Apple AirPods Max 2: A3454 · USB-C
soundcore Liberty 5 Pro: D1203 · D1203Z11 · black
| Specification | Apple AirPods Max 2 | soundcore Liberty 5 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Release year | 2026 | 2026 |
| 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 | Earbuds 6.1; case 6.0 soundcore |
| 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 | — |
| 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 | — | 9.2 mm dynamic soundcore |
| Audio codecs | — | SBC · AAC · LDAC soundcore |
| Multipoint | — | 2 by default; up to 3 devices soundcore |
| ANC-on playtime | — | Up to 6.5 hours; 28 hours total with case soundcore |
| ANC-off playtime | — | Up to 12 hours; 50 hours total with case soundcore |
| ANC + LDAC | — | Up to 4.5 hours soundcore |
| ANC + Dolby | — | Up to 5 hours soundcore |
| Battery capacity | — | 62 mAh per earbud; 690 mAh case soundcore |
| Full charging | — | Up to 1 hour for earbuds; 3 hours for case soundcore |
| Fast charging | — | Up to 4 hours from 5 minutes soundcore |
| Protection | — | IP55; earbuds only soundcore |
| Case display | — | 0.96-inch soundcore |
| Voice control | — | 20 offline commands soundcore |
| Find function | — | Sound alerts from earbuds within Bluetooth range soundcore |