Wired
Apple’s AirPods Max wireless earphones were introduced about two years ago. While this is a premium headset that has received a lot of praise for its looks, sound quality, and experience, some users have complained. For example, its case has faced a lot of controversy because of its design, and the AirPods Max don’t offer lossless functionality even when wired. On the other hand, many users have also experienced the degradation of active noise cancellation.
According to 9to5 Mac and The Verge, a growing number of AirPods Max owners are now convinced that the active noise cancellation has gotten worse, at least after Apple released the 4E71 firmware update in May this year.
Many users described the 4E71 firmware as “garbage” and after updating the 4E71 firmware, they could hear themselves typing, birds chirping, cars on the street, the jingling of weights in the gym, and other external noises they had never heard before. After some users went to the Apple Store for new headphones, the active noise reduction experience also dropped a lot.
So far, there doesn’t seem to be a way to improve the AirPods Max’s active noise cancellation. Some users have tried to fix premium headphones or reset iOS 16’s personalized spatial audio, but it doesn’t seem to work.
Apple is currently testing a new firmware update for the AirPods Max wireless earphones. While it’s been spotted that the headset will feature the new LC3 codec to improve audio calls, it’s unclear if Apple is actively working on improving active noise cancellation.
