The AirPods Max 2 are ‘the best noise cancelling headphones on the market’ — and they’re already 20% off ahead of Prime Day

Blue Apple AirPods Max 2 being held in the air, with an Amazon Prime Day badge on the left.
(Image credit: Future)

I had to make sure Prime Day in Australia hadn't already started when I saw this AU$200 saving on the AirPods Max 2, since it's not everyday that Amazon discounts Apple tech. And, if there are any discounts to be found, it's the online retailer's annual mid-year sale that tends to throw them up.

So if you've had your eye on the latest set of Apple's over-ear headphones, then this price cut might just be of interest.

Apple AirPods Max 2 (Blue)
Save 20% (AU$200)
Apple AirPods Max 2 (Blue): was AU$999 now AU$799 at Amazon

It would have been nice to have seen this AU$200 discount applying to more colours other than just blue, but I can't complain too much. The AirPods Max 2 are simply terrific. While the design hasn't changed much, the internals have been upgraded to deliver even better ANC performance, Lossless audio over USB-C and a wealth of useful features made possible by the new H2 chip.

It's no secret that the AirPods Max 2 are among the most expensive headphones we've ever tested here at TechRadar, and with a AU$999 RRP, you can easily spend less on a highly capable pair from the likes of Sony, Bose or Sennheiser.

Apple has thrown everything at the Max 2s though to help justify the high price, and they're easily some of the best headphones on the market right now, particularly if you can make use of their Apple Intelligence features (provided you have an iPhone 15 or newer device).

These features include things like live translate, advanced call screening, gesture control, conversational awareness, and adaptive audio. Pair all of these with a stunning high-end design, class-leading noise cancellation, and fantastic audio quality, and the AirPods Max 2 are definitely worth considering.

As we said in our Apple AirPods Max 2 review, they're the "the best noise-cancelling iPhone headphones on the planet", with a soundstage that's "expansive" and "a noise floor so low that bass frequencies rumble, snap and boom in so much space it's almost a crime".

If you own an iPhone, they're a no brainer.

Should I wait for Prime Day?

Apple AirPods Max 2 in orange with AirPods Max just visible in purple, outside in a garden on a bench, held in a hand

(Image credit: Future)

That's tricky question to answer. As I mentioned earlier, it's surprising that there's a discount of any sort on the AirPods Max 2. However, it only applies to the blue colourway — could Amazon be teasing discounts to expect when Prime Day rolls around next week, and apply a saving to all colours?

We'll ultimately have to wait and see. I feel the blue colour is pretty inoffensive and should suit most people pretty well — midnight (navy blue) or silver are obviously more ambiguous — so if you've been considering Apple's top-tier cans, but don't want to pay a grand, this is a good opportunity to save a decent chunk of cash.

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Max Langridge
Senior Editor, Home Entertainment & Broadband (APAC)

Max is a senior staff writer for TechRadar who covers home entertainment and audio first, NBN second and virtually anything else that falls under the consumer electronics umbrella third. He's also a bit of an ecommerce fiend, particularly when it comes to finding the latest coupon codes for a variety of publications. He has written for TechRadar's sister publication What Hi-Fi? as well as Pocket-lint, and he's also the editor of Australian Hi-Fi and Audio Esoterica magazines. Max also dabbled in the men's lifestyle publication space, but is now firmly rooted in his first passion of technology.

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