Our Verdict Look, it’s a great pair of headphones: Great sound out of the box, premium build, highly effective ANC, and industry-leading transparency mode. But since the launch of the original AirPods Max in 2020, Apple’s pricing has been so thoroughly undercut by hungry competitors that it’s impossible to justify buying these headphones in 2026. Especially as they don't have EQ! You can get a better sound at a better price elsewhere. For Excellent build Top ANC & transparency Smoother sound than Gen 1 Max Against No EQ Poor battery life Poor value That case! Why you can trust Creative Bloq Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test . Powered by Apple ’s latest H2 chip, the AirPods Max 2 headphones arrived in 2026 to a more competitive market than ever.…