Apple just announced ultra-low latency support for the USB-C AirPods Max, and it changes everything for podcasters.

Yes, they still cost an absurd $500. But now they’re worth their weight in starlight1 gold.

AirPods Max headphone colors
Courtesy: Apple.com

Why AirPods Max Are Now Perfect for Podcasting

Here’s the game-changer: you can now “monitor” your own voice in real-time while speaking into a mic and recording. This is an important feature for podcasters, to make sure they’re speaking into the mic clearly.

Until now, I needed two separate headphones: my trusty Sony MDR 7506 while recording my podcast for monitoring purposes and more fun sounding ones for everything else. This update eliminates that hassle of needing two headphones on my desk2.

This single update transforms the AirPods Max from luxury listening headphones into professional podcasting gear.

Here’s some notes that are also not immediately clear from their announcement but super exciting:

  • No special cable needed: The standard USB-C cable that came in the box will work perfectly for all this. Importantly you don’t need that $40 cable everyone is complaining about.
  • Wired mode: You can use your headphones in wired mode. They should charge and play audio in lossles quality. This is because the signal chain is digital all the way until they produce sound in your ears.

The $40 cable is still useful if you want to connect to an audio jack but I honestly prefer not having a special cable that’s not USB-C while traveling3.

Not the best sounding but still worth it

The AirPods Max are not the best sounding headphones for your money but they are good enough. Like really really good enough.

They are however, some of the most comfortable headphones out there. I’ve tried quite a lot of them and these are one of the few I can wear for 6 hours straight comfortably.

These are one of the best in noise cancelation. This is especially a godsend for me when I’m in a flight with crying babies and can’t do anything about it. Turn NC on and the volume ever so slightly up, and I can drown out all the noise.

That good USB-C one cable life baby. My phone, laptop and now headphones all can use the same cable.

For podcasters looking to simplify their setup without sacrificing quality, the AirPods Max now are an excellent choice.

  1. Amazon currently has the Starlight color for $479 (lowest price I’ve seen). I personally bought mine from Costco because I also know I can return them if there’s a manufacturing defect without needing to shell out for that AppleCare+ surcharge. ↩︎

  2. The Sony MDR 7506 are good for recording but are flat. Them being wired also means I’m tethered to my computer when I just want to do some casual listening. ↩︎

  3. Use the compact Twelve South AirFly SE instead. ↩︎