Apple’s AirPods Max 2 over-ear headphones are selling for $429 at Amazon in the United States at the time of writing. Apple’s own store lists every colour at $549, so the Amazon price is $120 below the official list price. 9to5Toys reported the deal on Sunday morning and described it as an ongoing price drop.

The price applies to amazon.com, in US dollars. Amazon has not shown an end date, and prices like this can change at any time, so check the final price in your cart before you pay.

How this price compares

The $429 figure is the same price 9to5Toys tracked during Amazon’s fall Prime Day event, when it was available on all five colours. Gizmodo also reported the $120 cut after that sale, putting the saving at 22% off the usual $549.

The saving here is measured against Apple’s official price, not against a store’s own crossed out figure, which makes it a fair guide to what you actually save.

What you get

According to Apple, AirPods Max 2 run on the H2 chip and bring a few clear upgrades over the first model:

  • Up to 1.5x more Active Noise Cancellation than the previous generation
  • Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness, Voice Isolation and Live Translation
  • Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking
  • Lossless Audio and ultra low latency audio over a USB-C connection
  • USB-C charging and up to 20 hours of listening with noise cancellation and Spatial Audio on

They come in Blue, Purple, Midnight, Starlight and Orange, and the soft Smart Case puts them into a low power state when you are not using them.

Who should buy, and who should skip

These suit iPhone, iPad and Mac owners who want large, comfortable over-ear headphones with strong noise cancellation for flights, commutes or long work sessions. The tight link with Apple devices, including audio sharing between two sets of AirPods, is a large part of what you pay for.

Android users should look elsewhere, since many of the smart features depend on Apple devices. If you want something small for the gym or your pocket, the AirPods Pro 3 make more sense: 9to5Toys lists them at $199 on Amazon, against Apple’s $249 price.

Before you buy

Check that the listing says AirPods Max 2, sold by Amazon, and not the earlier AirPods Max model. Check the price for the exact colour you pick, since the deal reports name the price per listing. The deal is for new headphones, not renewed or open box units.