AirPods Max USB-C 2024 Was Apple's Minimal Refresh That Now Looks Worse After AirPods Max 2

What it is

The Apple AirPods Max with USB-C is the 2024 refresh of the original 2020 AirPods Max flagship over-ear headphones. The only meaningful change from 2020: the charging port moved from Lightning to USB-C to comply with EU regulations. Everything else, the H1 chip, the 20-hour battery life, the aluminum ear cups, the mesh headband, the pro-level Active Noise Cancellation, the Transparency mode, the Personalized Spatial Audio, carried over unchanged. New color options (Midnight, Starlight, Blue, Purple, Orange) replaced the original palette (Space Gray, Silver, Sky Blue, Green, Pink).

Pricing held at $549 in the US and £499 in the UK, identical to the 2020 launch. Amazon routine sales have dropped it to $449 through 2026. Apple has since launched AirPods Max 2 with the H2 chip, which effectively discontinues the USB-C 2024 model at retail.

What's interesting

The USB-C port change is meaningful for wired users. The 2024 refresh enables lossless audio playback over a USB-C cable connection to iPhone 15 and later, MacBook Pro, and other USB-C devices. For audiophiles and studio-adjacent use where Bluetooth's AAC codec ceiling constrains quality, the USB-C wired lossless path is the actual upgrade. CNN Underscored framed the port transition as the main reason audiophiles and creators might prefer the 2024 over the 2020 model.

The H1 chip (carried over from 2020) was competitive when it shipped five years ago. For ANC, Spatial Audio, and fast device-switching within the Apple ecosystem, H1 delivers the core AirPods Max experience. Most users not chasing H2's specific improvements (1.5x stronger ANC, Live Translation, heart-rate monitoring) cannot distinguish the 2024 from the 2020 model in daily use.

Build quality is unchanged and genuinely premium. Aluminum ear cups, mesh canopy headband, knitted-fabric ear cushions, and the Digital Crown controller are all carried forward. At 384g the headphones are heavy, but the weight-distribution design spreads the load.

Three colors (Midnight, Starlight, Blue) remain in stock at most retailers; Purple and Orange had limited runs and are intermittently available.

What's missing or unverified

The entire 2024 refresh is what SoundGuys called "a rip-off." Apple charged the same $549 as the 2020 launch but delivered only the port change. No driver upgrades, no chip update, no new sensors. The refresh was an EU-compliance update repackaged as a consumer product.

AirPods Max 2 (released September 2025) exposed the 2024 as a placeholder. Max 2 added the H2 chip, 2x stronger ANC, heart-rate sensor, IP57 durability, and Live Translation, everything the 2024 refresh should have delivered. For anyone considering the 2024 at MSRP in 2025-2026, AirPods Max 2 at the same price is the obvious better choice.

AAC-only Bluetooth codec is the persistent ceiling. Competitors (Sony WH-1000XM5, Bose QuietComfort Ultra) ship LDAC or aptX Lossless which exceed AAC's audio fidelity. Only USB-C wired playback fixes this on AirPods Max.

Battery replacement is not user-serviceable. After 3-5 years of daily use, battery degradation requires Apple's carry-in service at $79.

The smart case is famously poor. It does not cover the ear cups, offers no padding, and does not put the headphones fully into standby mode. Seven years after launch, Apple has not addressed this design critique.

Who it's for

Buyers who specifically want AirPods Max but can find the 2024 USB-C model on clearance at $399 or below. Users upgrading from the 2020 Lightning model who specifically need USB-C charging for EU travel or unified-cable workflow. Secondhand buyers who want to save vs the AirPods Max 2.

Not for: buyers paying MSRP $549 (AirPods Max 2 at $549 is strictly better), anyone wanting heart-rate sensors or LDAC Bluetooth, or cross-platform users who would be better served by Sony WH-1000XM5.

Verdict

The AirPods Max USB-C 2024 was a minimal refresh even when new, and the launch of AirPods Max 2 in September 2025 has exposed just how thin the 2024 upgrade was. At clearance pricing the 2024 model remains the cheapest way into the AirPods Max hardware and design, but paying MSRP is hard to justify. Against the AirPods Max 2 at the same $549, the 2024 model loses every functional comparison. For specific clearance-hunters and audiophiles who want USB-C lossless without needing H2 features, it is a defensible purchase at $399-$449 street. For everyone else, skip straight to Max 2.