match Apple’s, but the difference in battery life is considerable.
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SmartPrix’s Take
In my frank opinion, Rs. 67,900 in India, for premium ANC headphones, is a bit too much. Especially since Sony’s WH-1000XM6s (review) are already retailing for Rs. 39,990 (around the same price), nearly half the price of the AirPods Max 2. The headphones offer up to 37 hours of battery life, support Hi-Res Audio with LDAC, and produce pretty good audio. Whether the AirPods Max 2 end up doing well in sales or simply boost the XM6s sales is something that we’ll figure out with time.
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