Apple has announced that lossless audio and ultra-low latency audio are coming to AirPods Max in the upcoming iOS 18.4 software update, which will be released to the public in April. The iOS 18.4 Release Candidate was seeded to developers earlier today.
From Apple’s press release:
With this update, AirPods Max will unlock 24-bit, 48 kHz lossless audio, preserving the integrity of original recordings and allowing listeners to experience music the way the artist created it in the studio. Lossless audio also extends to Personalized Spatial Audio to deliver a more sonically accurate, uncompressed, and immersive experience, and users can enjoy more than 100 million songs in lossless audio with Apple Music.
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Lossless audio and ultra-low latency audio enable music creators to fully utilize AirPods Max throughout their entire professional workflow on Logic Pro and other music creation apps. Using the USB-C cable, AirPods Max will become the only headphones that enable musicians to both create and mix in Personalized Spatial Audio with head tracking.1 By delivering lossless, high-resolution digital audio with low latency, artists can seamlessly record and mix with AirPods Max without compromising fidelity.
Apple says lossless audio and ultra-low latency audio will be available in April as a free firmware update with iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and macOS Sequoia 15.4 for AirPods Max with USB-C.
Apple also announced that it is making a USB-C to 3.5 mm audio cable available as of today for $39 (U.S.) from apple.com/store, in the Apple Store app, and through Apple Authorized Resellers. It can be used to connect AirPods Max to 3.5 mm audio sources, like the audio-out port on an airplane. Users can also connect their iOS or iPadOS device to 3.5 mm audio ports, like audio-in ports on car stereos or other speakers.
