Apple is bringing lossless audio and low-latency audio to AirPods Max
Apple announced on Monday that it’s bringing lossless audio and ultra-low latency audio to AirPods Max headphones when using the included USB-C cable.
With this upcoming update, AirPods Max headphones will unlock 24-bit, 48 kHz lossless audio to maintain the quality of original recordings. Lossless audio also extends to Personalized Spatial Audio “to deliver a more sonically accurate, uncompressed, and immersive experience,” the company says.
Users will be able to listen to more than 100 million songs in lossless audio with Apple Music.
As for the ultra-low latency audio, Apple says the AirPods Max will be better suited for music production. Using the USB-C cable, AirPods Max users will enable musicians to create and mix with Personalized Spatial Audio and head tracking. This means artists can record and mix music without losing audio quality, Apple notes.
Gamers will also benefit from ultra-low latency audio, as they will experience lower lag time with the AirPods Max.
Lossless audio and ultra-low latency audio will be available in April as a free firmware update with iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and macOS Sequoia 15.4 for AirPods Max with USB-C.
The new features will be available exclusively to AirPods Max with USB-C, and not the Lightning version of the headphones.
Aisha is a consumer news reporter at TechCrunch. Prior to joining the publication in 2021, she was a telecom reporter at MobileSyrup. Aisha holds an honours bachelor’s degree from University of Toronto and a master’s degree in journalism from Western University.
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