Alongside iOS 18.4 in April, Apple is giving AirPods Max with USB-C a duo of a new features: lossless audio and ultra-low-latency support, but you still have to bypass Bluetooth.

C last fall, I asked whether the headphones would feature USB-C audio and get an optional USB-C-to-3.5mm cable for a wired connection to devices with a headphone jack. I didn't get a response from Apple,

Apple 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 without any new firmware; 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 promised a game-changing update for its $549 AirPods Max but instead, users are left waiting yet again. A firmware rollout meant to finally deliver lossless audio and low-latency performance is now delayed by a bug.

Apple has begun seeding a new update for the AirPods Max after hiccups in the initial rollout. The recent update, brought alongside iOS 18.4 earlier this week, enables lossless audio and super low latency when using the headphones over USB-C.

Apple has released a new firmware update for the USB-C version of the AirPods Max. When paired with the iOS 18.4 update, it brings lossless audio and ultra-low latency audio to the headphones. There are no release notes as to what the update entails,

It’s perhaps surprising that Apple’s AirPods Max have, up until now, lacked the option to use their USB-C connection for transmitting high-quality, low-latency audio. Thanks to a new software update, though, this fairly commonly found feature will soon ...

That’s the capability to connect AirPods Max to analog sources such as the inflight entertainment on an airplane which, almost universally, still requires a cable link to a 3.5m