Amazon has Apple's brand-new AirPods Max 2 on sale at an enticing discount already

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By Adrian Diaconescu

Published: Mar 26, 2026, 10:15 AM

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The AirPods Max 2 are several years late to the market and a little overpriced. | Image by Apple

While we all expected Apple to unveil a new budget-friendly handset and an upgraded iPad Air duo this month, last week's AirPods Max 2 announcement pretty much caught the entire tech scene off guard... even though the H2-powered headphones were clearly a long time coming.

After all, the first AirPods Max edition was released back in 2020, losing its appeal very quickly for many prospective buyers due primarily to an arguably excessive price point. Unfortunately, the second generation is just as expensive, fetching $549 in five different colors, but for a presumably limited time, you can save 20 bucks on two of those hues without jumping through any hoops.

$19 off (3%)

Wireless Over-Ear Headphones with Active Noise Cancellation, Transparency Mode, Adaptive Audio, Personalized Spatial Audio, Live Translation, Conversation Awareness, Voice Isolation, Digital Crown for Volume Control, Apple H2 Chip, Up to 20 Hours of Battery Life, USB-C Charging, Midnight and Starlight Color Options

Buy at Amazon

That's... definitely not what I'd normally call a hefty discount, only slashing around 3 percent off the AirPods Max 2's list price, but then again, it's not exactly "normal" to see a fancy new Apple-made (and Apple-branded) product marked down by any amount while still on pre-order.

Yes, Amazon will only start shipping the upgraded wireless over-ear headphones on April 1 (no joke), but if you want to save... something, you probably shouldn't wait until then, as the e-commerce giant could bump the price of the Midnight and Starlight-coated AirPods Max 2 back up to the same level as the blue, orange, and purple flavors at literally any moment between now and next Wednesday.

Midnight might be my favorite AirPods Max 2 colorway. | Image by Apple

Are the second-gen AirPods Max worth how much Amazon is charging right now? That's impossible to say for sure before we get a chance to rigorously review Apple's new alternative to the likes of the Sony WH-1000XM6 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen), but on paper, the quality/price ratio doesn't seem... ideal this time around either.

Apple is (obviously) claiming the active noise cancellation technology and overall sound quality are "elevated" from the first-gen AirPods Max (which were no pushovers in those departments either), but unless you're a super-hardcore fan of the Cupertino-based tech giant, it's difficult to justify spending more than what you would on the aforementioned Sony and Bose candidates for the title of best high-end Bluetooth wireless headphones money can buy.

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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.

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