Apple says the AirPods Max will get 24-bit, 48 kHz lossless audio, including Personalized Spatial Audio, and ultra‑low latency in April via a software update
and who had to spend $60 on an AirFly to use it in business class — this update is overdue but welcome www.apple.com/newsroom/202... Matt Allison / @thetechlobbyist : Looking forward to all these features being avilable to third party headphone manufacturers in the EU! [embedded post] Mastodon: @viticci@mastodon.macstories.net : don't think I've ever bought an Apple cable this quick https://www.macstories.net/... [image] John Voorhees / @johnvoorhees@mastodon.macstories.net : Lossless, low-latency AirPods Max is a pleasant surprise for a Monday morning, but of course, I'd love to see this sort of thing done wirelessly too. This update requires the latest AirPods Max and only works over a USB-C cable. More on @macstories: — https://www.macstories.net/... Threads: Isaac / @canoopsy : a welcome surprise Brooks Rocco / @brooksrocco : This is awesome—though some might argue tablestakes—but it is interesting that they explicitly mention “by delivering lossless, high-resolution digital audio with low latency, artists can seamlessly record and mix with AirPods Max without compromising fidelity...” Without a flat-EQ mode, mixing with AirPods Max will ensure that your mix only sounds good... on AirPods Max. X: Greg Joswiak / @gregjoz : Next month AirPods Max are leveling up with lossless audio and ultra-low latency audio—bringing you mind-blowing sound quality. 🎧 Whether you're a music creator or music lover, this is the ultimate audio upgrade! 🔥 [image] Aaron / @aaronp613 : Affected macOS versions for the new MacBook Air and Mac Studio models: 24D2059 (15.3) 24D2082 (15.3.2) Quinn Nelson / @snazzylabs : Yes, it's a $39 cable. It also has a very good DAC and ADC inside and is bidirectional. This is not, in fact, a bad price. Joe Rossignol / @rsgnl : @gregjoz The lossless audio upgrade is so “mind-blowing” that Apple says it is “virtually indistinguishable” from non-lossless songs on Apple Music. [image] Quinn Nelson / @snazzylabs : @gregjoz Greg, I mean this with all due respect, almost nobody can distinguish the difference using the AirPods Max and a man of your advanced age definitely cannot. Stephen Robles / @stephenrobles : Two days after I get XM5s and Apple announces Lossless and ultra-low latency audio coming to AirPods Max with iOS 18.4...curious how this latency will work editing in Final Cut 👀 [image] Marques Brownlee / @mkbhd : The $550 AirPods Max came out in 2020 In 2024 they updated 1 single thing: Switched from lightning to USBC port (and slightly new colors) A new “most Apple move of all time” - there's a software update finally coming to enable lossless audio... but only on the USBC version ☠️ Jake Krol / @jake31krol : Finally, epic news. https://www.apple.com/... Forums: r/technews : Apple's AirPods Max with USB-C will soon support lossless audio r/headphones : AirPod Max to add Lossless audio. r/macgaming : Lossless audio and ultra‑low latency audio come to AirPods Max
Context & Ripple Effects
AirPods Max launched as Apple's premium over-ear model with noise cancellation, adaptive EQ and spatial audio in its 2020 debut. But Apple later said its Bluetooth AAC path—and Lightning on AirPods Max—could not carry Apple Music lossless audio, leaving a clear capability gap for the product line.
The new software support is tied to the latest USB-C version, extending Apple's broader headphone transition after AirPods 4 arrived with USB-C. It matters because the port change now separates which Max owners can access the new wired audio modes.
First-order effects
- Owners of the USB-C AirPods Max gain 24-bit/48 kHz lossless playback, Personalized Spatial Audio and ultra-low latency through a USB-C cable when the update arrives.
- Owners of Lightning AirPods Max do not receive these capabilities, while the USB-C model becomes the required hardware for Apple’s newly supported wired audio path.
Second-order effects
- The update makes the USB-C AirPods Max more distinct from its Lightning predecessor, potentially shifting replacement decisions toward the current model rather than treating the two versions as functionally equivalent.
- Lossless playback and lower latency become practical selling points for Apple Music listeners and users who connect the headphones by cable, rather than benefits available across all AirPods Max use cases.
Third-order effects
- If Apple continues attaching meaningful audio upgrades to newer connector revisions, accessory ports will increasingly act as capability gates as well as charging interfaces across its audio lineup.
- The move suggests premium headphone differentiation can increasingly come from post-sale software features paired with specific hardware, though the cable-only limitation keeps wireless lossless outside this update.
The trend: Apple is using software updates plus newer hardware interfaces to extend premium-device capabilities while preserving clear upgrade boundaries between product revisions.