Apple has shared new details about the engineering behind AirPods Max 2 following early reviews. The company focused on improvements in active noise cancellation, sound quality, and Adaptive Audio, all powered by the new H2 chip.
TechRadar reports that Apple designed the H2 chip to remove performance limits and push audio quality further. Tim Millet, Apple’s Vice President of Platform Architecture, explained the approach behind the new chip.
Millet said, “When we build chips at Apple, it’s always about the product. We don’t sell chips out in the open market, and this gives our team really the luxury of knowing exactly what they’re building for.”
He also added, “H2 is this platform that continues to demonstrate that it has continued headroom.”
This means Apple can improve AirPods Max 2 over time through software updates without needing hardware changes.
TechRadar reports that Apple achieved major gains in active noise cancellation without redesigning the headphones. Eric Treski, Apple’s Director of Audio Product Marketing, explained how the company measures these improvements.
Treski said, “We take that average at 1.5 times across an average of all frequencies. We’re not cherry picking individual frequencies or a certain range.”
He also said, “ANC getting those improvements to 1.5 times without changing the hardware is incredibly difficult to do. That’s all thanks to the compute power and the improved algorithms with H2.”
The improvements rely on faster processing and better algorithms, showing how software and chip design now play a bigger role in audio performance.
