Apple AirPods Max 2: A3454 · USB-C
Sony WH-1000XM5: WH-1000XM5; colours vary by region: black, silver, midnight blue, pink and platinum. The later WH-1000XM6 is a separate product.
| Specification | Apple AirPods Max 2 | Sony WH-1000XM5 |
|---|---|---|
| Release year | 2026 | 2022 |
| Model | A3454 Apple | — |
| Announcement and availability | Announced 16 March 2026; orders from 25 March; deliveries from early April Apple | — |
| Colours | Midnight, Starlight, Blue, Purple, Orange Apple | — |
| Chip | Apple H2 in each ear cup Apple | — |
| Driver and amplifier | Apple-designed dynamic driver; custom high-dynamic-range amplifier; dual neodymium ring magnet motor Apple | — |
| Noise control | ANC, Transparency mode and Adaptive Audio; up to 1.5x more effective than the previous generation Apple | — |
| Microphones | Nine microphones: eight for ANC, three for voice pickup (two shared) Apple | — |
| Sensors | Optical, position, case-detect and accelerometer in each cup; gyroscope in the left cup only Apple | — |
| Controls | Digital Crown (volume, play/pause, calls, Siri) and a listening mode button Apple | — |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 Apple | — |
| Wired audio | Lossless and ultra-low-latency audio over USB-C; 24-bit / 48 kHz Apple | — |
| Analogue input | Analogue sources via a USB-C to 3.5 mm audio cable Apple | — |
| Battery life | Up to 20 hours of listening with ANC on Apple | — |
| Quick charge | About 1.5 hours of listening from 5 minutes of charging Apple | — |
| Charging | USB-C; ultra-low-power state when stored in the Smart Case Apple | Full charge in about 3.5 hours via USB; about 3 hours of playback from 3 minutes with a USB-PD adapter Sony |
| Dimensions | 168.6 × 83.4 × 187.3 mm (width × depth × height), including cushions Apple | — |
| Weight | 386.2 g; Smart Case 134.5 g Apple | — |
| Build and cushions | Anodised aluminium ear cups; breathable knit-mesh canopy; stainless steel telescoping arms; memory foam and mesh-textile cushions Apple | — |
| Water and dust resistance | None Apple | — |
| Audio features | Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness, Voice Isolation, Personalized Volume, Loud Sound Reduction, Adaptive EQ; Personalized Spatial Audio with head tracking Apple | — |
| Live Translation | Beta; needs an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone on iOS 26 or later Apple | — |
| Software requirement | iOS and iPadOS 26.4 or later; current operating system on Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV and Apple Vision Pro Apple | — |
| Firmware | 9A348 (latest version in Apple’s list); adds an Equalizer control Apple | — |
| In the box | AirPods Max 2, Smart Case, USB-C charge cable, documentation Apple | — |
| Accessibility | Live Listen, Headphone levels, Headphone Accommodations Apple | — |
| Driver | — | 30 mm dynamic driver, closed back, neodymium magnet Sony |
| Frequency response | — | Bluetooth: 20 Hz–20 kHz (44.1 kHz), 20 Hz–40 kHz with LDAC (96 kHz/990 kbps); wired: 4 Hz–40 kHz Sony |
| Bluetooth and codecs | — | Bluetooth 5.2; SBC, AAC, LDAC; A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, HSP; multipoint (two devices) Sony |
| Noise cancelling | — | Active noise cancelling; Integrated Processor V1 and HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1; 8 microphones in total (4 noise-sensing per earcup) Sony |
| Call microphones | — | 4 beamforming microphones; AI-based noise reduction, wind noise reduction Sony |
| Battery | — | 30 hours of music with noise cancelling on, 40 hours off; 24/32 hours of calls Sony |
| Controls and sensors | — | Touch panel on the right earcup; NC/Ambient button on the left; wear sensor; Speak-to-Chat Sony |
| Spatial audio | — | DSEE Extreme upscaling; 360 Reality Audio support Sony |
| Impedance and sensitivity | — | 48 Ω when on, 16 Ω when off; 102/100 dB/mW Sony |
| Weight and in the box | — | About 250 g; soft collapsible carrying case, 1.2 m L-shaped cable (3.5 mm), USB charging cable Sony |
| App | — | Sony Sound Connect: equaliser, shortcut settings, listening history, Safe Listening Sony |