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Is Apple Finally Fixing AirPods Max’s Biggest Flaws?

Is Apple Finally Fixing AirPods Max’s Biggest Flaws?

🎧 The AirPods Max Dilemma: Great Sound, But Missing Key Features

For years, audiophiles and gamers have loved the AirPods Max’s premium design and sound quality—but two glaring issues held them back: no lossless audio support and latency that made gaming or music production frustrating. That’s finally changing. Apple just announced a firmware update bringing 24-bit/48 kHz lossless audio and ultra-low latency to USB-C AirPods Max. Will this turn them into the ultimate wireless headphones? Let’s dive in.

🎧 The AirPods Max Dilemma: Great Sound, But Missing Key Features

Here’s why Apple’s update matters:

⚡ The Lossless Audio Gap

  • AirPods Max previously relied on Bluetooth, which compresses audio—a dealbreaker for purists.
  • Apple Music offers 100M+ lossless tracks, but AirPods Max couldn’t stream them without quality loss.

🎮 Latency Frustrations

  • Gamers faced audio delays—impossible for rhythm games or competitive shooters.
  • Musicians couldn’t mix tracks in real-time with Spatial Audio head tracking.

🔌 USB-C vs. Lightning Divide

  • The update excludes Lightning models, pushing users to upgrade.

✅ Apple’s Answer: Lossless Audio + Ultra-Low Latency via USB-C

The April firmware update tackles both issues:

🎵 True Lossless, Finally

  • 24-bit/48 kHz audio via USB-C cable preserves studio-quality sound.
  • Personalized Spatial Audio now uncompressed for immersive movies/music.

⏱️ Game-Changing Latency

  • Perfect for mobile gaming: Shooters, rhythm games, and VR gain precision.
  • Musicians can mix tracks in real-time with head tracking for spatial accuracy.

📅 Free for USB-C Owners

  • Rolling out in April with iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and macOS Sequoia 15.4.
brown green and blue round buttons
Photo by Roberto Sorin / Unsplash

🚧 The Catch: USB-C Exclusive… and What About Battery Life?

Not all AirPods Max users will benefit:

🔋 Battery Drain Concerns

  • Lossless audio requires more power. Will the 20-hour battery life shrink?
  • Apple hasn’t clarified if wired mode bypasses the battery (like some competitors).

💡 USB-C or Bust

  • Lightning models won’t get the update, alienating existing users.

🎧 Real-World Performance?

  • Will latency improvements hold up in wireless mode, or only via USB-C?

🚀 Final Thoughts: A Leap Forward, But Questions Remain

This update ✅ fixes long-standing complaints but feels overdue. Gamers and musicians gain real value, though ⚠️ battery life and USB-C exclusivity sting. If Apple maintains the AirPods Max’s endurance, these could become the best wireless headphones for Apple loyalists. But why not extend the update to Lightning users?

What do you think? Will you upgrade to USB-C AirPods Max for lossless audio? Leave us a conment on X(Former Twitter)

Source: Aisha Malik. Apple is bringing lossless audio and low-latency audio to AirPods Max, March 24, 2025. https://techcrunch.com/2025/03/24/apple-is-bringing-lossless-audio-and-low-latency-audio-to-airpods-max/

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