Apple executives recently spoke with TechRadar journalist Jacob Krol about the new AirPods Max 2, offering deeper insight into the hardware upgrades, including the Apple H2 chip and improved active noise cancellation.
Focus on the H2 chip and audio performance
In the interview, Apple’s VP of Platform Architecture Tim Millet and Director of Audio Product Marketing Eric Treski explained that the H2 chip is central to the AirPods Max 2 experience. Originally introduced in AirPods Pro 2, the chip enables faster audio processing, better noise control, and more advanced adaptive listening features.
Apple emphasized that the upgraded processing power allows for noticeably stronger active noise cancellation—up to 1.5× better than the previous generation—along with more refined sound tuning across different listening environments.
Why the upgrade matters
According to Apple’s audio team, the improvements are not just about louder or clearer sound, but about real-time adaptation. Features like Adaptive Audio and Conversation Awareness rely on the H2 chip to dynamically adjust what the listener hears depending on surroundings and speech detection.
The executives also highlighted improvements to Spatial Audio, stating that processing enhancements help create a more immersive and accurate sound stage.
Broader system integration
The discussion also reinforced how tightly the AirPods Max 2 are integrated into the Apple ecosystem, benefiting from low-latency connections, improved device switching, and deeper support for system-level audio features across iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices.
Overall, the interview positioned AirPods Max 2 as an evolution focused less on redesign and more on internal architecture improvements that significantly enhance everyday listening experiences.
Apple’s new AirPods Max 2 keep the same overall industrial design as the previous generation, with most of the improvements driven by the upgraded Apple H2 chip.
H2 chip is the core upgrade
In a recent interview with TechRadar journalist Jacob Krol, Apple executives including VP of Platform Architecture Tim Millet and Director of Audio Product Marketing Eric Treski explained that the H2 chip is the foundation for most of the new features.
These include:
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Up to 1.5× stronger active noise cancellation
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Improved overall sound quality
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Adaptive Audio
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Conversation Awareness
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Voice Isolation
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Live Translation
Apple emphasized that the hardware upgrade enables more advanced real-time audio processing rather than requiring a full redesign of the headphones.
“Headroom” for future updates
Millet noted that the H2 chip has “continued headroom,” suggesting that the AirPods Max 2 could gain additional capabilities through future firmware updates rather than requiring new hardware.
This implies Apple may expand features over time, similar to how some AirPods functionality has improved through software updates in the past.
Noise cancellation benchmark explained
Apple also clarified its claim of up to 1.5× stronger noise cancellation. According to Treski, the figure is based on an average across all frequencies, rather than selective testing of specific ranges.
Availability
The AirPods Max 2 are now available in Apple Stores and have already begun arriving to customers worldwide following their official launch.
Overall, Apple is positioning the new model as an internal upgrade focused on computational audio improvements rather than a visual redesign.