Apple brings back wired lossless playback to USB-C AirPods Max
On Monday morning, Apple unveiled a new capability for its USB-C AirPods Max: starting with iOS 18.4, the headphones will support lossless audio playback, delivering ultra-low latency listening through a wired connection. For the first time, the USB-C AirPods Max will offer wired audio playback, a feature absent when the headphones launched last September.
Michael Burkhardt for 9to5Mac:
A lot of people might not have known this, but Lightning AirPods Max actually supported wired audio playback from the beginning. Since the introduction in 2020, you were able to use a Lightning to 3.5mm cable (which Apple happily sold for $35) – and connect your AirPods Max to any device with a 3.5mm headphone jack.
This feature was interestingly missing from USB-C AirPods Max. If you relied on a wired connection with your old AirPods Max sometimes, you’d no longer have that flexibility with the new pair. This was disappointing for a number of USB-C AirPods Max buyers…
However, that’ll no longer be the case in April with iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and macOS 15.4. With a new software update, AirPods Max will now be capable of lossless audio over USB-C – enabling wired playback on the USB-C variant for the very first time.
MacDailyNews Take: Apple taketh away, but Apple also giveth back at a later date!
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