AirPods Max 2 just dropped to a lowest-ever $399 at Amazon, proving the best deals don't always wait for Prime Day — run!

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)

Do not adjust your screens; it's not actually Amazon Prime Day proper yet — that'll happen at the stroke of midnight tonight. But that doesn't mean Amazon hasn't gone full-on in early doors, does it?

• Browse the full Amazon Prime Day sale

The deal I need you to know about somehow (I don't make the rules, OK?) concerns the Apple AirPods Max 2. Yes, the newest, just-released-in-March-2026 set. The set with the new colorways and, most importantly, the H2 chip, which means access to Apple Intelligence, better ANC, Conversation Awareness, Live Translation and the Camera Remote (but that's just for starters).

Right now, they've dropped to an all-new low of $399 (was $549) at Amazon, and quite frankly, they're so much better than that money. I reviewed them myself (and I review — and train people on how to review — headphones for a living, as TR's audio editor), and they're the real deal.

Today's best AirPods Max 2 deal

What a deal! These are the new March 2026 edition, with the H2 chip and all of the upticks in performance that it brings. And though many might have predicted an Apple-style $50 saving (yawn), this $150-off steal is crazy! Nobody had this on their bingo card for Prime Day. OK, the deal is only on the 'Starlight' finish, but for this money that shouldn't be an issue — it's a perfectly lovely finish. Let me be abundantly clear: the noise cancellation here is absolutely fantastic — and I know, because I reviewed them…

Let me tell you one thing about these headphones: I test headphones as part of my day-to-day, five days a week, and have done so since 2019. These particular headphones are now the ones I reach for over all others, including those from Bose and Sony.

And I wasn't always an Apple fangirl. In fact, when the Cupertino giant unveiled Apple Music Lossless and Hi-Res Lossless for free back in 2021, as part of your Apple Music subscription, I may have largely dismissed Apple's musical headgear — and for some time after. Why? Because it took four more years for the Cupertino giant to work out how to get its Lossless music standard into its own flagship headphones.

But that has all changed now, because you can listen wirelessly or hook them up via USB-C for Lossless playback. OK, the Max 2's looks may not be so different to the 2020 originals, but that extra computational wizardry and H2 chipset power has made the noise-cancellation a lot better than before — and the noise-nixing in the originals was no slouch.

I find the Live Translation feature much more useful than I'd thought it would be (I tried it on a recent trip to Spain), and the new Camera Remote function, where you use the digital crown to snap an iPhone picture, is excellent. I also love Conversation Awareness, which locks in quicker than I've experienced in other cans that offer a similar feature.

In conclusion, the best Prime Day deal for me already landed, and I won't be changing my mind(!) but if you'd like to look at a few other early deals already live now, I'll link a couple below. Stick with me, I won't let you down this Prime Day!

Other early Prime Day headphones and earbuds deals live now

This might just be the best early Prime Day tech deal, especially if you want Apple's iconic buds (and you'd be in good company; they're the most popular earbuds in the world for a reason). Apple's AirPods Pro 3 for a record-low price of $169? Come on! Apple's newest premium buds feature improved Active Noise Cancellation, outstanding audio, a comfortable in-ear design, and new features such as live translation and heart-rate tracking. These do-it-all buds really are 100% flagship audio, and the noise-canceling quality is outstanding.

The excellent EAH-AZ80 that came before this model basically tore up the rule book on sound quality and features in wireless earbuds – and the AZ100 are even better. Released in January 2025, these little beauties are still the only earbuds to offer multipoint to three devices simultaneously, plus excellent sidetone tech for hearing your own voice in calls, as well as some of the most neutral and detailed audio in an even smaller, even more premium-feel design. Oh, and the deal? It's a return to their lowest-ever price. Highly recommended.