AppleAirPods Max 2

Wireless
Noise cancelling

£479Typical price

Test score

Sign up to unlock the full expert review

Apple says the latest generation of AirPods Max headphones offer improved noise cancelling and features such as Live Translation, where the headphones translate what someone is saying into a different language through the earcups. While it offers some new features, we were more interested in whether sound quality is up to scratch and if it can block out disruptive sounds for uninterrupted listening. Find out what our experts thought in our Apple AirPods Max 2 review.

pros

Content has been blurred out, please log in to view.

cons

What's included?

What are they?
How do they sound?
What are they like to live with?
How long does the battery last?
Is there anything else I should know?
Should I buy them?

Get Digital access £9.99 per month, cancel at any time.

KEY TEST RESULTS
Sound quality
Comfort

Jul 2026First reviewed by Which?
Mar 2026Released

The overall Which? test score is made up of the following star ratings, all determined by our rigorous lab tests.

A sound measurement setup featuring a mannequin wearing headphones, a microphone on a tripod, and a textured white wall.

How we test headphones

8 Jun 2026

Sound quality

Overall
Speech sound quality
Classical sound quality
Jazz sound quality
Rock sound quality

How we test sound quality

We rate sound quality using a professional panel of expert listeners with a range of ages and musical tastes. They listen to samples that cover a wide range of music and radio genres, giving a rating per recording and an overall verdict.

Microphone quality

How we test microphone quality

We test the quality of the speech picked up by the microphone on the product. We test it with and without background noise to come up with a verdict.

Noise cancelling

Overall
Acoustic seal
Sound leakage

How we test noise cancelling

We use an artificial ears to measure the exact sound measurements being stopped by the noise cancelling features on each pair of headphones. We will enable active noise cancelling (ANC) if the headphones have this function. This a premium function and these products monitor surrounding noise and alter the strength of noise-cancelling to combat it. Our acoustic seal test tests headphones with ANC to see how well they physically block out noise cancelling without playing any audio.

Comfort

How we test comfort

Our professional panel of listeners assess the comfort of the product.

Durability

How we test durability

Our lab professionals assess how well built the headphones are. We drop the products onto a stone floor from a height of 1.8 metres to test their robustness. We also put them through identical rain tests for five minutes to see if they are water resistant.

Battery life

How we test battery life

We play sounds continuously at a reasonable volume until the battery runs out. We replicate how you are likely to use the headphones, such as with noise cancelling enabled. Since wireless headphones are convenient, battery life doesn't affect our overall score for a pair of headphones (although anything particularly bad we'd make a Don't Buy).

General
Powered from battery	Yes
Type of battery	Lithium Ion Built in Battery
Wireless or wired	Wireless
Weight	387g
Headphone controls	Yes
L and R present	No
Headphones fold	No
Battery life	1181 mins

Features
Noise cancelling	Yes
Adaptive noise cancelling	Yes
Sports headphones	No
Latency	292

Suggested Alternatives

Apple

AirPods Pro 3

In-ear
Wireless
Noise cancelling

£199View retailers

Test score

Sennheiser

HDB 630

Wireless
Noise cancelling

£399View retailers

Test score

Sony

WH-1000XM6

Over-ear
Wireless
Noise cancelling

£284.99View retailers

Test score

Best headphones 2026 and buying guide
Our expert lab tests reveal the best (and worst) headphones. Whether you want in-ear or over-ear, we help you find the perfect pair for ears and your budget.
Best wireless earbuds for 2026
We round up the best wireless earbuds from Apple, Bose, Sony and more to help you pick the perfect pair, all based on our in-depth lab testing.
How we test headphones
Discover how our experts test headphones for sound quality and comfort. Only the very best become Best Buys, and the worst are named Don't Buys.

All headphones advice

AppleAirPods Max 2