That took a while, but it’s finally real: Apple’s AirPods Max over-the-ear headphones now support lossless audio.
Apple announced the upgrade in late March, and now the new firmware for the AirPods Max is out, adding support for lossless audio, as well as ultra-low latency audio, for AirPods Max.
The firmware that you want to get this upgrade is version 7E99, and you’ll also need to update the device you’re using as audio source (an iPhone, iPad, or Mac) to iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, or macOS Sequoia 15.4, respectively.
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There’s an important caveat here: The upgrade is only available for the USB-C version of AirPods Max. That’s the latest version that came out last September; earlier versions with Apple’s proprietary Lightning port aren’t getting this upgrade.
Once you get the upgrade, the AirPods Max will support lossless audio up to 24-bit, 48 kHz quality. You’ll also get ultra-low latency audio, a feature that musicians will be able to utilise to record and mix music while using the AirPods Max. Gamers will also benefit from ultra-low latency audio, as there should be no discernible delay between the audio they hear in their AirPods Max and the actual gameplay on screen.
