Apple’s AirPods Max will gain lossless audio and ultra-low latency features starting next month, the consumer electronics company announced on Monday.
The free software update, arriving in April, aims to enhance music creation, movie-watching, and gaming experiences while making AirPods Max the first headphones to support personalised spatial audio mixing for professionals, according to Apple.
What is lossless audio?
Lossless audio refers to sound files that retain the full quality of the original studio recording. Unlike standard formats like MP3 or AAC, which compress audio to save space (removing some data in the process), lossless formats such as FLAC or Apple’s ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec) keep all details intact.
Apple says this update will unlock 24-bit, 48 kHz lossless audio via a USB-C cable, allowing AirPods Max to play music without the compression typical of wireless Bluetooth connections.
Apple says the feature extends to its Personalised Spatial Audio, which uses head tracking to create a surround-sound effect. Over 100 million lossless tracks on Apple Music will be compatible.
“Next month, AirPods Max will become the only headphones that enable musicians to both create and mix in Personalized Spatial Audio with head tracking,” Apple says in its announcement. The company noted that creators using Logic Pro for Mac can now record and edit songs with near-zero lag, a critical need for real-time adjustments.
Ultra-low latency audio—reducing lag to levels matching built-in speakers on Apple devices—will benefit gamers and livestreamers. This minimizes delays between actions on-screen and audio feedback, crucial for competitive gaming.
While most wireless headphones struggle with lossless audio due to Bluetooth bandwidth limits, Apple’s solution requires a physical USB-C to 3.5 mm cable (sold separately for $39). This bypasses wireless constraints, a workaround also used by competitors like Sony’s WH-1000XM6, which is speculated to support wired lossless via LDAC codec
Availability
The update rolls out with iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and macOS Sequoia 15.4. To use Personalized Spatial Audio, musicians need an iPhone with a TrueDepth camera to scan their ears—a feature introduced in 2020 for Face ID. Apple’s AirPods Max is priced at approximately N840,000 ($549) excluding retailer markups.
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