Apple releases AirPods Max update with lossless audio after brief delay

Last week, Apple announced that lossless audio and ultra low latency would be coming to the AirPods Max with USB-C. It was a pleasant surprise for owners of Apple’s over-ear headphones, which have fallen behind the AirPods Pro in recent years when it comes to offering new features. The company briefly hit a snag in releasing the firmware update necessary for the AirPods Max to unlock these newfound capabilities, but resolved the issue on Wednesday afternoon.

Firmware version 7E99 was supposed to arrive early this week alongside iOS 18.4 and macOS Sequoia 15.4. But late in the day Tuesday, Apple added an unusual “coming soon” asterisk next to the AirPods Max on a support site that lists each device’s latest firmware. Both MacRumors and 9to5Mac reported on the delay, though Apple never gave an explanation. A newer AirPods Max software update, 7E101, was rolled out on Wednesday.

The company also introduced a new USB-C to 3.5mm cable for the AirPods Max last week, and it’s worth noting you can use that regardless of what firmware you’re on; it works right out of the box for connecting the headphones to devices with a traditional headphone jack — and it’s a pretty good cable as these things go. (You’d hope so for $39.)

Apple really needs to make the process of updating AirPods more straightforward. For years, it has just sort of happened in the background at a random moment when your iPhone and AirPods are near each other with the headphones charging. There’s no way of manually triggering an update, which runs counter to the way every other earbud maker does it. Can we get a simple “update now” button right in AirPods settings in iOS 19, please?

Update, April 2nd 6:30PM ET: The article has been updated to reflect that the latest AirPods Max firmware is now available.